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Everyone hates their cup(can)holders, door seals, DSP stereos, armrests (unless they have the phone)and airbag stickers, so they spend thousands upgrading their stereos, change to the "European" armrest, peel off their stickers and put up with the crappy cupholders.
Nobody wants to pay for the ultra-expensive BMW phone, so they try (in vain) to find a cheap substitute to work with the dash and steering wheel. Every day somebody freaks that their service lights are going out too slowly, so they want to know if they should change the oil anyway and what type of synthetic to use.
Two months ago the rage was 3.15 rear differential changeovers but now, with less than spectacular results from those who made the plunge, forum members are starting to doubt whether its worth the hassle and cost. Meanwhile, anything "Dinan" is still considered very cool, unless it's the software upgrade that is probably a waste of money.
The 528i owners wish they'd bought the 540i (but will never admit it), the 540iA owners think that they might have made a mistake in not going for the 6-speed, the 6-speed owners are M5 wannabees and nobody is happy to leave their car the way it is. The sport guys, who are so proud of their dark shadowline trim, are buying shiney M5 grills, while everyone seems to want larger wheels that look great but ride like wagon wheels.
Several posts are from those who give gushing progress reports on the status of their factory orders as they pee their pants in anticipation, only to suddenly turn on BMW when they find out their speedometer is off a few mph, as if anyone cared.
Other participants use the forum to get brand new cars from BMW by inundating the forum with multiple posts of their problems, clever letters to BMW and lawsuits. They initially get everyone's sympathy but soon tick everyone off because they don't know when to quit while they're ahead. You can't criticize them mind you, because they'll hunt you down tracing your every move on the internet. If you work for BMW, they'll get you fired. Don't mess with them, they're very cranky and are looking for a fight.
Some members have waaaaaay too much time on their hands with dozens of posts per day. If they're not selling fake Xenon lightbulbs, they're telling you how much money they have by ordering a new E39 every 6 months. Just when you feel like strangling them, you observe that do actually try to help others out and they add color to what could be a very dull forum.
For the real technical issues, the forum has it's own guru, Mr. Jim Cash from Canada. What he knows about the E39 is truly amazing. Either he's a secret BMW agent or he's torn down his '97 540iA to the pistons and cupholders several times in his garage. He's a gold mine of knowledge who helps someone out every day and should be paid by BMWNA for his efforts.
I can hardly wait for fall when many will be gushing how the 530i is almost a 540i while everyone else tears out their front and rear lights to change over to the 2001 setup, not because it's necessarily better, but because it will give their car a fresh and unique look.
Mr Cash will tell us how to install them, someone will sell us fake Xenons for them and someone will tell us that he ordered yet another 2001 in order to get them. Meanwhile, several will keep us posted on a daily basis the status of their factory order while new members will ask about squeaking door seals, when to change their oil and if the cupholders can be changed. What have I missed?
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