Great article and oh man, isn't this timely and coincidental! I have an '98 E39 528i. New water pump (Graf) from FCP purchased about a year ago. Now its leaking! My main question, is why are water pumps so difficult to engineer for long life? It just spins. Geez, how hard could it be! I'm willing to pay the extra money for a better quality product. But, there-in lies the problem, there is no metric, as everyone above has discussed, as to the quality rating of the item. You don't necessarily get what you pay for with replacement parts. And no guarantee with brand names. I thought Moog was the go-to for suspension parts until I had an early failure. I do feel Toyota, in general for cars and parts, has the edge in quality and endurance. And I think the numbers support their longevity. If I was replacing a Toyota part, I would go to the dealer, not aftermarket. For everyone else, probably aftermarket. It would be great if some of the large parts outlets like FCP, or Rock Auto, etc. would run some type of statistics on failures for each part (and brand) sold. I have no idea of the magnitude of their sales numbers. Would be interesting to see the data. ... View more

Reminds me of...the 1967 Spitfire I bought in 1974 or so while in college. Paid $145 to a neighbor who just wanted to get rid of it. Red body, wire knock-off wheels! 1147cc/70cu in, 67 HP, and it weighed all of 1500lbs. loved the way the hood tilted up to work on the engine! Then one day, I heard a ticking, then a knocking, then a loud bang. Piston rod cap had loosened and gave way. I rebuilt the engine, added higher lift cam, rebuilt the twin SUs, installed new transmission synchros, fixed the rusted out floors, replaced broken seat, repaired miscellaneous dents and rusted out rocker panels, and gave it a new coat of red paint (my first and only total car paint job!). A true labor of love! Went through 3 clutch plates due to a bent back of engine transmission plate (and the trans was pulled from inside the car after removing a fiberglass cover each time). Best feeling in the world was driving that car late at night, top down, on the Ohio back roads, and just listening to the engine as I shifted. Complete, total feedback from the rack and pinion steering. A pure sports car! (...although it coulda' used about 50 more HP!) Joined the Navy in '79 and towed the Spitfire, behind my '77 Camaro, to Newport Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and then on to San Diego, and finally sold it to  a shipmate. After also having a Mustang GT, Mercedes E500, and now an E39 M5, that Spitfire will always be a favorite!    ... View more

On the days that you need it, and for defogging, AC is wonderful. But, where they locate the evaporator so that it can't be cleaned, or easily changed out, is my gripe. Most cabin filters are before the evaporator, where they need to be to hopefully protect the evaporator and heater core. But then you, and your family, end up breathing not so nice bacteria and fungus laden vapors  (the "dirty sock" smell) from a dirty evaporator. Does any car have an easily cleanable (and inspectable would be nice) AC evaporator?   ... View more