My E39 540i Touring

[RS Grant]

Long time Pistonheads lurker, many time BMW owner but first time 5-series owner.

Based in Dundee in Scotland, so if any of you are local or there are any meets, then we may bump into each other.

Recently bought myself an E39 540i while I recover from shoulder surgery and so far I really rate it. Very comfy, very practical, not horrific on fuel either which is quite a surprise for a big ol' bus running a 4.4 V8 petrol... although I'll not be putting that many miles on it anyway. The colour is called 'aubergine' under the bonnet and it's a non metallic, lavender/purple colour which is a nightmare to try and photograph properly.

Details of it are:

540iA SE Touring
72k miles
Full BMW History
One owner from new










Not really planning much; maybe a slight drop in ride height, new wheels and fabricate a back box to release a wee bit of the V8 rumble without it being stupid.

Will try to keep this thread up to date with any changes, photos and repairs which occur along the way.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Pappagallo said:

That is a lovely thing, well done.

I've an E60 550i (v8) and one of the first things I did was change the back box.

Thank you!! I was following a C63 through traffic yesterday, which has made the rear box modification more of a priority!!

Polynesian said:

wow, that was a find! 1 owner, rare colour (is it an "individual"?), extended leather by the look of it and the comfort seats, also used in Range Rovers. And a 4.4 V8, like in the old Rangies too. What a nice place to travel.

Yeah given its rarity/history, it was a bit of a no brainer when it appeared. It doesn't have individual sill trims, but it's a very rare colour.. be interested to know exactly how many 'aubergine' cars are in the uk actually, can't think I've seen the colour before, on any model of BMW. It's a very waft-tastic place to be, hard to believe it is c16 years old when you drive it.

16plates said:

Wheres the yawning smilie when you need it??

What was the thinking going to this from the 3 series estate you had before?

(It's Colin T by the way... )

I've had that 335i for 6 months and I've had enough of it, should NEVER have got rid of my M3. Sick to the back teeth of niggly little problems which have totally taken the shine off it and when you add in the fact that Birds Garage have disappointed me on a massive scale, it's better that me, the 335i and Birds part ways at all costs..... my issues with Birds will re-appear on another thread at some point.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

McSam said:

Unlikely question for a big auto estate, but how quick does it feel? I've been tempted by a 540iA saloon before now, don't do many miles so anything over 20mpg is acceptable, but I worry about the power being lost to the mass and the gearbox.

It doesn't feel quick; but once it is off the mark, it has a relentless (currently muted!) surge and will pull right round the speedo if asked. It's around the same level of WOT performance offered as my dads 635d Coupe..... NB: if you use the mid range of the 6er correctly then it's a far faster car in the real world.

McSam said:

ETA: This would be even more spectacularly incongruous in your car

Haha, that LSD conversion would be fantastic fun.. not sure the car will be staying with me long enough to justify the outlay, since I only tend to keep my cars for around 6 months, but depending on how ownership goes and how much it grows on me, it may be one of the few that survive the 6 month itch.

Max M4X WW said:

My 2001 saloon went fairly well, not sure it felt quick (apart from in 2nd/3rd) but it always had power and seemed to go better than a mates B6 S4.

Not had anything similar to compare it against, it wiped the floor with some wee gimp in a new Fiesta ST but then that's 1.6 Turbo versus 4.4 V8 so not a fair comparison really.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

On another note.. wanting to change the standard 16" wheels and cannot find a set of reasonably priced 18" M-Parallels for sale.... they're usually in need of a refurb and/or tyres yet still strong money in the first place.

What do you guys think these CSL wheels from my 335i would look like on my 540i?? I'm not sure, I know I'd need hubcentric spacers, but struggling to decide if its worth the outlay or whether they wouldn't work on an E39.




Cheers,
Grant

Edited by RS Grant on Saturday 27th September 19:30

[RS Grant]

McSam said:

hope it does, it looks brilliant! Do feel free to drop me a PM if you want rid of it, it's an itch I need to scratch at one time or another.

Yeah no worries, I will give you a shout when the time comes for the big 5 to move on. It's fighting stiff opposition due to its size, in fact, I'm the only one who has driven it so far.

sixpistons said:

CSLs look great on the right car, but I think they'd look a bit brash on an old 5 series. I reckon stick with something that was originally available with the E39 - something like style 32s can be had on ebay pretty cheap and look great.

Like this:

Pappagallo said:

Style 32s are a very good suggestion for yours I think.

M Parallels always look good but suit a Sport model more.

The CSLs would be just wrong!

Usget said:

Style 5s or 89s would look suitably OEM+ I think.

Yeah I think you guys are right.. the CSLs aren't the way forward with this car, might look a bit too 'scene' and barry'd up on the E39.

Absolutely love M-Parallels, but again, not sure that an SE-spec car would look right with them. The majority of style 32s which I've found seem to be in E36/46 fitment, which isn't a bolt on job for an E39. I'm trying to sort out a deal on some 18" Hartge alloys, similar in design to style 32s. If that happens then I'll fire some pictures of them up when I collect them.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Dannbodge said:

Sod the 540 I want that 335i. That is actually awesome.

If I get one....I'm getting those wheels for it!

Haha, thanks mate.. unfortunately the car wasn't as nice to own as it was to look at!! But the CSLs made a huge difference to the way the car looked, it really deserved more than the standard 18" MV3s and the CSLs fitted the bill perfectly.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

philmots said:

Saw this on ebay, was on there a while! I was half tempted but I've a different plan at the minute!

I'm not sure how long it was for sale, but if it did linger at all then I can only imagine it was due to the colour combination... which is definitely different. But coming from a Black 123d, Black M3 and Black 335i..... it's a nice change for me!!


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Pappagallo said:

Sadly it'll never sound like one of those but you'll get a nice tune or two out of it! I was lucky and found a lightly used Eisenmann 550i rear section for a bargain price. It gives just enough noise without being lairy or annoying.

Max M4X WW said:

This was mine with both rear cannons removed and the Y still there, see my channel for a video with just one rear cannon removed..

http://youtu.be/_a33CLgP7GY?list=UUPc4PvwyEyhSsUlW...

Yeah I'm wanting something subtle when cruising, but don't mind it bringing a bit of noise to the party on the occasion it's given some decent throttle... your car sounds good Max. I was looking to remove both rear boxes and replace with a straight bit of pipe. Two pictures below show the standard system and the sort of replacement I'm after.





Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Pappagallo said:

Would be interesting to hear about this as I often dream about getting them to fit a Quaife LSD.

Once all outstanding business with them has been dealt with, I'll be detailing my ownership experience with Birds over the last 6 months... not expecting many people to engage with the thread because there are quite a few Birds fanboys on here. But what I will say just now is, their Quaife LSD worked fantastically well and made the 335i waaay more useable compared to another I've driven with an open diff.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

petrolveins said:

Stunning car OP. E39 540i owner here too (facelift sport saloon). There is a understated charm to the pre-facelifts that the later ones don't have so much.

It's funny, before I picked it up, I was thinking that I would facelift the car and fit sport bumpers.. but when I got hold of the car and saw that the headlights are like new, the bumpers are in decent nick, chrome work isn't dull and buggered... I decided that it'd be a bit silly to tear it all apart and make a Sport replica so I'll just embrace the ?retro? pre-facelift look.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

AGAR said:

Looking good Big G! I think Alpina rims would suit it perfectly, although maybe that's been done to death?

Is that Coldo I saw posting too?

Thanks Rich!! Aye it's a tough call on the wheel front, trying to sort out some 18" Hartge wheels for it but kind of stuck between what he wants and what I'm prepared to pay, haha.

Hmmm yeah I had assumed that 16 plates is reference to Big Coldo's supernatural dead lift ability.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

g3org3y said:

Lovely car.

CSLs on this would be criminal

Type 32 multispokes or Type 5 cross spokes would be my preferred option. Otherwise, a set of 18 inch Alpina Softlines would look lovely.

The only thing putting my off E39 Tourings is the self levelling rear suspension which I understand is ££ if it goes wrong.

Good shout on the wheels, Alpinas would definitely be another good option on this car.

The SLS won't be cheap if it goes nips north and it's replaced with new parts, but there are a lot of these cars being broken for spares so I should be ok picking up a second hand pump/bag if it needs it. Although I think I saw someone on the 5-series forum mention converting their E39 Touring to conventional 'static' springs, so it is possible with a bit of spannering.

Stoatman said:

What's the going rate for these, north or south of 3k ?. The reason I ask is , there is a saloon that looks immaculate with 79000 miles on, full history close to me and it's 2999. I'm looking for a non sensible run about and am tempted. Is that ok money ? It is at a dealer and I am guessing some kind of warranty against catastrophic bork

That sounds like its worth a look. You could buy a 540i for <1000 privately; but I will wager that it would need money spent on it and the bill for repairs on a BMW-made 4.4 V8 can build up quite quickly... so it makes better sense to me (NB: time will tell if this is sound advice!!) to spend more money in the first place to buy a car with lower miles, full history, clean bodywork etc.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

g3org3y said:

Stoatman said:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

Wheels on this ??. Seem a bit st, bit blingy.

FTFY.

E46 M3 replica alloys in a chrome finish.

M badge on the boot (and grill) too.

Walk away!

I echo the above, I'd be wary.. but I'd still take a look and proper check of it. Only reason I say that is, a friends grandpa had a Lexus LS and he fitted the most halfords council looking wheels to it and V8 badges on the wings, haha... anybody that didn't know it would dismiss it as a chavtastic smoker; but knowing the car, he spend a fortune on servicing and repairs at Lexus making sure everything was right with it. This 540i might be the same?? It's not too far gone to bring back if the history, condition, mechanicals all check out and having the facelift lights fitted has saved some cash.

g3org3y said:

I think 'spokey' wheels suit the E39, more elegant imo (buggers to clean though!).

Though the aforementioned Type 5 cross spokes are lovely too.

Style 5's look fantastic, but since this is going to be see as a daily throughout winter and I'm really anal about salt and crap being on the bodywork/wheels then something slightly easier to clean than Style 5s would be preferable, haha. Can imagine my OCD alarm going off after every journey with polished dishes like that!!


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Stoatman said:

Not to derail this thread , but am still going to see the linked 540. I know the wheels should be killed with fire but I'm trying to look past them.

Are there any obvious things to look for which would make you walk away ? I have never owned an automatic, should the gear changes be seamless ? . I have read also about weak cooling systems , but does this manifest itself in daily driving or just let's go one day ?

Gearchanges in the 1998 540 have been better and smoother than the changes in the 2011 335i... which is absolutely ridiculous. But it should shift almost seamlessly in D, with only a slight lurch if taken to the redline. This link: http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/ is the owners club that I use and has given me a lot of valuable information on these cars.

As I said before, I would also take a look at the car, providing the actual car is a good one.. the wheels/badge etc can all be dealt with very easily.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Wee update on the 540i.

After poking around and checking over the engine bay.. I noticed that there was slight oil residue on the oil filter housing, located just behind the passenger side headlight. I did a bit of reading and assumed that the place I bought it from (who I asked to change oil for me before collection) had used pattern parts rather than OE BMW parts, because it seems that the rubber o-ring doesn't seal as well if not a BMW part. So I bought an OE filter/rubber seal and booked it into the specialist I use to do the job.



I got a phone call to say that the oil change was done, but that the water pump was grumbling and did I want to have it replaced. So currently waiting for a water pump to arrive and be fitted up... the car in it's current position:



Sitting next to my friend's long term 2002 project:




Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

carpetsoiler said:

I'm currently selling some E39 fitment Rondell 0058s if you're interested.

Basically BBS RS740s, but with a big lip and no split aspect. Full set of 5, ET13 (fills the arches on an E39 lovely), 8.5J square setup.





I've always wanted a 540i Touring. Something about them I find deeply appealing. Probably because it's the big brother to my current car- the E36 328i. I'm after a manual though.

That E36 looks fantastic, I've had a soft spot for a late E36 M-Sport Touring for years. But finding one, specially one in decent condition is almost impossible!!

Are the Rondells 17" rather than 18"?? ...because I'm not sure that 17" are big enough on an E39 for me. Lovely looking wheels though.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

carpetsoiler said:

Thanks she's knocking on, but still pulling well! She's not in great condition, but will be after I've scraped together funds for metal work to be sorted, a respray, etc. I'm more about the performance- she's packing around 250bhp and handles incredibly well.

Sounds good, do you have a build thead for the car??

carpetsoiler said:

The Rondells are 17", but they're E39 fitment- and they suit the car well.

This is an idea of what they look like as 17s: http://up.picr.de/3389564.jpg

Also, you won't completely ruin the ride quality with 17s.

Thanks for the offer, but I've sorted out some wheels for the car now, will be typing up an update shortly...


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Well after booking the car in for an oil change and being told that the water pump should be replaced.. I asked if my friend (owner of the garage) could give the rest of the car a good look over to make sure it was tip top. He phoned to tell me that he had seen what looked like a very small leak from one of the rocker gaskets and asked what I wanted to do. So I asked him to replace both gaskets for peace of mind.

While the car was away, I was trying to tie up a deal with some 18" Hartge wheels but had reached a stalemate where I wasn't prepared to pay any more and the seller wasn't prepared to drop any lower. So by complete chance one evening while on Facebook, I saw an advert for some freshly refurbished 18" Alpina wheels in E39 fitment... after chatting to the seller and finding out he had bought them in error for his E46 Touring, a deal was agreed.

Here are a few pictures of the wheels/results:



Plus...



Equals...






Really, really happy with them and the difference they've made to the car.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Mark A B said:

Seeing the larger pics really makes a difference mate! I might be in the area next week sometime so will try pop in! Love the wafter... Haha

Yeah, the difference is even more impressive in the flesh.. no worries, when you know what your movements are then just give me a shout mate.


Cheers,
Grant

[RS Grant]

Max M4X WW said:

Yes!

JordanTurbo said:

Amazing the difference a good set of wheels can make!

Looks lovely.

sixpistons said:

That looks absolutely spot on now mate!

ManicMunky said:

Beautiful car, wheels look perfect!

LittleEnus said:

They look perfect. Great choice, much better than even the parallels!

Thanks very much for the comments.

Just wish that some of the named drivers on the policy felt the same way, haha... as yet, I've still been the only driver of this car because it's apparently 'way too big' for anyone else to drive. Bloody women!!


Cheers,
Grant