E39 540i Sport 6-speed
OK, so there's not much here either...
By Dave McLaren
Looking for my E32 / E34 HID Install Guide? Click Here <- from around 2000
11/12/11: I decided
to crack open this page for the first time in years. I'm thinking about selling
the E39. Actually, I was thinking about selling the E60 M5 since I've hardly been
using it. Since I bought the E60 I've continued to commute in the E39. Well, my
wife likes the M5 and suggested I sell the E39. You see, the E30 turbo project
will be coming home in December and I'll be short one garage space (we only have
a three-car-garage).
If you look at the job I did documenting my old E34 M5, that was a work of
art for the time. I scanned all the receipts and so on I had in my binder. Now
I've just opened the E39 folder and there's so much in there from the ten years
I've owne it I can't imagine scanning all that stuff, and though this might
sound kinda harsh, that would take me so long it's just not worth my time. The
E39 just ain't that valuable.
Anyway, the E39 is now at about 182,750 miles. Hard to believe so many have
gone by, but it's still a nice car to drive and a hell of a lot cheaper to drive
regularly than piling miles on the M5. Sure, it needs care and feeding, but
it never seemed to enter an old car phase where everything goes to crap. Maybe
that's because I gave it proper mechanical maintenance and repairs. It should
have a respray on the hood and the bumper but that's just not something I seem
to get around to. On the other hand, I've gone to great lengths to care for
the interior, particularly the leather. I guess we all geek out on certain things
and not others.
3/7/08: So I stopped by CMW this morning, something I can't resist doing now because my E30 is getting a turbo system installed.
First, we have the M5 wallhanger with two of the Breyton Magics which used to be on my 540, and my M5 before that:
Since I was driving the 540, I grabbed a pic of it outside CMW. I took a couple of other pics, but something weird happened to the file format when I emailed them to my PC from my phone. Yeah, I swore off taking pics when the car is dirty, and yes, the car is dirty in these pics. So sue me.
3/6/08: I'll get some decent pics soon. I've been so friggin' lazy about this.
The only change in the car since below is the wheels. I took the Breytons in for freshening, and a few spokes were cracked in two wheels. I was getting tired of them anyway, so I gave the two rears, which were in the best shape, to Ron Inchausti, owner of Coast Motor Work. He had them refinished and mounted on the M5 body side mounted to the wall of his workshop. In case you're wondering, he'd bought a totaled M5 and one side was intact, so he sliced the side off for a unique wallhanging.
The present wheels are staggered 19" M-parallel reps from Lakeshore. They look great, but I don't know how long I'll keep them. I kinda go through wheels like the ladies do with shoes. ;- )
Stuff below is from something like 2005:
OK, so I haven't put any effort into documenting the E39, or for that matter, my E38. Well, I'll get around to them.
Here's what's gone into the E39:
* H&R springs
all around
* Bilstein Sports all around
* 19x9" and 19x10" Breyton Magic wheels
* 245/35 and 285/30 S-03 tires
* Xenon conversion
* 2001 Euro Angel Eyes with clear corners
* CELIS taillight
* clear sides
* M5 front bumper and fog lights
* Superprint cat-back exhaust
At present, all I have are two seriously crappy phone-cam pix to share. Damn, the car is dirty.
