Talk me out of it

"Decay buys too many beaters" (decay) 10/26/2016 at 14:44 • Filed to: Cheap E39

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Ever since I picked up my stupid !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I’ve been in love with how well it functions as a daily. It is fast enough, RWD, comfortable, handles well, is relatively easy to work on, tons of forum knowledge available, and most of all it has a V8 and a manual. I’ve been thinking lately of selling it for something else (I have severe automotive ADD) but I’ve had real trouble finding something equivalent or better for a similar price. Well, a few weeks ago I was rear ended and the damage ends up with a (surprisingly) not totaled vehicle.

That’s right, despite the peeling paint, faded interior, and other issues, the adjuster valued the car at a lot higher than I expected (especially considering my purchase price). In any case, I have some money coming, and I can’t really see spending it on an E39 that, fixed, probably isn’t worth the settlement. So I started looking around and realized that there are quite a few e39 wagons available around me for just under $2k. Now unfortunately, the e39 touring never came to the US with the big engine and a manual... but here I find myself with a fully functional 540i manual donor... And enough money to buy a super clean touring shell... And a decent amount of automotive knowledge and tools... So I’m guessing you see where I’m going with this. I want to make a 540it manual. It checks all the boxes I require for a perfect daily while being rare/cool enough to take to the occasional meetup.

Please, talk me out of it. Making a daily into a project car is always a bad plan, but now that the idea is in my head I can’t seem to shake it.

Update : Found a clean 540i sport wagon that broke timing guides for not a whole hell of a lot. Seems like a perfect project springboard and I won’t have to deal with a motor swap AND a trans swap.

Sam > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 14:52

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Its... not gonna be super easy. You’ll probably have to make the center console work with the stick, and you’ll also need a new driver’side side floorpan from a manual car to have enough room for the clutch next to the deadpedal. I’d say just fix the car on the cheap and spend the rest on mods or something.

E90M3 > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 14:53

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Please, talk me out of it.

Asking oppo to talk you out of a car is akin to asking Skrillex to stop cooking bass, it’s not gonna happen.

punkgoose17 > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 14:56

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You will need to buy a 3rd car to DD for the months the E39s are in pieces.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 14:56

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Dude... dis be oppo... not gun happen...

Decay buys too many beaters > Sam 10/26/2016 at 14:58

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You would be surprised. Same floorpan, and my center console will transfer over if I find a black interior wagon. Pedals will transfer too.

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2070255-E39-540i-Touring-Manual-Conversion-Checklist-amp-Wiring-Coding

Decay buys too many beaters > punkgoose17 10/26/2016 at 15:00

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I’ll daily the track car(s) or the motorcycle. Not the most comfortable thing but not a deal breaker.

LongbowMkII > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:01

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Needs more brown.

It’ll be fine, what’s the worst that can happen?

Decay buys too many beaters > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/26/2016 at 15:01

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Dammit, that’s what I expected.

Decay buys too many beaters > LongbowMkII 10/26/2016 at 15:03

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I can maybe find a brown shell...

Worst case, I can get stuck with two non-op clean title E39s for a net cost of $0

RallyWrench > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:04

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I will not. Will emissions laws be a problem? Here in CA the swap would have to go to a BAR referee for certification, and the engine can’t be older than the car.

Decay buys too many beaters > E90M3 10/26/2016 at 15:04

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Obviously If I really wanted to be talked out of it, I’d be talking to a financial planner... not you guys.

petebmwm > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:04

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Talk you out of a great idea!!?? no way!!!

E90M3 > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:06

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It’s just one of those scenarios where you’re like see I asked for advice and they told me to process nevertheless.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:16

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Let me see if I understand you.

You came to Oppo...OPPO...to be talked OUT of converting an E39 wagon to a v8/manual? Do I have that right? Because it honestly sounds to me like I’m speaking a foreign language.

AfromanGTO > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:22

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Do it!

finn's arm > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 15:22

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Suspension components are different between the V8 & I6 and steering components are different as well (recirculating ball V8's v. rack I6)

Decay buys too many beaters > finn's arm 10/26/2016 at 15:27

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But I have all that in my donor 540i/6, only potential difference is rear suspension wagon vs sedan.

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > finn's arm 10/26/2016 at 15:37

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the wagons did(rarely) come with a V8 and an automatic. If he can find one of those, the swap gets even better as all he needs to swap is the tranny and driveshaft...And potentially put the automatic in the Sedan and sell it forward.

finn's arm > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 16:00

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When I did my rears, same suspension part number on RealOEM between I6 sedan & wagon. Different number for fronts. V8's have larger diameter struts and are made to handle a little more weight. I’ve heard that some match up fine.

Make sure to check if it has an SLS suspension in the rear.

V8 Front subframe & engine *should* theoretically be a straight fit into the I6 body.

Decay buys too many beaters > finn's arm 10/26/2016 at 16:02

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Awesome! That means I can keep the M-sport suspension on mine all around.

finn's arm > e36Jeff now drives a ZHP 10/26/2016 at 16:04

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Agreed, and I would hope he could find one of those rather than swapping everything between two cars.

There is a Le Mans Blue 540i that I see from time to time and we wave to each other b/c E39 nerds.. Best blue on E39's. My Glacier Green Metallic 528iT needs a lot of lipstick to get that pretty.

MM54 > Decay buys too many beaters 10/26/2016 at 18:28

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Do it

(I’m not very good at talking people out of projects)

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 12/10/2018 at 18:42

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You've got a million bikes to daily, and no project car. Time to revive project 540it manual? 

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 12/10/2018 at 18:55

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No project car? NO PROJECT CAR???

Alas, I still regret not doing that, the driveline in my 540 was solid and would have made one hell of a hoon wagon. Funny enough, I actually got to drive my old 540 again over the weekend. M aking a post about it because it’s not every day you go to a police impound to get a car you sold more than a year ago...

AestheticsInMotion > Decay buys too many beaters 12/11/2018 at 00:13

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The Miata doesn’t count! It’s a part of you now.

Hmm that sounds interesting, curious to know the story behind that.

Now I'm looking at 540i's and Grom's, while counting pennies. Why do you do this to me

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 12/11/2018 at 02:52

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¯\_()_/¯

You could do worse than either of those, and if you get the G rom first you can use those pennies to buy gas and go hundreds of miles (I’m averaging 110mpg and that’s running a standalone ECU richer than stock)