My new DD

[Def]

Not really a build thread, but I'm pretty excited about my new DD.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/3922/img0594r.jpg

It's a 2003 BMW 540i 6 speed(manual obviously). Pretty rare car, as only about 1100 manual 540i's were brought in the last year of E39 production, which is less than M5s.

I was pretty set on a 2003 car, since they have the full M-Sports body kit(i.e. looks like an M5), with 18" M-Parallel wheels(my favorite wheel on an E39).

The previous owner was a pretty clueless college kid that only had it a year, so it hasn't had a ton of maintenance performed on it. Mostly just stuff that obviously broke got fixed. Not that out of the ordinary when buying an older BMW, as you'd get destroyed by even an independent mechanic if doing lots of preventive maintenance. So far I'm pretty sure I need to replace the crankcase vent valve, probably the valve cover gaskets, and do a full Inspection II. Suspension is a little tired, but thankfully doesn't shimmy or shake, so I'll get around to that in time. It uses all forged aluminum suspension arms, so they get a little pricey. So much labor to press out balljoints/bushings that you end up basically paying yourself ~$5-10/hr to reuse the same arm, so nobody really does.

It does have two resonators/mufflers deleted from the stock exhaust system, so it makes some of the sweetest V8 sounds ever with lots of throttle, but doesn't drone when cruising.

Averaging 22 mpg with my daily commute, which is within 1 mpg of my E36 M3, and about the same as my G35, all while making an absolute assload of torque(for a 4.4L).

The most common question I got is "why not an M5," so I'll go ahead and address it. M5's tend to have "double" everything a 540i does that tends to wear out/go bad. So you have two MAFs that tend to get flaky, dual VANOS which is RETARDEDLY expensive if it wears(and it seems to wear much more than the single VANOS on the 540i's M62TU). Also heard some people getting tons of rod bearing wear on the M5s with higher miles. Seems the 7k RPM redline is a little high for the reciprocating mass, and most M5s are driven pretty hard. There really isn't a huge handling difference between a 540 and an M5 - and the rear swaybar at least is an easy upgrade on the 540 that costs about $75 new.

And the big one, the M5 is pretty thirsty on gas with a shorter diff ratio and a bigger engine that breathes a bit better. Some searching made it seem like the average M5 gas mileage is around 14-18 mpg in mixed driving, with it really sucking it down in the city, while the 540i can do about 18-24 mpg with mixed driving. The tall diff ratio of the 540i makes it a more sedate accelerator, and it'll get near 30 mpg on the highway at 70-80 mph once you put it in 6th.


Anyway, just thought I'd share my recent find and some musings on it. It's a fun car, and definitely a great DD. I also think I've just finally admitted I have an unhealthy love for 90's BMWs.

[Matt93SE]

Nice ride. I was considering a 540i M Sport when I bought my G35. Now all my friends are buying E39 540s and M5s. The ones that don't have 330, 335, or G35s damn we're picky! (more like "damn the pickings are slim for decent handling RWD cars!")

I decided the G35 was a better choice since parts weren't stupidly insane expensive and I have lots of experience with Nissan. Not to mention the one I bought had all the mods I would want to put on it AND included the stock parts with 2k miles on them. only thing I should have to do for 100k miles is put oil and gas in it!

[Your Mom]

awesome, but i've heard the reason they are so cheap is because of these issues. sad such a cool car.

when i first started into hpde days there was a guy with an m5 with dinan stage 3. one of the best sounding cars ive ever heard. i could listen to it all day.

yeah M5 on fuelly
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/spezadams/m5

[Matt93SE]

You gotta admit Ferd has a damn nice sounding V8 too. Too bad the rest of a Mustang is a POS.

[Def]

awesome, but i've heard the reason they are so cheap is because of these issues. sad such a cool car.

when i first started into hpde days there was a guy with an m5 with dinan stage 3. one of the best sounding cars ive ever heard. i could listen to it all day.

yeah M5 on fuelly
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/spezadams/m5

I wouldn't say the reliability isn't out of line with other BMWs of the vintage. It's not bad if you are willing to see the occasional $100-200 maintenance as just the cost of owning the car. I have the original window sticker from my car - $62k back in '03. It's a hell of a car. Super smooth on the highway.

My G35 has been the most unreliable car I've ever owned, and I'd say on average the parts costs is higher than BMW parts(most BMW parts are actually pretty reasonable compared to Japanese automakers). It's still in warranty, but up to this point the warranty work value if you were having it done at the dealership has exceed the purchase price of the car when I got it a year ago. It's up for sale if anybody is interested. :D

[Your Mom]

I wouldn't say the reliability isn't out of line with other BMWs of the vintage. It's not bad if you are willing to see the occasional $100-200 maintenance as just the cost of owning the car. I have the original window sticker from my car - $62k back in '03. It's a hell of a car. Super smooth on the highway.

My G35 has been the most unreliable car I've ever owned, and I'd say on average the parts costs is higher than BMW parts(most BMW parts are actually pretty reasonable compared to Japanese automakers). It's still in warranty, but up to this point the warranty work value if you were having it done at the dealership has exceed the purchase price of the car when I got it a year ago. It's up for sale if anybody is interested. :D

yeah 62k and only a couple years old is just awesome, totally agree. my 330 was almost 50k new i paid 15 for it before the market really went down. for the money its a great car.

my local dealership was offering free inspections, i took it in totally expecting a salesman to try and sell me stuff that i need to do to it. we sating in the kids area with my daughter for 45 min, had a blast. Free snacks, drinks, and wireless. they came back said you need rear tires, front control arms bushings, and belts. they washed it (the wheels suck to wash, i'll pay for someone to clean them), did the inspection, and put new wipers on. all for free. Needless to say i was pretty happy and the guy never pushed me to do any of the maintenance, just gave me the prices. Can't say that about all dealerships.

its interesting to note about your g35, I was only slightly think about trading my e46 in for a awd g35 sedan (moving back to PA, **** snow). but really the bmw just needs snow tires and it'll do just fine in the snow. to hell with that idea.

did the 540 come with navi?

[jmauld]

You gotta admit Ferd has a damn nice sounding V8 too. Too bad the rest of a Mustang is a POS.

My 2007 Mustang won it's class in quality.

Where'd your infinity place?

[Def]

No, the 540i didn't come with nav, but I'm not really crying about that. They updated the nav in 2003, but it's still pretty crappy compared to today's stuff. I just use my iphone for directions. Whenever I drive a car with factory nav I always think it's such a PITA to use compared to just typing it in my iPhone, so I went from lusting after factory nav to not caring in the past few years.

The one thing I can really nitpick about it is no cold weather package, and there's a tear on the passenger seat that I could probably fix every few years... but instead decided to pick up some E38(late 90's-2001 7 series) Contour/Sport seats.

16 way adjustable son!!!

http://t24ever.com/images/4sale/bmw/contourseats/DSC05681_resize.jpg

Should be getting them next week... Can't wait. They may/may not be heated(junkyard didn't have it on record, but could have been), but if they aren't I'm just going to retrofit some seat heaters in there somehow.

[a_ahmed]

ive been in a 540i 6spd with 'm sports package', handling, interior (seats and such), exterior, wheels,.... it was great. Definetely the daily driver i wanted if i could afford it instead of the volvo i had that died and the current eclipse gsx/talon tsi that i have...

[cdlong]

The one thing I can really nitpick about it is no cold weather package

don't you live in texas? i've always thought of you as "not a pussy" :p

keep in mind, i'm drunk and a little bitter at my girlfriend that lives in austin. (may be ex- this time tomorrow)

[Def]

don't you live in texas? i've always thought of you as "not a pussy" :p

keep in mind, i'm drunk and a little bitter at my girlfriend that lives in austin. (may be ex- this time tomorrow)

haha - yea, it's not like it's totally horrible, but it does get into the mid 20's here pretty regularly in winter. Cold enough for seat heaters on a leather seat to be a really nice thing to have.

I've had heated seats on my last 3 daily drivers, so yea, it's definitely something you just get used to. It's kind of seen as a "necessary" option when selling a 5 series too, since it's pretty much a luxury-sporty sedan.

[veriest1]

I much prefer BMW's I6's in the 5 series.

Still, that's a beautiful car that should treat you well. My family is up to three BMW's now and over the last 9 years they've provided some of the most trouble free miles ever. All while doing it in style with above average performance.

[WilloW]

Another bimmer eh Jacob? Conrats.

[Bumnah]

budget baller = first gen fit

but this is obviously much better in almost every way.

[Matt93SE]

My 2007 Mustang won it's class in quality.

Where'd your infinity place?

No clue, but the only thing that's wrong with MY G35 at 75,000 miles is a weeping valve cover gasket. new one is $27 and is sitting in a box in the garage for when I get the motivation. Hasn't been a damn thing wrong with it other than routine maintenance- brakes, tires, fluids.

:shrug:

[jmauld]

No clue, but the only thing that's wrong with MY G35 at 75,000 miles is a weeping valve cover gasket. new one is $27 and is sitting in a box in the garage for when I get the motivation. Hasn't been a damn thing wrong with it other than routine maintenance- brakes, tires, fluids.

:shrug:

I can say the same thing about my POS mustang, well minus the weeping valve cover gasket. Plus my V8 sounds better. :p

[Def]

I much prefer BMW's I6's in the 5 series.

Still, that's a beautiful car that should treat you well. My family is up to three BMW's now and over the last 9 years they've provided some of the most trouble free miles ever. All while doing it in style with above average performance.

Really? I always thought the I6 were a bit gutless when trying to tote around a ~3600+ lb car, especially the <3L ones. The V8 will pull the car around even at 1k RPM in 3rd just fine.

[Air]

thats a pretty sweet DD. I have a good friend who is a tech at the local BMW place... i love the e39 chassis. That looks like a super clean find and I agree that the m-sport packaged one is the one to get!

I have to say that there is NO way in hell i would every own any BMW newer than a e30 if i did not have him as a hook up. TOO much maintenance and too many special tools and computers to have to deal with.

You guys are too baller for me.. I dd a 96 civic HX.. 41mpg FTW

[Def]

The computer part isn't so bad unless you go newer than a E46 IMO. Once the E60 came out(5 series that followed the E39 in '04), they have computers for almost everything in the car. Generally not a huge problem, but it does somewhat scare me off... that and they drive a little meh and look like ass compared to an E39. All the magazines constantly rag on the newer 5 series for basically going downhill from the E39, which is seen as the "pinnacle" of BMW sports sedans, and I'd say in the past decade.

They are a bit tough on suspension stuff, but that's just the BMW way, they're all like that. Parts cost in general is right in line with the Japanese manufacturers in my experience, and often times cheaper on some common stuff, especially when you compare the intial purchase price of the cars.

[Scores240]

I have a BMW for a DD too. We can make a nissan / bmw dd club haha.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_b0EQGm_1cH4/S5SBal_UHjI/AAAAAAAAAbI/cz0tk-4R7RM/s800/BMW240sx.jpg

[turtl631]

Looks awesome in the pics. Maybe I'll buy this off you in a few years instead of missing the boat on another well-priced and reasonably maintained Bimmer.

[2Fass240us]

We can make a nissan / bmw dd club haha.Already been started. I was kicked out though.

[veriest1]

Really? I always thought the I6 were a bit gutless when trying to tote around a ~3600+ lb car, especially the <3L ones. The V8 will pull the car around even at 1k RPM in 3rd just fine.

I just like that they're a lot lighter up front (curb weight is down to a reported 3450 lbs.) and have rack and pinion steering instead of recirculating ball steering. IIRC they get a bit better gas mileage too.

[Tower240sx]

lol at the mustang comparisons...seriously...yes great motor no question

IT HAS A SOLID REAR AXLE...in 2010...and it's "not" a truck...FAIL even trucks are going IRS now.

[turtl631]

How does a Fit make you a budget baller? That's a budget car to the core, the only thing baller is that it isn't 10 years old?