1994 540iS SPECIAL

[lord_jagganath 421]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/bmw/e34/auction-647149575.htm isn't she lovely? A member's car?

[KwS 2372]

Is it a coincidence that he is also selling an Auto from a 94 E34 540i?

E: nope, not a coincidence, looks like it was converted by HellBM. He also mentioned "reshelled", would be interested to know the VIN.

[Michael. 2312]

That grille is really not working for the front end imo.

[lord_jagganath 421]

So misadvertising right there .... he cannot call it an iS.... I'd say the man is being dodgy.

[nath 128]

Looks to be in great nick!

Not to tread on anyone's toes here but can I assume that those are the guts of the banged up manual that went on trademe a short while ago? The 'no test drives without cash' line leaves a sour taste, she ain't a Ferrari; although that may imply no insurance at all if it was done up to sell.

[Eagle 1514]

That grille is really not working for the front end imo.

+1 Never knew wide+blacked out looked so bad

Edited October 5, 2013 by Eagle

[jeff002 23]

I remeber he won the 540is damage car auction from TM coupe month ago.got that $3500 only!

[yng_750 247]

Almost M5 performance levels

what

[euroriffic 593]

So he says it's a genuine rare car being a 540is when all it is a 540 with the bits swapped into it. That's hardly genuine in my eyes...

[Rumblefish 3]

Hi all, yes it is a members car......mine. It is what I have said it is, a 1994 540iS, that has had the body shell replaced with a body from a 1994 540ia .

A genuine NZ E34 540iS, not to be confused with an E34 M540i, was a 540ia, that the factory put a manual in, added a body kit, MSport suspension, Seats and Steering Wheel. Nothing too earth shattering...it is what it is.

I am a little offended by some of the comments on here...It's not being dodgy, I have been totally upfront about the car.

I purchased a 540iS that required body work that was un economical to repair - rather than stripping it for the gearbox as most would have done, being a BMW enthusiast, I chose to get the car back on the road rather than see it die. The method I chose was my own.

It's all a matter of opinion in the end, but as I have commented on Trade Me.... People replace the bodies on classic cars all the time, for various reasons. You can buy a new manufactured, aftermarket MG B roadster body to restore your MGB. Using it does not make your car not genuine, the body is just a part of the entire machine. If you replace a part on your car does it make it not genuine?... At the end of the day, you are all entitled to your own opinions, and I expected every idiot to come out of the woodwork on Trade Me, but I do find the negativity here a little disappointing, considering it is coming from people who are supposedly enthusiastic about the marque.

At the end of the day, you don't have to buy it, and you can always go and buy one of the other more genuine E34 540IS's that are for sale

[1rotty 40]

So post the vin # .... & put the doubts to bed

[yng_750 247]

To be honest i think alot of people were being abit harsh as you say.

Also as it is i believe an enthusiast or clued up individual will buy it as the average joe bloggs doesnt know how good of a car they are. for that reason I was going to suggest simplifying the auction somewhat but i see you have already done that, as the rare production numbers etc were a little to much, enthusiasts are more interested in maintenance etc

I am still a little confused as to what happened with the body swap. i believe you have swapped the body over but this vin number and reg still belong to the drivetrain and interior etc? might be worth clarifying

I know a local man with a e39 m5 and he lets his wife drive it as he loves his e34 6spd 540i so much more.

good luck with sale, beautiful car

[Rumblefish 3]

Vin # WBAHE52070BK35074

[Silver Fox 43]

So, just to clarify this, you've taken the vin from the 540is and transferred it to the new secondhand shell?

I didn't realise you could do this, do you just go to VTNZ to get it done, and does it need to be certified?

[Phil-540i 166]

Same car is referred to here back in 2006. Based on that info, colours don't even cross-over anymore via the VIN tags etc.

http://www.bimmernut.com/forum/5-series-bmw/24196-if-you-want-find-out-original-order-specs-your-car-look-here-22.html

If I was to purchase it, & get stopped by the boys in blue, how would I prove its legit?? Irrespective of what plates & VIN tag you've given it, they do a trace on engine / block number, & what are they coming back with - "Sorry son, this should be a blue 540ia car here, whereas your info is saying its a green (PETROL-MICA METALLIC) manual". Next words they'd say probably revolve around "How bout you come for a ride with us & do some explaining.."

In my head, it actually needs the original rego plates on it, original VIN for THAT body, & LVVC for having been converted to manual......

Or, it needs LVVC for tag change / body change, as pointed out by SilverFox. At the moment, IMHO you are trying to have feet in both camps, & whilst it might not concern yourself, it does actually have big implications for any future owners of the vehicle.

Lastly, enthusiasts are 'that' for all sorts of different reasons, of which its a 'very much to their own' sorta thing. IMHO, your being 'asked questions of' by 'enthusiasts' when you're selling something that's supposedly 'rare & genuine' is just part of it, especially when by you're trying to sell it at the pricing you are, advertised as it is.

I own 1 BMW, but are here regulary, thus are an enthusiast by my own definition. You own 2 BMW's, yet appear to have joined to defend what you are doing outside this site.......IMHO that's got something to do with enthusiastically making a profit on a vehicle........

[Rumblefish 3]

From the LVVTA - Example: A car can be crashed during a race, then subsequently re-bodied with a new shell, incorporating all of the unique parts and the original Cars identifiers, and the car remains the same Car anywhere in the world, provided that there is evidence that the remains of the wrecked body are destroyed.

This practice has been tested in court throughout the world over the years, and is on safe legal ground.

...... these examples illustrate that a new authentically-replicated replacement body does not, in the eyes of the rest of the world, deem a car to suddenly become an entirely different car, nor is it suddenly deemed to no longer be the original car.

The low volume vehicle category definitions has clarified that a vehicle that is re-bodied in an authentic manner with no chassis or mechanical component modifications, will not become a low volume vehicle (LVV) and is therefore not subject to the LVV certification process. This allowance will rely on the vehicle retaining a unique factory-assigned identifier.

[Eagle 1514]

Im not sure why anyone wouldnt want sport seats and steering wheel to be fitted, makes quite a difference.

[Silver Fox 43]

+1 to the above.

If you were genuine and appreciated the 540is and what it means you would have repaired the original.

In my opinion this is dodgy, you are selling a vehicle which has had the vin changed, that is illegal in this country I believe.

The car may be very nice, but should be sold as what it is, and not with misleading advertising. It is not a 540is now, it is now a 540ia converted to a 6 speed 540, still very nice maybe.

ps, why has it been withdrawn?

[euroriffic 593]

This Reminds me of that Dakar yellow e36 "m3" that was here earlier in the year. Was just a 318is shell with everything swapped into it which doesn't make it a genuine m3 which the guy was upfront about and was sold for what it was, a modded 318is, not a genuine m3. Sure it's almost identical to my m3 but that doesn't make it one, and I believe this is the same thing, a modded 540i, but a nice one at that.

[nath 128]

From the LVVTA - Example: A car can be crashed during a race, then subsequently re-bodied with a new shell, incorporating all of the unique parts and the original Cars identifiers, and the car remains the same Car anywhere in the world, provided that there is evidence that the remains of the wrecked body are destroyed.

This practice has been tested in court throughout the world over the years, and is on safe legal ground.

...... these examples illustrate that a new authentically-replicated replacement body does not, in the eyes of the rest of the world, deem a car to suddenly become an entirely different car, nor is it suddenly deemed to no longer be the original car.

The low volume vehicle category definitions has clarified that a vehicle that is re-bodied in an authentic manner with no chassis or mechanical component modifications, will not become a low volume vehicle (LVV) and is therefore not subject to the LVV certification process. This allowance will rely on the vehicle retaining a unique factory-assigned identifier.

I like this. Puts to rest lots of flak people cop for rebodying with something that may well have left the nondiscriminatory steel stamping machine right beside the original anyhow.

[Silver Fox 43]

Hey Steve, love your Fav. quote on trademe, very appropriate...

[Phil-540i 166]

I've been down this road with a vehicle that needed its VIN reissued, due to it being 'missing / unreadable / damaged'. VTNZ had to re-issue the VIN, & apply it to the vehicle, NZTA had to first authorise it happening (in writing), & there was also involvement from NZ Police before NZTA would authorise it......

Its maybe not as simple as just changing the plates & tags over......

[e30ftw 393]

From the LVVTA - Example: A car can be crashed during a race, then subsequently re-bodied with a new shell, incorporating all of the unique parts and the original Cars identifiers, and the car remains the same Car anywhere in the world, provided that there is evidence that the remains of the wrecked body are destroyed.

This practice has been tested in court throughout the world over the years, and is on safe legal ground.

...... these examples illustrate that a new authentically-replicated replacement body does not, in the eyes of the rest of the world, deem a car to suddenly become an entirely different car, nor is it suddenly deemed to no longer be the original car.

The low volume vehicle category definitions has clarified that a vehicle that is re-bodied in an authentic manner with no chassis or mechanical component modifications, will not become a low volume vehicle (LVV) and is therefore not subject to the LVV certification process. This allowance will rely on the vehicle retaining a unique factory-assigned identifier.

Um, Does this not mean that if you re-shell, the 'shell' that is used must retain its factory assigned VIN # ? So you can't just plate and tag it to be what the original car was..

Edited October 6, 2013 by e30ftw

[Phil-540i 166]

Na

Um, Does this not mean that if you re-shell, the 'shell' that is used must retain its factory assigned VIN # ? So you can't just plate and tag it to be what the original car was..

Nah - means ya can do whatever the fu%k ya like so long as ya don't get caught and / or ya already have the money in the bank from what you've sold......

Does'nt even have to be the same, or even a similar colour.......that's got nada to do with ' incorporating all of the unique parts and the original Cars identifiers' either.....

Anyway, must go - thinking of starting a wee production line on turning 'poverty pack 3 on the tree XA Falcons' into 351 GT versions once I get some relevant VINs.....so long as I can get some crashed GT's, I should be right ae.......

[Rumblefish 3]

Withdrawn because as I said, I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to sell the car.... the hullabaloo it's caused has just made it easier to decide to keep it. Haters Gonna Hate.....meh.