BreakMyWindow

Down low the s62 feels slightly better then the m62tu. But passed 4000rpm there is a significant difference. My 540i had the same 3.15 final drive ratio also.

from a 528i to the 540i is a 100hp difference, along with an extra 140nm. 540i vs m5 100hp and 60nm or so extra, so the difference should be less apparent then the 528i vs 540i. I remember test driving my 540i when owning my 528i and I can't say the difference was night and day like between the 540i and M5. Must be the manual transmission?

Steve, are you using an M30 3.5l for your e34 weapon?

Bit of an update. With some decent weather on the wkend, i managed to open the taps up. But only when the engine fully warmed up which means coolant temp needs to be at least 78deg. With the stuck open thermostat, it means that the engine will go down to as low as 72 deg on the mway cruising. I cant get over how quick the M5 is for such a large barge of a car. When my 540i was up to 140km (flooring from about 70km/h) the M5 is just about to go in to 4th gear doing approx 170km/h. The car is currently at a panel and paint shop getting the stone chips.. now called rust chips repaired. Have received my orders placed for the parts required to replace the thermostat, and valve cover gaskets. Once done I will be getting it scanned to check for any other problems. Driving it suggests that there can't be much else wrong, it pulls from down low, and all the way to the redline. Not a big fan of the short shift, as it makes shifting when cold a PITA, but after some research this seems to be quite common. Once she's back from the panel and paint shop, and It's had a cut and polish I'll post some pics up.

I looked at going the manual conversion with M5 LSD + SC kit for my 540i. But I ended up just going with an M5. The complete SC kit is about 5k USD + shipping and taxes. Although you could probably get just the compressor, and the rest of the bits seperately for cheaper. Manual conversion, with a new clutch kit, and new bushes for the rear end about 6 - 7k depending on how thorough you want to be, and what clutch you go with. Probably a good idea to look at an uprated clutch and flywheel if you're SC'ing. Don't forget brakes too :-) One thing i've noticed is from going to manual after driving an auto v8 for the passed 5 years, it does take getting used too. The auto and the V8 in the 540i go together so nicely. If it were me, I'd just keep it as it is, and spend some $ on the SC kit, and upgrading the brakes and suspension. LSD also.

Reasons for the K&N? I ran one in my M62tu and was more hassle then it was worth. The oils used can cause havoc with the MAF sensor. P.S if you want Bosch genuine MAF sensor's www.maf-shop.com do them for a really competative price! shipping is pretty decent too.

That is a nice car! But i'd get a PPI done on it. So much to go wrong with it. Suspension i reckon should be decent considering age and mileage. I was reading in TBMW mag that the E60 touring air pump system for the rear end can leak due to corrosion of the lines from the air-bags to the compressor, probably not applicable in this one unless it's come from a country that has alot of snow, and consequently, salt layed down...

Which gaskets? The 2 that connect the plenum to the throttle bodies? or the gasket and o-rings which sit between the plenum and plenum cover?

1. E24 M6 with the staggered BBS style 5 split rims. 2. E39 M5 3. E60 M-spec - Although they were not received well when first released, they today still look incredibly modern, and are well proportioned.

Love the colour! Congrats on the purchase. Hope you enjoy it.

My guess is that you will upset the balance of the car without increasing the thickness of the front sway bar.

haha! Will have to get the interior checked for traces of E coli ;-)

How are you finding the short shift kit? Mine feels quite notchy, and I think it will cause premature wear on the syncro's.

Mothers leather cleaner, a soft brush, and a microfibre towel. And a bout 2 hours worth of elbow grease to complete the entire seat. One thing i've learned is that the microfibre towels should be washed prior to using them to wipe away the leather cleaner. The cleaner made all the dye come out, so i was left with a loveley red tinge (colour of towel) on the caramel seat. 2 hours later using the same cleaner, and a white pre-washed microfibre towel, and the seat is looking amazing. Next bit of work is to get the stone.. aka now rust chips around the A pillar and roof repaired. Damn previous owners neglecting stone chips!

Started off with some treatment of the interior. The front seats were showing some serious signs of neglect. Here is a before and after pic of a section of the front seat.

There is some 'spider-web' type rust kicking in around the front windshield pillars (who ever did the last windscreen job didn't touch up the bare metal deep scratches they made!) as well as on the roof, and a small patch by the passenger rear door. Pays to get on to stone chips before the rot sets in, especially in the south island. This will be the first repair so far.

That's for the 2 valve cover gasket sets, inlet manifold, 8 spark plugs, plus the sh*t load of rubber seals and o-rings you need to do the s62 valve cover gasket job properly. Around $390NZD delivered from www.ecstuning.com I went for genuine BMW parts which ECS is good for. A few other sites show cheaper prices, but they're cheap and nasty. The M62 should be a bit cheaper as you don't need to remove and re-seal the inlet manifold. What year 540i did you get?

There is a little bit of change from $400 for all the bits to do it properly. Parts are coming in from the US&A.

Picked it up from Nelson last Weekend. The same car that was advertised earlier in Jan for around 17k on trademe. The car has had some rangi mods done to it, i.e spray painted matt black over the wood trims, and the front bumper has had a quick and nasty re-spray to hide the stone chips. mechanically all is well except for the thermostat being stuck open, and leaking Valve cover seals. Will start a project thread to fix up the rangi-ness. This one has some rare options which include a full Alcantara line Boot trim, and rear parcel shelf. Rear passengers get to control the stereo from the arm rest, and also get seperate fan controls. beers kept cool in the cooler box as well. Only 2 at a time though. Some pics :

U dont happen to have a 5-speed that will bolt up to an m60b40 would ya Brent? Asking for a mate who's doing an e30 conversion.

Tried PM'ing ya, but your inbox is full :-S

Trim is called BRUYERE CLUB, if any one has some? Need the dash trims (Car has TPC so need the trim with the hole in it for the button) and 4 door trims. cheers!

The issue I have is that it'll be very hard to find a matching wood trim for the rear centre console as they are a rare option. The wood trim isn't the standard vavona in the M5 it's some other type that i'm trying to find part numbers for, so unless I can find replacement trims to match the front and rear centre console trims, I have to try my best to remove the spray paint..

The previous owner of my e39 m5 has gone and spray painted over the wood trims. What would be good for removing this paint without damaging the coating over the veneer?

Is it just a simple plug and play? Im not fussed with the nav not working but am concerned about the aspect ratio remaining 4:3 on a 16:9 unit.