Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) Start: 152,294kms. After prevaricating, considering the market and options, TermiPete's 545i became available. The domino effect of upgrading! I'd thought about X5's, missed out on a 535d Motorsport Touring by 2 days, and thought about 550is. So I bought this. It's my SS Commodore. Just in a sharply tailored german suit, rather than a Drizabone. And it has a roundel where the lion would be. And it's cool. Pete has lavished a bit of attention on this vehicle since acquiring it in Oct 2015. Now its my turn. I've already ordered hardware for shock replacement (bump stops, boots, strut bearings, bolts etc)... now deciding which shocks to get. Sachs standard (OEM) Bilstein: Touring (B4), HD (B6), Sport (B8) Koni Yellows After doing the shocks on three of my last four cars, the last two I've stuck with factory IEM spec Sachs (my Volvo 855-T5 and BMW e46 Touring). I'm not planning on changing the springs on this 545i and don't want to radically transform or make it too hard. It has Standrard suspension, it's on 18" conventional tyres (no need for RFT's here as it has a spare), and has Dynamic Drive option (the active computer controlled anti-roll bars) and having driven a near-identical car without DD, I'm sold on it. Koni Yellows I'm sure would be lovely, but they're a little more pricey. Bilstein: tempted to go HD (B6 Yellow), they're said to be made to work with stock springs but are up to 20% stiffer. I think this would be similar to the addition of KYB Excel+ gas shocks to my old A32 Maxima. Firmed it up and helped it hugely with roadholding and ride. Alternately B4 Tourings are said to be 10% stiffer than stock. Sachs: The OEM shocks are equivalent to 31316766993 (Front left) and 31316766994 (Front right), and 33526766995 rear. They'll no doubt "just work". Would I be crazy to go Bilstein HD B6? And as soon as the shocks are done, it's time for new boots (and panties). Photos soon. Edited August 8, 2017 by Olaf added start mileage 7 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 I've found this report on the B6 option. A couple of folks anecdotally report ride height increasing by around 1.5", and then settling after a few weeks. Few of them were scientific, measuring wheel centre to arch edge, or arch gap to wheel or ground. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 Sounds like a perfect match for stock springs, then? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) hmmmm I'll do the spreadsheets. Maybe Konis are the way to go. EDIT: though it seems Koni Yellows are optimised for lowering springs... Edited March 14, 2017 by Olaf lows I don't need Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 644 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 Awesome score Olaf! Proves that dominoes do fall in all the right places 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 yep, though that white oil burner is probably still in the corner eh? I think this may be the coolest car I've owned. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
treone 644 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 You wont be disappointed stepping into a V8 believe me. In fact it will be hard to go back . Oh and don't get too obsessed with 'fuel gauge' watching, as I often say "its not how much it costs to fill a tank that matters. it's how fast you empty it . In all seriousness enjoy your BMW SS Commodore and I'm sure it'll tick all your boxes! 4 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BreakMyWindow 1874 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 How many kms on the originals? I would just go with stock shocks, are they different to non DD e60 v8 cars? Using aftermarket stiffer shocks might upset the DD system? It's like wearing a Hugo Boss tailored suit and getting Warehouse shoes. No body will notice but the end result is a bit cheap feeling. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 152k kms on the originals. They're soft, and getting a little damp at the rear. Same part numbers for DD and Non-DD e60's - the main variants are Standard, Sport, Motorsport, and electronically adjustable (height or damping, not sure which). I think it was on the Turner Motorsport site they said their HD kit works with DD... will confirm back, I've got nine million tabs open at the moment as I explore/research. Good point you make though re possibly upsetting the DD with stiffer shocks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 2 hours ago, treone said: You wont be disappointed stepping into a V8 believe me. In fact it will be hard to go back . Oh and don't get too obsessed with 'fuel gauge' watching, as I often say "its not how much it costs to fill a tank that matters. it's how fast you empty it . that, is gold. totally quote worthy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Autoglym 255 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 Great News Richard, enjoy the mighty V8!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TermiPeteNZ 1316 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 17 hours ago, treone said: Awesome score Olaf! Proves that dominoes do fall in all the right places Dominos is right Super glad it has gone to a good home after pouring in $$ to get it (mostly) the way it should be. After zooming around in it with Richard I had to go drive the M5 (just before midnight ) to remind myself why I had changed. I agree re being careful with the DD - maybe go for the OEM MSport flavour as that should be a known good combination. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael. 2313 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 So what did you buy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 48 minutes ago, Michael. said: So what did you buy? HI Michael, I bought TermiPete's '04 e60 545i. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 14, 2017 (edited) So today I learned how to interogate the car. It was telling me there was something out - a bulb - (Pete mentioned it yesterday)... learned to press and hold the upper button on the left stalk, and the fault is displayed on the central screen. Left reversing light out. Went to Supercheap to get a bulb, checked it in the carpark - working. Okay, dodgy connection of bulb on way out? Couldn't find what I needed at Supercheap, so headed back into town. Winger BMW were happy to provide the right bulb gratis, as I agreed to buy an owners manual. Perhaps excess, but hey, at least it's there if needed. I also got to 'assume the position' while out on my drive... be doing more of that I guess. ** Note to self: get a new leash for the gas cap. I'll look that one up on RealOEM. I like having a captive gas cap, it's a nice touch. Edited March 14, 2017 by Olaf photo, note to self 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gjm 3258 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Olaf said: I like having a captive gas cap, it's a nice touch. Most people don't realise that their car has somewhere to temporarily 'store' the filler cap while pouring fuel into the tank. The cap tether seems to be a common fail. They're rubber and the atmosphere they work in isn't conducive to a long life. That and regular pulling and twisting tends to mean an early demise. Edited March 15, 2017 by gjm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 19 minutes ago, gjm said: Most people don't realise that their car has somewhere to temporarily 'store' the filler cap while pouring fuel into the tank. The cap tether seems to be a common fail. They're rubber and the atmosphere they work in isn't conducive to a long life. That and regular pulling and twisting tends to mean an early demise. I did consider replacing it with a nice metal chain that would sparky sparky, but prefered to avoid entry into the Darwin Awards for this century at least! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) snapped - using iPhone and 645PRO, with a tweak or two in Lr - this morning while I was out for a drive. Edited March 15, 2017 by Olaf made by iPhone 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1906 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 2 hours ago, gjm said: Most people don't realise that their car has somewhere to temporarily 'store' the filler cap while pouring fuel into the tank. The cap tether seems to be a common fail. They're rubber and the atmosphere they work in isn't conducive to a long life. That and regular pulling and twisting tends to mean an early demise. The one In the M5 Is fine and It has been very thoroughly tested! 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
My545 25 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 On 3/14/2017 at 5:10 PM, Olaf said: yep, though that white oil burner is probably still in the corner eh? I think this may be the coolest car I've owned. Congrats on your purchase, that's how I feel too. Will be keeping an eye on anything you do especially when replacing wheels and tyres, while I like mine to look at they don't ride very well. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 thanks, Sam! I'm keeping things fairly conservative. Daily Driver duties of 70-odd kms, needs a bit of comfort. Plus, my wife and kids unhappy faces if it's too stiff is not at all good. They just wouldn't want to ride in the car. I've acheived a good happy medium with my e46, now looking to do something similar in outcome terms, but with a different vehicle and set of constraints. I'll keep this thread updated. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 PS - and when I checked in with the folks at Winger BMW they also confirmed no outstanding recall items. (I think TermiPete mentioned the same - my bio-memory isn't performing as usual right now). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TermiPeteNZ 1316 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 11 minutes ago, Olaf said: PS - and when I checked in with the folks at Winger BMW they also confirmed no outstanding recall items. (I think TermiPete mentioned the same - my bio-memory isn't performing as usual right now). I only checked in with BMW NZ re airbag recalls - and it was all clear This is still my favourite pic of the 545i: 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3308 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 (edited) here's the comparison table between 2004 545i and 2004 SS Commodore (VZ) from automobile-catalog.com. I'd have linked, but it's a PHP selection and you'd not get the data pre-populated. On paper, it's a pretty close-run thing. The good old 5.7 litre GM V8 with 4 speed auto uses a bit more fuel, but keeps the commode up with the 545i and its more modern (smaller, more fuel efficient) 4.4 litre 4 valve per cylinder all-alloy V8. Country of origin: D Germany AUS Australia Sales markets: - Europe - Australia Make: BMW Holden Model: 5-Series E60-E61 Commodore 3gen (VT-VX-VY-VZ) 2003-2010 1997-2007 Submodel: 5 E60 Sedan phase-I RWD (2WD) Commodore SS VZ Sedan 2003-2007 2004-2006 EEC segmentation: E (executive cars) E (executive cars) Class: mid-size luxury / executive car mid-size / large family car Body style: sedan sedan Doors: 4 4 Traction: RWD (rear-wheel drive) RWD (rear-wheel drive) DIMENSIONS & CAPACITIES Length: 4841 mm / 190.6 in 4876 mm / 192 in Width: 1846 mm / 72.7 in 1842 mm / 72.5 in Height: 1468 mm / 57.8 in 1440 mm / 56.7 in Wheelbase: 2888 mm / 113.7 in 2789 mm / 109.8 in Fuel: 70 liter / 18.5 U.S. gal / 15.4 imp. gal 75 liter / 19.8 U.S. gal / 16.5 imp. gal Trunk cap. claimed: Trunk cap. SAE: 396 / / dm3 465 / / dm3 14 / / cu ft 16.4 / / cu ft Trunk cap. VDA: 520 / / / dm3 18.4 / / / cu ft Turning circle btw. walls: Turning circle btw. curbs: 11.4 m / 37.4 ft 11 m / 36.1 ft Drag coefficient claimed: 0.28 Drag coefficient estimated: 0.32 WEIGHTS Curb weight claimed (without a driver): 1635 kg / 3604 lbs 1664 kg / 3668 lbs POWERTRAIN Engine manufacturer: BMW N62B44 GM Engine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke spark-ignition 4-stroke Fuel type: petrol (gasoline) petrol (gasoline) Fuel system: indirect injection indirect injection Charge system: naturally aspirated naturally aspirated Valves per cylinder: 4 2 Additional features: Bosch Motronic ME9 Sequential Fuel Injection DOHC; V-90deg Emission control: 3-way cat, Lambda-Sensor Emission standard: Cylinders alignment: V 8 V 8 Displacement: 4398 cm3 / 268.4 cui 5665 cm3 / 346 cui Horsepower net: 245 kW / 333 PS / 329 hp (ECE) 250 kW / 340 PS / 335 hp (ECE) / 6100 / 5600 Torque net: 450 Nm / 332 ft-lb 470 Nm / 347 ft-lb / 3600 / 4800 Redline rpm: Car power to weight ratio net: 149.8 watt/kg / 68 watt/lb 150.2 watt/kg / 68.1 watt/lb Car weight to power ratio net: 6.7 kg/kW / 4.9 kg/PS / 11 lbs/hp 6.7 kg/kW / 4.9 kg/PS / 11 lbs/hp DRIVETRAIN Transmission type: automatic automatic Number of gears: 6 4 Final drive ratio std: 3.38 3.07 Standard tires: 225/50 R 17 W 235/40 R 18 W PERFORMANCE DATA - factory claim Top speed: 250 km/h / 155 mph electronically governed 0-60mph (s): 5.7 0-100km/h (s): 5.9 0-1/4mile (s): 0-1km (s): Fuel consumption: EU/ADR82 urban/extra-urban/combined: 15.8 / 7.7 / 10.6 l/100km / / 13.9 l/100km 17.9 / 36.7 / 26.7 mpg(imp.) / / 20.3 mpg(imp.) 14.9 / 30.5 / 22.2 mpg(U.S.) / / 16.9 mpg(U.S.) PERFORMANCE DATA - ProfessCars™ simulation Top speed: 276 km/h / 172 mph 262 km/h / 163 mph (theor. without speed governor) Acceleration: 0-30 km/h (s): 1.2 1.2 0-40 km/h (s): 1.6 1.7 0-50 km/h (s): 1.9 2.1 0-60 km/h (s): 2.8 2.6 0-70 km/h (s): 3.3 3.1 0-80 km/h (s): 3.9 4.1 0-90 km/h (s): 4.6 5.1 0-100 km/h (s): 5.3 6 0-110 km/h (s) 6.6 7 0-120 km/h (s): 7.6 7.9 0-130 km/h (s): 8.6 8.9 0-140 km/h (s): 9.7 10 0-150 km/h (s): 11 12 0-160 km/h (s): 12.9 14 0-170 km/h (s): 14.5 16.1 0-180 km/h (s): 16.4 18.3 0-190 km/h (s): 18.4 20.6 0-200 km/h (s): 20.7 23.1 0-210 km/h (s): 24.2 25.9 0-220 km/h (s): 27.8 29.4 0-230 km/h (s): 32 33.9 0-240 km/h (s): 37.2 49.5 0-250 km/h (s): 44.2 77.6 0-270 km/h (s): 117.2 0-300 km/h (s): 0-20 mph (s): 1.3 1.3 0-30 mph (s): 1.9 2.1 0-40 mph (s): 3 2.8 0-50 mph (s): 4 4.2 0-60 mph (s): 5 5.7 0-70 mph (s): 6.8 7.2 0-80 mph (s): 8.5 8.8 0-90 mph (s): 10.3 10.6 0-100 mph (s): 13 14.2 0-110 mph (s): 15.8 17.6 0-120 mph (s): 19.1 21.3 0-130 mph (s): 23.9 25.7 0-140 mph (s): 30 31.8 0-150 mph (s): 38.2 53.3 0-160 mph (s): 71.4 0-180 mph (s): 0-200 mph (s): Drag times: 0- 1/4 mile (s): 13.6 13.9 speed at 1/4 mile: 165 km/h / 103 mph 159 km/h / 99 mph quarter mile time difference to the car from the first column (s): 0 -0.3 distance at 1/4mile to the car from the first column ahead(+) or behind(-): 0 -13 m / -14 yds 0- 1km (s): 24.7 25.4 Overtaking factors with gear reduction or kick-down: 60-100 km/h (s): 2.5 3.4 80-120 km/h (s): 3.6 3.8 100-180 km/h (s): 11.1 12.3 40-70 mph (s): 3.8 4.4 50-90 mph (s): 6.3 6.5 Speed range (max speed on gears in km/h / mph): I: 57 / 35 78 / 48 II: 102 / 63 146 / 91 III: 157 / 98 238 / 148 IV: 208 / 129 342 / 213 V: 275 / 171 / VI: 345 / 214 / Fuel consumption (extra-urban / city / highway / average combined) l/100km: 10.5-13.9 / 21.2-27.9 / 11.4-15 / 16.7 11.1-14.6 / 20.9-27.5 / 12.4-16.4 / 17 mpg (imp.): 20.4-26.8 / 10.1-13.3 / 18.8-24.8 / 16.9 19.3-25.4 / 10.3-13.5 / 17.3-22.7 / 16.6 mpg (U.S.): 16.9-22.3 / 8.4-11.1 / 15.7-20.6 / 14 16.1-21.1 / 8.5-11.2 / 14.4-18.9 / 13.8 km/l: 7.2-9.5 / 3.6-4.7 / 6.7-8.8 / 6 6.8-9 / 3.6-4.8 / 6.1-8 / 5.9 www.automobile-catalog.com © The complete catalog of cars since 1945 © Edited March 21, 2017 by Olaf added screenshot images of graphs for clarity 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TermiPeteNZ 1316 Report post Posted March 15, 2017 That's a bit 'o data! Stacks up very well doesn't it 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
