Where have all the Manual E39 540i's gone?

[treone 648]

Browsing TM and found this: https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1688678491 . It's been for sale for a while.

It got me wondering - where have all the 6sp manual 540i's gone, both factory and converted? I remember a converted '99 silver msport for sale a couple of years ago in Auckland for $12.5k. The only one I can recall seeing.

How many roughly are there and where are they hiding...

 

[aja540i 1906]

My touring ended up in Taranaki, last seen about a year ago.

[treone 648]

6 minutes ago, aja540i said:

My touring ended up in Taranaki, last seen about a year ago.

Was thinking of the sedans and not a touring - a manual touring would be cool! 

This is good to know...

[Eagle 1662]

Sold my old '99 one 2013 to a member here in Auckland, wonder that was sold again. Was converted in Auck by HellBM > Chch > Hamilton > Auck.

Would much prefer the non vanos M62 in the facelift. Having no top end doesn't suit the manual imo and they desperately need an LSD diff, hence why i sold mine.

[kiwi535 538]

manual e 34s were not exactly common.

[treone 648]

29 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

You can extend that to the Manual version of just about any model and the answer will be the same: we who have them are not parting with them. 

Agree. Should've named the thread - where have all the manual BMW's gone ?.

Loved my manual 2.5l petrol X3!

25 minutes ago, kiwi535 said:

manual e 34s were not exactly common.

Had a manual e34 520i which was good fun when compared to the 525i auto I had! Always admired your old 535i too!

Am only curious to know where the 'standard model' manual V8's had gone (excluding the M3)... probably pays not to discriminate, so e34 or e39

[Contrails 317]

Factory Manual E39 540i M sport go for fairly cheap prices in the States and they seem to be a lot more common than here.

[kiwi535 538]

the manual e39 540s would probably have been the E39 versions of the 535is...there werent many of them to begin with either.

I drove one and although a very nice car it wasnt as engaging as the E34 imho

Edited July 8, 2018 by kiwi535

[dirtydoogle 383]

43 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

Nor were manual E36  328's and X5's are even rarer especially Diesel NZ new - only 5 sold in the country. 

Should have kept my nz manual msport 328. But the stigma of copying you was greater tham I can handle. 

I can't see myself selling the X5, nothing put there can replace it. 

[Eagle 1662]

My old 535is is the only BMW i wish i didn't have to sell. Whats worse is it was degred a few mths later ( the young guy probably crashed it)

Sure to buy one again someday at a hefty premium but ive been stock piling nice parts to go on it.

[treone 648]

Was in Whakatane two weekends ago. Whilst in the shopping centre car park. Heard a distinctive start up roar then the following burble. Hmmm Holden VT or VX? Clubbie maybe? No - a red e34 540i. As it drove off it all was revealed as the driver engaged 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd... nice! Nothing beats ol' skool I want one... 

[TLH 45]

21 minutes ago, Eagle said:

My old 535is is the only BMW i wish i didn't have to sell. Whats worse is it was degred a few mths later ( the young guy probably crashed it)

Sure to buy one again someday at a hefty premium but ive been stock piling nice parts to go on it.

Did it have the plate SE535i by chance? 

[Eagle 1662]

Yeah it did. Do you have info?

[TLH 45]

1 minute ago, Eagle said:

Yeah it did. Do you have info?

Yep! I have it. Brought it at the start of the year from HellBM as a roller. Has been a bit of a project of mine for the last 6 months. 

[dirtydoogle 383]

We have a manual one for work also, well north of 400km on it, all it does is tow a three axle trailer with two side by sides, it does 100k a year. My X5 was originally HB too, our work one Christchurch I think. 

 

The steering was the only let down with my old 540, but you learn to live with it. That m62tu is a total peach though, incredible torque from idle for a small engine 

[Eagle 1662]

E34 steering sure lacks on center but its actually quite decent for a box once you start turning, more feedback thru the wheel than the E39 box. 

[Herbmiester 923]

2 hours ago, 3pedals said:

6 cylinder E39's have a rack - streets ahead of teh slusshy V8 steering box

Yes have to agree, looked at an E39 540 about a decade ago and came to the conclusion that the Aussie cars had better steering and were quicker, so went that way. E60 fixed that of course. Drove a well loved/maintained E39 530i M/Sport recently, very nice car. 

[Herbmiester 923]

And here we go, hook baited  

 

[MD13 494]

xhp flashtool? So you're saying you have to fix your auto to make it work?

[Herbmiester 923]

Fix no, it was never broken,  just take BMWs conservative settings out and allow it to do what ZF designed it to be capable of.

[Herbmiester 923]

55 minutes ago, 3pedals said:

School holidays - off mountain biking and skiing - no bites 

Same I will look out for manual E53 at Redwoods?

[Driftit 2078]

You will hate to hear that I had trouble finding an E46 or E39 that was the spec I wanted that was not a manual.

Had a few rentals in DC that were manual.  Even an E60 550i which was good fun.  But this is DC.  Similar traffic to Auckland at times.