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Thread: DAS VADR: Evan's E39 Touring Build Log

  1. #201
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Posts
    1,743
    My Cars
    98 M3, 03 540it M-Sport
    I just replaced my windshield on my wagon, $310 by City Wide Glass. You have the rain sensoing windshield, so they'll use their Pilkingotn Glass. Can't beat that price installed.
    '98 M3 5spd - '03 540it 6spd M-Sport

  2. #202
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Posts
    26
    My Cars
    2002 M5, 2000 528iT
    Sub'd. This build is an inspiration to my E39t build I'm slowly working on. Love it.

  3. #203
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by QtheGenius View Post
    I just replaced my windshield on my wagon, $310 by City Wide Glass. You have the rain sensoing windshield, so they'll use their Pilkingotn Glass. Can't beat that price installed.
    GHood to know, thanks. I was toying with the idea of snagging a clean OEM windshield from the yard but it could be a bit of work to remove it myself, then again having a 7'2" reach might make cutting the butyl with the handled cable saw obtainable.
    Quote Originally Posted by jojonyc View Post
    Sub'd. This build is an inspiration to my E39t build I'm slowly working on. Love it.
    Happy to hear it!

  4. #204
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Here is a sound clip of the current exhaust setup, it is a little too raspy/flappy when cold so I will probably add a small resonator to tame it a bit but it does sound pretty good at WOT.



    I picked up an M5 steering wheel for a great price, it has a bit of wear up top but for the price it is a definite upgrade over the M-sport wheel I had. Interestingly I felt a weight discrepancy between the two so I threw them on the scale to confirm. Sure enough, M5 wheel is 30% lighter.








    Back to work!



    Back to play!


  5. #205
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Posts
    238
    My Cars
    E46 330iT,2502tii,e30M3
    Sounds good in the video. Mine sure is quiet.

  6. #206
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Modesto CA
    Posts
    62
    My Cars
    08 335i e92, e39 touring
    Congrats on your build. I also come from the N54 platform and just got myself an E39 touring last week. This thread has made me not regret getting the wagon as my daily. I will continue to follow your build and have motivated me to start modding mine asap.

  7. #207
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by Basedtiger View Post
    Congrats on your build. I also come from the N54 platform and just got myself an E39 touring last week. This thread has made me not regret getting the wagon as my daily. I will continue to follow your build and have motivated me to start modding mine asap.
    E39s are classic and buying one is ALWAYS a good move assuming it pairs well with your intended use. Not sure what engine you have in the E39 or the chassis your N54 had but the biggest difference is the performance, when tuning E39s are SLOW compared to N54s. You will need a blown M5 to keep up with a properly tuned N54 vehicle. ON the flipside the M62 and S62 have a glorious soundtrack that is hard to beat, my E61 has a custom single 3" exhaust that sounds incredible but most N54s sound farty and underwhelming. When comparing the 6 cylinder E39 vs N54 HUGE advantage to the E39 for reliability. When searching for my E39 wagon I was actually looking for the 6 cylinder for this reason but ended up finding a nice deal on a V8.

    Anyway, a wagon is always a good choice, especially in the E39 chassis. Enjoy.

  8. #208
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    I like the wagons so much, I have two of them, should have been three, but I crunched one of them into a wall on the Beltway in a crazy rainstorm in which the car hydroplaned...... at 75mph a bout a month or two ago.
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  9. #209
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Tempe, AZ
    Posts
    7,657
    My Cars
    1995 525i/5
    Quote Originally Posted by ucsbwsr View Post
    E39s are classic and buying one is ALWAYS a good move assuming it pairs well with your intended use. Not sure what engine you have in the E39 or the chassis your N54 had but the biggest difference is the performance, when tuning E39s are SLOW compared to N54s. You will need a blown M5 to keep up with a properly tuned N54 vehicle. ON the flipside the M62 and S62 have a glorious soundtrack that is hard to beat, my E61 has a custom single 3" exhaust that sounds incredible but most N54s sound farty and underwhelming. When comparing the 6 cylinder E39 vs N54 HUGE advantage to the E39 for reliability. When searching for my E39 wagon I was actually looking for the 6 cylinder for this reason but ended up finding a nice deal on a V8.

    Anyway, a wagon is always a good choice, especially in the E39 chassis. Enjoy.
    For me the E39 is just a great complete package. It's fun to drive, very practical, solidly built, reliable if cared for, and looks great all around. I don't care about having the fastest car on the road... there's always somebody that's going to be faster, especially in this age of turbo cars where speed is just a tune away. I just focus more on the overall experience and enjoyment of it all. Like earlier today I drove a Z4 M-Roadster with a healthy S54 and it was more fun than any turbo BMW I've ever driven.
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  10. #210
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by dannyzabolotny View Post
    For me the E39 is just a great complete package. It's fun to drive, very practical, solidly built, reliable if cared for, and looks great all around. I don't care about having the fastest car on the road... there's always somebody that's going to be faster, especially in this age of turbo cars where speed is just a tune away. I just focus more on the overall experience and enjoyment of it all. Like earlier today I drove a Z4 M-Roadster with a healthy S54 and it was more fun than any turbo BMW I've ever driven.
    Hopefully we cross paths one day so I can give you a ride in my E61. I have the same E39 appreciation as you and the biggest compliment I gave my M5 with full exhaust, bolt-ons, and tune was "the experience" it gave with it's dynamics and sound. That being said the E61 trumps it in that experience category but adds practicality, comfort, and speed. Anyway, I am not convinced I can change your mind buuuuuut we will see!

    Evan

  11. #211
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Just placed the "new parts" order which nearly rounds out the necessary parts for the 6MT swap which included a new Luk DMF020 flywheel, FW/clutch hardware, shift arm bushings, seals for the rear main and trans input, bearings, gaskets, and other small wear items.
    Did a quick add up of expenses so far and I am at $1,790, pretty happy with that I suppose considering the amount of new and/or upgraded parts I am adding. The remaining items I need are trans fluid and the pins/pigtails/wiring for the electronics, I should be under $2,000 when it's all said and done.

    Shooting to execute the swap, chainguides, and vanos in early Feb.
    Evan

  12. #212
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canton, Ohio
    Posts
    617
    My Cars
    97 528i
    Evan....I've been checking in on and off and I'm sorry it has taken me so long to chime in and tell you what an amazing car this is....and what fantastic work you do...! Been meaning to do this for a while now

    tony
    "two wrongs don't make a right...only three lefts do...."
    '79 Euro 635csi - gone and regretting it...
    '89 gsxr-750 - former traffic knife
    '97 528i sedan - holding on strong...(just sold after 16 years of ownership - sad day)
    '03 Euro 525it - something about a famous dolphin.....

    '06 Mercury Grand Marquis (don't ask....it gets the job done....)
    '84 Specialized Allez - full Campagnolo Super Record
    '99-ish Cannondale CAAD4
    "Stinky" - Kona Stinky Five
    '86 528e
    2008 E70 X5 3.0


  13. #213
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Blaine, MN
    Posts
    34
    My Cars
    '01 BMW 540i, '91 DSM
    Quote Originally Posted by ucsbwsr View Post
    Hopefully we cross paths one day so I can give you a ride in my E61. I have the same E39 appreciation as you and the biggest compliment I gave my M5 with full exhaust, bolt-ons, and tune was "the experience" it gave with it's dynamics and sound. That being said the E61 trumps it in that experience category but adds practicality, comfort, and speed. Anyway, I am not convinced I can change your mind buuuuuut we will see!

    Evan
    love the build threads. But this post and quote keep playing in my mind as I shop nationwide for a e39 wagon in manual and even an LS swapped e39 wagon. Should I be considering an e61?
    I owned a 2001 540i6 and loved it but it was a cursed car for me.

  14. #214
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by adm750 View Post
    Evan....I've been checking in on and off and I'm sorry it has taken me so long to chime in and tell you what an amazing car this is....and what fantastic work you do...! Been meaning to do this for a while now

    tony
    No need to apologize! Thanks for the kind words.
    Quote Originally Posted by turbotalon1g View Post
    love the build threads. But this post and quote keep playing in my mind as I shop nationwide for a e39 wagon in manual and even an LS swapped e39 wagon. Should I be considering an e61?
    I owned a 2001 540i6 and loved it but it was a cursed car for me.
    The E39 and E61 are different beasts so it really depends on your goals for the wagon. The E61 is bigger, more comfortable, AWD capability, and has tuning potential that can make it F10 M5 fast and blow the doors off E39 M5s (M5 owners get all huffy puffy since they think their M badge is impermeable) having a modded E39 M5 and a modded E61 I know first had how much faster the E61 is. M5 will need a big blower, meth, etc. to keep up. That being said the E39s are timeless and the driving experience with the M62/S62 soundtrack really stirs the sole. When I had my M5 I knew it wasn't very fast but I didn't care since it was still incredibly exciting and made me happy.

    In the end it's a win-win between the two. Just so you know I will be selling this E39 Touring once I complete the manual transmission swap and refresh the engine chain guides and vanos, I have all the parts minus wiring and will start the project soon once I wrap up another E61 project I unexpectedly came into.

    ----------------------

    Progress on the E39 has been a little slow as I recently picked up another E61 which is a short term refresh/flip project and has been getting most of the wrenching attention. I don't have a build thread on this forum but if you frequent 5Series.net Bimmerfest or N54Tech you can track down the "Another Project Wagon" build thread, I have the same username.
    Here is a pic of the wagon stealing all the attention.



    Back to the e39 it has received a few updates. I installed some Morimoto xb LED fog lights





    My LUK DMF020 flywheel arrived.


    ...and the oh-so-important timing teeth


    Stopped by VIP Modular/RSV Forged to assist with a headlight project. They are fans of wagons as well!

  15. #215
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Plano
    Posts
    85
    My Cars
    e46 M3, S52 M Coupe
    great job on the wagon!! very tidy.
    great looking aussie, too. have one here.
    '04 GT3, '99 MCoupe, '97 993 C4S, '86 951, '05 v70R
    previous: e30 M3, e36 M3, e36 LTW, e46 M3, e28 M5, 964 RSA, 997S, 928...

  16. #216
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts
    15
    My Cars
    BMW 740iA -95, Mercedes-Benz SL 500 -92
    Thanks for a really inspiring thread, nice pictures and attention to detail.

    You wagon has a sibling in Sweden. I have had mine for ten years, a 540iAT which I have done similar mods to (M bumpers, door sills, E38 countour seats in champagne, gloss black trims etc), as well as orange interior lights in the doors. Wheels are Alpina replicas.

    Thank you again for a very nice thread, very impressed with your work.

    (I wanted to uypload full size images, but they appear as stampsized for some reason. I could not figure out how to upload a normal picture (maybe I am not allowed?)

    2018-10-13 17.32.09.jpg

    2017-11-26 17.33.46.jpg

    led1.png

    1.jpg

    2.JPG
    Last edited by LasseSL500; 03-02-2019 at 11:28 AM.

  17. #217
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by LasseSL500 View Post
    Thanks for a really inspiring thread, nice pictures and attention to detail.

    You wagon has a sibling in Sweden. I have had mine for ten years, a 540iAT which I have done similar mods to (M bumpers, door sills, E38 countour seats in champagne, gloss black trims etc), as well as orange interior lights in the doors. Wheels are Alpina replicas.

    Thank you again for a very nice thread, very impressed with your work.
    Thanks for the kind words, your wagon looks great!

  18. #218
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Das Vadr is still in a holding pattern while the grey one (Das Grau) gets all the love but a 6MT and engine refresh will be worth the wait.


    But wait, there's more! Unbroken cupholders!



    Full House!

  19. #219
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Siblings



    Family Photo



    Before & After on the Valves



    Flushed front and rear diff fluid, I hate the smell of gear oil.



    Decided to give the XHP X-Delete a shot. It allows you switch between AWD and RWD, the flash takes about 90 seconds.



    Removed F Driveshaft to ensure no parasitic loss



    M5 door handle/trim and individual for the front door cards which are on their way



    M5 rear sway bar, M5 brakes, and RWD rear hubs



    Stock Vs M5



    Got an alignment done



    Replaced electronic gear selector with the late model SAT unit



    After



    Coded the vehicle order to reflect the upgrade gear selector ($205 -> $2TB). GKE215 wasn't showing up in WinKFP so I couldn't update the ZUSB with the faster SAT trans software but will do later.



    A couple glamour pics, can't wait to build the front door panels




    Dinan muffler was way too quiet IMO, it sounded like stock. Sold it and did a muffler delete with a Vibrant tip. More sound, more character, less weight, and left over money to pay for more upgrades



    Replaced broken cargo floor handle




    Replaced missing outlet plugs




    Headlight gasket were UV damaged



    New OEM gaskets



    Replaced old OEM bulbs with Osran CBIs



    Replaced broken headlight housing cap



    With some fuel mixture codes popping up and one time specifying Bank 1 I decided to replaced the Bank 1 pre-cat O2 sensor. What a pain. Had to remove liners, drop subframe, remove engine mount and engine mounting arm to finally get a wrench on that mofo.



    For good measure I replaced all charge-tract related vac lines. This is also not particularly enjoyable especially with banana hands like mine, the heat shielding on the engine bay closely resembles cheese graters.


  20. #220
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Alexandria, VA
    Posts
    9,049
    My Cars
    ‘01 540’00 528T’03 525T
    Damn! You sure are a hardcore wagoneer!!! Love it!
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

  21. #221
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Shadyville, NJ
    Posts
    2,893
    My Cars
    '17 Durango, '10 Panny
    Great thread! Miss my touring...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    BMWCCA #389756
    e39 Touring SOLD.

  22. #222
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Long Island
    Posts
    505
    My Cars
    528iT
    I hate myself for looking through this thread because I keep getting the motivation to fix mine, and then reality sets in the next morning lol

  23. #223
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by itsbrokeagain View Post
    I hate myself for looking through this thread because I keep getting the motivation to fix mine, and then reality sets in the next morning lol
    Build thread inspiration or not, if you car is broken it's probably best to fix it.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I just realized post #219 was meant for my other build thread. I will leave it up just for fun.

  24. #224
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    ca
    Posts
    179
    My Cars
    e39
    As my other E61 wagons have been getting a lot of major work done progress on Vadr has been slow but steady. I am really pleased with where the build is at and excited to get a manual in this thing since it will completely change the character of the wagon.


    The build is nearing completion and there is only a handful of major items to address before this thing goes up for sale.


    - Timing chain guide/vanos refresh
    - Manual swap
    - Replace hood
    - Replace windshield
    - Recondition E38 comfort seats
    - Install refinished M Parallel wheels




    New aftermarket pork chops.



    Found a nice deal on some E38 M parallels, they are currently being professionally repaired and powder coated Porsche Silver, I have a set of Hankook V12s, new valve stems, and new "M" stickers waiting in the garage for them. These will go on the E39 and the Style 167s will go over to the grey E61.



    They fit like a glove in the cargo area.



    If it clears, it clears!



    New NGK plugs




    During some spirited driving the main coolant hose cracked



    During some musical wheels I decided to throw the 20" vossens on the E39. The rears looks sick but it would be challenging to stop them from rubbing.




    Junkyard dayz! Picked up some missing black interior pieces and also scored an M60 intake manifold, it was already removed from the engine all I had to do was remove the throttle body.



    Lower seat rail trim



    E38 comfort seat backs needed some love



    Some love they received. Pseudo fixed the sagging map pockets by screwing them into the "closed" position. Cleaned and conditioned leather.



    Rail trim installed




    Seatbacks installed




    Replaced missing valve cover cover bolt cover. lol



    As you might have seen in earlier photos Vadr was filthy and since there was finally no rain in the forecast it was time for a wash.



    .....and you know what that means, some fancy photos where I take into consideration backgrounds, lighting, and making sure my iphone lens is clean. Heck I even installed tire treatment.






    Shifter boot photo bomb








    The hood has got to go


  25. #225
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Orange County, CA
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2014 M6 GC ZCP CCB
    Is the grey one from Topend? Also everything is very awesome and entertaining to read.

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