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

  1. #76
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Seattle wa usa
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    2003 546it m-sport
    Quote Originally Posted by itsbrokeagain View Post
    You've managed to do more work in a matter of weeks vs the entire year and a half I've owned mine lol
    Werd. I felt like I was rushing my swap but hats off to you brother. I want to stop by this Feb (later in the month) and see this Dark lord. Darius and Michael can come say hi too!

    Jed is a little bit away but someday, soon.

    We should all feel lazier and neglectful of our girls, I know I do now.

  2. #77
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    Tempe, AZ
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    1995 525i/5
    Quote Originally Posted by ucsbwsr View Post
    Yea, I adjusted them with INPA and the sensors were reading even as was the rim to fender measurement but my suspension seems to wander out of spec. Did you use INPA to adjust your suspension? If so what process did you do to adjust and "set" the new ride height, on tm6 E61 I would have to jump to another screen and lock in the new settings for them to stay, I wonder if I am missing something on the E39.
    I did use INPA, but I used the tune ride height menu instead of just the controls for rear height adjustment. That seems to work better. Eventually I gave up on using INPA as it was way too finicky, and ordered lowering links from http://loweringlinks.net/. That made it super easy to dial in my rear ride height.
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  3. #78
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    Las Vegas
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    My Cars
    2003 540iT Touring Wagon
    Your car looks great, a lot of work and attention to detail is paying off...nice job...
    Last edited by SCRSUVS; 01-31-2018 at 03:15 PM.

  4. #79
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    179
    My Cars
    e39
    I picked up some 245/40 to replace the 255/35s up front. Thankfully this tire swapped resolved the issues I had with my car pulling to the right and some wobble, there was a herniating tread on the right tire.
    I am a bit fan of running the tallest tire possible as it helps fill out the wheel well and adds cushion and makes life with a lowered vehicle much more enjoyable.


    After the tires were swapped I finally got around to swapping the coilovers R/L to continue diagnosing my R/L height discrepancy where the KW collars were even but wheel-to-fender ride height was ~20mm different. Before removing them I took a much of measurements to double check nothing was out of wack, top hats weren't compressed, and stuff like that, all looked good. I then set both coilovers to the lowest setting and swapped them. After lowering the car back down I was happy to report the ride height was +/- 1mm so equal, yay. I then raised both of them to the middle setting and again, equal. I took the car for a spin around the block and once I returned they measured a 10mm difference between the two. I was monitoring the rear wheel-to-fender heights which were equal before the test drive and were now essentially still even.

    Currently I have adjusted the front KWs so the fender gaps are equal but this necessitated one KW being at the highest setting and the other in the middle, so this is much better than before but still not ideal. My air suspension read out is showing different R/L values when the fender gaps are equal so I am assuming this is the culprit. Moving forward I have another set of Hankooks arriving today to replace the Michelin PSSs, once those are one I will likely try installing the adjustable links for the rear as opposed to coding the height, my hope is the links will resolve the difference in sensor readings and ultimately not influence the front suspension. If the new tires and rear links don't resolve my issue at least down to a more acceptable variance the next step might be to check the chassis for alignment but hopefully it gets sorted.


    Here is my current fitment compared to my old M5, the M5 was aesthetically perfect in my eyes. I can't wait to ditch those ugly Michelins.



    Personalized plates finally arrived!


    After a wash here are some current pics




    Happy with the front fitment.

  5. #80
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    Jan 2015
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    1995 525i/5
    Man, that is some good fitment. Almost makes me want to get coilovers for the front so I can dial mine in like that. Unfortunately it's hard to buy coilovers for an E39 touring since they're usually sold in sets of 4. Good idea on the lowering links, that'll make it a lot easier to dial in the rear ride height. I battled my air suspension for a while but now it's a lot easier to adjust with the links.
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  6. #81
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    Sep 2006
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    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by dannyzabolotny View Post
    Man, that is some good fitment. Almost makes me want to get coilovers for the front so I can dial mine in like that. Unfortunately it's hard to buy coilovers for an E39 touring since they're usually sold in sets of 4. Good idea on the lowering links, that'll make it a lot easier to dial in the rear ride height. I battled my air suspension for a while but now it's a lot easier to adjust with the links.
    Thanks. I can't wait to get rid of the stink-bug look out back. In my eyes the E39 has a natural rake to it so getting the rear low really helps with the overall hunkered-down look.
    I am getting some fender liner rub with turning the wheel but I hope that will work itself out over time. There is also a little fender rubbing so I might roll them and trim the front bumper-to-fender connection as that is area that is usually most problematic, at least it was on my M5.

  7. #82
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    Jul 2012
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    mitten
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    525it,02 525it,73 2002
    Touring looks great. Front height is perfect,agreed back could drop just a bit.Looking forward to more.
    Oh that M5 very nice.


  8. #83
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    My Cars
    e39
    Wrapping up a nice week for the wagon.

    - Hankook V12s all around, stance/fitment adjusted
    - Personalized license plate arrived
    - LED reverse lights
    - LED license plate lights
    - LED fog light retrofit


    Camera on the iphone is taking a dive so I apologize for some slightly blurry photos....

    Aftermarket fog housing


    Morimoto xb LED projector fog going in


    Used some basic hardware and precise drilling to mount the projectors, rubber grommet stuffed into the stock bulb location, factory wiring converted to 9006 so there are now plug-n-play




    Before


    After


    Comparison






    OUTPUT
    TOP: Stock (aftermarket)
    BOTTOM: Morimoto xb LED


    Reverse light comparison. The LED bulbs are not really a functional improvement over the incandescent, output is about equal but aesthetics are much better with LED. If I need more light I will mount a light bar light I did on my E61...





    5 spoke FTW






    Much happier with the new tires and refined fitment.
    Last edited by ucsbwsr; 02-02-2018 at 11:29 PM.

  9. #84
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    Chicago
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    Acura RL, 325i, 540it
    This thread is awesome, however it cannot be real for two reasons.

    1. NO human being can do a build this nice in such a short time.
    2. There are no such things as e39 wagons with black interiors in junkyards..due to the laws of physics apparently.

    So I must conclude that this has all been a ruse and handsomely photoshopped by the OP.

  10. #85
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    San Diego, CA
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    98 M3, 03 540it M-Sport
    I'm getting jealous, Evan. I haven't driven my wagon since having ACL surgery a couple weeks ago, so it's been sitting under a car cover in front of the garage. Any chance you want to grab a beer after work one day in Miramar? I'd like to pick your brain on your light overhaul as my Depo's aren't the best. And once I can walk again and I wash my wagon, let's do a photoshoot.
    '98 M3 5spd - '03 540it 6spd M-Sport

  11. #86
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    Quote Originally Posted by 6Speedy View Post
    This thread is awesome, however it cannot be real for two reasons.

    1. NO human being can do a build this nice in such a short time.
    2. There are no such things as e39 wagons with black interiors in junkyards..due to the laws of physics apparently.

    So I must conclude that this has all been a ruse and handsomely photoshopped by the OP.
    Ha, thanks for the kind words. What can I say, I know what I like and I know how to get it there. With having an E39 M5 as my previous vehicle and going balls deep modding my E61 I am comfortable working on this touring. Having some nice salvage yards near by (and some luck) only helps speed up the process.
    Quote Originally Posted by QtheGenius View Post
    I'm getting jealous, Evan. I haven't driven my wagon since having ACL surgery a couple weeks ago, so it's been sitting under a car cover in front of the garage. Any chance you want to grab a beer after work one day in Miramar? I'd like to pick your brain on your light overhaul as my Depo's aren't the best. And once I can walk again and I wash my wagon, let's do a photoshoot.
    Yea of course, craft beer and wagons, right up my alley. I will shoot you a PM.

    Evan

  12. #87
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    Yuuuuuuuup, another post. Why? More mods!

    Snagged some M5 mirrors from a fellow enthusiast. They are reps but for the price they are great as the A) function and B) are painted my code and C) look great. I could care less about the auto dimming, auto folding, etc. these had some extra wires in addition to the stock connector but I don't even know what they go to, that is how little I care about the other features. lol.

    Now that the mirrors are on there are only major exterior change/mod I would like to do at some point is an M-sport rear bumper, maybe some light tint primarily for heat rejection and UV protection, a finishing touch would be some matte sport trim all around.
    Unless one falls in my lap I will probably keep this non-sport bumper, I actually really like it's understated (overbite) look. The M/M5 bumpers are a little square at the edges around the fog lights which I now have mixed feelings about. The other benefit of the downward/rearward taper of this current bumper is it has a shorter overhang so you have better approach angles into driveways etc. with the same low ride height.

    My driver door would *clunk* while being shut with the window rolled down, it was really annoying for someone who is pretty type-A like myself. While installing the mirrors I took the opportunity to investigate and as it turns out the 10mm bolt holding the lower/rear motor and pulley mount was loose. I backed the screw out, added some red locktite for good measure, are tightened down the bolt. BOOM done! Now the door shuts with that satisfyingly heavy E39 thud. Stoked it was an easy fix and I didn't need to go scouring for a replacement part.

    Mirrors were in pretty good condition, only light pitting


    When I bought this car the driverside mirror cover was actually primed as the original was damaged and they replaced the cover but never painted it. As an interim solution I Plasti-Dipped it so my driver mirror was matte where the passenger side was OEM gloss paint.


    BEFORE/AFTER



    Swapped license plate and puddle lights to LED




    Camera is still blowing it, sorry for the fuzzy photo.


  13. #88
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    I almost forgot, I replaced both glass and hatch rear struts. A bit awkward but not too bad, the hardest part for me was reading the instructions properly and realizing one of the hinge covers has a seconds screw which is only visible once lifting the glass, this was learned after about 15 minutes or idiotic frustration.


    The upward taper of the rear bumper is a annoying, visually the E39 sits pretty low but when observing the front bumper and side skirts, the rear bumper however looks like it is up in the air. The M-spot looks a bit taller and hides this better but it annoys me with this bumper.

    I have some metal diffuser fins from a Viper ACR, the factory ACR fins are plastic and get chewed up over time so there is a guy who produces metal once as an upgrade for Viper owners, they are steel and powder coated. I bought a set of 5 in hopes of fitting them to my E61 but it never worked out. I investigated mounting them on the E39 but unless I did the full shebang with a 4'x3' base plate it would be tricky to do it and pull it off right. For now I have hit pause on the project but would love to get it done if I can find a relatively easy/economical to make them mount and look legit. I would love to pull it off and add some visual weight to the rear of the wagon, it would really complete the stance and presence.

  14. #89
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    San Diego, CA
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    98 M3, 03 540it M-Sport
    I wish I had this much free time...
    '98 M3 5spd - '03 540it 6spd M-Sport

  15. #90
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    After the last couple weeks of progress the wagon is in a good spot. The aesthetic fundamentals of the build are established and from this point forward it won't go through any drastic visual changes but rather subtle enhancements and fine tuning.

    Some small mods done include:
    - front fenders rolled and 5mm spacers added
    - replaced roof antenna with an oem piece which was originally missing
    - replaced damaged (and remoprarily Plasti-Dipped) rear roundel with a monochromatic piece to match the front
    - HID ballasts were "boosted" (again) from 43w to 55w


    Here is a better look at the interior swap for the cargo area.



    In hopes of getting my aux-in to work I bought a CD player from a 2005 X5 which is supposed to enable the aux function. As it turns out this had software version SW42 and I need SW40 or 50 so the hunt continues.


    Gave the wagon a wash and took the opportunity to apply some ceramic coating to my front windshield and headlight lenses. This a bit of an experiment to see how it performs. I deleted the front and rear washers from the wagon (yes, you read that right) so a very effective hydrophobic like this is very helpful for the 5-10 days there might be rain in San Diego.



    Here are some better pics of the current state....







  16. #91
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    Jul 2016
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    saratoga ca
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    2001 525i Touring
    what led bulbs did you swap into your reverse lights?

  17. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by ghostbutts View Post
    what led bulbs did you swap into your reverse lights?
    Some generic LED festoon "BMW" kit of Amazon

  18. #93
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    Finally the clunking, shuttering, and side stepping behavior of faulty subframe bushings have been alleviated. With the exception of replacing the airbags which might have a small leak, this is the last piece of the suspension puzzle. There is lots of buzz about Meyle HD bushings and I also read that the Lemforders are a top pick. ECS had a flash sale and Lemforders were ~$32/ea so it made the choice easy.


    Can you tell which one is new?


    Took the opportunity to replace the diff bushings, Meyle HDs in the rear and Einhorn Industries billet front.



    DS center bearing looked a little droopy, noted.


    My "muffler shop special" muffler delete was a bit of an eyesore and the chrome tip was turning out to be a little too "bright" for the Vader theme so I hit it with some ceramic high temp paint.


    Much better! Annie the Australian Shepard loves to live dangerously....

  19. #94
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    Sep 2006
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    ca
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    e39
    With the subframe bushings and other "guiding" suspension components replaced and the suspension finally locked in place I got another 4 wheel alignment done.


    Here is a better pic of the blacked out exhaust installed.



    Thought about it, the Rigid Duallys would fit with some work and look pretty slick but I am not sure it is worth the effort stuffing them into the small tail lights and then running a relay harness through the tailgate and into the rear cargo area. I will probably end up mounting a small LED light bar by the differential like I did on my E61, better output and much easier to do.



    My bumper impact strips were originally gloss black with small chrome strips and after taking possession of the wagon I Plasti Dipped the chrome but left the rest as-is. I then received an OEM front middle impact strip (license plate delete) which was primed and unpainted, to help blend it in it was also Plasti Dipped. To bring some consistency to the trim the remaining gloss black was plasti-dipped so now all the bumper impact strips are identical and resemble the matte finish of the factory M-sport trim. As a bonus the Dip is hiding some blemishes on the original trim and helps hide the PDC sensors.


    Here you can see on the bottom the front middle impact strip which was already plasti dipped just next to 2 other strips prior to dipping.



    AFTER



    I decided to follow through with the small diffuser project I was thinking about. At first I was hesitant because I wasn't going to be able to build it in an ideal manner, with the exhaust on once side the spare tire well is offset and consequently there is limited space to mount fins. 5 fins would be ideal but given the restraints I could only use 3, not ideal but it will be a nice opportunity to test of the look and see if it is something I like.


    The goal of this is to "fill" some of the space under the rear bumper to visually make the rear end to look lower. This isn't for winning races or tracking straight on the Bonneville salt flats, this is a experimental and creative aesthetic modification. Time will tell if I like it or not, if I do then I might reconsider finsing a solution to mount 2 more fins.


    I wanted to keep this diffuser subtle and tasteful, so many homemade diffusers are over the top, attention-grabbing, stick out excessively, and downright look wildly out of place on most cars, not my cup of tea but to each their own. I matched the angle of the fins to the taper of the bumper the best I could to make this look as possible.



    Mounted up with stainless hardware



    You can see there is no room on the driverside to add another fin due to the cavity where the oem mufflers were.



    I plan to get some black mounting hardware to blend it in better with the fins.

  20. #95
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    This is amazing!

    Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

  21. #96
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    You're doing all this work, and I'm just looking forward to washing my wagon...
    '98 M3 5spd - '03 540it 6spd M-Sport

  22. #97
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    Quote Originally Posted by StRaNgEdAyS View Post
    This is amazing!
    Glad you are enjoying it.
    Quote Originally Posted by QtheGenius View Post
    You're doing all this work, and I'm just looking forward to washing my wagon...
    This is a great time to assess, brainstorm, and order parts for future projects.


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

    More pics, sorry not sorry, the world needs more E39 wagon photos.

    I scraped the diffusers fins the first time backing down the driveway, lol. So it might take some new "awareness" to drive appropriately with that are essentially some metal peacock feathers under the rear of the wagon. If it proves to be too annoying to compensate my driving style then they will quickly get the boot.

    I like it I don't love it. It accomplished my goal of visually "filling" the space under the rear bumper but I wish there were 5 fins total and they were about 12" longer and reached further towards the rear wheels.














  23. #98
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    I'm trying to imagine how you drive your car with the seats that far back... you're either the tallest guy in the world or you're practically laying down while driving.

    How does the car feel with the new Lemforder subframe bushings? I replaced mine a while back with Meyle HD but I almost feel like they're too stiff, my ride is jarring and quite harsh in the rear, and I have 18" wheels with plenty of sidewall.

    Also, did the diff bushings make a noticeable difference?
    1995 525i 5-speed - Thread

  24. #99
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    Quote Originally Posted by dannyzabolotny View Post
    I'm trying to imagine how you drive your car with the seats that far back... you're either the tallest guy in the world or you're practically laying down while driving.

    How does the car feel with the new Lemforder subframe bushings? I replaced mine a while back with Meyle HD but I almost feel like they're too stiff, my ride is jarring and quite harsh in the rear, and I have 18" wheels with plenty of sidewall.

    Also, did the diff bushings make a noticeable difference?
    I am 6'8" with a 7'2" wingspan, ex professional volleyball player ...you get the picture.

    Bushings are great so far, all the clunking, shuddering, and side-stepping the rear end was doing is now gone and just a simple "thud" is what's observed on hits. Now with the suspension and subframe quieted down it just highlights all the creaking and cracking of the interior pieces. Always something.

    Hard to notice any difference at the moment with how I drive; I "use" but don't "abuse" my cars so most of my hard acceleration is in the form of a pull and in general I try to be smooth as opposed to throwing the wagon around thrashing on it.

  25. #100
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    Goddamn 6’8”!!! You should pull the front seats out and drive from the back seats!
    Set the controls for the heart of the sun

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