Dinan 540i6 M Sport progress thread

[atl530i]

Since I've started a few of these, I thought I would make one for this car as well.

I traded my silver 540i6 for this car. I had no intentions of trading it (I did make a for sale ad out of haste one day) but this was honestly too good of a deal to pass up. I'll probably buy it back if the silver 540i6 comes up for sale later on.

In late 1998, the owner at the time bought a lot of Dinan stuff for the car.

• 3.15 lsd which is really from an E32 750iL
• Stage 3 suspension kit
  
  • EDC/SLS specific springs
  • Front and rear adjustable sway bars
  • Camber plates
• Late E34 M5/E31 850CSi 345mm brakes
• Dinan air intake stack that goes in the bottom of the air box (currently trying to find another one).

Don't think it ever had a tune on it but sources say otherwise. I haven't opened the DME to check. The car needs a lot of work. The car was in Florida at some point so the paint is shot. The leather is also dried out and some of it cracked on the rear seats. I'll have to get all of that recovered (or replaced) at some point but for now, I'll stick to getting the functional stuff working first. The EDC/SLS works for 5 minutes and quits because it is leaking very badly in the back. The rest of the suspension needs to be refreshed as well. The engine and transmission run and shift great. I drove the car home from Charlotte, NC with no issues. The ride was less than stellar due to the blown rear shocks. I may end up deleting the SLS and EDC until I can get the assemblies refurbished.

The car came with a set of naked M Systems and Mpars. I put the Mpars on the M Sport because it will not be driven until I get the suspension sorted. The tires are shot. The M Systems ended up on my touring with covers that have been holding on to. I still haven't cleaned the car up thoroughly so it's pretty dirty.









The covers and strut bar are in the trunk.




Work wagon

[Sir Montalbon]

Madness!!!

[moroza]

I found the Dinan intake trumpet increased low-frequency intake noise at >50% throttle, a good thing IMO.

1995 steeringwheel but 89-94 doorpanels?

[e34Croak]

I'm excited to see the progress on this one!

[atl530i]

Madness!!!

Yep. It'll never end too.

I found the Dinan intake trumpet increased low-frequency intake noise at >50% throttle, a good thing IMO.

1995 steeringwheel but 89-94 doorpanels?

The leather on the door panels is completely dried up also. I've never seen them this bad. I doubt I will be able to save them. I'll just look out for a decent set of black gathered panels.

I'm excited to see the progress on this one!

This one will stick around. It made it 300 miles home without any issues so I'm happy about that.

[ihm96]

Always a good sign. I drove mine back from Cleveland to Philly through a snowstorm and figured if she survived that she had to be solid

[ihm96]

" It made it 300 miles home without any issues so I'm happy about that."

Always a good sign. I drove mine back from Cleveland to Philly through a snowstorm and figured if she survived that she had to be solid

[JThomp33]

" It made it 300 miles home without any issues so I'm happy about that."

Always a good sign. I drove mine back from Cleveland to Philly through a snowstorm and figured if she survived that she had to be solid

Philly! Saw your in Ambler, I just moved there from Doylestown!

[tantumaude]

I have a pair of those front rotors lying around somewhere. I actually just came back from a trip to Columbia, had I known!

[atl530i]

I have a pair of those front rotors lying around somewhere. I actually just came back from a trip to Columbia, had I known!

Looking to sell them?

[tantumaude]

Yessir--I don't have a car for them anymore. I'll send you a PM.

[ihm96]

Philly! Saw your in Ambler, I just moved there from Doylestown!

Thats awesome. I actually live in wyndmoor right now and work at Mercedes in Fort Washington. If you ever see a badgless oxford green E34 or oxford green clownshoe driving around its me lol

[JThomp33]

Nice! I live off Bethlehem Pike, so I am sure I will. Black/Black (loud) 540i/6 with Style 5's would be me.

[atl530i]

Quick update. I bought quite a bit of parts for the car over the past few weeks. I also listed the car for sale because I do not have the time to really dive into this car right now. I've had a few bites but nothing serious so it may stick around for a while. Not really in a rush to sell it so it wouldn't be terrible if it did stick around. I probably will not start ripping this thing apart until after the New Year anyway.

I also found two of those Dinan snorkels. I also did confirm that it does have a Dinan tune on it. Someone bought the right tune and had the DME aligned with the EWS2 system on the car. This was a pleasant sight to see.


Parts to convert the SLS in the rear and install struts with a 22mm top nut in the front. I had most of this on the shelf. A lot of it was not used much and removed in favor of coilovers. The washers are where they get ya.


I decided to go with Vogtland springs and Bilstein touring shocks for now. Eventually the EDC will be rebuilt so this shall do for now. It'll ride 1000x better than it currently does.

[atl530i]

The interior has been an issue since buying this car. I was going to have the seats recovered but that would mean the door panels would not match. The door panel inserts were so dry that they look like pre-94 door panels. I ended up buying another interior for the car minus the dash. The cup holder has screws holding it to the center console so I got that also. My old silver car was hit in the rear right so I made an offer to buy it back to get the interior and part the rest. The car drove wonderfully so it was a shame that it was hit. Apparently, some kid ran into it. Another person was interested in the 6 speed swap so we went in half. I basically got the interior, window regulators (3 out of 4 do not work on the black car), hella Euro lights, and some small misc parts. This really worked out because I did not want another car in my driveway and the other buyer got his 6 speed swap and the rest of the car to part out and profit on. I drove to Charlotte (14DEC2018) and went to town on what I needed.

The car in its final place. There was talk of making it a drift car.


I took my wagon up there. I decided to take out the front passenger seat just in case I was not able to get everything in the back of the wagon. This really worked out well because I ended up putting the two sport seats up front with me and everything else in the back. The wagon did really well during the trip, no hiccups to speak of so I'm real pleased in how it performed. Cruise control worked great.

I think I may get a van for trips like this for next time. I borrowed a van when I drove to Chicago for the hurricane interior and it was wonderful having to not cram everything in there and hoping nothing got damaged on the way back. Nothing got damaged on this trip but it was tedious getting everything in there and making sure nothing moved or shifted on the way back.

This was after I got the interior from the car. I decided to leave the dash. I have a black non-airbag dash that has minimal warping (very little actually) that I plan to use. I think it'll look better to be honest.



Loaded up


Showing some carolina squat while getting some gas.


At home, I started going thru everything and finding a home for everything until I can install it all.



I also bought some Racing Dynamics springs. The shocks are blown (rears for sure) but I do not plan on reusing them. These may end up on the M Sport, not sure yet.


I ended up getting some other parts that I bought for that car but never installed like the brake ducts and filler plate. I also got the fog lights but the brackets are broke from where the bumper was ran into something. The black M Sport will start coming together when I have some time and when the weather cooperates. It's been raining a lot here and the cold weather follows right behind it.

[sbeckman7]

Awesome progress!

[atl530i]

Interior update.

I got around to installing the seats, door panels, front driver window regulator, forward center console, glove box, and knee bolster from my old 540i into this car. The center console had screw holes in it from the cup holders so that had to go. I do not care for those cup holders since they do not hold anything larger than a 12oz. can of whatever. It looks much improved and now has heated seats in the front. The driver front seat still has that tear in the seam (like they all get) but other than that, the interior is in better shape. The dash still needs to be replaced. I have a non-airbag dash for it that I will install in it when I get some more time.








I also got the new assemblies ready to go to get the car riding right again. The EDC stuff will be put off to the side for now until it can be rebuilt. I have the same springs on my red M Sport and like them a lot and have heard good things about the Bilstein tourings. If the ride it too harsh, I can always swap them out for something else. I figure anything is better than the backbreaking ride it currently has.

[atl530i]

Got the new shocks and springs on and I'm pretty happy with this combo. It rides and handles great. The car is finally comfortable to sit in and ride in. It'll need control arms soon but it's not terrible.

How is sits now. Don't mind the awesome paint, courtesy of South GA/North Florida

[Twistytee]

Enjoy following your progress on your M sports. I’d love to own one of these someday. This one appears to have good bones. Too bad about the paint...

[atl530i]

Enjoy following your progress on your M sports. I’d love to own one of these someday. This one appears to have good bones. Too bad about the paint...

That last part sounds familiar. I believe we may have spoke on the phone??

[Twistytee]

I don’t believe so. I have a ‘67 Pontiac project car and still bringing my e39 up to daily service standards so I haven’t been looking lately. But an e34 is on my bucket list.

[atl530i]

10-4. I spoke to someone that used the same phrase that was from North Carolina that was pretty much verbatim. I wish the paint wasn't as bad as it is but that's really the least of this cars problems haha.

[jimmyz66]

Damn! I need those 540i/6 side mirrors. Nice collection of E34's. I have found Dinan really dialed in the suspension over stock.