Hello GRM'ers, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Stephen and I make poor automotive buying decisions. Occasionally though I make good ones. Like the majestic beast you see below. It's a 1997 BMW 540i and was purchased dirt cheap from a repo auction. It had been hit in the front and rear, with kinked framerails on both ends. No matter, the 4.4 V8 sounded healthy and the 6 speed worked well also.
Initially the plan was for a budget drift missile (cheap coilovers, welded diff, stripped interior) but it sat neglected for over a year. The only time it came out was after a particularly stressful day when I would toss a battery in it and go into the field next to shop to mercilessly cut donuts for a few minutes. This practice earned it the nickname "the stress ball".
I bought a second 540i (hoping for a driver) but a locked up motor filled with fudge meant it would be a parts car. Both cars sat.
Fast forward to mid December 2018, and a buddy tells me that there's an event in TN called the Gambler 500 and we should take the janky 300k mile Durango he just bought. I said nah let's finally get do something with this BMW. Many weeks of working fixing all the various neglected maintenance items (non-functional power steering, fouled plugs, valve cover gaskets, destroyed carrier bearing, etc.) plus some hacking, hub adapters, and pvc pipe and we were ready for our first outing.
