Just got home from a 21.5 hour day, Montgomery Al to Charlotte NC, grab Uhaul car trailer, lunch, meet guy with 99 528iT auto, yes trans is in limp mode, beat him down to 950 bucks, load car on trailer, haul donkey back home. Plan is to buy a 99 528i sedan 5 speed with a "blown head gasket" this week in Huntsville and start the shenanigans. Should be Challenge legal, who knows if it will be there. The wagon has great bones and runs like a top with a straight rust free body, 160k and working A.C. Suggestions and advice are welcome.
Cheers,
Jim
Jim, Congrats on the new acquisition.
Link to pics posting tutorial
A 528iT with a manual transmission and the sport option (better seats, steering wheel, wheels, etc.) would be my unicorn.
I'm hoping to find a 6 speed car for the manual needs and a sport package wagon with black interior. Thanks for the encouragement yall!
Vigo
UltimaDork
3/4/18 11:40 p.m.
This thread goes from good to great the minute you figure out the pics and post em!
Don't worry, I'm much better at working on cars and driving them that taking pics of them. It has the extendable floor thing and sunshade, not a big deal but has neato factor.
So glad there are others like me out there, my family has no clue why I searched so hard to bring home a 20 year old German station wagon
If I ever wreck the M5, it's getting resurrected as a Touring. Love those E39 wagons.
grover
Reader
3/6/18 10:59 p.m.
Justjim75 said:
So glad there are others like me out there, my family has no clue why I searched so hard to bring home a 20 year old German station wagon
That’s why we choose friends and not family.
Anybody know which forum would be best for a new to BMWs e39 owner? My car has a 4.10 rear end and I believe the 6 speed would be best for me but I need detailed info on which cars and which parts are required for that if it's possible
That color! It's beautiful.
In reply to dculberson :
It's def a 10 footer ATM, but I plan to dechrome it, tint windows (it's hot as balls in Al with a dark colored car) remove pinstripe and refinish wheels. Should come out similar to this pic
I hope!
dculberson said:
That color! It's beautiful.
This is exactly what I thought upon seeing that first pic.
My best friend drives a manual 528iT that is now a 530iT. It's a rare beast and it's been a great car for him. The e39s have some wiring and leaking issues but otherwise an awesome car. It drives nice, it's quiet, holds a bunch of stuff and gets ~30 mpg.
In reply to buzzboy :
Yay!
I repair dialysis machines and the related water filtration equipment so my Toyota Matrix has had 200 lbs of tools in it since day one and has (I promise this is the truf) had 1680 lbs of salt in it plus me so the wagon is not just a preference for me, it's a lifestyle.
Quote of the week!
oldtin
PowerDork
3/7/18 11:09 p.m.
E39 touring is one of my favs - currently have an e61 after my e39 was totaled - now on my 8th bmw. There's a good amount of bmw expertise on this site. BTW, there was a member here who had 5 or 6 bmw 6-spd transmissions laying around and another who runs a shop doing drivetrain swaps in bmws. Lots of naysayers about e39 transmission conversions, but it's been done. The most challenging part is reprogramming the electronics - but people have been down the path and made it work. Enable in me says carry on and keep the pics coming of the build.
JoeTR6
HalfDork
3/8/18 6:38 a.m.
Do it, and post pictures. These are the best looking wagons out there, IMO. Nice find.
Justjim75 said:
In reply to dculberson :
It's def a 10 footer ATM, but I plan to dechrome it, tint windows (it's hot as balls in Al with a dark colored car) remove pinstripe and refinish wheels.
I was going to suggest removing the pinstripe. It doesn't really add to the car, in my opinion. I love your goals with the car; it should look great.
Reach out to this GRM forum member. He is a BMW guru. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/community/jakeb/
It's definitely the trans position sensor, waiting on the part to ship. Phase 1 is get it running and driving and mint with the auto. Phase 2 is manual swap
Heck yeah! E39 wagons are life. I have a 2000 540it which has been pretty rad, it's at 204k miles now. If you need any help with the BMW specific bits, the E39 section of Bimmer Forums is a great place— tons of super knowledgeable members and you'll find that just about everything has been documented, from routine maintenance to turbo/supercharger builds and full on engine/transmission swaps.
