Picked up the 540i, drove it 1200 miles, and managed to not kill myself! [Archive]

TC535i

11-26-2006, 10:51 PM

Flew up to Portland, bought a 95 540i 6-speed from a Bimmerforums.com member in Salem, and drove it home to Los Angeles! Quick summary of the trip home...

Coming thru the pass right before you get into CA (Grant's Pass?)

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7953/passqo9.jpg

Mt Shasta

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/9877/mtshastauh6.jpg

Another mtn right near Shasta

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4829/mt2cn9.jpg

Sunset somewhere in NorCal (Lake Shasta, I believe)

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5603/sunsetvv8.jpg

TC535i

11-26-2006, 10:51 PM

Pic at Buttonwillow Raceway. Filthy, but made it to SoCal with no drama! I've had my 318 there a few times, maybe she'll make it out on the track someday too?

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8834/buttonwillowcm7.jpg

150k out in Ventura County, just before getting into Los Angeles

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7311/150krv0.jpg

No real drama, besides a headlight that kept blowing and the temp gauge sitting just above blue when it was on the freeway (thermostat stuck open). Filthy, but... she's got potential. Every time I was doing maybe 70 or so and kicked it from 6th to 4th to pass, squeeze the throttle and the power just keeps coming... upshift to 5th and realize I'm doing 120 without much effort, huge ****-eating grin on my face.

Gonna be a fun project... :D

Gayle, you wanna volunteer to help Kim on project Clean-This-Thing-Up?? I know you're specialty's underhood bling, and boy does she need it!!! ;)

Atl530i

11-26-2006, 10:57 PM

Nice find. I like the pics you took too.

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:03 PM

Nice find. I like the pics you took too.

Was a nice trip home. Managed to avoid any particularly nasty weather, bit of traffic today... but that's thanksgiving weekend for ya!

Alexlind123

11-26-2006, 11:14 PM

Beautiful pictures, what kind of camera did you use?

632 Regal

11-26-2006, 11:15 PM

great pictures! Hope it works out well for you!

Kalevera

11-26-2006, 11:18 PM

Beautiful. What are those wheels? Are they legit BBS or ? Never seen anything like them, look like 16s.

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:21 PM

Beautiful pictures, what kind of camera did you use?

A 4 year old, beat to hell Canon S50. :) Times like these I wish I had a DSLR... :(

great pictures! Hope it works out well for you!

Thanks... I'm excited. :p

Beautiful. What are those wheels? Are they legit BBS or ? Never seen anything like them, look like 16s.

Similar to the BMW Style 5, but a one-piece. 17 x 8.5", 15mm offset real BBS, according to stamps under the lug cover. Gonna get em refinished and have the lip polished out... it's gonna look amazing. :D

Alexlind123

11-26-2006, 11:21 PM

Why didnt you visit me while you were in portland? :D

Jehu

11-26-2006, 11:23 PM

Did you actually drive on any accumulated snow ? I am dreading the first snowfall here in NH as my friend with an E39 M5 tells me he has to garage it for the winter as its "too powerfull" to deal with snow... I think i'm pretty skillfull behind any wheel of any car but i don't want to learn i'm wrong in my BMW...

Gayle

11-26-2006, 11:24 PM

Gayle, you wanna volunteer to help Kim on project Clean-This-Thing-Up?? I know you're specialty's underhood bling, and boy does she need it!!! ;)

You've got a deal. I also have a brand new thermostat I don't expect to use. I'll send you the info and if it fits, I'll pop it in the mail to you. I am cleaning the garage and would like this to go to a good home.

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:27 PM

Why didnt you visit me while you were in portland? :D

Didn't know we had members up there! Haven't been on the E34 boards much, but I've been around a while... Weather was good tho, thanks for holding the snow back for me!

Did you actually drive on any accumulated snow ? I am dreading the first snowfall here in NH as my friend with an E39 M5 tells me he has to garage it for the winter as its "too powerfull" to deal with snow... I think i'm pretty skillfull behind any wheel of any car but i don't want to learn i'm wrong in my BMW...

Nope, avoided any particularly nasty weather. Bit of rain here and there, but nothing too crazy!

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:27 PM

You've got a deal. I also have a brand new thermostat I don't expect to use. I'll send you the info and if it fits, I'll pop it in the mail to you. I am cleaning the garage and would like this to go to a good home.

Not sure if the M30/M60 stuff swaps out, but I'll let you know!

You still in SD, or you move north already?

winfred

11-26-2006, 11:46 PM

the m60/62 t-stat is it's own beast, the m30 will fit just about everything but a v8

Not sure if the M30/M60 stuff swaps out, but I'll let you know!

You still in SD, or you move north already?

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:51 PM

the m60/62 t-stat is it's own beast, the m30 will fit just about everything but a v8

Gotcha, I'll stop at the parts house this weekend and pick one up. Stock temp best? What is it, 80c?

CharlesAFerg

11-26-2006, 11:56 PM

Hey man I'm in Beaverton you pass by here? Alexlind and I want to meet up ppl in the pacific NW.

Pic at Buttonwillow Raceway. Filthy, but made it to SoCal with no drama! I've had my 318 there a few times, maybe she'll make it out on the track someday too?

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8834/buttonwillowcm7.jpg

150k out in Ventura County, just before getting into Los Angeles

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7311/150krv0.jpg

No real drama, besides a headlight that kept blowing and the temp gauge sitting just above blue when it was on the freeway (thermostat stuck open). Filthy, but... she's got potential. Every time I was doing maybe 70 or so and kicked it from 6th to 4th to pass, squeeze the throttle and the power just keeps coming... upshift to 5th and realize I'm doing 120 without much effort, huge ****-eating grin on my face.

Gonna be a fun project... :D

Gayle, you wanna volunteer to help Kim on project Clean-This-Thing-Up?? I know you're specialty's underhood bling, and boy does she need it!!! ;)

TC535i

11-26-2006, 11:57 PM

Hey man I'm in Beaverton you pass by here? Alexlind and I want to meet up ppl in the pacific NW.
Not sure. Flew into Portland, spent the night with my buddy in Boring (yes, that's the name of his city! :D), drove to Salem the next morning to pick up the car, and headed due south on the 5! If you saw a blue blur... that was probably me. :)

Alexlind123

11-26-2006, 11:59 PM

Not sure. Flew into Portland, spent the night with my buddy in Boring (yes, that's the name of his city! :D), drove to Salem the next morning to pick up the car, and headed due south on the 5! If you saw a blue blur... that was probably me. :)

I drive past boring every time i go skiing.

TC535i

11-27-2006, 12:03 AM

I drive past boring every time i go skiing.

Nice. Seems like a decent place, but I'm a warm-weather city guy... I'll stick to Los Angeles/San Diego, thanks. ;)

BTW, noticed you did the muffler delete on the 535i... I think I pioneered that mod, back in 2001 or so. :D I remember it being the talk of the boards... my nickname was (and probably still is) Crazy Tim!

Between that and the stereo, my 535i earned it's custom plate: 1LOUD5 ;) First order of business is to pull the muffler off the M60 and see how she sounds... may have to go aftermarket on this one. The license plate will be carried over, that's for sure. :p

Gayle

11-27-2006, 12:04 AM

Not sure if the M30/M60 stuff swaps out, but I'll let you know!

You still in SD, or you move north already?

I will start moving next week but won't start living there til Jan 1. Kim is racing Dec 15, right? I am going to be out of the country then or else I would show up to be her groupie.

Did I mention, your car is beautiful and the trip pics are beautiful.

TC535i

11-27-2006, 12:06 AM

I will start moving next week but won't start living there til Jan 1. Kim is racing Dec 15, right? I am going to be out of the country then or else I would show up to be her groupie.

Doesn't look like it, finals are gonna take a bigger toll than we'd expected. Dunno if I'm gonna make it out either, I think I'm gonna be spending my free time/funds on the 540i for a little while. My E36 only has a couple autocrosses left on the race tires too, so I'll conserve those for next season.

TC535i

11-27-2006, 12:26 AM

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/7311/150krv0.jpg

Just realized, this is probably in 4th gear. In 6th, an indicated 100mph is ~3100 RPM. Redline is ~6200 RPM. You do the math.

:D

BillionPa

11-27-2006, 12:36 AM

actually the M60 uses a 95C thermostat, although Behr makes an 85C thermostat. i think that would run the car a bit friendlier in california weather, keeping the needle under the center mark.

winfred

11-27-2006, 12:37 AM

you can get anything you want as long as it's 105* they operate 228-236 degrees :( that's where they cycle on the fan clutch at idle, get a t-stat housing too if yours is still plastic, they have a built in crack point

i see that world pac has started listing a 95* doesn't really matter they still run high 220s low 230s at idle and that's still in the middle of the gauge

Gotcha, I'll stop at the parts house this weekend and pick one up. Stock temp best? What is it, 80c?

Thayne

11-27-2006, 02:23 AM

Nice pics! You are going to love that V8! :D

Dave M

11-27-2006, 08:25 AM

Wow, I see why you were busy this weekend. Kinda makes me wanna do the same, with a slightly older vintage.

Dave

brosher

11-27-2006, 11:59 AM

TC535i

11-27-2006, 01:14 PM

Nice looking car. I did the same earlier in the summer for my 540/6. I flew down to Raleigh, NC and drove straight back to Albany, NY. Flight left at 6am and I was back in town just after midnight. :D The dumb ass had taken his CD player out and never got the code from BMW so I had plenty of time to think on trip back. You'll love the torque. I still find myself trying to upshift to 7th gear cause the power makes me think I'm in 4th. The power really comes on like a switch above 3 grand too.
Nice. This stock stereo sounds MUCH better than my '90 did. Ran my and my girlfriend's MP3 players thru FM modulator and tape adaptor, and it sounded GREAT.

I hear ya on the 3k thing too... it REALLY starts to pull, regardless of gear at that point!

94is

11-27-2006, 04:35 PM

The camera used for the pics was actually my camera, a Canon SD550.

I was doing the driving when the pics were taken. I think I logged about 5-600 miles in her this past weekend myself. :p

winfred

11-27-2006, 09:25 PM

the best combo for good sound is a pioneer head unit (finned back heat sink) and the upgrade speakers from a e30 inplace of the 4 main drivers, the 91 and up factory system is very underrated, now the e39 factory system sucks ass, id ****ing laugh at the salesman that told me the audio in their $40k product was supposed to sound like that

Nice. This stock stereo sounds MUCH better than my '90 did. Ran my and my girlfriend's MP3 players thru FM modulator and tape adaptor, and it sounded GREAT

TC535i

11-27-2006, 11:02 PM

the best combo for good sound is a pioneer head unit (finned back heat sink) and the upgrade speakers from a e30 inplace of the 4 main drivers, the 91 and up factory system is very underrated, now the e39 factory system sucks ass, id ****ing laugh at the salesman that told me the audio in their $40k product was supposed to sound like that

Which E30 speakers to change? I'll keep an eye out.

What's the best method of getting some music in tho, preferrably MP3? FM modulator, tape adaptor, CD changer, any other ways?

I might just tap some speaker lines to get a sub signal too... we'll see.

winfred

11-27-2006, 11:17 PM

the main drivers from a ES or a IS are a direct swap they have massive magnets and some extra coils on the back of the basket, any e30 with the tweeters has 4 of these speakers and e28s with tweeters have two in the rear deck (same plastic housing as the e30, just take the driver out and leave the tweeter you don't need it), get a pioneer changer to hook up to the factory head unit, cdxm30 is the after market unit that works and the factory pioneer is the 091 if i remember right, a cdx m6 after market pioneer seems to work with the earlier radios, haven't tried one with the 91 and up deck, id say get a 091 as the first choice and a m30 as a second because you need a adapter so hook the m30 to the factory changer cable, try the e30 speakers before you do a sub, they have a decent amount of bass, they don't boom but they sound good and they may surprise you. i like the pioneer head units over the alpines because the pioneers have a more rich sound and the pioneer changers because they are about twice as fast on load/track seek time and the magazines are dirt cheep/common on ebay

94is

11-27-2006, 11:57 PM

Crap, don't even think about jacking my speakers. :shifty

TC535i

11-28-2006, 12:00 AM

Haha... hey little girl, that's a nice E30 you have there...

winfred

11-28-2006, 12:02 AM

e30 IS not a e36 IS, the e36 speakers suck they don't last long before taking a crap

Crap, don't even think about jacking my speakers. :shifty

TC535i

11-28-2006, 12:08 AM

e30 IS not a e36 IS, the e36 speakers suck they don't last long before taking a crap

She has an E30 too. Her E36 speakers are shot too, at least 2 of em. hahaha

94is

11-28-2006, 01:51 AM

e30 IS not a e36 IS, the e36 speakers suck they don't last long before taking a crap
Yeah at least 2 of my 4 big speakers in my e36 are dead.

The e30 on the other hand has the premium stereo package or some crap. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

TC535i

11-28-2006, 12:25 PM

Winfred, ordered the thermostat and housing today. Looked at mine, and the "right" half of the housing facing the motor from the front is metal, but the left half is plastic. Guy only listed a 95* Wahler tstat so I got that, and he said he could get an aluminum housing as well, so I got that too. $13 for the tstat and $18 for the housing sound right? I'm not concerned with an overheat condition, I just need something that's opening and closing properly!

winfred

11-28-2006, 12:47 PM

TC535i

11-28-2006, 12:51 PM

the t-stat bolts up to the water pump that's the metal part you saw, i've yet to see a t-stat under 95 for a m60 so you got as good as it gets, m60s bleed pretty easy, you pretty much just fill it up and start it and once coolant starts squirting into the neck of the bottle and you top up the level it's good to go

Cool. May as well flush the coolant that's in there... what's the best way on these things? Unplug the drain on the bottom of the radiator, and run the motor for about 10 minutes till it turns itself off? ;)

winfred

11-28-2006, 09:02 PM

just pop the block drains after you drain the radiator, the right one is fairly easy to get to and will get most of the coolent, the left is a pain in the ass but they did a good thing (on most engines) and made the left side plug like a banjo bolt so you only need to loosen it a few turns

TC535i

11-28-2006, 10:11 PM

winfred

11-28-2006, 10:38 PM

atleast half id do the right side and ignore the left, that and the radiator will get most of it, the right plug is by the starter

Meh... I don't want to get that into it. How much will I miss just doing the rad?

TC535i

12-04-2006, 02:00 PM

Yo Winfred, a guy wants to sell me a Pioneer deck he used with his stock head in his 99 323is premium sound. Back says CDX-P670. Will that work with my 95 540i stock head unit?

winfred

12-04-2006, 07:13 PM

i don't think they talk the same language, it may plug in but not work

TC535i

12-04-2006, 07:35 PM

i don't think they talk the same language, it may plug in but not work
o i c

Why doesn't my gauge cluster readout work??? :(

Blitzkrieg Bob

12-04-2006, 07:43 PM

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e34/stereo/e34_cd_changer.html

That's a treacherous path.

You have to pay attention to the head unit, data cable terminals and CD changer terminals

TC535i

12-04-2006, 07:45 PM

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/e34/stereo/e34_cd_changer.html

That's a treacherous path.

You have to pay attention to the head unit, data cable terminals and CD changer terminals

Yea, I came across that on a google search. I love how it says the 95 info is unknown... and the article's dated '96. :rofl

Looks like old news...

Blitzkrieg Bob

12-04-2006, 07:49 PM

it's a good start at reavling the headunit CD mystery.

I have succesfully put two CD changers in without getting the wrong one.

winfred

12-04-2006, 09:21 PM

you mean list radio **** in the cluster? join the club, maybe 25% of the e34s i've seen (and that's a **** load of cars) do it, never been able to get one do it that didn't

o i c

Why doesn't my gauge cluster readout work??? :(

TC535i

12-04-2006, 11:25 PM

you mean list radio **** in the cluster? join the club, maybe 25% of the e34s i've seen (and that's a **** load of cars) do it, never been able to get one do it that didn't
Can't get OBC stuff up there either. No good... I gotta have my dash OBC info!

Denton

12-04-2006, 11:32 PM

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9369/img1003bv5.jpg

Cute car.

Denton

12-04-2006, 11:33 PM

you mean list radio **** in the cluster? join the club, maybe 25% of the e34s i've seen (and that's a **** load of cars) do it, never been able to get one do it that didn't

Mine does it! :D

MPD47

12-05-2006, 03:47 AM

Nice looking car, and great photos!

Did you actually drive on any accumulated snow ? I am dreading the first snowfall here in NH as my friend with an E39 M5 tells me he has to garage it for the winter as its "too powerfull" to deal with snow... I think i'm pretty skillfull behind any wheel of any car but i don't want to learn i'm wrong in my BMW...

Your friend is an idiot. Any car can be driving in the snow, it just takes skill and knowing the throttle isnt a binary switch, it has more than just an on and off position, and knowing how to countersteer. I used to drive my pcar in the snow, no drama even when I wanted to get into boost.