Especially for a wagon. You can get E39 540's for under $2000 no problem. But it's the cost of maintaining one over 100k miles that gets most people. You can easily spend over twice what you pay for the car in the first year.
@@elijahsouza8619 You can use the software from the alpina v8 and have faster shifts, better manual mode and more aggressive use of the lockups for better performance ande fuel economy
its beacuse german car makers threat US customers like kings, german /euopean customers like unworthy peasants. Fully equiped cars are commonly cheaper than their base counterparts.
540 has a beautiful motor. It pulls strongly. Back in the day here in NZ few could keep up with it. High mileage engines will need cam cover gaskets replaced. The USA climate is hard on BMW plastics. So hot. So cold. Here I have never had any BMW break a coolant tank and I've had a few. No salt here either. No rusted tailgate on either touring I've had. Did have wiring wear out on one tailgate. Make sure you change the fuel filter under the car. No one does then it clogs and your fuel pump burns out. Easy to change out.
I've picked up an unmolested 1995 E36 318i saloon (sedan) for just £250 (eBay bargain) with just over 92,000 genuine miles on the clock and plenty of service history. It has little rust and a clean interior. It needed 2 tyres, a brake light bulb, both front lower control arms, both front lower control arm bushes and a rear brake rebuild (mine has drums on the rear) to pass a UK MoT test. The M43 engine runs as sweet as a nut and only needed a basic service (engine oil, oil filter, air filter and spark plugs). The Ohio conditions sound similar to the UK. We have potholed roads that have salt put on them in the winter so we're no strangers to rust.
Yea, the M42 and M43 are arguably the most reliable engines that BMW has ever made. I have a E36 318is with the M42, and it has over 200k miles on it. Still runs like a dream. It is quick enough, and although I like bmw inline 6 engines, the straight 4 BMW M42 is peppy and fast enough, and less weight makes it more tossable. It's way more reliable than my E38 (740iL) with the same engine (M62tu) this 540i has... but it's not as bad as the video makes it sounds. Once you get the timing chain guides done and follow up with the suspension and coolant system, the M62 isn't the worst engine BMW has made. The E46 is the money pit BMW I loathe that has garnished up so many "bimmer boys" that pay for the over-engineered piece of shit.
I just knew this channel because of this challenge, I hope you let us see footage of you inspecting the car and discovering the various issues, as well as fixing them even when they're "boring" like polishing or detailing, really looking forward to see you working on them!
😂😂😂😂beautiful little Beamer you got. I drive a 73’ Renault 4tl and my cooling fan stopped working like yours. So we hot wired it to the battery.🤣 (def was the temp. Sensor on the bottom of the radiator). Excited for your show!!! Wish I could join you boys.
540i's are great project cars just park them and make improvements when money and time become available and when all is done you'll have a car that everyone will admire and want.
As long as you don't undo the expansion tank cap, you'll only lose 2 drops of coolant, yes 2, when you change out the sensor in the lower hose. I did the job over the summer in the parking lot where I work.
With well over 200k miles, the guides have most certainly been replaced at least once. The guides usually fall apart by 120k miles, although age is also a factor.
What a shame you’re not going to restore it to its former glory. One of the best BMW’s ever made and probably good for another 200k miles, or more, if you wanted to save it.
Although I wouldnt use the term "restored"; check out the new series! This car got a lot of love recently... timing chains, guides, vanos, suspension refresh. It lives on!!!
$700! You got a deal even with over 200k miles. The complete run of e39 Tourings is less than 14k out of a total production run of just under 500k! 😎🇩🇪🚙
I paid $450.00 for my 97 non vanos 540i. Beautiful cars, I've had the same coolant overflow issues, but the water pump will be next for you. Keep an eye on it.
If you want to know the chain condition put a scope down the oil hole and try to look at the very bottom of the u guide, but if the timing chain guides for the bank to bank transfer chain show wear, you can bet your ass the u-guide is ready to fail. It's not really that hard of a job to do if you know how. the other thing you can do on some DME's is look at the error amount for the vanos if its more then 2* its not in a good way
You can get older e39/e46's cheap especially when their in high mechanical need. Even on blue book in good shape you'd be amazed how bad the resale value is.
chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/2001-bmw-325i/6750388913.html Here's a e46 for $1500..buy from a auction block and you can cut that in half..it is possible it's just not as common. The repairs outweigh the cost of the car which basically totals it so people trade them in and they get auctioned off to shady car dealer lots.
@@chrisangelov1378 Saw a 540 wagon for 1500 on facebook marketplace the other day and nearly bought one for 1400. Rust usually brings down the price on the e39
FFS this is $4-5k car. I wish I could get such deal for $700. 1 year ago we bought E39 touring with M54B30 manual for 3k euro spent 1k more euro to replace some components and it is not even V8
Had hope for the car til you purposely painted the wheels that color lmao
Those are a disgrace to e39
I found this channel through an ad, thank god I didnt skip haha. Loving it so far.
Me too!
Right? First time I've had an ad that didn't simply annoy the fuck out of me. Lol
Same here!!!
Same here....and these guys are local to me. I should be seeing these cars around here this winter.
...Hoovie's Garage? 🤔 that's how I got here lol
ok this really isn't a bad deal for a v8 e39 bmw.
Especially for a wagon. You can get E39 540's for under $2000 no problem. But it's the cost of maintaining one over 100k miles that gets most people. You can easily spend over twice what you pay for the car in the first year.
Understatement of the year.
I agree with you.
This e39 is better than any east european wold drive around, dude xD
I would invest $10,000 to make this thing mint lol. Love the touring models from BMW
yeah they sickk af
Yes, i love my e39 touring even though it needs some work before it's mint.
The E34 touring my favorite, just without the stupid panorama roof
What did you do to those wheels????
NorthAmerican Auto pretend to be a Subaru😂
high visibility, not a bad idea in winter 😀
it looked good. looked
Did it just to figure out who the haters are! And you take the cake
Comfort seats too!
Do the alpina flash for the gearbox and you will be good to go sliding
Christian Holm what’s that ?
@@elijahsouza8619
You can use the software from the alpina v8 and have faster shifts, better manual mode and more aggressive use of the lockups for better performance ande fuel economy
I like that your videos are around 5 min or so.. perfect for the short attention span of most youtube viewers..
I'm actually curious what you'll have invested in this. This is an amazing car for $700 imo
In germany its worth more than 4k
\GER E39/ no ITS Not 😂😂 And Not in that condition
@@charity9685 weil er auch in so schlechten Zustand is ne...😏
@@MrAsdfcool junge ich seh dich überallxD
@Juden Arier naja, strahlen und pulvern gut is
@Juden Arier Hab die Styling 32 in 8J/9J 18 Zoll mit ET20 und ET24, in Chrome Shadow ein Traum auf meinem E39 :)
As much as i hate the z3m coupe’s design that thing in the back is freakn cool bro! Love your e39 v8 tho although it sounds like a straight 6 😂🤷🏻♂️
Please dont crash the 540i and take care because in germany you cant geht them for cheap
540ia*
yeah that car wud be like 5k in here lol
@@viekinpilke8537 Okay but it looks like bmw are more expensive in Germany than in USA
Best greatings from snowi Bavaria
@@wheelieschulz1204 its because here in germany the fanbase is huge, for most people in America its just an old BMW
its beacuse german car makers threat US customers like kings, german /euopean customers like unworthy peasants. Fully equiped cars are commonly cheaper than their base counterparts.
I'm gonna pray for your chain guides lol
Yer my guy Will. I'm pulling for you. I just got a budget 540iAT also.
I'm loving this BMW! I just bought a 2005 X3 (E83) for $3,500. Baby is spotless. Can't wait for the snow.
I love how unpopular wagons are - you can get them dirt cheap - I got an 01 v70 with 96k miles for 800 bucks, for the lifetime you can't beat it
540i Touring for $700. And it's not even a complete mess! I am incredibly jealous.
540 has a beautiful motor. It pulls strongly. Back in the day here in NZ few could keep up with it. High mileage engines will need cam cover gaskets replaced. The USA climate is hard on BMW plastics. So hot. So cold. Here I have never had any BMW break a coolant tank and I've had a few. No salt here either. No rusted tailgate on either touring I've had. Did have wiring wear out on one tailgate. Make sure you change the fuel filter under the car. No one does then it clogs and your fuel pump burns out. Easy to change out.
I've picked up an unmolested 1995 E36 318i saloon (sedan) for just £250 (eBay bargain) with just over 92,000 genuine miles on the clock and plenty of service history. It has little rust and a clean interior. It needed 2 tyres, a brake light bulb, both front lower control arms, both front lower control arm bushes and a rear brake rebuild (mine has drums on the rear) to pass a UK MoT test. The M43 engine runs as sweet as a nut and only needed a basic service (engine oil, oil filter, air filter and spark plugs). The Ohio conditions sound similar to the UK. We have potholed roads that have salt put on them in the winter so we're no strangers to rust.
Yea, the M42 and M43 are arguably the most reliable engines that BMW has ever made. I have a E36 318is with the M42, and it has over 200k miles on it. Still runs like a dream. It is quick enough, and although I like bmw inline 6 engines, the straight 4 BMW M42 is peppy and fast enough, and less weight makes it more tossable. It's way more reliable than my E38 (740iL) with the same engine (M62tu) this 540i has... but it's not as bad as the video makes it sounds. Once you get the timing chain guides done and follow up with the suspension and coolant system, the M62 isn't the worst engine BMW has made. The E46 is the money pit BMW I loathe that has garnished up so many "bimmer boys" that pay for the over-engineered piece of shit.
Ahh and it also has the individual shadowline door trims. Love it
I just knew this channel because of this challenge, I hope you let us see footage of you inspecting the car and discovering the various issues, as well as fixing them even when they're "boring" like polishing or detailing, really looking forward to see you working on them!
Awesome pickup for $700! The timing chain guide issue scares me, so that's why I stick with the 530i cars. Love those tourings.
Super underrated series, so excited to follow along with my own winter beater
e39, simply one of the best BMW build .
If it makes it through the winter before blowing up, you’ve done good. I’ll be waiting for the final report in April.
😂😂😂😂beautiful little Beamer you got. I drive a 73’ Renault 4tl and my cooling fan stopped working like yours. So we hot wired it to the battery.🤣 (def was the temp. Sensor on the bottom of the radiator). Excited for your show!!! Wish I could join you boys.
540i's are great project cars just park them and make improvements when money and time become available and when all is done you'll have a car that everyone will admire and want.
As long as you don't undo the expansion tank cap, you'll only lose 2 drops of coolant, yes 2, when you change out the sensor in the lower hose. I did the job over the summer in the parking lot where I work.
A BMW with crumbling plastic parts in critical areas? Why, I'm completely surprised at hearing that!
/s
Hope the timing chain guides hold up.
XD
They won’t!
They’ll be fine
With well over 200k miles, the guides have most certainly been replaced at least once. The guides usually fall apart by 120k miles, although age is also a factor.
What a shame you’re not going to restore it to its former glory. One of the best BMW’s ever made and probably good for another 200k miles, or more, if you wanted to save it.
Although I wouldnt use the term "restored"; check out the new series! This car got a lot of love recently... timing chains, guides, vanos, suspension refresh. It lives on!!!
$700! You got a deal even with over 200k miles. The complete run of e39 Tourings is less than 14k out of a total production run of just under 500k! 😎🇩🇪🚙
I really only subbed for two reasons: midwest and winter beater challenge. Great idea and I want to do the same with my buds in da up.
I paid $450.00 for my 97 non vanos 540i. Beautiful cars, I've had the same coolant overflow issues, but the water pump will be next for you. Keep an eye on it.
If you want to know the chain condition put a scope down the oil hole and try to look at the very bottom of the u guide, but if the timing chain guides for the bank to bank transfer chain show wear, you can bet your ass the u-guide is ready to fail. It's not really that hard of a job to do if you know how. the other thing you can do on some DME's is look at the error amount for the vanos if its more then 2* its not in a good way
running the fan all the time in the winter, god job
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE CLOWNSHOE??
I look forward to the next video on this car
Nice E39 wagon
E39 540i sedan en touring is very rare with manual shift
WELD THE DIFF😍😍
1:06 I laughed so hard how you said Nokia Hakkapeliitta 8
I. CAN'T. LIKE. THIS. ENOUGH!
You got a steal with this one! That’s a solid car for $1500 give or take. Did you happen to keep a log of total $£¥ spent?
Winter is gonna be over by the time you guys start publishing videos!
Your videos look really good whoever shoots them knows what they are doing. Do you shoot on Canon or Sony?
one of my dream cars and you get it for $700 wtf. 5 speed is super rare my dad had one back in the day
Nice ending, Will. haha
Oh man this makes me miss my 530 touring...
Misdiagnosing at 4:37 LOL
those wheels, why???
I love the wagon version of the car
Im Jealous mine just blew up. timing chain guides failed and killed the engine. Love the content gonna bench watch the rest
I can't find anything like this in ohio
I highly doubt that you paid only $700 for this car.
You can get older e39/e46's cheap especially when their in high mechanical need. Even on blue book in good shape you'd be amazed how bad the resale value is.
joes enjois, you can never buy an E39 540i wagon for $700 . We all know how tv is made
chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/2001-bmw-325i/6750388913.html
Here's a e46 for $1500..buy from a auction block and you can cut that in half..it is possible it's just not as common. The repairs outweigh the cost of the car which basically totals it so people trade them in and they get auctioned off to shady car dealer lots.
@@chrisangelov1378 Saw a 540 wagon for 1500 on facebook marketplace the other day and nearly bought one for 1400. Rust usually brings down the price on the e39
murica, you get this car in 1500euros or more lol thats crazy
Do a timing chain guide video!
I had literally just bought a 540i with a 6 speed, sooo you know feel free to sponsor me haha
You should make longer format videos your production quality is amazing
this channel is a lesson on how to destroy a car that could be saved
Watch out for bolts in the oilpump ratteling loose - seen Thats a cupple of times ...
That's mostly an issue on the pre-Vanos M62 and M60, the M62tu in this wagon doesn't have the oil pump issues.
cooling problems. big surprise 😥
Not sure why people are so weird out on the price... ive seen 540's e39 from 600 to 900 where i live....
It’s not gonna make it a Subaru when you painted the same😂
I have a 2002 BMW 535i, that’s a good ass deal.
So... Once again, after repair costs, no reliable $700 cars in sight.
The cheapest 540i I can find costs $4500, and the colour is faded, it has almost 300k km in it.
Wagon Snobs ask much more than Sedan. Try to find E46 wagon. It will be close to E90 Sedan. Oh find E30 Wagon, it might be as expensive E90 335i.
Most of the times from what i saw is that the e30 wagon’s are cheaper
Wow ruined already^^
Mobile 15w50 nascar oil and your vanos won't be an issue....factory recommends oil as thin black coffee so your junk blows up :)
in poland that scrap is still something luxury
Unplugged maf okay
FFS this is $4-5k car. I wish I could get such deal for $700. 1 year ago we bought E39 touring with M54B30 manual for 3k euro spent 1k more euro to replace some components and it is not even V8
Where i live that's worth 4,000$. I would die to have one
Damn where was that when i was looking for a touring/wagon e39 for under $2k
why maf sensor doesent plug in?
life is better with a avant/touring/shootingbrake.
hope your air suspension in the back holds up
Its painfull to watch this video, in Poland u have to pay smth about 3k-4k us dollars and put another thousand to keep it alive and driveable
This sounds really good
Video on that sweet Z3 Coupe in the background?
I thought the 540s got the limited slip from factory?
That e39 touring right there... could cost me about $10k+ in my country.... 😭 fuck
Nokian hakkapeliitta 8, suomi mainittu torille!
Solid deal!
a bmw 540i goes for over 10 grand here in norway....
This car in my country would cost like 4-5-6k$.. :(
Cool bwm I want to see the Mercedes tho!
engine overheated, swapped that out!
Nice video and good mods friend!!!
You painted the wheels that color on purpose?
paid 750 for mine
nokian, ayy finnish tyres they are sick!
Hakkas for the win :-)
Loved that video!!
i would kill for this car
Will there be other “beater” preview videos?
My eyes
I had a 97 540 from 2009-2011 I had to take it out back due multiple computer failures. I have a 550 now :)
im hooked
Did you use hoovies stylist👍
That thing is worth like $2k at least...does it have a salvage title or something?