[lsfeder]

Iv'e been batting ideas back and forth in my head these past few days over my wrecked Bimmer (im actually partially depressed...keep telling myself its only a car but it doesn't help)

Ive been on some test drives and seen some of the local market pics and nothing gives me the excitement that the 540 did/does... I keep trying to picture myself in an IS300 but it doesn't fly, neither do SUV's because I hate the way trucks ride (maybe an FX45 or Touraeg, but the FX is scarce here and the VW supposedly has MAJOR reliability issues... haha not that we dont though :rofl

So today I was actually able to find a BMW salvage guy who has an M62 available with claimed 53,000 kms (only god know if this is true or not), and he says the block is available or the engine as a whole. He offered the block to me at 3,000 but I feel I can negotiate it down.

So question is... do I negotiate with the insurance to give me the most amount of money I can get without totaling the ride (aprox $8,000) and totally rebuild the engine. The idea would be to transplant my heads on the used block and rebuild most things along the way (all new gaskets/tensioners/guides/chains/rollers/vanos refreshing... unsure about touching the pistons/crank from the used block though as that would add more to the cost... should I:dunno:

Labor for rebuilding is prob around 800-1000 bucks and parts without the block will probably lock in at 2K (is this under or over budget:dunno, and I figure after the rebuild I would basically have covered every major maintenance issue on the E39 and have a few years of trouble free driving...

I need to double check though nothing else died in the water... no water actually entered the cabin so it shouldn't... but when it was being towed the cluster starting acting funny too (flashers on resulted in ABS and track light blinking with it and gas gauge read empty when it was half full, -40 outside but sensor attached)... possibly a wet ground point caused this. The cluster was acting funny though prior to the flood at random times... and at my last interval the car was plugged into the computer and we discovered the cluster had some error codes on the ECU, and we could not reset the oil lights...

Anyways: budget is 7K rebuild or 13,600 and buy another car:dunno:

 

[bmw_n00b13]

TBH I think I'd go with a new E39***8230;unless you think you'd enjoy a challenge.

 

[edjack]

I wouldn't bother transplanting parts; just swap out the engine. Ask him to show documentation proving the mileage on the engine.

BTW, how to find a "new" E39? They stopped building them in '03.

 

[lsfeder]

I doubt he will be able to provide proof of mileage. We dont have carfax here in Panama and the original car is gone. Also, I dont want to drop in his motor because he says the head has some VANOS issues.

 

[poolman]

Did your engine have a Vanos system? you really don't know what your going to find inside the engine when you get in there. You could have a carcked head as well as the block thats been window pained--You have the knowledge and know how to do this yourself? If so --I'd have the car where you could start tearing the engine down and see what happening on the insides--after the heads were off--check around and see if you have an automotive machine shop that can pressure test you heads and see if they come up to snuff--if so--then rebuild the engine from the heads up--that shouldn't be real bad--

 

[ascott]

You need to do a Roundel-Down rebuild. You attach the engine crane to the roundel logo on the hood, lift it off the hood, roll your car out from underneath, then roll a running replacement vehicle in and re-install the roundel.

Voila!

 

[Ryan M]

You need to do a Roundel-Down rebuild. You attach the engine crane to the roundel logo on the hood, lift it off the hood, roll your car out from underneath, then roll a running replacement vehicle in and re-install the roundel.

Voila!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

[E39Freak]

TBH I think I'd go with a newer E39….unless you think you'd enjoy a challenge.

I wouldn't bother transplanting parts; just swap out the engine. Ask him to show documentation proving the mileage on the engine.

BTW, how to find a "new" E39? They stopped building them in '03.

Fixed :rofl::thumbup:

 

[cn90]

Convert it into James Bond amphibious vehicle and go buy a new E39....

 

[lsfeder]

Well it looks like rebuilding is out of the question. We plugged in the car scanner and there were many error codes stored on the ECU. Sensors failing everywhere, overcharge warnings, LCM errors... its not worth the effort. The water killed it off for good

Looking at a G35 coupe right now with the Aero package. Current owner is a 18 year old though and the car reeks of cigarettes... slim pickings here in Panama :thumbdwn: