For the last little while, I have been thinking about making a change form the SVT. It's been a bit of a bear to keep reliable of late, and I want to spend less time fixing the car. I figured it was time for something newer, perhaps from the same decade we are in now. Something more fuel efficient, practical, likely a Japanese car for the sake of reliability.....oh, well.




Meet the new Philmobile, the 1997 BMW 540I with the six speed. Guess I jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, but I want to have a bit of fun before the wife and kids thing happens. It needs some minor cosmetic items, but runs like a top. And that DOHC V8 is sa-weet! The only problem is, I feel like I am putting on airs everywhere I go.

Needless to say, the SVT will be for sale as soon as I can get it ready. I'll post the info once I have things fixed and it's ready to go. I'll miss that car like crazy, but I can't keep that and the Bimmer and the wagon

Great choice!!!

My friend has a 1998 540 6-speed with the sport package. sweet car!!. The cport pack makes a WORLD of differnce. his looks just like yours. Needs some nice tint and nothing else. Thats still my favourite car too.

ENJOY!!

Guzzle Guzzle Guzzle.. Service.. Guzzle Guzzle Guzzle.. SERVICE :P

Just kidding .. hope the Beamer treats you well.. too many horror stories from people that don't own one.. :P

The only people that have problems with their's are people that don't take car of them. Don't skimp on the fluids. Only uss 91+ octane, good oil and lubes.

You're going to have tons of fun! you can truck the kids and family around it and then blow the doors of 5.0's and Z28's. Just have to get use to that SHORT first gear!

Sweet!!! I gotta see it sometime Phil!

Short indeed! I am still getting used to it, and to the different feel of..well, everything.

As for the "glug-glug-glug" comments, on the highway it gets much better gas mileage than I expected. In the city....well, grab your ankles.

The service history looks to be pretty good: the previous owner has a lifelong friend who is a mechanic at an independent Bimmer shop here in Ottawa. TONS of stuff replaced in the past year. Snows on rims (16 inch Borbets) came with the car.

And I will not skimp on the fluids. The SVT runs Mobil 1, this will run BMW LL-01 spec oil (Both Castol Syntec and Mobil 1 have a grade that meets the spec), and only the best for others as well.

I go into this with my eyes open: I know the rads go every 60K or so, the trip computer drops pixels like crazy (fixed for free in the US, but in Canada? Hell no!) and that the rear window regulators are problematic (I bought it with a bad window). The only surprises were a bad subwoofer, and a couple of minor cosmetic issues that I didn't cathch before purchase. Aside from that, smooth sailing.

My only worry is the struts. Big job. Rear seat has to come out. Yikes.

A part of me thinks I should have nabbed my Mustang now, but hey, if I still feel this way in a year, I'll have driven a 540I Sport for a year.

Originally posted by 96BlackSE:

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Sweet!!! I gotta see it sometime Phil!

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Damn straight! I am out of town this weekend, but I think a meet is in order at some point. Shannon's even offered to drive the Bimmer if I want to go to a meet in the SVT. How kind.....hmmm, wait a minute......