[handleontheright]

More pictures here: https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/...812902485.html

Thanks for your interest in one of the last great hand-built German super saloons. This Alpineweiss HE53 M-Sport was purchased from a fellow enthusiast and master BMW technician in 2017. The previous owner’s stable included other rare example from Bavaria including a Hartge e30 M3 and an e34 M5 Estate. I have been privileged to continue the tradition as caretaker for this historic piece of BMW’s lineage; my aim is to find the next such owner.

The goal of this labor-of-love was to create and enjoy a tastefully modified representation of the ultimate 5-series; a period-correct homage equally at home carving canyons, on long road trips, or at a BMW CCA event. These cars are made for making memories.

While I have worked on the car myself, I have from time to time solicited the help of reputable independent BMW shops around SoCal, including Oceanside Motorsport, Bullet Performance, and Leichtbau/StanceWorks. This 540/6 has always been adult driven, exercised not flogged, and garage kept under my care. Only OEM BMW parts have been used for maintenance.

Exterior – 9.5/10
The rust-free, dent-free, bondo-free body was professionally repainted in 2021 by the BWM M-car preservationists at Kings Auto Body in Huntington Beach, California. At the time, the windshield was replaced and all exterior rubber/plastic trim was replaced or reconditioned including door handles and seals. Exterior modifications include:
- Depo Euro ‘Smiley’ lights, including glass-lensed low/high beams and smoked Euro turn signals, side markers and rear lights
- BMW anniversary roundels
- BMW decklid spoiler
- Rolled fenders by Oceanside Motorsport (OMS)
- Stainless steel exhaust tips with custom gold foil heat shield

Interior – 9/10
The Pergement interior features a crack-free dash and no-sag glove box, near-mint door cards, Euro Sport steering wheel, Euro/M5 shifter surround, new shift and parking brake boots, a BMW E60 short-shifter, ZHP shift knob, 3D-printed cup holders, and recently reupholstered headliner and rear package tray. The driver’s seat was recovered by the previous owner, front and rear passenger seats are original. The engine was recently detailed. A custom sound system has been fitted including:
- Custom trunk enclosure with MB Quartz amplifier and clear show mount for capacitors and cooling fans.
- Infinity10” subwoofer hidden behind rear arm rest with discrete variable gain controller
- Pioneer head unit with Bluetooth integration (streaming music and phone calls with dash-integrated microphone)

Drivetrain – 9.5/10
Now for the best part, the motoring experience! The otherwise completely stock and well maintained 4.0L M60B40 V8 has a Dinan Performance Chip allowing for 296hp and 292lb-ft of torque (https://www.dinancars.com/products/s...rts/ENGINECHIP). The chip has ensured safe and reliable optimization of the stock configuration while enabling a 7000rpm redline – which this car will gladly reach. I have had zero engine reliability issues during my ownership. The grin-inducing sound emanating from the resonator-free, yet otherwise stock exhaust is the stuff of Euro Hillclimb videos.

I have not had a single issue with the fantastic 6-speed transmission and I have treated it with respect (no standing-start clutch dumps, no drag-style rip shifts, no hand resting on shifter during normal driving, etc); synchros feel quite good. While the flywheel, clutch, and driveshaft are stock, I have installed a taller ring/pinon gearset in the rear end from an 850CSi with a 3.64 final drive. This is an idyllic pairing with the stock 6-speed; the motor is happier at higher rpms and the additional mechanical advantage translates to surprisingly quick acceleration. The car will easily get 22-24mpg on the highway, around town or in the canyons your right foot won’t allow for such economy.

I have used only Mobile 1 15W50 or Liqui Moly 10W60 motor oil, which has been changed every 5000 miles religiously. The hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters like thicker oil, especially in the SoCal climate which never gets below 45F. All other major fluids (coolant, power steering, brake/clutch, trans, diff) have been changed in the past 24 months. Within the same timeframe, recent preventative maintenance has included a new Behr radiator and OEM water pump, new valley pan seal, new valve covers and seals, new fan and clutch, new hoses, refrigerant flush/recharge, new motor mounts, new spark plugs and ignition coils.

While many BMW technicians have put their kids through college on BMW cooling system failures, this car has remained impressively consistent in operating temperature whether road-tripping to freezing Redwoods or driving through 100F+ in Borrego Desert. Air condition blows quite cold, heater works like new, and yes, I am on the 7th (?) OEM blower fan resistor – a known weak point of the HVAC system for e34s. No other secondary heater issues.

Brake lines are stainless steel and I run stock rotors/pads in front, cross drilled rotors with stock pads in the rear.

Suspension – 9.5/10
The car has an aggressive stance by design. I have fitted a full Ground Control coilover system with Eibach springs and Koni ‘Yellow’ Sport shocks, offering adjustable rebound damping. The car has new/upgraded (to Meyle HD / M5) control arms, idler arm, center / swaybar links, tie rod ends, rear subframe bushings, and ‘wishbones’. I run heavy duty and adjustable Racing Dynamics sway bars in front and rear. Suspension setup – including ride height and corner balancing – was performed by Strom Motorsport in Costa Mesa, CA.

The wheels are 17” 3-piece forged BBS ‘Style 5s’ with polished lip and shimmed to millimeter perfect fit within the wheel wells. Tires are new Continental Extreme Contact DWS, 235/45/17 in front and 255/40/17 in the rear.

Known ‘Issues’
With more time, my to-do list would include rebuilding rear window actuators and right rear door lock actuator each of which work, but are temperamental. The front passenger seat is approaching the need for recovering.

No honest seller of a classic BMW can claim it to be completely leak free. Like others, this BMW has some ‘monitor’ level weeping of power steering fluid and oil – a drip ever so often, less when the car is driven frequently. Rear diff seals were replaced in 2022.

There are minor electrical gremlins depending on her temperament. On a colder day, a ‘brake light circuit’ error may appear, which goes away once the vehicle is warmed up (the resistance changes inside the overly sensitive aging brake circuits). If left in direct sunlight on a very hot day, the switch for the sunroof may decide to rest until the car cools off a bit.

BMW enthusiasts know, the number one rule for addressing some of these non-critical issues is – just drive the damn thing. It’s amazing how many small things have fixed themselves with proper use. At just over 7000mi per year, this car has, in my humble opinion, been loved ‘the right way’ – driven enough to stay limber, but not enough to feel used. In fact it feels more solid, more planted, and more ‘youthful’ today than when I bought it.

Conclusion
The time has come to part ways with this clean-titled e34 540i M-Sport 6-speed, one of the finest BMWs I’ve owned (previously owned an e36 M3, e28 535is, etc) as my family has grown and is in need of a larger vehicle. I am not holding out for the highest bidder but instead for the right next owner. These cars deserve good homes with enthusiasts who enjoy and preserve them for posterity. Along with the sale I will include a few boxes of spare and original parts and documentation / manuals I have saved over the years.

A few comparable recent sales for reference:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-bmw-540i-73/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-bmw-540i-75/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-bmw-540i-76/

List price: $21,500

Questions welcomed, thank you.

VIN: WBAHE5324SGA64616