BMW 540i 540Iase E39 1999

There’s many articles online claiming the 540i is a great car. This particular NZ new vehicle cost $150,000 in 1999, and we even have the receipt.

Unfortunately we've noticed the water in the radiator is a bit brown, and a compression test showed there’s a breach in the head gasket. The car hasn’t over heated, and while there’s oil in the water, there’s no water in the oil; which is good I’m told.

We’ve had a quote for $2500 to fix it but we figured someone with mechanical skills could get themselves a bargain. Apparently it’s not hard, and the parts aren’t expensive; just takes a time.

My fiancé bought this car 3-4 years ago; for family trips the powerful 4.4 litre V8 hardly notices when it’s hauling the whole family and half the house that comes with them. Open the large sunroof, set the cruise-control and it’s stress free driving.

The M-spec body kit, M-suspension upgrade, and ‘Style 32’ alloy wheels give the car its aggressive look, and with the 3 inch exhaust pipe there’s no mistaking this car for one of the lesser models.

This car’s high-spec all the way. The M-sport package means the seats are a deeper ‘bucket-style’ and the electric adjustable seats have 3 memory settings. The stereo runs a 6-stacker CD changer, and I count 10 speakers in total. There’s ‘Park Distance Control’, which is a beeper that goes off when you’re reversing and a built-in rear window shade.

There’s small ripple dent in the rear wheel guard (shown in photos), a few other bumps and scrapes that you’d expect from a car this age, but other than that she’s in good condition.

Since we’ve had her we’ve done the timing chain guides, which is a common issue at these kms (and not a cheap fix!), replaced the airbag control unit, and had the air conditioning serviced.

The car still runs like a dream. We’re happy for people to view and hear running. You’ll be able to drive it onto a transporter, it would even be tempting to drive it home if you’re in Tauranga, but that’s not recommended as you could do damage.