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Evan's E61: Not an M5 but pretty close...

116K views 311 replies 67 participants last post by  Huensn 
#1 ·
Hello Gentlemen,

I recently sold my E39 M5, which can be seen here: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...I/AAAAAAAABt8/ctgiw2e6EgE/w1203-h902-no/3.JPG

Selling it was never in the cards but I needed something with AWD and this 535xi is the best solution I would come up with. It is not an M car but performance and looks are similar; since BMW doesn't import the E61 M5 I figured building an ALLMNTN Weapon would be a decent alternative.

If you are interested in the build, more info can be found in this thread:
Evan's E61 Build: Pics, Updates, and Wagon Love for All - 5Series.net - Forums

She is NOT an M car but stops, goes, and turns pretty darn close; not to mention it can be done in less than ideal road conditions!

Hope you enjoy,
Evan

MOds:
- OEM M5 Brakes w/ Stainless Lines
- OEM M5 Front Bumper
- OEM M5 Front Fenders (Side Vents Deleted)
- OEM M5 Skirts
- OEM M5 Mirrors
- M-Tech Rep Rear Bumper
- KW V3
- RD Sport Sways
- Forgestar SDC 19x9.5F 19x10R
- Hankook V12 245/40F 275/35R
- 75mmF 90mmR Stud Conversion
- BMS JB4 G5
- BMS DCI
- RPI Scoop
- Muffler Delete
- Vinyl (Window Trim, Tail Lights, and Roof)
- Tint
- LED Sidemarkers
- Stealth Indicators
- Yakima Whispbars + Thule 594xt
- Some Interior Mods








 
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#3 ·
needs moar power! set aside some funds and do an s85 swap
 
#6 ·
I like torque too much.

@Krigge: Wheels were bought directly through Forgestar Forgestar Wheels Custom Rotary Forged Flow Formed Concave Performance Wheels - Forgestar F14 I ordered the wheels individually so you can do any size combo you prefer. If you are looking at ModBargains and other distributors who sell their wheels, they tend do stock conservative "cookie cutter" offfsets that will work for most cars. I wanted to do something aggressive and unique (Super Deep Concave front and rear on an xi). Also, Forgestar will make the wheels to any offsets you like so if you do your homework and know what you need, they can build them, which will likely be better than the offsets stocked by a distributor.

Evan
 
#11 ·
Thanks Antti! You were a valuable resource during my build process, thanks for all the help!

Evan
 
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#14 ·
Extremely well executed!! I'm a big fan and was actually thinking of this as my next project.
 
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#16 · (Edited)
So much win! Very well put together. Nice to see the F14s in super deep concave on an e60 body. I just put in the order for the exact same wheels in 20"

I love the fact your car is AWD as well. Where in NorCal are you? Would love to meet up and see this beast in person!
 
#17 ·
much wagon. very win!



i love this damn thing. i really want to add a wagon to the stable....really hoping to import an E36 wagon one day. those wheels are bawse!


hit me up if you ever want to do some headlight or taillight mods....id like to put my hands on that project of yours and make it even more one of a kind ;)
 
#19 ·
Thanks Guys.

@aznazasin: That means a lot coming from you. If I had an E60 it would look awfully similar to yours, I guess you can say we both have great taste? :cheers: Wagons seem to be getting modified more and more, aftermarket options and fitment information was pretty scarce for my xi E61 but made the build that much more challenging.

What REALLY needs to happen is a classy/subtle widebody E61 build. I am aware of the build Prior Designs with VIP Modular but my goodness, not my cup of tea. Doing a clean fender pull on M5 fronts and then doing a 1" widebody on the rear (just like your e60) would allow you to stuff 12" rear with appropriate rubber. You could then order the vanity plate "OOOMPFF" and call it a day.


@phguyen: Awesome! Great choice. I am happy I went with the 19"s after seeing them mounted (don't look too small) and the tire sizes, offsets, rubbing, etc. all worked out as planned...thank god, I spent months researching and calculating information. The 20" SDCs were released shortly after I ordered my wheels and I would be be lying if I said I didn't think about asking if it was too late to change my order. I can't wait to see them, they should look absolutely BONKERS on an E60, since 20s seem to be the appropriate wheel-diameter to body-size ratio.

It takes a certain front fender to swallow the 19x9.5" et<23 minimum of the SDC, I absolutely was not going to settle for the Deep Concave up front with SDC in the rear, it just looks wrong, so wrong. I had one hell of a time convincing Shane and Peter at Forgestar that my wheels would fit my car when it was all said and done; if I had a quarter for every time they said "SDCs won't fit on an xi" the wheel purchase would have been covered. I digress, let's just say I am pleased my calculations were correct. :byebye:

I am in the East Bay, I am a little out of touch with the scene up here but let's find a local get together do it. Anything like Cars and Coffee up here? I am used to C&C and LTMW meets in SoCal.



Umichchris E36 Estate would be killer. Can't you import cars free of tax if they are more than 20 years old? Your time is coming!

Regarding Headlight mods: I thought long and hard about it. On my E39 M5 I had Orion AEs and installed a FXR Projector retrofit myself, I was dunning OEM 4300k D2s bulbs with upgraded 55w ballasts. Low beam output quantity and quality was great, I wired my Orions to my interior lights so they would fade on/off with the key fob. It pains me that the E60 headlights need to be cut open, these headlights are begging for a set of Orions. Ironically, yesterday I went on a mini light-modding bender and bought:

Angel Eyes: DTEC V7 H8 LED Angel Eye 64 WATT [AEDtH864W] - $199.99 : Umnitza|BMW Angel Eyes|LED Angel Eyes|Headlights|Lighting|Performance|Service|8774866489
Reverse Lights: 2X CREE XP E LED 25W T10 168 194 921 Projector Bulb Reverse Backup Parking Light | eBay
Cornering Lights: 2X H3 25W 5pcs CREE XB SMD LED Ultra Bright White Fog DRL Light Bulb Lamp New | eBay

That being said, what did you have in mind? ha



@Krigge: Although I am not pleased with the process of acquiring the wheels, the end result was worth the headache. I will save you the details unless you really care to know what happened. My advise would be to OVER COMMUNICATE with them, be specific with what you want, confirm they can make it, confirm it with other people in the company, get it all in writing (via email), and confirm it 3 more times.

Good luck and keep me posted!





Enough typing, more pics!
Evan



 
#20 ·
Nicely done. You are not to far from me :M5thumbs:
 
#22 ·
I charge you a "slightly cheaper price than you would pay if you bought them new," and once I receive my 20s I will ship you my 19s (you pay postage)..... and you have yourself a deal!
 
#24 ·
It has an infuriating 6spd stupid-box. I think mine has some issues, it feels like I am driving a bumper-boat the way the transmission clunks off the line and downshifts from time to time. Maybe a fluid flush and flashing the sport transmission software will do the trick, better yet: it gets replaced under my CPO warranty.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I'm about 30 minutes from Livermore (Stockton). When I get the wheels mounted up we should head out to for a shoot with some of the local boys. I don't think they have a C&C like the one in Irvine (I'm originally from SoCal) but I think they have one every now and then at Santana Row in San Jose. I'll shoot you a PM when I've got things ready to rock and roll!

Until then, more pics of the car!:cheers:
 
#26 ·
Hrmm car meet......I think I could make it out if needed :byebye:
 
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#30 ·
More Mods!

- Monochro Roundals
- LED Angle Eyes, Corner Lights, and Reverse Lights

...and a photo of her being put to work!

-Evan



 
#31 · (Edited)
Those are 19? They look like 20's! I'm gonna go with these for my car!
 
#32 ·
I keep neglecting this thread I will start to slowly add updates, I have created some other threads on the individual mods so I will to try save the details as they can be sourced elsewhere.

I probably missed some things but this should do for now, of course more to come:

- LED Interior Lights
- Custom Pedals
- RB Turbos
- 19x10 ---> 19x11 Rear wheels
- Sport steering wheel
- 6spd Manual Swap!!!!

Evan


Retrofitted a 7" VRSF Intercooler intended for the E9X chassis: How To: Fit a 7" VRSF Intercooler to your E6X N54 chassis - N54Tech.com - Your Source for International Turbo BMW Racing Discussion




Replaced Front Control Arms


Flushed the R Diff, Power Steering, and ATF Fluids, did the ATF X2 and replaced the pan/filter, These are all BMW "Lifetime" Fluids, lol.



Rear Hatch wasn't 100% so I replaced the gas strut and filled the hydraulic pump with fresh fluid


Custom Exhaust including AR DPs. Also added ER Charge Pipe with Meth bungs and a Tial BOV



RB PCV Valve and OCC were installed


While installing my charge pipe, I dropped a screw in the intake tube, DON'T DO THAT, getting to the front turbo is not cake-walk. I had some help from Pliney making sure it doesn't happen again....




Custom Gauge Cluster






Very Custom Headlights with Quad Projectors: Projector Retrofit #2: BMW E61 Sportwagen. Quad: modded oem + MH1, Morimoto DSP, Custom Orion V2












Installed an EZ Lip. Front Bumper was also resprayed and a clear bra was installed, also on the side mirrors.



LED Cargo/Puddle Lights





Custom Tail Lights






Discovered what E85 was and how to launch the wagon:










Replaced the hacked up battery/pump cover with an M-sport piece



Purchased a BavTech cable from a fellow member, Thanks Christian! ...and updated my car with the BMS Pump Backend Flash.


Installed some Constrained Layer Damper Tiles and Ducting Insulation to help exhaust drone ...didn't really work.




Replaced some dying LED license plate lights.


Freshened up the engine bay






Freshened up the interior with oem black pieces, misc interior trim, rear cargo cover, upper and lower B-pillars, and seat belts.




 
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#33 · (Edited)
Everything I see in this thread is awesome.

Can anyone chime in, it's legit that this non-m car technically, out accelerates M5? I don't think stock M5 can do 0-60 in 3.6 seconds like this wagon. Unless that iphone app was not good at measuring it adequately. On the second note, could it be the all wheel drive helping it that much? But then at the same time, it wouldn't pull as hard you'd think.

Although M5 gearing and torque is geared towards high end, therefore when you do these 0-60 runs you're literally sitting there wasting time until it gets to max torque. Interesting..
 
#34 ·
Full Bolt-On N54 with AWD vs RWD S85 isn't a really fair comparison. The torque and extra pair of driven wheels heavily favor the N54 for acceleration where the S85 really gets it's legs in triple digits. Very different personalities, both awesomely fast.

I use my phone is a spec-dock while recording runs. From what I gather, if the phone is secure while testing and the vehicle's weight is accurate in the app, Dynolicious is very accurate, I use it primarily for 0-60 runs and not the dynometer.

Evan
 
#38 ·
Thanks, wagons are awesome, especially fast ones, a true jack of all trades.

The E60 headlights are notorious for their extremely strong permaseal and are widely known for being one of the most difficult headlights to open. I cut mine open with a dremel which is the standard way of opening them. I snagged a pair or pre LCI halogen housings I am going to experiment around to see if I can get it pried open, this would leave the male-female channel in tact and make sealing much easier and reliable. To my knowledge it has never been done but before blindly following the heard I want to try myself. Once inside the E60 is like any other headlight really but it is the opening and resealing which really is unpleasant.

If you ever want to sell your car whenever, send me a message.

Before I bought my M5, I thought about buying that car and modding the turbo. Or building my own B8 Audi S4 wagon.
Will do, although it won't be for a long while. lol I would love to sell to an enthusiast who appreciates all the work done, it would be nice to recover some of the money invested, but with how heavily I modify my cars I know the hole I am diggin myself.

I am 6'8" and I didn't fit too well in other vehicles and this factor eliminated the B8 from my list quickly, I love the B8 avant styling though, great lines. C6 A6 Avants in refreshed trim with the supercharged V6 are interesting, essentially S4 engine in the larger A6 body, they were more than what I was looking to spend at the moment. C5 All Roads can be had with the TTV6 from the B5 S4 but you would be stuck in an older car and the air suspension would need to be replaced with something legit, C5 Avants also have great styling IMO. In the Audi world, the best avants (available in the US) are the B5 S4! Classic styling and they can really scoot with Stage 2 or Stage 3 mods, I can into a guy locally with a yellow Stage 3 B5 pushing 640 awhp, just stupid.

Buuuuuuut 535xi touring is a really appealing car, I liked the dynamics much more than the Audis and the N54 engine is a little beast, with appropriate mods you can essentially have an AWD grocery getter that can run with almost anything on the street. The N54 tuning game is progressing quickly. There are some N54 engines with RB Turbos, some newly-developed turbo inlets, and an upgraded fuel pump (these 3 mods in addition to what I currently have) that are pushing over 600whp, even the xi, he is at 610awhp or something. Crazy to think that is just a few mods away. :7:

Can the mod on the front lights be done on an non LCI m5 ?

Awsome car and very clean mods :)
Similar mods yes but not absolutely the same, in the near future I will be doing some E60 headlight retrofits for myself and possibly some M5Board members so stay tuned.


Evan
 
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