Making the ultimate BMW E39 BMW never made
As the title states, I plan on making the ultimate BMW E39 530d sedan, bmw never made.
Some might say - but why. Well it is actually quite easy. My first ever car was an imola red II BMW E39 530d sedan (originally black, but I bought it repainted). I loved that car, had it for few years and rust got to it, to the point where it was just not worth saving anymore. I tried and after many months of working when I can in my free time, I realized, it would not be worth it financially to save the car. It needs new floor, sills, jacking points, rear left light metal part, both front arches and other small bits, just not worth saving. I did not know it was going to be rusted that bad before I started working on it. After around 2 years later I found an E39 shell with almost no rust on it. My plan is to get rid of all the rust and make it the most perfect E39 out there (of course with financial limitations and physical limitations).
What do I mean by this:
Well, for starters, I want to retrofit as many things as possible: soft close doors, electric trunk opening and closing with soft close, full electric heated, ventilated and massage seats (front and back), add adaptive cruise control, etc.
My plan is to make it look like it came like that from factory, to make it so called OEM+ spec, but still modernize it. I know to some it might be - yeah it is too much and what not, but I don't care. I'm making it for myself. I will add photos later, for now this is going to be a long post, so I apologise for all the reading and thank you to everyone who takes their time to read. This is only a beginning to everything, so any help and suggestions, I will really apreciate.
Just to clarify, this is not going to be easy by any means, I've done lots of research and while there are people who have done it before, barely anyone says how to do it. For interior I plan on buying a donor E65 with comfort interior, since I've seen one E39 owner retrofit rear electric comfort seats with all functions from E65 in E39 sedan. Hopefully retrofiting other things from E65. By any means I am NOT rich, I am a regular person from Europe who works a regular paying job and has a special place for E39s. Other than that, I am the same as everyone else. Everything will be done from my pocket and if I can get help from other people I will apreciate it. I know some friends will help me, but lets be honest - life is life and we only have so much free time.
About myself - I'm no mechanic by any means, but I've been fixing my own cars for a while now and while I hate when things don't go the way I want them to go, I still have the satisfaction when I fix things. I love custom jobs, etc, love learning new skills and such.
My plan is to build the car as much as possible myself. That includes - rust work, painting the car, sanding, bodywork, interior, wiring, mechanical stuff, upgrades, custom interior work, etc. I don't really plan on doing anything custom for the outside of the car, other than putting like a custom difuser on it and a lip, but other than that I think E39 has really nailed it with their M look on E39. My last E39 will be as a donor car for this, I've already dissasembled the car completly (interior, wiring, engine bay except for the engine, trunk, etc). The only things that are left are fuel tank, rear subframe and everything attached to it, front subframe with bits and engine. The rest is already off of car. I have some pictures through out the project, I know the car I'm starting from (the donor) is not perfect, but all the things I need I will fix. I have also recently gotten a 3D printer, which I will learn how to make custom 3D parts, wether its interior bits or other bits.
Again, I apologise for the long message. I could keep going and going for days, but I'm sure no one has read it this far.
So my question is - what do you think of my plan and what do you wish to see from this project? I'd like to add, if I can save money on some things, I will do it, if I can do something cheaper and easier, I will consider it, but I will not cheap out on things that are not needed to be cheaped out. The car will be driven in summers and not in winters.
Thank you for reading!