First Drive in the INSANE Supercharged E39! | BMW E39 LS3 Swap

[@daveputerbaugh8606]

What a remarkable car and such a terrific build. My hat is off to you, sir.

[@TireKickers]

Thank you sir! It took a lot of time and money but it was worth it.

[@daveputerbaugh8606]

@@TireKickers I have restored an old Jag to show winning condition and stuffed a Mazda rotary into an old Lotus Elan Plus2S, but non of that required the tech issues that you have dealt with. There are lots of car builders with time, lots with money, but damn few with the drive and skill to make a car like this. I am truly in awe of this car. I am an E39 fanatic, and have had 6 up to this point. Current one is an M5 with 45k miles and it is a beauty. I had an all black touring 528 wagon with high miles that I bought hoping to put an LSX in it, but then I realized it would probably never happen. Wish I had the place to do that kind of work, then I may have attempted it. Be safe, and know that you are making a lot of people smile with what you have done.

[@TireKickers]

@Dave Puterbaugh thanks for sharing, it sounds like you're just as passionate as we are. I'd imagine your Jag and Mazda rotary Lotus were no slouch of projects either. I feel like the era of the E39 was BMW at their best, and an E39 M5 with such low miles must be a gem. I've never driven one, but I hear they're amazing. Having the space to do this project was absolutely critical since the car spent months in the garage at a time, but we really appreciate your words of encouragement. Makes us feel like we aren't as crazy as we thought!

[@alijahrudy7016]

instablaster

[@imidzovic]

Welp, if my M57 ever dies, this is what the beautiful e39 body will get! Thank you for inspiring! Great build!

[@percyjackson2800]

See kids, all you need is time and money. Well done. Such a nice car. I hope you enjoy it for a very long time.

[@TireKickers]

Lol exactly! We appreciate the support and definitely plan on getting the most out of this thing.

[@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE]

@@TireKickers how much do you estimate you spent on this car so far to get it to where it is today...?

[@seanscott7120]

Awesome projet! Really immaculate car as well. I drive a "different" e39 as well. Still has the s62 however I have taken 400 lbs out of the car. Super fun. BTW - Who on earth would give this a thumbs down? Ridiculous

[@TireKickers]

That’s awesome Sean! The S62 is a beast so I can only imagine what a rocket ship your E39 is being 400 lbs lighter. Gotta keep the E39s on the road!

[@leekzonyt9591]

Can you detail how you removed 400 LBS?

[@seanscott7120]

@@leekzonyt9591 I had a carbon hood, 7lbs carbon trunk, Sparco seats, removed and welded up the sunroof, removed factory audio and had a bluetooth amp and a Braille battery. In some eyes basically ruined a M5 lol

[@leekzonyt9591]

@@seanscott7120 Danggg that’s sick man! I’ve got a 2000 540i I’m interested in weight reducing. I do like my sunroof though I won’t lie 😭

[@dontellsmith7890]

Your pops is awesome, great content brother!!!

[@mitsuoo1012]

Is he Pops or Brother??? LOL Hehehehe

[@Bandmanuce]

That whine is so beautiful 🤌🏼

[@chrisrubin7600]

LETS GO! Your dad is a legend and this build is sick

[@daveputerbaugh8606]

Watched this and another video you did and have subscribed. Being a Chevy fan as well as a BMW E39 fan, this car is the pinnacle of great sedans.

[@not.an.operator]

Duuude this car is absolutely the dream!!!

[@LucidLoki]

What a cool dad!!! That’s awesome you guys have that type of bond! Looking forward to your other vids.

[@sockglock1453]

love this guy. awesome build!

[@Scorpdashoota]

About to LS1 swap my e39… thanks for the inspiration!

[@bmwinfo7764]

Love the sound of it as you wind it up.

[@TireKickers]

Appreciate it!

[@StreetMoneyLA]

Sick as built !! I got a e46 myself this is goals asf 💯

[@TireKickers]

haha appreciate it, it's definitely worth it!

[@masonite1973]

Its basically a 4 door Corvette now

[@beegyoshi69]

and 5 seats so my wife and mistresses can come too.

[@camron4668]

Sir Thank you for the quick response. I think I have watched your video about three more times today because I own two BMW'S E39 540i. I want to swap one to an LS.

[@TireKickers]

Anytime! The E39 is one of the best looking cars BMW ever made, and we have a stock 540i as well so I understand where you're coming from haha. The LS swap was a lot of work but totally worth it, even when it was naturally aspirated. The Supercharger makes it crazier but it's a lot of fun either way and gives you something unique to drive!

[@xlkazzlx4232]

Beautiful build. Keep going and a nice e39 body

[@houseofno]

I don't know if this matters to anyone considering this swap and wanting to keep an E39 emissions legal but three things to consider: 1) The earliest E39s become emissions exempt on January 1, 2022 (less than a year and a half away). That means in Texas, 1997 model cars no longer have to be smog tested. Just the standard safety check (lights and seatbelts). 2) Interestingly enough, the first LS engines (on the C5 Corvette for 1997) aluminum blocks, coincidentally came out on the same 1997 model year. 3) While federal law (Clean Air Act of 1970) generally prohibits installing an engine older than the vehicle going into, I have NEVER seen a local, state, or federal check on the manufacture date of an engine. A "don't ask, don't tell" question (they don't ask, I don't tell) - HEY FEDS I'M INSTALLING A 1970 CHEVY 396 INTO MY 2010 CAMARO! COME AND GET ME!! (Caps Lock statement put in for comic relief and no, I don't actually own a Camaro or a 396 engine)

[@BurninGas8.1]

Pretty dam nice boys

[@TireKickers]

Appreciate it!

[@BurninGas8.1]

@@TireKickers definately deserve it i put 200000kms on my 540i e39 befor buying my m5 e60 but you guys built a amazing machine

[@TireKickers]

@Burnin Gas that’s awesome man, the V10 in the E60 M5 is incredible! Hopefully the hard work is done and now we can just enjoy the car.

[@hughmongous6613]

You have the Coolest Dad ever!!!!!!😃👍

[@TireKickers]

I totally agree, I'm a lucky dude!!

[@PetesGarageandperformance]

Nice build. I’m building an LSA supercharged 6.0 and I’m putting it into an E39 wagon. Whats the driveshaft and rear end setup on this car? I’m documenting it all on my channel if you’re interested.

[@levilane8273]

I have a question..... did you guys have to do anything special to keep the ac and interior stuff functional after pulling the stock motor and harness?

[@DanMosqueda]

Your Dad is the BOSS!

[@TireKickers]

Totally agree!

[@biged1034]

The dws tires are rather hard. I discovered that when I put them on my e46. So you may not have to go all the way to mickeys

[@TireKickers]

Appreciate the feedback! We’ll be shopping around to figure out what we want to go with, do you have a particular tire you recommend? I have Pilot Sport 4S tires on the E46 M3 and have liked them so far

[@dylanp552]

@@TireKickers maybe try the Nitto NT555RII?

[@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE]

What an amazing build... I’m on the fence, and haven’t decided on my end build is going to be... I have an e39 as well... a 98 528i e39 inline6... and I wanna swap it Ls3 turbo or Sc I’m not sure yet... but I wanted to get to 500hp to the ground, fast and fun, super wide rear tires and rims...

[@dhubach1]

Same

[@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE]

@@dhubach1 so far I’ve done the rims and tires… 20x11” wide rims in the back wrapped in 285 25 20

[@dhubach1]

@@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE Nice! did you have to do any body work? Does it rub at all?

[@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE]

@@dhubach1 hell yeah tht Shiit rubbed, and scrubbed and scraped and some more Shiit… it took me almost 2yrs to get the fitment rght ofcourse mist of it had to do with my rim choice.. cause supposedly I wasn’t suppose to be able to use those rims… too big, too heavy, too wide… but wheel spacers, front and back,,coilovers droped to the rght height and shaving the inner lip of my rims off fixed most of my probs…

[@stephenlavelle1670]

Awesome video

[@sots_goober]

How did you guys figure out how to make the power steering and AC work, did you guys just changed the factory power steering line fittings to work with the GM powersteering pump? And same with the AC lines? For the AC was there any extra wiring that had to be done In order to allow the climate control to still work as it normally would? Or did you have to figure out fittings for the AC lines as well as Power to the climate control?

[@williejackson7334]

I very interested in this project have the perfect e 39 for project would love more intake and info on build process

[@Melbournerider]

Can you please tell me the model or part numbers for the exhaust components. I love the sound

[@camron4668]

Straight awesome...where did you get your engine mounts and transmission mounts from.

[@TireKickers]

Thanks Camron! The engine and tranny mounts were custom made by a guy named Madison Belcher, but he’s no longer making them. Summit Racing markets Sikky Manufacturing mounts, but their stuff is expensive.

[@driftergonewild]

I see you are from Texas . We have drift car shop north of Austin I would like meet and hangout!

[@driftergonewild]

What ECU are you running? It would have great to see the indepth on wiring

[@ryanlafleur1686]

What is the exhaust and muffler setup? I saw the intro video and thought I saw some magnaflow. What part numbers? I love how it's not obnoxiously loud

[@freaknationphotography5051]

Are you guys located in Dallas? I am currently decideding if i want to ls swap my e39 528i touring and had a couple of questions about the build

[@hans-speed]

Is it possible to do this swap and keep factory traction control working?

[@kris198720]

Great build, would it be posible to swap sbc ls family engine into 6 cylinder e39 without replacing stering mechanism ? As You all know e39 6 cylinder cars handle better than new m3, i drifted e39 over 50mph in winter years ago...with narrow summer tires and fu*ked up suspension :D those cars handle like no other. But v8 versions lose it cause of recirculating ball mechanism.

[@stuebby1982]

Nice Video. Nice car. Wau, it will make so much fun on our german Autobahn 👍😂.

[@hoganlarvey]

Absolutely epic, who did the wiring harness for this swap??

[@JoshuaMckeown314]

Could i get some links and specific parts? I want to do the exact same thing to my 740

[@ccohen8]

Which swap kit did you guys use for the motor mounts

[@borisp9499]

With the "killer chiller" do you still have enough cooling for functional interior AC or do you essentially have to give that up?

[@iamryandolphus]

What transmission are you running?

[@dnvr12]

Does the AC still serve its normal function?

[@tyler70878]

Looking to pro charge my 6spd e39 540i m-sport. Trying to keep it original powerplant as possible whilst getting the most out of it. Looking for recommendations, as I know supercharger kits etc. Are pretty scarce and pricey for these m62's, not too worried about the price, just want to bring out the true potential for a weekend ripper.

[@percyjackson2800]

Did you use a brand name swap kit or did you custom built your “kit”?

[@TireKickers]

Good question Percy, we essentially custom built the kit. LSX Solutions has been a big help recently along with a couple other businesses.

[@percyjackson2800]

Tire Kickers thanks. My main concern is the wire harness, oil pan, header fitment. Most of the other items we can source/build locally.

[@TireKickers]

We used a GTO front sump oil pan, but it had to be modified so the sump would clear the cross member. As for wiring, go with the Painless Performance LS swap wiring harness that comes with A/C wiring. The headers were custom made for our build so I’m not sure what your best option is there. Hope that helps!

[@camron4668]

Sir did you have to rewire the entire car?

[@TireKickers]

Yes, we pretty much did. We used a GM E67 ECU with an Arduino built by a guy we found on one of the BMW forums that allows the BMW cluster to read accurate temp, tach, and speedo. We’re working on a detailed write-up for the wiring so we can share it with the community.

[@camron4668]

@@TireKickers Sir thank and I would like to have that information once you have completed it and Thank for your time.

[@jm13sc70]

I have a 95 325ic that I'm trying to plan a standard ls1 swap for. What can I look at as far as electronics on this swap? How major of a project am I looking at, basically? Btw, awesome job on this build guys.

[@mrarc197]

Incredible build, sadly LS engines in europe are crazy expensive. I'm going to add supercharger to my M62 non vanos. I thought about LS3 swap (without supercharger) but engine price is SICK here sadly.

[@stephenlavelle1670]

Hello, Nice car! Is that a reg*e39 530i. Or M5?

[@MiguelReyes-jg1de]

What transmission are you running, I love the build

[@TireKickers]

It's the TR6060 transmission out of a 2010 Camaro. Thanks for watching!

[@kingrob64]

Do you have a build thread or anything to document the build? I was thinking about this on a manual 528i. Customs mounts?

[@TireKickers]

We have a write up that summarizes the build in a Google Doc that we can share if you’re interested. Yes, custom mounts but I’m pretty sure the guy who made them is no longer doing it. It’s a lot of work but definitely worth it!

[@kingrob64]

Yes I am [e-mail]

[@TireKickers]

Email sent your way, let us know if you have any other questions.

[@gtdaniel101]

@@TireKickers Could you send me the google doc also, I'm currently working on a 540i swap. [e-mail]

[@TireKickers]

@Gt Daniel Sent your way. Let us know if you have any questions!

[@darrinmoore3139]

Be kind if you pull DRKVADA up next to a very identical looking E39 with the plate BLACK M5. Love the sound!!

[@TireKickers]

DRKVADA is kinda nerdy but it’s different! I take it you have an E39 M5? 🤘🏼

[@darrinmoore3139]

Yes. Have two but one good one. And an e34 M540.

[@TireKickers]

That’s awesome, those cars are BMW engineering at their best in my opinion. It’s hard to find a nice example of the E39 M5 nowadays.

[@Dude_truthteller]

How much does the motor weigh? Has the weight distribution suffered?

[@zaknefain100]

I have seriously doubts that the DOHC M62 is lighter than an LS3, fully accessorized, apples to apples.

[@aaronkolkovich]

What did you do for the drive shaft? Custom?

[@bristolbeatz7063]

That bad boy was getting hella loose.... Man....

[@Buddha.203]

I want to do the same thing to my 540i. What type of transmission should I go with?

[@Marvinhemi]

How much horsepower ?

[@edithscheuringer5847]

Wtf is that cool❤

[@waynetv2216]

Nice build!! What engine management system are you running?

[@TireKickers]

We used a GM E67 ECU, let me know if you have any other questions!

[@mdr1486]

@@TireKickers did you use the original wire harness or did you buy a custom made one?

[@joebagodonutssummertime8267]

Did you have to upgrade suspension and rear differential?

[@angelmejia3240]

- anyone has the name to the rims he got on??

[@TireKickers]

Rims came off a 2006-2010 BMW 550i, then we had them powder coated black. They look good but they're pretty heavy!

[@meyou-qr6zi]

cN u guys hit me up? in allen, have a 2002 e39 planning on big swap before spring

[@npharkes]

Please, can he be my dad too? Love your dad!

[@TireKickers]

haha I'll see if he's interested in adopting!

[@asaptherm]

@@TireKickers where do we leave applications ? 🤧 I even bring in my own 2 e39 540i and another m5

[@MrJPryde]

Been looking at doing an ls swap as well to my e39 did you guys have a shop in Texas do it ?

[@TireKickers]

We bought parts/kits from several sources, but the actual install was performed by us. Luckily we have a lift and space to work so that made it much more manageable.

[@xxiiidead]

What can you do with the m52 ?

[@maliekbrown3687]

M52’s are capable of 1xxx hp if it’s the cast iron block. The TU version not as capable

[@evgenios01able]

black demon

[@mattmiller6358]

Complaining about injectors being $1300 for a set of 8 look at the diesel game you could maybe get 2 new oem bosh injectors for a 06 cummins for that much it's not unheard of paying $3-5k for good aftermarket injectors

[@alzym1]

We all said Jesus at the start of the video

[@williejackson7334]

😅

[@deftoner718]

uhm isnt your father that actor...forgot his name. hes been around for awhile....

[@normundsdagis9586]

Imagine it straight piped 🥵🥵🥵

[@Spiceynuts]

The spider wheels don't suit this car in my opinion

[@bellaollie2037]

bro why didnt you drive also wtf?!?!

[@jahcousteauu_STAYinSHAPE]

What’s ur Instagram

[@twobimmers]

Just FYI your ac needs to be on for your setup but it has nothing to do with having your climate control fans all the way up.

[@bogdanuser1010]

Murican style. No good.

[@billg2025]

LS swap *yawn* show some skill and build the BMW M62 or S62...and waste the LS and not destroy the value of the car

[@jaimecapers]

How much did the n/a build cost and was it reliable to drive and maintain?