Driving the BMW E34 540i/6 For the First Time | Initial Impressions | An Affordable M5?

Today we get to drive a long awaited car on the channel, the ever so coveted He53 540i/6 speed E34. Equipped with the M60B40 V8 and a Getrag 6 speed, we're going to take this thing out on a drive and see what it's all about. We have our co-driver Hunter with us to really put the 540 to the test here in Chicagoland's fun roads! Is the 540i fun? Is it reliable? Is it basically an M5?? Lets find out!

[@bekabeka71]

Rip Giorgi Tevzadze from Georgia 🇬🇪🙏🏼 he was a legend of the e34. He inspired me to buy one in my early 20s then decided to sell it now so determined to buy the masterpiece bmw ever created which is e36 coupes 👌🏼🔥

[@m3nameisjosh464]

An absolute legend in the E34/ BMW Community who inspired me to love these cars as well!!🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 happy to know his name lives on in us

[@bekabeka71]

@@m3nameisjosh464 yes absolutely brother I couldn’t agree more. He was from the same in which I’m living 🇬🇪🙏🏼

[@ItsLaniBro]

Big facts he got me into bmw

[@lesbehemistes]

Yup. I've got an E34 540iA and an E34 Alpina B10 3.5 manual. So happy

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I want the Alpina!!

[@mrscoots73]

Thanks to you I just bought a 1995 540i 6sp. (95k miles) Picking up this weekend.:)Great channel!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@mrscoots73 thank you!!! Great buy!!

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

Another great video josh your mate pretty sound he seems to know what hes doing round them roads and that v8 rumble never gets boring

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you Mike! He is certainly more comfortable than me at driving round corners

[@duppy9156]

I’ve been waiting for this for a while

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Glad I wasn’t wrong at the intro!

[@alpinevicemotorsports1805]

I had an HE53 for like 3 weeks one time. I mainly just took it out to go to Cookout but it was a lot of fun.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

A great car to simply take to cookout!

[@hexflexunisonleague6266]

picked up a 540i a month ago and a manual swap for it, absolute blast these cars are to drive

[@KyleSulkar]

Awesome video brother! Love this thing

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you dude!!!

[@billwaddle]

Recently picked up a 6 speed converted e34 540i. Unreal!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Nice!!!

[@teamphashash]

I was watching a bmw video then wondered if you had uploaded and boom, you just did. 😂

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Every Monday 🙌🏼

[@fatoputso7375]

Oh man I was ripping in my e36 m there on them same roads last week Thursday during my lunch break. I'm gonna cross paths w u one day 😂

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Hahahah thats the spot bro!!

[@symbioticproductions2591]

Handsome car, excited for the content and subscribed. PDK Swap? (lol)

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Pdk😳

[@symbioticproductions2591]

@@m3nameisjosh464 saw a bunch of people swap 8HP and what not into BMW's, easy swap and the transmission gives new life to the car. So I got curious, and since I am not that mechanically inclined nor financially there, why not stuff a porsche PDK in there somehow. I believe in you!

[@imSchwaggy]

That was definitely more than a car at the end. The lamb definitely turned it up 🤣

[@m3nameisjosh464]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@torygyberg8837]

Such great cars!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

The best

[@clayp.e30_v86]

I have a 3.15 lsd on the back of my m60b44 with 420g in my e30 and to me, it's geared bang on 😎

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I bet that thing is perfect dude

[@berwhaletheavenger]

Ditch the 2.93 and slot a 3.15 pumpkin from a 750i in there! Just that bit better in 4/5/6th gear. In Europe we had the 535i with a 3.64 Typ 210 Big Boy but they went to a Typ 188 in 9/89. With a 3.64 it's going to accelerate like a P51 in 6th.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Definitely the way to do it!

[@disco_volante1062]

3.15 is the perfect ratio for the 540i/6. Don't forget that the M5 E39 has also a 3.15 ratio from the factory. Actually, 3.15 is the best choice for all 6-speed BMWs such as V10s and V12s. In my 540i/6 I almost never use sixth gear and rarely fifth! Once I had tried a 3.91 210 LSD from an M5 E34 in my 540 and it was too short!

[@greebj]

Yeah 2.93 is for easy cruising with the 5 speed manual or auto, but nerfs the fun of 1st gear too much combined with the M60's lacking low end

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I believe it! And you are so right @greebj

[@BMW_Harls]

My HE63 is 420g swapped. I get amazing highway mileage with a 2.83 rear. Kept the auto diff and I'm really happy with it.

[@blobcsgo7190]

Should I pull the motor to do the head gasket kit? (inline 6 e34 1993 525i Also thanks your channel is going to help me tremendously

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I have a video doing 525 headgasket in car, by end of it I think i said id rather have pulled engine LOL

[@honlu6725]

That was a great video!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you!!

[@mattlikespumpkinpie]

Redline on my HE53 M-Sport Seems to be ~6500-6700. I haven't opened the DME to confirm it it's been chipped at all. But the M60B40 with a Single Mass Flywheel likes to Rev more than my old very healthy 325is E30 M20. So far I've really enjoyed the M60 minus some very minor "it's a 30 year old car stuff"

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Interesting. Likely that is stock redline! M60s are great, as you said just some of the 30 year old stuff is a pain, like power steering lines lol

[@christiantakkebos6493]

Just bought an e34 again after driving a b7 a4 for a while, just a 518 tho. Hope i can find a 24v soon

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Welcome back!

[@BROOKLYNSPEED]

I have The same exact spec. Would love a 3.15 but damn they got pricey!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Stupid pricey. Hopefully your spec contains less rust

[@BROOKLYNSPEED]

@@m3nameisjosh464 meh. Its ok. Body is bit tired, bit rust on usual door areas. Underneath and floors are ok tho. I think 535 LSD may fit there as well. See if you can compare both 540 and 535 diffs.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@BROOKLYNSPEED medium case to large case:((

[@BROOKLYNSPEED]

@@m3nameisjosh464 it is possible…

[@mikesphoenix_e46m3]

Yes im the same i worry to much iff i loose control 🙈😁

[@miloszivanov]

good stuff bro

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Thank you brotha!

[@imSchwaggy]

12:10 dudes tweakin . 420g is the best bmw manual transmission . Especially with a short shifter .

[@DannysGarage]

ZF 310z is actually the best. 420g is notchy and they always shift kinda badly when cold.

[@imSchwaggy]

@@DannysGarage I only like the 420g. I never had an issue with any I've had. And I'm a person who has grown to HATE manual. Lol

[@greebj]

Supply and demand is the proof... 420g is basically unobtainium for normal person money now 😢

[@DannysGarage]

@@greebj that’s less because of it being a good transmission and more so because it was the only manual that would bolt up to the M60/M62/S62 (aside from the relatively uncommon V8 version of the ZF 310z).

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good debating here guys. I stand by Danny and say Zf5 is in fact the best transmission ever. However I really like this 420G, at least in this car with this shifter it feels great

[@ledgere34]

Lest we forget... geared for the Autobahn!!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

You are right!!!

[@thewedge8823]

Is the engine temp gauge broken? Noticed its not going up. or Maybe it needs a new thermostat?

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Are you sure your not looking at gas gauge?? I cant see the temp gauge in any part of this video? I recall it being centered

[@thewedge8823]

@@m3nameisjosh464 my bad.. my E34 has been in the shop for over a year, forgot where they are located... can't believe I got the gas gauged mixed up with the temp gauge! lmao

[@Stompychann]

🙌 the best!

[@m3nameisjosh464]

😉😉

[@acepinkie]

fire m8

[@e30life_91]

looks mean i liked man nice trade

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Im happy with it!

[@greebj]

I love my open diff slushy 540i but I know if it had the 3.15 LSD and 6 speed I'd enjoy it too much and end up either stacking it or getting busted by the cops. I live in a nanny state that makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year off speed cameras 😢

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Ouch man, yeah definitely an easy car to get in trouble with

[@Yodagave]

Miss my 540i/6

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Sounds like ya need another!

[@vagelismarinikas3193]

😍

[@anchiladd]

e34

[@m3nameisjosh464]

🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

[@bricklawson9745]

👍

[@m3nameisjosh464]

👍🏽👍🏽

[@3UZFE]

Wow, the way that guy drove your car from 12:40 made you seem very uncomfortable. He was pushing it a bit much...

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I trusted him. Not our first rodeo together, except last time was a 350hp turbo E34 in the California canyons. Lots more at stake there

[@3UZFE]

@@m3nameisjosh464 Fair enough! At least whatever those tyres were, they didn't let you down haha.

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@3UZFE almost did🤣🤣

[@3UZFE]

@@m3nameisjosh464 I just converted my 540i last week. Quite a transformation! I have a 3.45 diff which I feel is a bit short, 1st becomes a bit useless, interesting how yours goes with the 2.93, definitely longer gearing. I'm thinking 3.15 is the way to go, but $$$ haha

[@m3nameisjosh464]

@@3UZFE thats the reason its $$$, it earned that value😭

[@LFITZ0315]

Needs an alignment

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Most do

[@carsnanidiot]

Autobahn u need the 6th gear i promise 🙂

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Understandable!

[@Akebstar]

Hello, GL Bro can you check my comment on this video " I Bought a Very Broken BMW E46 M3 | Can't go Wrong with a Cheap M3 Right?? "

[@m3nameisjosh464]

I dont disclose acquisition prices:)

[@bluesatmosphere4659]

i have one in germany imma restore it :(

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Good luck with the restoration!

[@butcanhedrive1291]

You AND Doug… Rip the pices on these

[@m3nameisjosh464]

At least im an e34 guy sharing my e34 love and adventures, not just marketing a car thats being sold on my auction

[@system_m]

I'll take the fiver

[@m3nameisjosh464]

All day

[@shotty.]

Frankenstein it just like the e31 🥸

[@m3nameisjosh464]

Too much work for a rusty car lolol