Another E61 Project Wagon

TwinTurboWagon

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
223
241
0
San Diego
Garage Dog ready for some wrenching and sniffing
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Cleaned and installed black seat backs, this completes the custom 2 tone interior!
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Looking sharp!
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On my white E61 I needed a RWD specific driver side engine mount so I transferred this mount over to the grey wagon, it only has a few hundred miles on it so it now both engine mounts are essentially new, the old ones were past their prime.
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For the life of me I couldn't find one of the parking brake springs when reassembling everything after the M5 brake upgrade (the long one on left) so I was forded to buy the repair kit.
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With the spring installed and parking brakes adjusted (stupid process, can't believe it isn't easier) it was time to re-bleed the brakes. BMW Dot 4 fluid, Motiv bleeder, the juggernaut Schumacher battery charger, and INPA software which bleeds the DSC pump as well.
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Buttoned up, engine bay is very stock but very clean
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The Grigio Telesto hides dirt incredibly well, better than any color I have seen, with all the wrenching on the wagons a wash was long over due, this was the 2nd time I have washed it in my ownership. lol
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Got all the wagons together for a quick family photo
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typedRew

Sergeant
Feb 25, 2019
412
221
0
Ride
2009 335i xDrive
Thats just absolutely spectacular. Honestly.

The fact that the other wagons are held to the same quality standard is unreal, well done.

Literally the only thing that bothers me with this car, really, the only thing. Is that I think a brushed aluminum or painted silver dash trim kit would suit it much better than the oem wood. Other than that there is nothing I can find any amount of fault with.

Please keep updating this thread.
 

The Convert

Captain
Jun 4, 2017
1,487
1,052
0
Ride
335
Thats just absolutely spectacular. Honestly.

The fact that the other wagons are held to the same quality standard is unreal, well done.

Literally the only thing that bothers me with this car, really, the only thing. Is that I think a brushed aluminum or painted silver dash trim kit would suit it much better than the oem wood. Other than that there is nothing I can find any amount of fault with.

Please keep updating this thread.
Needs carbon trim. :D
 
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Itsbrokeagain

Corporal
Jan 28, 2018
199
71
0
Strong Island
Ride
E70 X5d, E39 528iT, E46 325xi
Because of your build threads, I've made the decision not to off my totaled E39 and instead continue through with restoring it. It may not be worth anything due to the title but in my eyes just accomplishing that goal is good enough. It's been sitting in front of my house since late last year after I hit a sunken sewer grate and blew out one of my Style 19s. Makes a great excuse for a barrel upgrade.

And whatever you do for a living, keep doing it so it gives you all this time to make posts LOL
 
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TwinTurboWagon

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
223
241
0
San Diego
Thanks for all the kind words guys, here is another update! Really happy with how it's coming together.

Here are a couple pics showing the interior.
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Inspecting the rear glass release button which doesn't actuate, hopefully it's only the button and not the wiring harness, no other tailgate related issues.
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1 dog 3 wagons
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The E39 got it's Style 37s which means the Style 167s are ready to go on Das Grau
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Style 167 + E60 M5 brakes = WIN
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Straightened the window trim which was bent by a careless body shop during disassembly, not perfect but much better.
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Personalized plates arrived.
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Rear bump stops needed replacing
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Cleaned up the rear struts too
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Windshield cowl was in rough shape so I installed the lightly used cowl from my white E61 (the white one got a new cowl :)
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TwinTurboWagon

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
223
241
0
San Diego
Pano roof had some issues, there was water ingress that warped one of the partitions and damaged the track, there were also some parts missing so instead of going down the deep rabbit hole of repairing the unit I simply replaced it. Thankfully I was able to find a local dismantler who had the cassette with the grey interior panels I needed.
Headliner and cassette removed.
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New OEM weather stripping
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Big difference
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With the old stripping removed there was a nice amount of residual foam and adhesive to remove. Preferred technique: heat gun and a strong thumb.
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All clean, you can see the OEM paint
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Installing the new strippig was easy since the cassette was out but very tedious since if it wasn't installed just right you would be able to see the OEM paint at the seam which is a no-no, this made the install pretty challenging but the results are great.
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Amateur hack: You can use the electric seats to hold and move the pano roof (headliner also) into position during install. This made the install reasonably easy considering I was doing it solo.
1.
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2.
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3.
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San Diego coming through with some timely rain for testing purposes! This thing operates as it should, no longer rattles from broken/missing pieces, and has hardly any wind noise!
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Looking good
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Itsbrokeagain

Corporal
Jan 28, 2018
199
71
0
Strong Island
Ride
E70 X5d, E39 528iT, E46 325xi
Bro that's amazing. You tackle these projects with ease. As far as the tailgate goes, I'd pull the boot back covering the harness inbetween the tailgate and body...I've made a few repairs in there from broken wires, it seems BMW is common across the models with issues there. I had two wagons at my old shop exhibit tailgate issues and both were rectified by wiring fixes.

Im prolly sure you've done this already, but check the rear tubs for any signs of water ingress. Since you had pano sunroof problems and some water damage, there's a good chance some water made it to the trunk. Had issues with both sedans and wagons with modules taking a dump due to them sitting in 2 inches of water.
 

TwinTurboWagon

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
223
241
0
San Diego
We have entered the final stages of the build and with most of the mechanical maintenance and upgrades done it is time to tidy up some loose ends, to me this means fixing some of the visual eye sores which are out of place on the wagon. Previous owner had kids and dog and used the wagon as a daily driver (rightfully so!) but this meant there was extra wear on the rear seat and cargo area.

I went back to the dismantler who was parting out the E61 I got the panoramic roof cassette from and picked up a few more interior parts.

Original rear seat cushion
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Replacement cushion
0SDfeHPSCNOxIyfqwdQ2tQV_GEZrjSzxM1LA=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Much better.
mz9wAdjNnMEH6sadMT_REfJftThCY7WcmbyQ=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Replaced some broken cargo floor hinges
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Replaced child seat anchor covers
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Replaced cargo hook covers
dECbBWpxV74SdAA85EH853J6v-ICj_UBPsYieclPvQ=s975-no.jpg


Saggy elastic strap replaced
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Both thigh supports on the front seats were inoperable. The motors were working but the cushion was not responding to electronic adjustment. Turned out both plastic gears were shattered. Thankfully repair process was cheap and easy, $10 and 15 minutes per seat.
C4eEJtYu6e5ZJGXq6NhiKa8MxzY8stVVVMfQ=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Needed to find a solution to get the gears ofer the metal lip at the end of the worm gear
aNbUD_STWbO8KnFGdAnMAtjj9ayJiYPn9FTg=w1300-h976-no.jpg


My solution was to Dremel down the metal enough for the plastic to slide over and into position. I ended up taking off more material than shown in this photo but it worked like a charm.
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10mm socket makes for a nice press base
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Plenty of grease in the assembly to reuse and relube the gear
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Yellowing plastic from UV is never cool so I applied some Plasti Dip to visually refresh and protect the plastic
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JO2JX6fXqTtlQT7yD_JzHdhQ_rREo1VLwE1A=w1300-h976-no.jpg


The Style 167s had some very minor curb rash repaired. For the record these wheels fit in the back on an E70 X5 perfectly!
pY8LLnt1ebSAw2LqWJtXux66dqEwZMEWTHMQ=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Refreshed wheels with full polish on the faces.
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Up next is cleaning the undercarriage, then onto mild paint correction and interior/exterior detailing. :)
 
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TwinTurboWagon

Corporal
Nov 7, 2016
223
241
0
San Diego
Made it to the BMW CCA Clean car show in San Diego. Great event where you get to drive right onto the grass a Spanish Landing Park right on the edge of the harbor, couldn't ask for a better location. The wagon was well received and grabbed it's fair share of attention.

Will be going again next year but will be bringing board shorts so I can take a dip in the harbor between eating some grilled brats, chatting with people, and enjoying other's builds.

These are also the first pics showing the style 167s wheels with fully polished faces, I was a little worried they might look too much like chrome but am happy with how they turned out, clean!

Quick wash and clay bar.
rXr6Lgb5_KzZHjUV_asBiVjfxi8-I94nfKtg=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Love the Grigio Telesto
tLokZ3IAoDFmk1G1vXzhJlzM1TRQ0h2GkL8g=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Wagon providing a seat + shade. Hanging with my good friend, volleyball bad-ass, and fellow BMW enthusiast - Matt Anderson.
WC3P_K4D3hSFs-HmM1GgesUZ8NGGdqX6diJQ=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Polished faces popping
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4nVhC2Wf4cBAxQhfBWIblvnpOI2Rxyhhh-fw=w1300-h976-no.jpg


Girlfriend made it too and we were able to sneak in the X5D.
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Hard to beat this venue
qc-oECYddx30ipJ4i6iU3lS73JiGIJOEjl-A=w1300-h976-no.jpg
 

marseille

Specialist
Jul 1, 2019
94
56
0
Ride
E61 N54
@TwinTurboWagon I believe I saw on one of your threads where you lowered the rear air suspension with programming. Any chance you could share how you do this?

Edit: since I'm at a standstill with the MHD FF install/throttle body issues, I decided to install INPA. Easy-peezy lowering the rear air suspension @ 26 5/8 fender lip to pavement.

E61 -> Chassis -> 1 axl air suspension -> Activate -> By Hand -> RR LR lower -> Off -> Exit -> Enjoy saving $3K
 
Last edited:
  • Informative
Reactions: Torgus
Nov 29, 2019
13
3
0
San Diego, CA
Ride
f25
driven past that white one while visiting a friend off park dale. always drooled every time I seent it

I genuinely appreciate your efforts. lots of thorough/detailed posts and pictures.

keep up the fantastic work!
 
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BoostHaus

New Member
Jul 14, 2017
7
2
0
Ride
E90 335i
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this build thread, the attention to detail throughout the entire thread, the clean pictures and the overall finish of the wagon itself is inspirational.