Found a used Tranny (long post) - United Bimmer Community

**dinan540** · 03-10-2006, 01:14 AM

I tracked down a tranny from a totaled M5. It was a 2001 M5. The guy selling the tranny owns a tuning shop in New Jersey. He bought the M5 engine, tranny, clutch to install in an E38. It didn't work out.

He wants to sell the tranny and clutch and flywheel for $2000. He claims that the tranny was replaced in the car at a dealership in NJ before it was wrecked. According to him, it has 4000 miles on the tranny and about 10000 miles on the clutch and flywheel. He supplied the VIN from the car and the numbers for the dealership where the tranny and clutch were installed. Since he is a private owner, he can't give me a 12 month warranty on the tranny like a wrecking yard could.

I did some research and the tranny used would cost me for a 540i anywhere from $1600-2000 plus shipping. The lowest mileage I could find from a wrecking yard was 85000.

This M5 tranny could be practically new with only 4000 miles.

Now, I called the dealerships with the VIN and they can't tell me whether the tranny and clutch were replaced because it is against the law to release such information over the phone unless I owned the car. So I have no way to prove whether this guy from NJ is telling the truth. Any ideas on how I can ascertain this information?

The other potential issue is whether the tranny is really an M5 tranny. I sound skeptical because I don't want to get screwed out of $2000.

I have run a car fax on the VIN and it comes up with a 2001 M5 with a clean title and odometer reading.

Do you guys have any ideas how I could verify this? Should I walk away from this deal?

**devinwwu** · 03-10-2006, 03:35 AM

if the vin omes up as an m5 it should be the right one. maybe have him take pics and you can compare them to pics of both the 540 and the m5 to see, usually they have numbers either stamped on there or on mine i think there was a sticker saying the id number... sounds like a good idea though!!!! i'd be down to put it in over a weekend

**Dudesky** · 03-10-2006, 04:16 AM

Hmm . . he tried to stick a 5 series tranny in a 7 series? Would that even work? Is this an indicator of his competence/reliability? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely asking.

What part of Jersey? I'm semi-busy these days, but if he's within 20mi of me, maybe I can try and scope him out this weekend if you like. But you guys would have to tell me what I'm looking for with this tranny.

Storamin · 03-10-2006, 09:44 AM

Why don't we ask bmwlotattendent? He works at one, he might be able to secure that information with the right connections.

If not I can ask my friends at the dealership.

nick_318is · 03-10-2006, 09:45 AM

Can you see if there are any documentation from when the work was done as proof?

**dinan540** · 03-10-2006, 09:59 AM

His shop is Vision Motorsport NA, 6 Thames Court, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, 856-638-0021, www.vision-motorsport.com.

The E38 has an existing v8, but apparently, you can't just drop an M5 engine in the bay without some major modding.

I personally don't know what to look for except maybe the serial numbers off of the tranny. since it is not in the car, how would you check to see if it is legit.

**dinan540** · 03-10-2006, 10:00 AM

The only documentation is the VIN. I ran the carfax and it says that the M5 existed and it has a clean title. I don't think each part is individualized to each car, just part numbers.

**doughboyea** · 03-10-2006, 11:07 AM

Dinan540, the address you gave is for a residential address, located WAY down by Phili and Trenton (so, Dudesky, that's alot more than 20mi).

The website is crap, no real information, no contact, no pricing, nothing. Oh, it's got something about German2000? Did the man say anything to you about comming to see the tranny? Does he have proof beyond the VIN the he took it out of an M5? Did he send you any pics? Oh, and carfax is wrong, it's not a Clean title if it was out of a totaled M5, unless it was never reported. I would report that, if I crashed my M5...easy $30k+ (used price) gone.

Dough

**nightdevils** · 03-10-2006, 12:21 PM

dinan540 quick question, the dude said that the car was wrecked. Then how come carfax reports a clean title? Also, man you are upgrading a shit load in your car

**Dudesky** · 03-10-2006, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doughboyea

Dinan540, the address you gave is for a residential address, located WAY down by Phili and Trenton (so, Dudesky, that's alot more than 20mi).

Yea, that's a ways down from me for sure . . unless someone wants to put a new roof on my garage and run new power lines to it for me while I go down there

But I think Storamin might have a good idea, running the serial # by someone at a dealership.

**xsperf** · 03-10-2006, 01:29 PM

im surprised im first to ask this, but why do you want a new tranny? is yours going, or you want to upgrade? make sure you check if the tranny is any different b/c i think the tranny for some 3 series and the m3 are the exact same ones.. soo

and yeah, the carfax showing a clean title, be very, very, very skeptical

there should be a number on the tranny, like Getrag something, i cant remember if its a sticker or not(i dont think it is)

but the way this is going, i would ditch it

**jybute** · 03-10-2006, 01:53 PM

shouldnt an m5 tranny have some kind of badging on it, kinda like some m3 parts have m3 badges on them?

**Hoppy** · 03-10-2006, 03:15 PM

eh a trannys a tranny. probbily a getrag 280, or a type d

**dinan540** · 03-10-2006, 05:13 PM

I need the tranny. My tranny is starting to grind in gears and the MTL tranny fluid hasn't helped it. It is a matter of time before I need to replace my tranny and I thought this was a good deal. The difficulty is verifying the part.

**doughboyea** · 03-10-2006, 05:41 PM

Ok, Buddy, how about this. You tell me what to look for, and you contact the seller, I'll go down there (62mi) and check it out for you. Mind you I have absolutly NO experience in trannys at all. I'll bring a camera so that I could take as many pics as I can for you. It would be during next week, most likely Monday (could also be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depends on a job interview). So, you let me know if your really interested. And others here, if I do go, I'll need your input as to what to look for....

Dough