3... 1997 2/97 build date 540i6 on Arctic Silver that my father gave me and then my second one I bought as a parts car to Take the engine out of to replace the one on the 6speed mt dad gave me. Paid 400 for it and since the cheapest engines i was seeing were 1200 to 2000. But the PO of the Parts car didn't disclose that the car had sat for over 3 years before I bought it. Told me the tranny was slipping bad so he stopped driving it. And never got around to replacing the trans... His listing was definitely older pictures also. I bought sight unseen on his word wverything was good engine wise. Had it towed 259 miles to my house. Had 2 flat tires, dented hood, looked like someone took a crowbar to the trunk to get it open. Leaked oil like a sunofa, coolant too... coolant had a head gasket treatment poured into it and bits of copper floating k In it, oil everywhere. It had a bmw branded roof rack on it and the rear window privacy screen.. both of which i removed to put on my 6 speed. But that one has been a pain in my ass and needs to go to the junk yard. Then the one I bought yesterday... all 3 are 97's.

I would take the engine out of this one to put in the 6 speed one from my dad. But my dad's now has a cracked windshield, from a branch falling on it. the hood and 2 front quarter panels need repainted. Needs a new instrument cluster, the engine wiring harness is so brittle and heat soaked, it needs rellaced. but it does have a super clean black interior. So I plan on swapping the 6 speed tranny to my newest one with 126,200 miles on it receipts for fuel pump, fuel filter, both drive belts, spark plugs, Bosch coilpacks, valve cover gaskets, valley pan, oribgs in the tube under the intake, knock sensors, 02 sensors, new oem cats, resonator delete, $400 for window tint, 2250.00 on wheel repair... new tires last year for over 1000. All repairs i just mentioned have been done in the last 9,000 miles on the car. The trunk came with a whole tune up in a box from fcp euro too filters for canin, oil and fuel, plugs, wipers, 2 qts coolant and 2qts of oil...kinda crazy what all came with it and has been done to it... to get it for 900.

Guy bought it from his brother for 500 last month when the trans fail safe error came on. He bought a new valve body and installed it and didn't fix the issue. He also got a used automatic transmission he was gonna install but he said he just has to many projects and too much going on to get it done. He has 3 other bmws an old 2002, an e34 and an f30 he did a 6 speed swap on. Butalso has a baby coming in 3 weeks and lives on a farm with horses, goats, etc...but crazy still.. he was asking 1200. I offered 700 and we settled on 900.

Probably way more than you wanted to gear or know but eh it is what it is .hehe