Late-model German performance cars are infamous for their complexity. Even in good working condition, they’re tough to work on and expensive to maintain. Having to revive one from a salvage yard is extra tough. But if there’s one person who can do it, it’s Sreten Milisavljevic of the M539 Restorations YouTube channel.
Milisavljevic is famous in the world of used BMWs for his long-form videos that document the revival of broken or abandoned cars, ranging from the older E30-generation 3 Series to the legendary first-generation 8 Series, to later models like the V-8-powered M3. This E60-generation M5 is certainly his toughest challenge yet.
Purchased from a salvage auction in California, this rare six-speed, V-10-powered sedan needed far more than just a light refresh to get back on the road. Though it looks relatively healthy on the outside, a quick peek underneath reveals a gaping hole in the oil pan, right where the oil pickup tube lies. From the looks of it, this car smashed into a curb at high speed, ripping that hole open and cracking the subframe.
Though things look grim, the engine seems to be in relatively good shape, as it never actually ran with this hole in the pan. There’s no metal in the oil, and the bottom end looks healthy. Milisavljevic runs into a problem when he realizes the engine won’t turn freely. Fearing the worst, he removes the valve covers to find the VANOS units, responsible for cam timing, were damaged in the crash.
What was supposed to be a fairly straightforward repair and restoration has turned into a major timing job. There’s always a risk to buying damaged auction cars like this, especially online. You could get lucky, or you could end up with something that’s far harder and more expensive to fix.
Despite the daunting repairs ahead, Milisavljevic forges on, refreshing the damaged oil pump and replacing the rod bearings (a known wear item on this mighty 500-horsepower V-10 engine). In the second video, he tackles the VANOS units and finally gets the car running. Despite the fairly mundane repair work, it’s all incredibly satisfying to watch. If you love seeing cool cars brought back to life, it’s a must-watch.