Reviving & Driving 600 Miles a Broken V12 BMW E31 850i While on Honeymoon - Project Phoenix
Honeymoon with a broken V12 BMW that's been off the road for 7 years. Sounds perfect, right? Well, it is! I found this time capsule, a totally original 1991 E31 850i with the rare 6-speed manual transmission in a garage in Phoenix, Arizona. The plan is to revive right there on the spot and drive it to California.
Bimmerworld - bimmerworld.com/m539
Harold, dry ice blast - freezeblast.com/ / email: Harold@harold.net
Ed, E31 fuel pumps & more - e31-v12throttle.com/
New Merch shop! - m539restorations.com/
You can support me on Patreon! - / m539restorations
Follow me on Instagram - / m539_restorations
Video operator/editor services: instagram.com/orion.ozo?igshi...
Aqua (vapor) blasting cabinet 1215 - www.vaporblastingequipment.co...
Find Liqui Moly oil and additives for your car - liqui-moly.to/oilguide_car
BendPak lifts - www.bendpak.com/
Luuk, BendPak & Quickjack Europe - liftmotive.com/
Massive thanks to Radu from RT Design Studio for making new merch happen! - www.rt.md/
Email: M539restorations@gmail.com
We love supporting Sreten and his crazy BMW projects because its the most relatable content on KZhead to date. Sreten is us. We are Sreten. In a world overflowing with horrible content creators with their hands always out begging for free parts for brand new cars we have a humble and talented guy who lives and breathes BMWs (we don't penalize him for the Maserati) and has the same passion as our own BimmerWorld employees and its REALLY refreshing to see. We are looking forward to helping out all his fans either get their BMW on the road or keeping it on the road or getting it on track! Let us know how we can help! And as always - THANK YOU SRETEN for letting us help. Can't wait to see you back in the US. It better be an East Coast trip!!!
Yall killing it! Always rooting for yall on raceday too! -Loyal fan of Sreten and Fellow Virginian
Let's goooooooooo
So you're really gonna make me buy that ropey E30 M25 convertible a friend is trying to sell.....to support the channel and your awesome racing efforts. ( just checked them out) 😂😂
hello @BimmerWorldMedia i have a great passion for bmw and my dream car is actually the bmw e31 currently im restoring an old e36 320i im new to the mechanic business and where i live (turkey) its really hard to find parts i used to live in germany but everyone i knew who sold parts cant ship the parts to turkey so i would like to ask you can you guys ship parts to turkey because i would love to work on bmws but im am limited to the availability of parts in my country. Thank you in advance. -Halil
You should probably sponsor Mr. Freeze too.... 😮
Thank you again for getting my father's car running again. Lots of memories in it for my father and stealing it when he was out of the states when I was younger for me. Cannot tell you how happy I am to see him so thrilled that it's running again. It's not every day I get to see him this emotional, this car was his baby from the time I was 8 years old. Thank you again from the bottom of my whole families hearts.
Your DAD is a Class ACT! Stay Blessed Bro!
Fantastic that he was able to put a smile on your and your Father’s faces. You could not have chosen a more passionate steward of older BMW’s. As always a pleasure to watch his videos
Hearing the emotion in his voice I wanted to reach through the screen and give him a hug (manly of course!)
I bet your family had a lot of good memories with that car. It is such a fine machine. Your father must have been proud of it also
"I'm going to Hawaii on my honeymoon and I'm going to make a video." The recorded video is 1:06:39 long. Of that, the Hawaii scene lasts a total of 39 seconds, and the rest of the video is BMW-related topics. You gotta love this man
So true! Sreten better hold on tight to that lady, because most would probably have a different idea of 'honeymoon' 🤣
Looks like she knows and accepts what she's got into, lucky man
His Partner probably is not loving him so much lmao
Got to film something for the channel in Hawaii, otherwise it’s not part of the ‘business trip’ probably. Wouldn’t blame the guy. Or maybe I’m being cynical!
50:35 - "We're going out to dinner, to celebrate the revival of this car!", he said to his wife on his honeymoon, legendary!
The man has absolutely no fear whatsoever
Hearing how emotional Doug was about seeing the car alive again was so heartwarming, a true carlover who kept this car in basically immaculate condition. Thank you Doug and Sreten for saving another E31!
I think this is one of the directions this channel can go in. Sreten just saves current owners cars. Gets me every time!
I also want a job where my company gives me a V12 BMW as a retirement gift :) And for a Phoenix car its very clean, no sunfade at all.
Doug is a certified legend with his response.
He got a clean one at last! Exactly the owner you want to buy a car off, I bought my 993 S4 off a gentleman like that. With exactly the same story, company car, and retirement gift.
@Charlemagne89 honestly, I think he'll turn into an engine builder, his contacts to Alpina and BMW are excellent and he's super meticulous.
Sreten is singlehandedly saving doomed BMW's on 2 different continents! Man deserves all the recoginition he gets and then some.
3 continents, don’t forget project Dubai!
@@cgcanada88he restored that in Germany. The OP was talking about the location he's working on cars.
You must have the best wife, because you dated her for several year's, and then she married you knowing that you have a slight car addiction lol. The part about her reading while you drive has always cracked me up, especially when you said i believe it was the Alpina that passed the reading test. Tthe stuff you did on the honey moon is great to, at least you married a woman who understands your passion for fixing these car's. You have saved many that would have ended up as parts car's, and the n saved a few that would have been destroyed by an owner who would have just driven them to their death, or the salt would have gotten them. Thanks for all the great content, and all the long hour's of working on the car's, and then all the time involved in editing and getting the video's for us to enjoy. You have the best humor, and whenever you get hurt or surprised, the way your voice changes to a high pitch cracks me up. I struggle daily to keep moving and to be as active as i can, because i do not want to be in a wheelchair, which is why i work on car's when i can. I have progressive MS with muscle wasting, and old injuries from a bad work accident that leave me in some tough pain. I just came in from doing some work on my 1954 m38a1 jeep willys, and every time i do anything the pain before and after is beyond my being able to think straight half the time. My neurologist told me that if i didn't keep trying to move and build back up my muscles, I'd be looking at the wheelchair. I was happy to see a new video from you, because it helps get my head straight through this pain, and when i laugh, it just helps. So thanks Streten, you help people in ways you don't know. G-d bless you, the wife, and that dang cute mutsy.
Same disease, same wrenching addiction. Keep moving man! The only things we drive are cars instead of wheelchairs. Greets from the netherlands.
Yea, I'd like to have a beer with The Guy!
Keep grinding buddy 💪🏽 Regards all the way from 🇩🇪
yeah, "slight" car addiction 😄
I am reliably told by a Frend who has 100% recoved from MS that there is a very unique treatment in Russia that makes millions of stem cells from your own blood for about 2 weeks then puts you through deep freeze plus chemotherapy, then blood transfusion with your fresh blood plus millions of stem cells 😳 it's worth some research maybe? My Frend
This man has driven, owned, and worked on more E31s than most people have ever even seen. I can't speak highly enough of your skill and passion, Sreten! Cheers from NC!
@50:27 "I'm getting the look.." we've all been there 🤣🤣
yep.
02:35 "...this is my Sixth, or Seventh E31..." Not a comment one hears every day!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Unless it's the name of a drink...
The fact that he's talking about 6 speed manuals is what's really remarkable.
Mr. Freeze did a great job, now that's what Dry Ice Blasting should be like.
How has this man not got more subs he is by far the best mechanic and in depth knowledge of vehicles on KZhead by far massive loves from the uk
Man, that man Harold from freezeblast is very kind. You can tell from his face he is a good person.
Thank you
I always thought Jeffery Dahmer looked kind... I guess I was wrong
@@earnestbunbury2103wanna see my freezer? lol
He also gave him the M3 to drive around. What a guy! Also great work with the engine bay, that looked incredible.
@@buildable bhawhahwa. Do you ever go to the bimmrs event every year?
Guy nearly shipped the dojo abroad inside those many boxes, an absolute maniac . LOVE that!
This is why I been following M539 restorations for years; seeing Sreten bringing those classic BMWs back to life makes me happy. Great episode!
As much as I appreciate Sreten's attention to detail, the Santa Barbara connection always wins me over.
This is how a BMW should sound nowadays... A good engine with a good gearbox and with three pedals ❤ Man, I love your US videos 😊
BMW is gone for good. They are so far off of the path that they followed that they will never find their way back.
@@prevost8686agreed. It is only in the past for me now.
Welcome to my home of Phoenix Sreten. The home of rust-free classics.
The only downside about your area is that the desert sun isn’t kind to exterior paint finishes, or interior plastic parts.
Most of the cars i've imported to Europe have come from that area. Some things like paint may not be good under the sun, but the bodies are always impeccable. And the people are fun too. An European thumbs up!
Seconded. We are very happy to have him!
Third! Welcome to Phoenix!
‘Divorce?’ had me in tears 49:50 😂
Harold is a GREAT dude. A WEALTH of knowledge! He used to be a staple in bimmerforums when I was active there.
Thanks !
This Video is so wholesome, you can hear in Doug's voice how much it means to him that you revived that Car Well done as always Sreten!
"Honey, can I please fix a broken BMW on our Honeymoon?"😅😅😅😂😂😂
🐓 ✂️ 😂😂
It's a heartwarming moment to see Sreten eyes glowing when e31 rise like phoenix form eternal sleep. That 850 is the unicorn of the e31! Everything is original, wow! Great job again Sreten!
You are unbelievable. You shipped all the necessary parts to Phoenix, then you flew there and worked in someone's garage to bring the old E31 back to life. What a beautiful story, kudos to you man.
Just laughed so hard when the torque wrench started clicking bolting the wheels
I'm a die hard Audi guy but there are some BMWs I have always loved as well... the 850 being one of them. Love seeing them revived and definitely appreciate the level of OCD Sreten has when going through these cars in his shop. I wish I had the time and space to do the same with my Audis. Added bonus hearing Doug's reaction to the car running... I get it. Bless you sir.
I'm also an Audi guy, but there's just something special about the classic v12 BMWs. If I had the money I'd love to find a classic like this and fix it up.
Also an Audi guy .. I have a hope Sreten will turn a spanner on an RS4 B7 and do a head to head with an M3 !
@@3storiesUp At least the chances of him doing an Audi have gone up since he's started learning about Maserati.
Dream rebuild : Audi RS2 Avant by Porsche.. mmm
Another Audi guy in the M539 club ('94 S4, '95 S6, '02 S4). I've never even sat in a BMW I don't think!
I miss my Mauritius blue 850i -92 (Manual) with white seats... 🥲 Bought the car in Eslöv (Sweden) 2000 and sold it 2007 for a fraction of the buying price. 2006 i drove with my old mother in the back seat from Stockholm to Skåne on E4 in ~3,5 hours 550km... Perfect marching speed for this highway train! She didnt even notice that i was way, way over the speed limit for that road until we got home in such short time and got angry with me for driving that fast...😀 Sold the car for two reasons... Sometimes the engine only run on 11 cylinders (didnt find the fault) and i could not fit a child trolley in the boot... Loved this car so much! 🥰
Amazing trip. Your comment, "What happened to you BMW", sums up my feelings about their current range.
Very touching, how happy the owner is!
I was so excited to see this episode in my inbox. I am now riveted to the screen. The best channel on you tube by a country mile. My only Patreon subscription - and always will be. Just amazing to see how you can raise these old BMW's from the dead. Awe inspiring - Thank you.
I also own a manual E31 850i, and it's been sitting for about 10 years, but I aim to get it back on the road very soon! They are just wonderful cars.❤ Thank you for the inspiration.
One oft the MOST UNDERRATED KZheadR in this century.
What a great save! BMW Gods have chosen Sreten as their Earth representative doing good deeds!
Just like Satan sent Trump...
I thoroughly enjoy the juxtaposition between Sreten's way of doing things properly with vintage BMWs and Junkyard Digs's "if it spins, it'll run - and if it doesn't spin that doesn't mean it won't run" 😄 Both very enjoyable!
Oh yeah the southern hospitality and the fact the owner is glad someone from so far away can come and revive this icon is absolutely beautiful! Love the video as always. Enjoy the trip!
Only Sreten fixes e31 on a honeymoon! Congrats and best wishes🎉🎉
Amazing new international adventure! Beautiful specimen indeed. Your channel has generated so much love for so many car enthusiasts around the world, it's truly remarkable. Hope you never get tired of reviving those mechanical jewels
I live in Phoenix and have my personal little fleet of rust free BMW’s and Mercedes. There’s a robust BMW community in the Phoenix area with several Indy BMW shops. To see the ease of this repair Doug could have had this car up and running with local support and been enjoying this E31 all these years. Definitely brave to take this car back to California. I-10 is a long, much of it desolate 5-6 hour drive through a lot of desert.
I have mixed feelings about it, I don't know the situation regarding Doug and maybe his medical condition so I'm not judging but it's sad to see the car sitting for so many years that only needed two days of work to get it on the road.
@@sys-administrator I understood that Doug didn’t fix the vehicle some years back due to perceived complexities of doing so. That’s how it was seemingly explained at least.
@@paperandmedals8316 Yes that is true, a battery that goes flat in a day can be a lot of things wrong
@sys-administrator You forget to mention that the two days were not spent by just someone but by an expert ! I would even say the EXPERT of the experts ! No better expert for the M70 !
I would never recommend this channel, you make everything seem so easy and straight forward it'd give anyone the confidence to open up their car, love the content
Carmakers used to make cars worthy of the love and care that Doug showed this wonderful car. How many cars of that level are made today? 😔
Cudos to your wife for putting up with all this since most would use a rental😊 you should make a character for one of your videos that give you “the look”😂
you mean the "evil twin" ? :D
Your wife is a saint!! Thank you to her for allowing you to make this video on the way to Hawaii!! Love the car and the story behind it, always one of my favorite models of BMW. Your work and videos are always a highlight when they drop. Cudos to the old owner for keeping the car garaged and in such great shape. I was so excited to hear him on the video and he sounded so excited meeting you and restored his car. Enjoy Hawaii, if you can watch the sunrise on top of Mt Haleakala you won’t be disappointed.
54:50 - "What happened to you BMW...?" Sreten, I felt that rock on my heart too :(
This might be my favorite M539 episode ever! Thanks for sharing your time hear. What a special E31, and Doug seemed genuinely happy to see it running again. Also much respect to your wife to put up with your crazy car journeys.
What a warm episode, Steten. Greetings to your best half for supporting you on this journey 🎉
Hearing the emotion of Doug in the moment the car cranked was special.
Bimmerworld ships the fastest and has been the best vendor I’ve used for my BMWs. Love them and this collaboration :-)
Let me tell you story from childhood. It was summer '96 or '97. We worked in peat field and walking on the road to work, one strange BMW drove towards us. It all happened in one eastern european country. I had never seen such BMW and it looked so futuristic. Car from western movies, such an sporty and crazy look. Only many many years later I realised this was E31 !!!. There were just so few them. One of the most vivid memories from childhood about cars.
Man those old beemers are just something else, German engineering ❤
This is a special build because you took time off your honeymoon (thank you to your wife for always letting you do what you love) to respond to Doug. You passionately restored a classic BMW in the man's garage and you gave him one last ride. Thank you for sharing these moments.
You GOTTA do more Survive & Drive segments with different BMWs…Top tier production as always 🔥.. Sretan the 🐐❗️
This is extra special to watch living in Phoenix knowing you were so close and saved this beautiful, classic BMW. Love this channel 🙏🏻 Btw, after watching the rest of the video you were minutes away from me in Scottsdale quarter. That Mexican food was from Sol I believe 😂
Great video! Glad Mr Freeze showed you the possibilities of dry ice blasting, and there is a M539 approved shop in the area. I’m going to make an appointment for my W124 E320 soon!
You know he is kind pure hearted guy, not a single hate comment in this entire section. Man he loves his work and we love you working on these.✌
"I wanna buy that, but it needs to be broken" .... just golden!
The way you started the video, I was thinking, he's a dead man, LOL! Good thing you followed through on the Hawaii thing. Plus congrats on tying the knot!!!
She knows where Sreten's bread is buttered...
Awwww what a lovely guy. I choked up when he was so happy it started.
This encapsulates the entire human experience. Bravo Doug, and excellent work. I love how much he loved this car.
Not even a Bimmer guy but love your channel. Dont ever change mate.
Congratulations and future blessings on your marriage. Great video !
One of the best episodes to watch so far! Loved every minute of it, thanks for taking us along
This is how a BMW should sound nowadays)
Wow this is such a nice story, hearing the owner being so grateful that some Serb from Germany came and fixed his car
Killer episode - V12 madness again!
Great episode! Happy to be a Patreon!😊
I was wondering how much longer I would have to wait to see a Black on Black E31 and I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. Every video you upload is time well spent and new things learned, Sreten. On behalf of myself and my fictional character Signorina/Miss Vienna Della Neri©™ allow me to say GRAZIE for reviving this great beauty. P.S My congratulations to you and Maria. I hope it's an unforgettable honeymoon. Hawaii is wonderful.
I've scrolled through hundreds of comments and there is not one bad comment, only admiration, gratefulness, and genuine love... Sreten, you've broken the Internet, well done sir 👏 Another excellent video, I really enjoyed this one and I can't wait for ice blasting redemption on your E31
The world needs more guys like yourself and doug and not forgetting bimmerworld
Love getting the notification of a new episode right as I sit down for lunch.
Once again world slows down for an hour and there's peace. Thank you Sreten, and what a honeymoon that is! :D
Oh my god, love the part where he sees the Ferrari and says, " I want to buy that, but its needs to be broken." You are a man after my own heart Sreten
As a Gaucho I approve of the freebirds love! Always nice to see you back in beautiful SB
It’s nice to see the old trademark orange display lights. I miss that glow
Now you get "Digitaw Ah Moe" for something to look at as you drive along at 6 kmh
This is better entertainment than anything on UK TV (inc SKY) on 17th April 2024!
What a beautifully emotional episode, thank you Sreten for the content you create and the cars you save! A lot of thanks definitely has to go to your missus for the support she gives you, you absolutely shine!
10:22 could be worse Sreten, my Full Size 2006 Buick Lucerne (its in the same Size class and is a year older than Project Raleigh) takes a bespoke battery (about the same size as the ones you took out of Project Phoenix, but with Side Post Terminals!) that is STUPIDLY Expensive! 44:55 Nexen is actually a pretty decent Korean Brand and is an OEM Tire Supplier for Manufacturers like Mercedes, Volkswagen, Porsche, Hyundai/Kia, Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat), and Mitsubishi!
Side post adapters are cheap, would a normal battery work with those?
@@Vaino_Hotti no, but GM learned their lesson and put a top post battery in later models (the battery is located under the rear seat and it would be too much trouble to install the newer positive battery cable)
Wow. Guy came through with a real ice blast. Car looked amazing. Stunning example. Such a shame you are not taking it back to Germany.
"Ferrari! I wanna buy that..but it needs to be broken" 🤣
Yeeesssss! Running in instructions on the windscreen, I miss those from my E36 M3. Love the MK Motorsports rims on the red E31 look great, had a set of those on an E36 back in the day too.
I have the same toolkit. It's fantastic! Been handling anything I threw at it AND I still have all my 10 mm sockets!
Do you happen to remember the name of it? I couldn't find it anywhere
@@GuardiansOfNorthKS from the UK? Is that what you’re looking for @ 4:00?
@@stevenielsen5217 Yeah mate that one, I was trying to find it online but couldn't find the exact one. Is it not available online?
Jeremy Clarkson was right when he said: "we do this (car show) now, tomorrow someone else will replace us..." Utterly enjoyable. Great car but also great nature and stories. Keep it going!
I was going to say 5% discount is a bit small but then again its more about supporting the business that support the people that we love.
It's a timeless classic. A proper beautiful and astonishing BMW. It's not some fake crossover FWD 3cyl shit.
Absolutely love it! Love everything about it.
M539 is really the Doctor of E31
This was one the best episodes ever, what a beautiful car, what a beautiful journey. thank you so much for sharing this with us, can't say how much i enjoyed it. also wish you and your wife the happiest life. much love
Awesome video Sreten! enjoyed watching this journey. Very happy to see another E31 being saved by you.
Glad you had the perfect honeymoon dude. Man I love 850is, dream car..
I love this guy...I'm addicted to his videos... I watch them even when I'm in the kitchen cooking for hours
*happy radar detector noises*
congratulations on your marriage
“a BMW E24 in the wild”…as the shark rolls past…damn this guy kills me every time 🤣
This man is so happy finding the spark plug remover and spare tire completely never used. It's like when I wakeup and there's pancakes ready.
Your reaction when you get it back on the road is pure joy
Not even half of the video and I'm extremely moved. Thanks for sharing that moment! Wow! ❤
My E34 has a host of issues and was having a bad day when this came up... therapeutic 1 hour of awesomeness. Now I'll get my car done and dusted
Wow, hearing the guy get emotional and thanking Streten hit me kinda hard. That was just beautiful. ❤
Svaka čast tvojoj ženi kada trpi da i na medenom mesecu padne neko sređivanje starih bembara.
Back to your first love, back to what made you great. Good vid, easy job for you
Love the sharks!!! and glad to see another E31 - I enjoyed both of mine.
no "fogging oil for men," just put new iridium plugs in. Oh wait, I forgot this is the low compression M70.