So a year ago I bought a barn find bmw 635csi, In the opinion of many bmw fans the E24 is one of the best looking bmws ever!
A little history of the car... Originally sold by chenhalls BMW dealer in Torbay in March 1983 to a Mr Gordan Beeson, the car had the number plate '50 ROO' from new. Mr Beeson kept the car for all of 4 months until 22-8-1983 when it was then sold to a Mr Daniels, the car then wore the numberplate 'WAD 52'. Mr Daniels then kept the car and used it daily up until 1995 when it was taken off the road and locked away in his garage. Roll on 6 years to 2001 and Mr Daniels decides he wants to transfer his 'WAD 52' numnerplate onto his other car so he wheels the 635 out of the garage and takes it to an MOT station purely to get an MOT on it so that he could then tax it to enable him to remove the private plate. The car then got put back into the garage and sat there again for another 11 years!!! We are now at 2012 and due to one reason or another Mr Daniels now decides that its the right time to put the car back on the road. He gets a garage to collect it to 'recommission'.
To cut an already long story short the garage in question clearly knew nothing about old bosch motronic fuel injection and after changing things like spark plugs, oil, fuel filter etc they failed to get the car running. It then sat in their yard outside in the elements for 2 years until I was given the tip off by a friend. See the first photo below for the state in was in when I bought it 12 months ago. Then see the photos of it now after 12 months, much love and crazy money!!!
Sadly though just as its on the verge of completion it has to be sold. This is purely down to a negative equity mortgage/ex partner based financial situation. I can assure you this is the one and only reason I am selling!
Spec:
1983 Bmw 635csi
4 speed auto
3.4 litre straight six
142k on the original clocks however I have fitted a better replacement cluster that has 150k on the clocks. I will supply the originals should the new owner want to fix the old clocks (dodgy rev counter)
Full service history and all original hand books/doc wallet
2 owner prior to me, 2nd of which owned the car from it was 4 months old until last year, originally bought at Torbay Bmw dealer
Full bodyshop repaint in alpine white, new rear arch sections welded in
Front factory jack pads removed to avoid future rust traps
Undersealed
Super rare recaro pearl beige high back interior rather than standard Bmw sport seats. Also has rear headrests which were a factory option that a lot didn't have
Cruise control
Pas
Central locking
Electric sunroof
Electric mirrors
On board computer (mpg/outside temp/time/date/av speed etc)
Check control system (tells you when a bulb is out or oil/water/screen wash levels are low
17x8 bbs rt 2 piece alloy wheels with brand new 225/45/17 tyres.
20mm hubcentrics on rear
Brand new Braided brake lines all round & new brake fluid
New pads
Brake master cylinder overhauled (new seals kit)
New handbrake shoes/springs and cables
New battery
Brand New engine parts: radiator, water pump, thermostat, plugs, ht leads, coil, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, fuel filter, ecu and fuel pump relays, distributer cap and rotor arm
Both flywheel crank position/speed sensors replaced with new items
Injectors professionally cleaned and flow tested with condition report.
Rear axle/front suspension/calipers removed and cleaned/painted, under sealed.
Instrument cluster mod to bypass. Troublesome Si board batteries,
Wiper and blower motors stripped, checked and greased.
Rear silencer removed/twin shotgun style pipes
Middle/front exhaust sections removed/cleaned and painted with silver heatproof paint.
All side window scraper seals replaced
Front bumper rubbers replaced
Sheesh..... I didn't actually realise how much I had done to this!!!
Anyways find one for sale with that level of documented and invoiced recent work. As I said it's just come out of the bodyshop so the alpine white paintwork is beautiful. Only for sale due to more important financial responsibilities.
Couple of things left to do that I haven't yet done due to time and funds:
needs a new bootlock, boot can be opened and closed but has no lock,
blower motor switch needs a transistor replacing. I have the part but haven't got around to removing the dash centre portion to replace.
Needs mot...... I have no concerns about MOT as near on everything on this car is new. The only thing to my knowledge preventing an mot is the washer jet pump needs replacing. I haven't looked up a price get but can't imagine it costing more than £20. It may also need some tweaking of the AFM to make sure the emissions are in line with what they should be.
For sale at £5000 no offers which is cheap, take a look at prices of 635's for sale that have no history of any recent work and are no doubt harbouring hideous amounts of rust on the rear arches, around the rear lights, on the sunroof, on the inner wings etc. I would put good money on you also not being able to find another 6 for sale with the rear recaro high backs. I was offered near on £800 for the front seats alone!
Newquay, Cornwall
A little history of the car... Originally sold by chenhalls BMW dealer in Torbay in March 1983 to a Mr Gordan Beeson, the car had the number plate '50 ROO' from new. Mr Beeson kept the car for all of 4 months until 22-8-1983 when it was then sold to a Mr Daniels, the car then wore the numberplate 'WAD 52'. Mr Daniels then kept the car and used it daily up until 1995 when it was taken off the road and locked away in his garage. Roll on 6 years to 2001 and Mr Daniels decides he wants to transfer his 'WAD 52' numnerplate onto his other car so he wheels the 635 out of the garage and takes it to an MOT station purely to get an MOT on it so that he could then tax it to enable him to remove the private plate. The car then got put back into the garage and sat there again for another 11 years!!! We are now at 2012 and due to one reason or another Mr Daniels now decides that its the right time to put the car back on the road. He gets a garage to collect it to 'recommission'.
To cut an already long story short the garage in question clearly knew nothing about old bosch motronic fuel injection and after changing things like spark plugs, oil, fuel filter etc they failed to get the car running. It then sat in their yard outside in the elements for 2 years until I was given the tip off by a friend. See the first photo below for the state in was in when I bought it 12 months ago. Then see the photos of it now after 12 months, much love and crazy money!!!
Sadly though just as its on the verge of completion it has to be sold. This is purely down to a negative equity mortgage/ex partner based financial situation. I can assure you this is the one and only reason I am selling!
Spec:
1983 Bmw 635csi
4 speed auto
3.4 litre straight six
142k on the original clocks however I have fitted a better replacement cluster that has 150k on the clocks. I will supply the originals should the new owner want to fix the old clocks (dodgy rev counter)
Full service history and all original hand books/doc wallet
2 owner prior to me, 2nd of which owned the car from it was 4 months old until last year, originally bought at Torbay Bmw dealer
Full bodyshop repaint in alpine white, new rear arch sections welded in
Front factory jack pads removed to avoid future rust traps
Undersealed
Super rare recaro pearl beige high back interior rather than standard Bmw sport seats. Also has rear headrests which were a factory option that a lot didn't have
Cruise control
Pas
Central locking
Electric sunroof
Electric mirrors
On board computer (mpg/outside temp/time/date/av speed etc)
Check control system (tells you when a bulb is out or oil/water/screen wash levels are low
17x8 bbs rt 2 piece alloy wheels with brand new 225/45/17 tyres.
20mm hubcentrics on rear
Brand new Braided brake lines all round & new brake fluid
New pads
Brake master cylinder overhauled (new seals kit)
New handbrake shoes/springs and cables
New battery
Brand New engine parts: radiator, water pump, thermostat, plugs, ht leads, coil, fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump, fuel filter, ecu and fuel pump relays, distributer cap and rotor arm
Both flywheel crank position/speed sensors replaced with new items
Injectors professionally cleaned and flow tested with condition report.
Rear axle/front suspension/calipers removed and cleaned/painted, under sealed.
Instrument cluster mod to bypass. Troublesome Si board batteries,
Wiper and blower motors stripped, checked and greased.
Rear silencer removed/twin shotgun style pipes
Middle/front exhaust sections removed/cleaned and painted with silver heatproof paint.
All side window scraper seals replaced
Front bumper rubbers replaced
Sheesh..... I didn't actually realise how much I had done to this!!!
Anyways find one for sale with that level of documented and invoiced recent work. As I said it's just come out of the bodyshop so the alpine white paintwork is beautiful. Only for sale due to more important financial responsibilities.
Couple of things left to do that I haven't yet done due to time and funds:
needs a new bootlock, boot can be opened and closed but has no lock,
blower motor switch needs a transistor replacing. I have the part but haven't got around to removing the dash centre portion to replace.
Needs mot...... I have no concerns about MOT as near on everything on this car is new. The only thing to my knowledge preventing an mot is the washer jet pump needs replacing. I haven't looked up a price get but can't imagine it costing more than £20. It may also need some tweaking of the AFM to make sure the emissions are in line with what they should be.
For sale at £5000 no offers which is cheap, take a look at prices of 635's for sale that have no history of any recent work and are no doubt harbouring hideous amounts of rust on the rear arches, around the rear lights, on the sunroof, on the inner wings etc. I would put good money on you also not being able to find another 6 for sale with the rear recaro high backs. I was offered near on £800 for the front seats alone!
Newquay, Cornwall
