DAILY DRIVER

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Topic: DAILY DRIVER
Posted: 07-January-2006 at 06:45

AndyS wrote:

....Needless to say, I'd marry mine if my wife would give me a divorce

Honey, a divorce you can't afford......

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AndyS

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 19:56

Drew540i wrote:

the E32/34 engine is catalyst prepped with a very
conservative (weak fuel air mixture) ECU programme and a lower compression (9.2:1) which is why they're so flat compared to the older ones. An ECU remap works absolute wonders with these later cars - little short of a transformation. Around 10 bhp plus vastly
better throttle response and mid range torque.

UKDaveJ had found the same thing.

Normally, I couldn't be bothered with the 2-3bhp gain from a re-chip but I took notice of this & am sorely tempted.

Does the 6 branch manifold offered by Fritz Bitz (or whoever) make much of a difference coupled with the re-chip?

From what they say, the standard manifold contributes to overheating in the head.

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

AndyS

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 19:46

I bought my 635 from Munich Legends because of this very reason.

Living in the North East there weren't many 635's to choose from. I wanted a good car I could run as a daily driver without having a rolling restoration going on. Going by adverts on Autotrader & various buying guides circa 2002 I was looking at �6-8000.

Well to cut a long story short I couldn't find any - not within a 500 mile round trip. So I called ML. I was invited to have a test drive next time I came down to see friends in Windsor (still a 120 mile round trip) which I did.

I got the sales spiel which was; they sell to wealthy people who can afford a new BMW/Merc or whatever & wanted "something different" but of a comparable quality. I couldn't afford a new Focus let alone that tackle. Based on the value of my rapidy depreciating A6, �10k was the very most I could afford. Now ML could have said "sod off", but instead they tried to find me a 635 within my budget. It took them nearly a year but they found me the car I have now.

Over priced? By some of the current prices, yes. However, I've only had to replace the fuel pressure regulator (�35) in the 2 years/10k miles I've had it. Rust in the front wings was paid for by ML even though I'd had the car 11 months. (Remember that before criticising MLs prices.)

Every thing else done to the car was down to me being a bit anal about the condition of the car. It's not perferct (to my eyes anyway) but it was good enough to be chosen as the ony Brit entry for the BigCoupe.Com 2006 calendar.

There is no such thing as a cheap 635. You pay up front or you pay later. It all depends on what you want from the car.

Needless to say, I'd marry mine if my wife would give me a divorce

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

Drew540i

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 16:49

The car I know of.........

Highline Automatic on a G plate. Royal blue metallic,
beige leather. New front wings, repainted by a main
dealer. Inner wings, jacking points all 100%. 130'000
miles (might be less) with FSH and invoices
/reciepts. Looking through all the history a couple of
weeks ago, it's had a lot spent at BMW - shock
absorbers, radiator etc etc. Genuine Alpina wheels,
not nasty 19 spoke copy rubbish, plus the original
TRX alloys with v.good rubber. All chrome is nice,
interior is like new. It's all been Waxoyled as well.
I believe it's away having all the fuel and brake lines
replaced at the mo. You're right, there's some
dreadful scrap out there and just because they've
had lots of money spent doesn't mean they're any
good.
I'd almost guarantee that if you saw this one, you'd
buy it because it's one of the best ones I've seen
(and I've seen PLENTY). If it were a 5 speed manual
I'd like it but I don't like automatics. It's about
�5500-6000 ish which is the going rate for a proper
one.
P.M me for the guy's number.

Robmw

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 16:36

Russnik,

You had to go and see it. That red is a the best colour.

Robert Born

russnik

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 15:40

Hi Everyone,

Luck wasnt with me,drove all the way to Worcester from Cornwall.Chap selling,assured me the car was completely rust free,he had spent a lot of money on the car over ten years ownership.Mechanically good,but rust in normal areas b eginning to show on all four wings,and had suffered poor paint work in certain areas.So i decided to leave alone.

SO EVERYONE WHO HAS A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR SALE,IM STILL LOOKING.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ADVICE.

CHEERS

Drew540i

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 11:29

The Highline uses the same engine as an E32 735i
and E34 535i albeit with a different sump. The
mounting bosses on the block are indeed different to
the old E28/E23 type engine - that's why the Highline
has it's own special alloy engine mounting brackets.
These are used when fitting a later type engine into
an older E24 or E28 5 Series.

All the power figures given are very arbitary - the
E32/34 engine is catalyst prepped with a very
conservative (weak fuel air mixture) ECU programme
and a lower compression (9.2:1) which is why they're
so flat compared to the older ones. An ECU remap
works absolute wonders with these later cars - little
short of a transformation. Around 10 bhp plus vastly
better throttle response and mid range torque.

AndyS

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 07:37

Autocars road test of 20th April 1988 states the engine was "lifted straight from the 735" which had undergone developments for that year.

Assuming Autocar is correct, that implies the '86 to '88 E32s had the 218bhp engine & from '88 on had the "new" 220bhp motor. Since the E24 also got the 220bhp version it would have to have mounting bosses capable of fitting the E24 mounts (which may well be different to the 5 or 7-series).

As the E34 came out in '88 it would have had the "new" engine from the start. After the E24 ceased production in early '89 there would have been no need to accomodate any differences in mounting points hence the possible reason for the undrilled or missing bosses on later 535s.

I'm sure I've read a discussion on this subject on the E24 Roadfly forum.

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

Horsetan

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Posted: 06-January-2006 at 07:12

AndyS wrote:

...The E34 engine mounting bosses are in a different place but I believe some had un-drilled bosses in the correct position for the E24. Don't know about the E32 mounts.

E32 is a direct swap only for the first year of production, assuming I read that info correctly.....

AndyS

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Posted: 05-January-2006 at 12:59

Actually the Highline has the E32 7-series motor with 220bhp. The E34 had 211bhp, presumably to stop it being faster than the 7-series.

I don't know how this drop was achieved - exhaust manifold perhaps? I believe the catalysed (or should that be castrated) Euro version of the 635 was down to 211bhp too.

The E34 engine mounting bosses are in a different place but I believe some had un-drilled bosses in the correct position for the E24. Don't know about the E32 mounts.

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

Horsetan

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Posted: 04-January-2006 at 19:21

Brucey wrote:

basically the highline has the same engine as an E34....

...but beware interchangeability as the mounting points may be different!

Brucey

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Posted: 03-January-2006 at 14:32

basically the highline has the same engine as an E34, along with many other common parts. The rest of the mechanicals and electrics are E28, only the body and trim are significantly different to the E34 and E28.

If you are worried by looks then keeping the body and trim in good shape can be time-consuming and expensive.

Otherwise there is no reason why an E24 should be any worse than a 5 series of similar age as a daily driver.

cheers

~~~~~~~ Brucey ~~~~~~

russnik

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Posted: 03-January-2006 at 05:32

Hi All,

I would be interested in drews mates car,or anyone else that has a very clean example,in the first instance can any car THAT FITS THAT DESCRIPTION mail me some photos to russt@fsmail.net. I AM A SERIOUS BUYER AND HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ADVICE

CHEERS Russ

AndyS

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Posted: 02-January-2006 at 20:04

One thing that does crop up irrespective of how carefully the car is looked after & that's the cam. Around 130 to 160k it will start to get noisey & the only cure is a new one. I wouldn't like to put a price on it as it will depend on where you take it. Ask Munich Legends & work down from there!

If the car feels baggy to drive you're facing a suspension rebuild. Whilst this can be done on a as-needed basis getting the whole lot done at once will really add to the enjoyment of driving the car.

Check the coolant system for leaks & signs of overheating. This has long been a BMW bugbear whatever the model. Look for evidence of regular (every 2 years) coolant change.

Take a look at www.bigcoupe.com for a buying guide.

Maybe you should have a look at Drew's mates car for the extra �2k !

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

russnik

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Posted: 02-January-2006 at 15:51

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the knowledge,your car does look mint,i might be lucky i will keep you all posted,if i buy the car i will take some photos,is there anything thats important to look for when im going through the service receipts,things that should or could be done to a six thats covered 130k.The car im going to look at has also had a plate welded behind the drivers side indicator,bodywork wise,thats all so ive been told!The car is in the Midlands can anyone recommend someone good to give the car the once over?

All i know i have looked at probably 5/6 cars in my quest and travelled some distance,and out of all of them this is the only one with headlamp wash/wipe that works,had completely new motors fitted in last 6 months,that to me shows a serious owner!

I hope my assumptions are correct!!!!!Wish me luck.

thanks Russ

AndyS

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Posted: 02-January-2006 at 14:38

My wheels are BMW Style 32's - similar to Alpinas but easier to clean! I was advised against BK replicas as the quality can sometimes be a bit iffy.

Condition-wise mine would meet Drew's criteria except for the wings - they are original except for the section just behind the indicator which has been replaced with new metal & lead loaded. The rest of the wings were fine although I was quite prepared to shell out if necessary.

When I bought it 2 years ago it had 64k miles with a full service history. I wanted a top condition car & frankly they don't come at �6000 unless the owner doesn't know what they have. The jobs list on mine amounted to nearly �3000 but that did include a Inspection II service. All bushes in the front suspension were done (Bilstein shocks were only a year old & so were the rear bushes). Various other jobs that needed doing but perhaps weren't critical pushed the final price well into 5 figures.

I have no doubt the car could have been bought cheaper & the various jobs could have been done for less but I had neither the time, expertise or quite frankly the inclination to drive all over the country looking at over priced restoration projects before I found one.

I knew what I wanted & I bought it at a price I was happy to pay. That's why my wheel arches & the rest of the car are as clean as this:-

I doubt the AA would know where to start with a Six. If the car is anywhere near East Sussex you could get it checked over by Munich Legends - if the owner will let you as the are very critical.

Unless you can live with some of the faults that show up be prepared to spend another �3k+ to bring it up to scratch.

AndyS
Live each day as if it's your last - one day it will be.

Drew540i

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Posted: 02-January-2006 at 09:52

Exceptional:

Perfect body with new wings and flawless paint. All
chrome and trim unmarked. The new wings are
important - I can remember late G plate Sixes being
rotten here ten years ago - it's an age thing rather
than mileage.

Mint interior with unworn leather, working (serviced)
air con, all instruments working, unmarked door
trims, carpets and headlining.

Mileage - it's not that important as long as the car
has been meticulously maintained. I've seen cars
(not just 6 Series) with less than 100k and they're as
rough as hell. Under 150'000 is more realistic with
cars this age and service history/maintenance is
everything. BMW service history just means it's had
the oil changed and new brake pads and the tappets
done once in a blue moon.

Mechanically it's got to be spot on. The brake and
fuel lines are known to corrode and new ones from
BMW as opposed to wiggly-woggly copper ones
always look good. New dampers are also a plus
because by 100'000 miles they're flagging. Similarly
service items that perish with age rather than
mileage - radiator, exhaust, front calipers.

A proper service history with stamps in the book is
also needed.

This is my definition of an exceptional car, one that is
in lovely nick and needs absolutely nothing doing.
With between 100-150'000 miles, six grand is more
than enough. I know of such a car! (Not mine BTW)

SFH3L

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Posted: 02-January-2006 at 04:54

Back to what I said re the Alpina rep wheels. The BK171 is cheap and cheerful, and looks v close to the Alpina (19 spokes instead of 20 I recall). Looks very nice indeed on a six, and I love them in Misano red!

Andy, I'm not usggesting yours are reps - they are BMW's own, from a Seven series aren't they? Your car is just the dogs b's.

Russnik - if I were you I think I'd be realistic about buying it at 4 grand. It seems cheap, and it just might be. It might also mean that you have to allocate �2K in your mind for all the little jobs that might come up in the next few months, just to get them sorted. Speaking personally, if the bodywork looks good and rust free, and all the electrics work, at that money I'd buy it. Sure there will be tedious little things that you'll have to sort, but they can be done over time. that way you get the pleasure of using the car and making it better. If you are any good tinkering, all of that kind of stuff can be dealt with ove time, in a way that a rusty pair of wings cannot.

My M3 has not been a cheap car to run, but it has never broken down, has been fantastic fun, and is worth as much or more now as it was when I bought it 3 years and 60,000Kms ago. There aren';t many cars you can say that for, and I reckon your 6 could be the same deal - how far is it going to drop from 4K if you look after it?

Tempting though a new M6 is (assuming you have 80K to spend on wheels that is) I dread to think how much of that money will have gone up in smoke in a couple of years' time and 20K miles. It's a scary thought.....

Sam.
the original "not for profit" organisation.

Independent Financial Adviser In Buckingham
My Financial Blog

russnik

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Posted: 01-January-2006 at 17:33

Hi,

Well he does want 4k,if all is as the owner states i might be very lucky,seems cheap to me as well.I have to travel 200 miles to look but i hope it is worth it.Im being converted to red,your red motorsport looks the dogs andy.Wheels look superb,what are they off?

What are common things i can look for,when scrutinising the car,was thinking about aa doing a inspection before commiting,but do you think they will be familiar with six problem areas or would i be better getting bmw to check it over?

thanks Russ

AndyS