FS -1982 BMW635 CSi Auto - partially completed project

1982 BMW 635 CSi Auto
Year 1982
Colour Henna Red
Mileage TBC
Owners TBC
VED n/a
Service History Significant
Price £3500
Contact bbeattie@bavarianretro.co.uk   07762725041
    


An unusual purposeful old shark, currently minus a few teeth, has unexpectedly become available for sale.

It's unusual in that I usually have decent, middle of the road cars, up and running with tax and MoT or, to coin a phrase, "old shaggers" fit only for an appointment with the gas axe. 

This is a potential show car, needing the cosmetic finishing, interior and exterior trim and detailing attended to.


[size=18]Bodywork


I see E24s advertised all the time as "rust free" or "no rust".  I once saw one advertised in Maryport or somewhere God awful to get to, as "absolutely 100% rust free". After assurances that it was indeed rust free, I undertook the three hour drive to buy it and within seconds of clapping eyes on it,  pointed out the bubbly sills and jacking points. 

I couldn't really see his point when he said, "Well, it's not actually rusting, just bubbling.", but I played along.  "Fair enough, if you stand over there and I'll do some magic for you."  I took out the washer bottle, bent down, put my hand inside the o/s front wheelarch and waved at him through the hole in the o/s inner wing.  My fist could go through the hole hidden by the washer bottle.  "In what respect is that '100% rust free'?".  I didn't buy it.

Anyway, this car is absolutely 100% rust free. It has had fortunes spent on it by two enthusiastic restorers. It has had the inner wings repaired and new trumpets fitted along with two genuine brand new front wings. 

It has had the underside and floors etc. repaired as necessary and instead of  rear wheelarch repair panels, it has had genuine new rear quarters.  Add to that a new rear valance and number plate panel and the panel cost alone for this car - before fitting - is well north of £2000. It has been done properly and as part of a restoration - not to repair accident damage.

It is obviously important to get some paint on these new panels and it was, naturally, treated to a full glass out respray in original Henna red.







Here it is as I discovered it the other day.  There are some differences.



A good proportion, but probably not half, of the external trim has now been refitted.  You will see that it has been changed to "Shadowline" trim.  I think the vivid red and matt black go well together and if it were me, I'd finish it in Shadowline.



Visible here are the new shadowline door handles  (£100 each) that are now fitted along with some of the external trim and fixings. All the glass is now back in place, utilising new seals and professionally fitted. The bonnet has been treated to new sound deadening pads.

[size=18]Mechanically

What do you think?

A complete engine rebuild, top and bottom ends, crank regrind, rebore, new pistons etc. etc. The spray bar mod was undertaken at this point too.  The engine has run for about 10 hours since its rebuild.  I couldn't get it started yesterday, so just winched it on as we were short of time.  Half an hour today, 20 minutes of which was going for petrol and 5 minutes of which was forcing open the bonnet of the E28 that was to supply the suspected fuel pump relay, had it running beautifully.  It is the smoothest quietest, M30 I have heard.  It all looks good under there too with mostly new hoses and clips etc.





This later photo taken today shows it as it is now with the new seals and rubbers fitted along with the  new bonnet struts and sound deadening pads.



The 4HP22 switchable auto and the diff have both also been rebuilt by ZF agents (one of whom did a good portion of this work).  Rear shocks and springs are new as is the fuel tank, all fuel lines, the brake lines and many, many other parts.

I've only driven it at very low speed, but it seems OK.


[size=18]Interior

Originally supplied with the comically misnamed comfort seats in beige leather and electrically operated, the complete beige leather interior is with the car and will be supplied if required.  However, I have a very good full black leather manual sports interior which is earmarked for it.  There is very little interior trim fitted and an interior colour change will not be terribly difficult at this stage.  The seats are good,  but to do the car justice, I'd probably spend a few hundred on them and have them reconnolised.  A purchaser can have either interior, but in my view, there is only one option.

[size=18]Summary

A startling opportunity to get a seriously good, show worthy E24 that you KNOW is rust free for a fraction of its costs to date and with little work to do to complete it.  It is complete as far as I can see.  There may be wee bits and pieces missing, but I'll almost certainly have anything required.  The two bumpers are as good as you'll see in terms of chromework and there is also an M-tech rear skirt with the car if required.  All lights, grilles, electrics etc. are there and it really needs just the interior trim and exterior trim completed and a mechanical check over/shake down.

The new panels, all the new mechanical parts, the glass out respray, engine rebuild, gearbox rebuild not including any labour, this car must have had the guts of £10000 spent on it already. The E24 is polarising - good cars are getting dearer - even in today's economic circumstances - and poor ones are too expensive to restore and are falling by the wayside.  A good E24 well maintained will lose none of its capital value in my view.  In fact a few winter evenings and weekends and some cash will see this as one of the smartes E24s in the country, a car that you can show AND use in the summer and worth far in excess of what it has cost you.   Classic car insurance will make this a great, cheap to use and run classic car.

Delivery can obviously be arranged at a very competitive rate.

I will consider any classic BMW in part exchange.  I'm only selling this at this stage because I'm running seriously short of space (workshop, drive, home garage, lockup and mother's garage and garden, and pal's mother's garden all full - not to mention the container load of parts) and time or I'd do it myself, so I'm not really interested in doing the work for any purchaser.  If I'm doing the work, it'll be to sell the completed thing myself in the Spring.  I'm usually open to offers too, but not in this case, the price is £3500, no offers.