This car came up for sale a couple weeks ago and was one of those things that might have got me in trouble. I would absolutely love to own an e28 M5, and this one sounded like a good solid car with a decent history of maintenance; it did have a few warts though which pushed the price down below the norm for these cars, but none of the disclosed warts would be difficult to overcome.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, the ad placed on MyE28.com lured in a buyer in what ought to be a record time of a little over 16 hours. But as the now disappointed buyer found out, things in an ad are not always as they seem, and diligence is always due especially when buying a car from afar.

First, here’s the copy & pics from the MyE28.com ad:

In the past several months I picked up an E60 M5 as a daily driver and an older SL600 as a project car. Consequently, my beloved E28 M5 hasn’t been getting any attention. As it sits, the car really isn’t a garage queen and was built to be driven. With this in mind, I’ve decided to let her go. My father purchased the car in the mid 90’s, and then sold it to me in 2009 (although we haven’t actually transferred the title yet so it’s still in his name). The car hasn’t been in any accidents and includes pretty extensive records both from me and from the previous owner who had the car maintained at Black Forrest Werkshop in Austin, Tx. Being a Tx car, there is absolutely no structural rust on the car or in the body panels. There is, however, a small bubble under the paint on the sunroof. At 180,XXX miles the car underwent an extensive rebuild during which almost every mechanical part prone to wear or failure was replaced. The result was an extremely mechanically sound, tight and fun to drive daily driver. I had intended to keep this car forever (hence the in depth rebuild), but at the moment both my garage and driveway are completely full and it just seems unfair to leave a car like this sitting out in the elements. The car has had regular oil changes with Valvoline VR1 20W-50 racing oil and valve adjustments performed @roughly 15k mile intervals. A full set of valve shims will be included in the sale of the car. Currently, the car has 193,XXX miles on it. A couple major points of the rebuild:

-Timing chain and all related components were replaced (including an Evo Cam Gear)
-S54 Tensioner installed to prevent future timing chain issues
-All suspension components replaced (bushings, mounts, arms, Bilsteins, Euro springs, etc)
-Entire brake system replaced (E34 M5 calipers, Brembo slotted rotors, UUC SS lines, Mstr Cyl, Brake Bomb, etc)
-All ignition components replaced (plugs, coil, wires, dist cap and rotor)
-Rear Sub frame and Front & Rear swaybar bushings replaced with Powerflex units
-SI board replaced with updated unit
-All engine hoses, bushings, rubber, accessible gaskets, engine mounts, etc. were replaced
-JB racing LW aluminum flywheel, new clutch and all associated components replaced
-New clutch slave cyl and ss line
-All shift linkage replaced
-Dinan chip installed (There is an EAT chip listed in the invoice from Steve Haygood, but I never received the part and installed the Dinan unit instead)
-New Oil pump and all related components installed
-All steering linkage has been replaced
-Frank Fey track pipe
-Fuel system completely refurbished (injectors cleaned and flow balanced, new fpr, new fuel pumps, new high pressure fuel lines, gas tanked completely cleaned, etc.)
I have receipts for all of the parts and I’ve included a pretty extensive list of parts and costs below. I just threw this list together in Excel, so a few items might be missing. For a serious potential buyer, I can provide actual receipts (most of which include part numbers and quantities) for just about anything that has been installed in the car.

UUC
SS Coated Brake Lines $119.00
SS Coated Clutch Line $29.00
Magnetic Drain Plug $10.00
Delrin Carrier Bushings $25.00
“Big Boy” Clutch Stop $20.00
RK5 Shift Knob $139.00

Turner Motorsports
JB Racing Light Weight Flywheel $539.00
Plug Wires

Tire Rack
Brembo Slotted Rotors (Fr) $255.00
Brembo Slotted Rotors (Rear) $141.00
4 255/50R-16 Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec Tires $559.00

Steve Haygood
Crankshaft Seal Most BMW M30
Gasket Timing Cover S38 M5,M6,M30
Oil Pan Gasket m30
Motor Mt
Motor Mt M5.M6
S38 Valve Cover Gasket
SparkPlug Cover Gasket e24,e28
Cam Seal
Camshaft Oring M3.M5,M6
S38 Needle Bearing e24,e28
Idler Shaft Oring
S38 Guide Rail e24,e28
S38 Compression Spring
Rubber Bushing
Oring
S38 Timing Chain
Deflection Wheel S38 E24,E28
Tensioner Rail S38 e24,e28
Tensioner Rail S38
S38 Intake Cam Gear e24,e28
Cam Gear Evo SportM3/5/6
Lock Plate
Crank Gear m30, >81,M5,M6
4140 Crank Hub Heat Treated 58-60
left lower control arm Meyle
Rt lower control arm Meyle,
Thrust Arm W/750 Bushing
Thrust Arm W/750 Bushing
Center Link e24 e28 83>
Tie Rod Assem Lemforder
Idler Arm Meyle Brand Retail 75
Frt Sway Bar Link Lem e24,e28
Front Sway Bushing e24 87M6 21MM
E28 M5 Rear Sway Bar Bushing
rear sway bar link
Diff mount
HD Rear Axle Carrier Bushing e24,e28
Rear Pittman Arm
M Technic e24/e28 Frt Spring
M technic Rear Springs
Eat Chip
Trans Mount E28M5 E24 M6
S52 Tensioner
Seal
Radiator Mount
Radiator Mount
Bypass Hose M5
Thermostat Hsgn Hose M5,M6
Thermostat Cover HoseM5,M6 List
Coolant T
HoseM5,M6;
Distribution Piece
Exp Tank Hose
Bypass hose M5,M6
Upper Radiator Hose e28 M5,M6
Heater Hose
Heater Hose
Heater Hose
Rear Shock Mount e28/e24
e28/24 rear mount gasket
strut mount e24/28/30
Crank Nut M30 BMW
oil pump
Power Steering Filter
Injector Seal
Oil Pump Sprocket
Oil Pump Chain
Bilstein HD Frt Insert E28/24
E24/28 Rear HD Bilstein
In Tank Prepump e24,e28
Total $4,336.54

Pelican Parts
Hex Bolt $2.50
Adjuster Bar for Power Steering Belt $9.75
Steering Shaft Flexible Joint $18.25
Wave Washer B6 $6.00
Hex Bolt $4.00
Head Screw $4.00
Flywheel Seal $24.75
Pilot Bearing Felt Ring $1.50
Pilot Bearing Plate $2.00
Gasket Rear Crankshaft $0.75
Throttle Cable Plastic Clips $2.00
Inntake Manifold Gaskets $10.50
Fuel Hose Clamps $10.00
Fuel Hose 8mm Elbow $4.00
Muffler Hanger Ring $5.75
Oil Filter Kit (2) $11.50
Selector Rod Seal $3.75
Output Shaft Seal $3.75
Input Shaft Seal $5.25
Tail Light Bulb $4.50
Wheel Cap Emblems $30.00
Mirror Grommet $5.00
Seal RU=42BER $5.75
Clip $4.00
51-91-0-427-859-BOE $30.00
Accel Cable $30.00
17-11-2-225-132-BOE $2.25
Hood Release Lever Mech $30.75
Hex Bolt $1.50
Adjusting Nut for Alternator $5.50
Swivel Joint $41.50
Fan Clutch $80.75
Engine Fan $18.00
Lamp Socket $13.00
Hood/Trnk Emblem Grommet $2.00
86mm Roundel Trunk $16.50
82.5mm Roundel Hood $16.00
Master Cyl to Res Grommet $3.50
Brake Master Cyl $183.25
Shift Rod Shim $1.00
Front Caliper Retaining Clip $23.00
Strut Tower Bushing $5.00
Oring For Swivel Rod Joint $0.50
Rubber Buffer Sponge Shift Rod $1.50
Shift Rod Dowel Pin $0.75
Shift Rod Spacer $1.50
Selector Circle Clip $1.50
Selector Rod Joint $15.50
Shift Lever Boot $15.75
Rear Shift Arm Bushing $29.25
Oil Filter Kit $5.75
Lower Rear Spring Pad $14.00
Upper Rear Spring Pad $7.00
Lower Front Spring Pad $5.50
Upper Front Spring Pad $6.50
Tie Rod Outer $41.25
Mufler Hangar $5.50
Water Hose $4.25
Breather Hose $25.25
Brake Fluid Res Cap/Float $24.50
Expansion Tank $77.50
Washer $1.00
Oring $1.00
Guide Pin $26.00
Rubber Boot $85.50
Fuel Pump $223.25
Fuel Filter $10.00
Flywheel Bolt $22.00
Clutch Release Fork Spring $2.25
Bosch Spark Plug Super $30.00
Ignition Rotor $15.75
Distributor Cap $40.75
Oil Filter Kit $5.75
Pwr Steering Belt $5.75
A/C Belt $8.25
Alt. Belt $7.25
Air Filter $61.25

Various Sources
Odometer Gears $25.00
Cruzin Performance Injector Refurb $106.50
Frank Fey Track Pipe $350.00
E34 M5 Brake Calipers $400.00
Alpine CDA-9887 $229.00

Bimmer World
Power Flex Subframe Bushings $110.91

Beast Power
StopTech Brake Pads Set $149.00
F&R Power Flex Swaybar Bushings $103.98

Bav Auto
Embroidered Ultimate M5 Mats $164.95

Autohauzaz
Crankshaft Pos Sensors $159.18
Fuel Pres Reg $76.98
Brake Accumulator $93.71

Total $9,653.50

Unfinished items & flaws of note:
-The dashboard needs to be replaced. It currently has several large cracks in it.
-The fuel door needs to be replaced as it has a very noticeable bend in it
-The trunk seal needs to be replaced (small leak)
-The plastic cover above the rear bumper is wavy
-The car needs new exhaust tips
-The fog lights are missing
-There was some paint damage on the driver’s side door due to what appears to have been something corrosive dripping on the car at some point. I put a little BMW touch up paint on the spots, sanded them down, and then buffed them back out, but the original marks are still noticeable when looking at a reflection.

-The A/C blows cool but not cold in three digit Texas heat. Not really sure what the problem is there.. maybe just needs a system refresh?

I would like to get $8500 obo for the car which I feel is quite fair as it’s a bit less than I’ve put into just parts in the last 15k miles. To build an E28 M5 in similar mechanical condition it would easily cost three times my asking price. For more information please give me a call (number deleted). I generally stay pretty busy during the week, so please use the phone number for a quick response.

Pics of the car:

From the description, it sounds like the seller is being open & honest, and although the car isn’t perfect, the new parts list and the sorting already done make it pretty tempting, especially with a sub-$10,000 price tag. And I was sorely tempted to take a shot at it…

But the mye28.com for-sale thread continued with reports from the guy who made the purchase offer on the car. He and an uncle (another mye28.com member) travelled to Texas to pick up the car, but once they had a chance to examine it, they got back on a plane & left without it. The for-sale thread tells the whole sordid story, but basically it had been several years since the work had been done to the car, some things were not as they were advertised, and it became clear the seller didn’t know the car very well. From the thread it appears he wasn’t being overtly deceitful, but not overly thorough.

The sad thing is that arranging to have an independent pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done on it would’ve saved the trip, even having another member in the Houston area give the car a once-over would have been a good idea. Without that, several hundred dollars and a bunch of hours down the drain with nothing but a lesson learned.

Somebody once told me that one of the big things that differentiates us from animals is that we can learn from others’ mistakes; this is one of those opportunities.

Sorry for the soundless video; I did add a few comments along the way as I drove, but the camera’s mic didn’t pick it up very well. One of these days I’ll take the time to figure out how to add commentary and a soundtrack, but until then the visual aspect is all we get. Use your imagination!

Meije is also the name of a collection of homes, a church, a school, and a coffee shop that could maybe be called “a village” but I’d stop short of that (if you watch through to the end of the video, Meije is where I stopped recording & turned the car around.) But the road is what most people in the area think of when they hear the word. Le Meije also happens to be a peak in the French Alps, but I doubt the folks that live along the Meije in Holland hear much about that one, nor care much about it.

As roads go, the Meije is about as narrow as they get, with barely enough room for one-way traffic, but it still accommodates two-way traffic. Making matters worse more interesting is the fact that many of the houses have hedges & fences right up to the road, and in other places there is a drop-off one one side or the other with water at the bottom; no good-old-fashioned WPA ditches like you find in South Dakota! When another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction, both drivers have to move as far to the right as possible. Often though you’ll find yourself head-to-head with a truck or tractor, and there just isn’t room for both of you; in those cases it’s customary for the smaller of the two vehicles to back up and into a driveway to allow the other to pass by. I had it happen once, but thankfully, most cars are small and there are lots of driveways and several bump-outs along the way to make it a little easier.

This photo features het Potlood, (the Pencil) which is a water tower that services the village and the homes along the Meije. It’s a well-known landmark that can be seen from many miles distant; very unique bit of architecture!

The area is historically a farming community. Most all of the houses along the road were at one time farm houses, but the area is becoming slightly more urban, or bedroom community-ish; with the popularity of the road, many of the houses are no longer occupied by farmers. Even though the working farms are fewer these days, their presence is unmistakable, evidenced by the “dairy farm” odor… There’s no escaping the smell of cows and their, um, byproducts. It’s no wonder when you consider how many head of cattle inhabit the area and how the the farmers deal with the waste from all of them.

From what I gathered, most of the houses along the Meije were built in the early 1900′s, and display similar construction methods; brick exterior, timber roofs with either tile or reed (thatch) roofing. Many of the buildings, while quaint & charming and all that, aren’t much to write home about on the inside. The soil in the area is very soft, and as a result the foundations of many homes aren’t very stable. Dick & Michelle’s house has wall that has settled considerably, and I saw several other buildings along the road that appeared to have off-kilter walls or the whole house was slightly askew. That doesn’t seem to bother the owners though; they keep their places up as would any fastidious Dutchman. Some are definitely nicer than others, and some residents put a great deal of effort into the gardens along the road, which only adds to the enjoyment of the drive. There are few basements, for obvious reasons.

The GPS unit that we borrowed showed that the area was about three meters below sea level. About 27 percent of the Netherlands is below sea level; it’s land that has been reclaimed by the building of dikes to push & hold back the sea. The area around the Meije is part of that reclaimed land, and is about as flat as a pool table. The different properties that line the road are separated by canals rather than fences. Most of the canals I saw were about three meters wide and probably about that deep in the center.

It had been fairly dry in the months preceding our visit, so the water level was down a bit, but there was always plenty of water in the canals and plenty of waterfowl around; ducks, geese, swans and storks. One interesting thing with the canals along the road; on the north side of the road (left in the video) is a larger canal that connects to a small lake, and the water level is several feet higher than the canals on the south side of the road. I suppose the road acted as a levee separating the two. In many places the canal runs right next to the road, which required bridges to be built on many driveways to allow access. Some of the homes even sported drawbridges at the road! How cool is that?

When viewing the area from above, as on Google Maps or Google Earth, you can see that the canals run parallel to one another to form fields in the shape of long rectangles. It was surprising to me to see how many farms & homes were packed along the road; in rural parts of the US there can be pretty large distances between farm places.

The Meije is far from the coast and any sizable dikes, but one day Yvonne & I did trek northward to visit the towns where her mom & dad lived when they were younger. Her mom lived in the town of Andijk, which is pronounced “on-dike” and is very literally built right on — or inside — the dike. I was pretty amazed at the dike; it’s an earthen structure that rises a good 30 feet or more from the road’s surface at its foot, but on the other side the water is only about 10 feet below the crown of the dike.

This is two photos stitched together (rather poorly; the light was very different in the two exposures and I couldn’t get the clouds quite right!) to show the difference between the two sides. The town would be completely submerged if not for the dike. A tremendous degree of confidence in the integrity of the dike is on display in Andijk; there are two 100-plus year old churches within a stone’s throw of the dike as well as several hundred homes.

This is getting a bit long… I started writing the post a month or so after returning, but kept adding a little bit here & there, even though I didn’t intend for it to turn into a travelogue. It really was a great trip, especially our time spent touring Germany. And our day trip to the Swiss Alps… Pretty sure Heaven will look very much like what we saw there! Didn’t enjoy the language problem though; will not be returning to Europe until I know a enough German and Dutch to get by. Will have to post some more photos sometime.

It’s a 1995 BMW 540i M-Sport. Yes, one of the 200 that not only got the full M package, but it also got the double-overhead cam V8 under the hood, backed up by a 6-speed manual transmission, and lots & lots of other goodies. Over the years, the owners have added a few things to make driving this car a little more fun; here’s the seller’s description from the current eBay ad for it.

Here’s your chance to get into one of the most limited production German super sedans ever.

There were only 200 of these BMW 540i M Sports imported to the US in 1995. One year only. They did not send the 95 M5 to the US, but instead sent the M Sport which is identical to the Euro spec 95 3.8 M5 except that it uses the 4.0 V8 instead of the S3 inline-6 cylinder motor the M5 has.

If you’re looking at my listing you probably know what this car is .

Its Cosmos Black on Black Montana leather. Maple wood trim.

What makes this car a gem compared to other M Sports currently available is that its had almost 5K in recent maintenance done to it. All documented with credit card receipts as well.

In April of this year, the entire front and rear EDS Self Leveling aka Nürburgring suspension got rebuilt to the tune of $3,100.00! Yikes. That hurt, but its now riding on all new springs, spring pads, hydraulic lines, accumulators, Boge OEM self leveling shocks, etc. The ride is simply amazing whether you’re in Comfort mode or Sport Mode. No clunks or thumps whatsoever. As close to the feeling on a new 540i as it gets.

Its also had the cooling system re-done. New water pump, hoses, etc also in April.

In 1999 the problematic Nikasil block was replaced at BMW of Peabody in Massachussetts. The car had 77K on it at the time. So the new Alusil motor has fresher gaskets and appx 53-54K on it and it pulls like a very angry bull !. It had all 4 of BMW’s recalls for this car done at the same shop.

A few years ago the previous owner had Turner Motorsports install the Conforti tune which up’s the stock hp from 282 to 300hp-302 ft tq along with a custom 3in” mandrel bent exhaust which sounds simply glorious at full song ! Very mild and normal below 3500 rpm’s..but once at 4K to the 7K redline it unleashes a sound similar to the V8 German DTM cars that will make the back hair on your neck stand. A very high pitch howl- which is very different than that of the lower toned Supersprint type exhausts.

Mechanically the car is bulletproof with everything from belts to brakes done in the last 14 months. AC blows ice cold, the Heater works almost instantly. It has the optional front heated seats as well. Seat functions on both sides work 100%.

This car always starts, has zero leaks and has no sensor issues.

All power functions work except the driver side rear window. It needs a new switch I believe.

There is also a built in K40 radar detector.

Tires are still great with about 85% tread remaining. Yokohama S drives 235 45 17′s.

In 6th gear I noticed about 23-24 mpg on a recent drive to New Jersey. The car drives like a BMW M car should. Very high sense of visual and aural pleasure. There’s no disconnect like there is in today’s cars. True the car’s of today have more features, stunning interior appointments, but they’ve somehow gotten the driver less involved. In this M Sport you know you’re driving something. I love the aim and shoot quality of this car. You think apex and you’re there. Exit speeds on long bends are nothing short of breathtaking!

You can tell this was designed and tested at the infamous Nürburgring !!!!!!!

The body of the car is very clean for a car over 15 yrs old. The entire driver side was resprayed 2 yrs ago due to a run in with a deer which put a small dent on the hood and ruined the front airdam. A new OEM airdam was sourced and the paint job is very good. Its stated on the Carfax as accident with animal as well. I can provide pictures provided by that owner. You can clearly see that it wasn’t that bad. No breach into the radiator or anything. All the gaps on the hood and the doors line up exactly as the OEM settings. Hood closes very smooth as do the doors. You have to look really hard to see its not factory paint. The passenger side is still OEM paint and has some scratches and one quarter size dent on the rear door. Its got some very small areas of surface rust along the door bottoms, as well as a small section of the very bottom of the trunk….but nothing that’s too bad and again, you have to look real close to see them. Nothing through the metal.

Please email me other questions you may have. Also go to Youtube.com as I will be posting some videos of the car. Search under Vernacular M Sport on the Youtube Search box.

The title is clear and is in my possession signed over already. I can also arrange for good low priced shipping with Steve King Transport. I do a lot of business with him . Usual NY to California rates are about 1100.00. NY where the car is located to the middle of the country is about 7-750.00 . Usually gets delivered 7-9 days after the appt is set.

VIN: WBAHE5322SGA65473
Mileage: 123,600 miles
Title: Clear
Body type: Sedan
Engine: 8 – Cylinder
Transmission: Manual
Exterior color: Black
Interior color: Black

This car would be a blast to own. Powerful and fast enough to humble many of those uppity Porsche miscreants, yet roomy enough to haul four adults around comfortably. It would even be up to the task of playing the part of a poor-man’s ‘Ring Taxi; I’m no Sabine Schmitz, and I don’t have the Nürburgring as a playground, but I’m pretty sure I could make a drive, um, somewhat entertaining!

It’s not a perfect car; it’s been driven, and probably driven hard, has some wear on it and even a few little spots of rust, but it is a rare car, has had few owners who took pride in keeping it up and kept decent maintenance records for it. All that goes a long way to inspiring confidence that this car won’t turn into a money pit. And the non-VANOS M60 V8 under the hood won’t have the high-dollar maintenance requirements the S38, yet it’ll still put out around 300HP

The auction ended with no bids/offers on it; $6,100 starting bid on it there. The seller is also a member on mye28.com and posted an ad there as well with an asking price of $7,150. A few days back he dropped the bombshell that the car isn’t equipped with catalytic converters in the exhaust, which forces an “off road only” classification in many states; that seriously limits his purchasing public. Thankfully, there’s no requirement for an emissions test in the state of South Dakota… I smell a bargain & think this car is fated to come live with me; now I just need to convince Yvonne that having a winter car and a summer car is a good idea. On second thought, maybe that’s a roadblock I smell.

Both cars just happen to be for sale on mye28.com right now; first up is a 1984 European 520i. Not a lot of photos, which is always a bit of a worry with a car for sale online, but it sounds nice…

I’m selling my ’84 520i. It’s a basic, no-frills European spec car with its original bumpers, headlights, manual windows and locks. I imported it from Canada 14 months ago, and it’s never missed a beat in about 10,000 entertaining miles, including daily commuting and a fun romp through the mountains of British Columbia in the Spring Thaw Classic Car Tour.

Some of you may have seen this car at 5er fest west 2010 in Portland.

$2950 or best offer. Located in Seattle. Contact me at 646 257 3820 or e28 at g93 dot net

It’s powered by a two liter M20 six-cylinder. Not the fastest car I’ve owned, but with a 4.10 diff and weight roughly equivalent to a us-spec 3-series (E30) of the same vintage, it acquits itself nicely on the road.

White exterior, and a pine green interior. Better than it sounds. As far as I can tell, the only options are the sunroof and a factory tow hitch. Not sure how much one can tow with two liters and 129 horsepower.

Everything is manual. Seats, sunroof, locks and windows. If you’ve ever owned a German car of this vintage, you’ll understand the upside: much less to go wrong.

Lots of neat little euro features like bumpers, city lights, a factory fire extinguisher mounted under the driver’s seat, a rear fog light and a tow hitch.

Never federalized — it was imported under the NHTSA’s exemption for cars 25 years old, which requires no changes from original spec. Have title and all importation paperwork.

Recent work, all in April of this year (not including regular oil changes):
1. Refreshed front brake calipers, discs and pads. New brake fluid.
2. All new fuel lines.

Issues:
Straight, but cosmetically imperfect. A touch of northwest top-down rust at the base of the rear window and under the sunroof panel, and a few dings here and there. There’s also a minor crease just ahead of the rear taillight on the passenger side.

Gauge cluster is largely inoperative. The temp sensor works; everything else is either inaccurate or inoperative, including the odometer and speedometer. The tachometer looks like it isn’t original, and must have come from an eta car. Odometer reads 166,000km.

Original Bavaria stereo doesn’t work, and the antenna is missing.

Cracked dash.

One tiny tear in the driver’s seat.

I love my 528e, but of course, the want for more horsepower is always there. With this 520i there isn’t a big step up in HP (129hp from the 2.0L M20 in Euro trim vs. ~120 with the US 2.7L M20) but this car weighs several hundred pounds less than a bone-stock US 528e like mine. No air conditioning (mine doesn’t work anyway) manually operated windows, door locks, seats, sunroof all means less weight, and much less to go wrong. Less is definitely more.

There are lots of things going for this car, but there are a few things I would change. It’s currently equipped with drum brakes on the rear wheels, so I would probably upgrade them to disks. And as appealingly different the cloth seats might be, nothing beats a set of nice leather seats. In black. Hold the power, please. The 14″ steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps are different (for the US e28 world), and I’m sure they are nice, but even nicer still would be a set of Style 5 alloy wheels, and a slightly lower ride height. And some wider tires while we’re at it. Both changes would be easily reversed, which satisfies the latent purist in me.

But then there’s the gearhead in me that wants to take this lightweight machine and stuff as much HP under the hood as possible; a TCD Stage 2 kit would likely bolt in with no problem, and nearly triple the output with a few tweaks. Or drop an M30B35 motor from an e32/e34 into it for a quick 210hp… This car thing would absolutely fly. What a great birthday idea! And the tire guys would absolutely love me; I’d be their best customer.

Next up is a car that is as bold and brash as the above 520i is understated; a 1987 Zinnoberrot 535is with a Euro M-Tech body kit.

Again, the seller doesn’t provide much in the way of photos, but the car is well known among the mye28.com brethren and is spoken highly of by many, as is the seller. And the seller’s written description… Wow:

So.. it’s with much regret I have to sell my 5er as I’m moving back to Australia, and.. well.. it can’t come with me. Bawl

I purchased this as a stock 87 535is back in late 2004 to replace an 86 535i that had been wrecked earlier the same year.

The Mtech front and rear were the look I always wanted on a 5er, so I set about sourcing a used set, reconditioning them, getting them painted and installing!

I have receipts for all this, the MTech kit alone was $1500 used, and it was silver when I purchased it. Those who’ve done a euro conversion know there are issues with this. The holes along the front under the grille for the US bumper top skirt had to be welded shut and painted over. I had to fabricate mounts in the front for the euro bumpers, the studs inside the MTech were all broken and needed work, it was basically a bare MTech kit, the additional parts & brackets probably ran me at least another $800-900 just to get it on the car. (There’s a set of euro bumpers underneath I had to buy, the tow hook covers alone were over $100 for the pair).

In addition, I purchased all the hardware under the MTech including the Euro MTech fiberglass front air deflector ($150 as I recall), mounts for the lights, the reinforcement bars for the rear, tow hook covers, fog light covers etc etc.. all brand new – basically every metal and plastic piece a factory MTech has underneath it, this car has (brake ducts included). And it’s all only 6-7yrs old. I’d seen the bumpers under MTech kits rust before, so my metal bumpers were stripped and painted to try to prevent this.

At the same time, I had the kevlar authentic Hartge wing I purchased new, installed and painted. The antenna position on the US cars is farther back than the Euro cars, so you’ll notice there’s no antenna either, a patch was welded in place to close the hole, then entire panel was resprayed.

I had about 40% of the car repainted at this time as it had some room for improvement, it’s a PERFECT paint match to the point that no one has ever been able to tell me which panels are resprayed without me telling them. I had the work done at a body shop that does a lot of BMW insurance work and they didn’t disappoint.

There’s also some custom paint on this car, you might notice red painted drip rails, red painted door handles, and custom red painted tail-light trim.

The door 3/4 trim and the trim around the front and rear windows are the actual M5 parts, not just the silver stuff painted black.

Maybe I’m biased, but this is a frickin amazing car. I just went to pick up lunch earlier today and ended up driving 20miles just because it was so much fun.

I’ve driven this car to 5erFest 05, 06, 07 (it’s in the front row centre of the group photo all 3 years), Vintage 08, and 5erFest 11 (which is where all the photos posted are from).

1987 535is 191,000 miles.
WBADC7409H17156xx
Zinnoberrot (Cinnabar Red) exterior
Perlbeige Interior
Factory 3.25 LSD
Car has never been in an accident, all original panels intact (the US bumpers still had matching VIN stickers in them when they were removed).

Aftermarket stuff:
Suspension Techniques Springs
Suspension Techniques 25/19 sway bars
Bilstein Sport Shocks
Racing Dynamics Front Strut Brace
Tenzo Rally Sport seats (they’re cloth, have great side support and they’re comfy on long road trips, they’re bolted to a power seat base so they retain their power fwd-back, and tilt features).
Alpine Stereo w/ 5CD changer (circa 1991, it lights up amber which matches the interior)
750iL bushings
MM Short shift
JimC chip (provided with the car, not installed)
Full Euro 535i non-cat exhaust system factory 50mm stainless downpipes -> resonator -> muffler.

Stuff I’ve replaced:
New AC Expansion Valve (Aug 11)
New In-Tank Fuel Pump (Jul 11)
New Fuel Filter (Jul 11)
New AC Compressor (Jul 11)
New AC Condenser (Jul 11)
[At this point the car became a garage queen]
New Fuel Filler line (Aug 09)
New Thermostat (Jul 09)
New Water Pump (Jul 09)
New Heater Valve (Jul 09)
New Centre Support Bearing (Jul 09)
New AC Evaporator (Jul 09)
New AC Expansion Valve (Jul 09)
New Rt Rear Strut Bushing (Apr 09)
New Subframe Bushings again (Mar 09)
New Toyo Proxes 4 225/45/ZR17, roadforce balanced (Mar 09)
New Subframe Bushings (Apr 08)
New Upper and Lower Control Arms w/ 750iL bushings (Mar 08)
Rebuilt Beyer Driveshaft (Oct 08)
New Flex Disc (Oct 08)
New Drivers Door Window Guide/Seal (Jun 08)
New Drivers Side Pass. Door Window Guide/Seal (Jun 08)
New Fuse Box Relays (all of them) (Jun 08)
Used AFM (Jun 08)
Used Idle Control Valve (Jun 08)
New Exhaust Hangers (all of them) (Apr 08)
New Euro Muffler (Apr 08)
New Euro Resonator (Apr 08)
New Euro Stainless Downpipes (Apr 08)
New Distributor Cap (Apr 08)
New Ignition Rotor (Apr 08)
New Coolant Hoses (all of them) (Apr 08)
New Coolant Expansion Tank (Apr 08)
New Motor Mounts (Nov 07)
New Transmission Mounts (Nov 07)
New Coolant Temp Sensor (Oct 07)
New Coolant Temp Sender (Oct 07)
New Diff Mount (Oct 07)
New Fuses – (all of them) (Oct 07)
New Evaporator Temp Sensor (May 07)
New Evaporator Temp Regulator (May 07)
New Fuel Filter (May 07)
New Sway Links Front and Rear (Apr 07)
New Suspension Techniques 25/19 Sway Bars (Apr 07)
New Trailing Arm Mount Bushings (Dogbones) (Apr 07)
New Rear Pass. Door Window Guide/Seal (Apr 07)
New Coolant Level Sensor (Feb 07)
New Interior AC Switch (Jan 07)
New Trunk Seal (Jan 07)
New Odometer Gears (Nov 06) – And I wrote the mye28 guide ;D
New Centre Support Bearing (Oct 06)
New O2 Sensor (Oct 06)
New Alternator (Aug 06)
New Battery Cables (Jul 06)
New ST Springs (Jun 06)
New Bilstein Sport Shocks (Jun 06)
New OEM Foglights (Jun 06)
Window Tint (May 06)
New Front Roundel (May 06)
New Fuse Box Cover (May 06)
New Interior Console Bulbs (All of them) (May 06)
Dealer Inspection II @ 153,222 (Apr 06)
New Toyo Proxes 4 225/45/ZR17s (Feb 06)
BBS RK Wheels (Feb 06)
New Shadowline Front Windscreen Moulding (Dec 05)
New Shadowline Rear Windscreen Moulding (Dec 05)
New Fuel Lines (All of them) (Oct 05)
New Tie Rods (May 05)
New Tail Light Gaskets (May 05)
New Door Side 3/4 Moulding Shadowline (Apr 05)
New Paint (About 40% of vehicle) (Apr 05)
New MTech Brake Ducts Installed (Apr 05)
Used Window Regulators (Pass Side both) (Feb 05)
New Shifter Linkages (Nov/Dec 04)
New Entire Air Intake Filter Housing/Air Box (Oct 04) [Wow, I really bought that?]
New Air Intake Filter Housing Bracket (Oct 04)
14th October 2004 Purchased Vehicle.
These are just what I’ve done during my ownership. I have rather comprehensive records to at least 1990.

Problem areas:
Slight clearcoat peel in one place on the corner of the C pillar (I’d probably have to show you to notice).
The brake light warning on the check control is almost always lit up. The lights work, I just never bothered to fix it.
There’s a knock sound in the rear right when you drive hard over a bump, the wise folks say it’s probably an upper strut mount.
Slight creak from the steering sometimes near full lock – the hydraulic system leaks the tiniest amount, I’ve topped it up maybe 4 times the entire time I’ve owned it.
Slight oil drip.
There’s a crack in the dash, however there’s also a dash mat installed so you won’t see it smile
Honestly, I think that’s about it.

Free Parts Included:
New Trunk Seal
New Valve Cover Gasket
4 Replacement Exhaust Gaskets (fit between the two exhaust sections on the Euro setup, they’re not always reusable when you put it back together)
MTech side skirts, already painted red (at the same time I had the other paint done), complete with brand new installation hardware – I just fell in love with the look without so much I never installed them.
(more as I catalog them)

I love this car, and I really want it to go home with someone that’ll take good care of her.

I do have one disclaimer – the 17″ BBS RK wheels I plan to keep for my next 5er in Australia, the buyer and I will discuss wheel options but I do have a set of 15″ style 5s to put back on the car.

PS: Thanks for posing Tim and Randy!

There’s not much more to be done with this car, and although it looks good with the wheels shown in the photos, the Style 5 would look great too. There are no photos, but one of the photos in the gallery shows an open door, which reveals the run-of-the-mill tan interior. Black would suit this car better, but it still wouldn’t make me turn it out of the garage.

1.6 Ford Sigma
From £19,450
or less than £300 per month*

• Learn to be a racing driver in the world’s most popular racing car
• Price includes road-legal car, technical support, race licence and entry to your first season of racing
• High spec 1.6 Academy car includes full roll cage
• The ultimate package for the novice racer

They require you to have your own Caterham 7, and you even have to drive the crap out of it to succeed in the academy. Somehow my life seems very incomplete… I’ll get over it, but wow does that look like a great idea. Where’s that time machine?

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/09/16/caterham-7-academy/feed/ 0 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/08/30/bmwotd-triumph-tr6-bmw-m3-driveline/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/08/30/bmwotd-triumph-tr6-bmw-m3-driveline/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:02:36 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=3009

You may be thinking, “That’s no BMW? What the heck is a Triumph TR6 doing in Dave’s BMWotD category?” Yes, at first glance — aside from the Style 5 wheels — it seems very much out of place; not a single BMW Roundel to be seen anywhere, but lift the bonnet and good lordy…

There’s a lot of Bavarian in that there Brit!

I first saw this car up for sale in a most unlikely place — CraigsList — but it didn’t take long for the guys on Bring A Trailer to catch wind of it. It’s also It was listed on eBay with no bidding and a Buy-It-Now price of $40,000. That’s a lot of money, but it’s a pretty sure bet that the seller has way, way more into it than that. (note: the eBay auction/ad ended on Aug. 29; presumably because the car is sold.)

To put it mildly, this it the car of my dreams. The builder/owner’s goal of having “a virtually stock appearing TR6 that performed at insane levels while delivering exceptional reliability” is pretty much what I would have in mind if someone asked me what I would drive if money (& time) were no object. I love the looks of the TR6, but the Lucas electrics and the ’70′s British mechanicals are enough to scare off the geekiest of car freaks. That would include me. Add to that the propensity of the TR cars to rust… Since the beginnings of my infatuation with the Triumph roadsters back in high school, I’ve had a couple of opportunities to purchase a TR6, and have passed on both; neither was the right car nor the right time for me. With this car, I would definitely be on my way to Kansas City to bring this car home if it weren’t for the price tag; still not the right time I guess.

The seller’s description in the ad is lengthy, but a good read, and describes the right way to do a resto-mod to a car like this; keep the original look of the car, but make updates & improvements that will make the car more enjoyable and allow it to spend the majority of its time on the road/track rather than in the shop or waiting for parts.

Up for sale here is my labor of love for the past five years. This project started out as a 60K mile, stock, rust-free 1973 TR6 and is now configured with a BMW M3 Drive-Line with every system brought up to the 21st Century and has been driven 1,650 miles since so it’s completely sorted and ready to roll. Every nut and bolt has been removed and replaced with AN, Grade 8 or Stainless depending on their locations and requirements (I truly mean “every” nut and bolt). Every component on the undercarriage has been Powder Coated or finished with POR 15 to prevent any future degradation issues. This is not your typical Resto-Mod and I’ll try to outline all the Mods that I performed to the beast below :

• Body-Off / Nut & Bolt Restoration
• Rhino Lined Tub
• Significant Frame Strengthening
• 6-Point Roll Cage
• BMW M3 S50 (OBD1 Computer) Engine w/Modificationss
• Custom Chip from Jim Conforti
• BMW M3 5spd Transmission
• UUC Motorwerks 8.5lb Aluminum Flywheel
• Sachs HD Clutch
• UUC Motorwerks Transmission Mounts
• UUC Motorwerks Short Shifter
• Nissan R200 LSD Differential
• Custom CV-Joint Rear
• Richard Good Lowered Springs F & R
• Richard Good Sway Bars F & R
• Richard Good Adjustable Trailing Arm Mounts
• Spax Adjustable Shocks
• Toyota 4-Piston / Vented Disc Front Brakes
• Wilwood Rear Disc Brake Conversion
• Stainless Steel Brake Lines
• New Master Cylinder and Overhauled Booster
• Quick-Ratio Steering Rack
• Richard Good Aluminum Rack Mounts
• BMW/BBS 17″ 5 3-piece Wheels (style 5)
• Falken RT-615 225/45/17 Tires
• BMW M3 Radiator
• Advance Auto Wire Custom Wiring Harness
• 16 Gal Aluminum Fuel Cell
• Stainless Exhaust (w/Oxygen Sensor)
• Custom Powder Coated Bumper Bars (original bumpers included)
• Koa Wood Dash and Switch Plinth Plate
• New Crash Pads
• Miata Seats w/Heaters
• Custom Full Leather Interior w/Wilton Wool Carpets
• TR4 Soft Top Assembly

My intentions were to build a virtually stock appearing TR6 that performed at insane levels while delivering exceptional reliability. Various V8′s have found there way into these cars over the years but require many modifications that I was not willing to live with (steering geometry, firewall cutting, weight changes, etc.). While this was no mere “bolt-in” process, the net results lightened and balanced the overall car and required absolutely no changes to the steering and suspension system. It was almost as if BMW had this engine bay in mind when they designed their S50 M3 Power Plant. Engine Mods were held to Head-Work, 8.5lb Aluminum Flywheel, HD Clutch, Cold Air Intake and a custom Chip by Jim Conforti taking into account this particular application with the installed exhaust, no Cats, Intake, Oxy Sensor, Flywheel, Curb Weight and 7000 RPM Limiter. It’s absolutely ridiculous how fast this thing is.

I stripped the entire TR6 down to a pile of nuts and bolts and shipped off the tub and panels to be Soda Blasted before taking them to the body shop. This gave me the opportunity to tackle the frame and drive line. I started by having the frame sand blasted then welded in a lot of additional steel at all the known and unknown weak spots including the TSI Rear Strengthening Kit and ¼” plate added atop the rear spring mounts. Every factory weld was ground and re-welded to insure zero issues with frame cracking, twist or degradation due to the added HP and suspension modifications. I also had a local race car fabricator custom make a 6-point roll cage that ties into the frame directly via the four body mounts in the cockpit and thru the rear bulkhead and down to the aft frame sections (clears the roof). This is probably the most torsionally stable Triumph Frame you’ll ever find and the driving changes it made are very obvious. Next I coated the frame with POR15 along with all the suspension bits as it holds up much better to rock/road debris than Powder Coating. I utilized all of Richard Good’s suspension upgrades which include Lowered Springs, Sway Bars and Adjustable Trailing Arm Brackets. Due to my prior experience with Koni, I selected Spax Adjustable Shocks all the way around which once set-up match the over-all handling perfectly. I also added a new quick ratio steering rack combined with Richard Good’s Aluminum Rack Mounts and a slightly smaller diameter Leather Moto-Lita Steering Wheel. I’m in the aviation business and have access to all sorts of great hardware so all the suspension and brake nuts and bolts were replaced with AN series or Grade 8 at a minimum.

I changed out the front brakes to Toyota 4-Runner four piston calipers mated to Toyota Cressida vented rotors and for the rear I ran across a couple of guys who campaign a full-race TR6 that designed and machined a race-approved disc brake conversion kit to install Wilwood Aluminum Calipers clamping on 280 ZX Rotors. They were in process of commissioning a machine shop to make a few more sets for a new car they were building and were nice enough to have a set made up for me at the same time while sharing their engineering. This is not one of these cheap kits that come around every so often but a serious chunk of machined aluminum that has been approved for use on the track. I also had Classic Tube make a complete set of Stainless Brake lines and sent out the booster for o/h and replaced the master cylinder and filled it all w/DOT5 fluid. I installed a Wilwood lever-style brake bias adjuster which can be manipulated on the fly by the driver if you want to change the proportion of force front to rear. The hardware combined with the Bobcat pads make this TR66 stop on a dime with no wheel lock-up and much reduced fade.

The rear differential is an obvious weak spot along with the rear axles on TR6′s especially when horse power is added. I opted for the Nissan/Infiniti R200 dif as it was extremely easy to adapt to the frame, provided unquestionable strength (the dif of choice in the drifting crowd), super LSD performance and available in a ratio (3.54) between those used by the stock M3 and the full-race M3. I commissioned Kevin at Constant Velocity of Ocalla (FL) to design a set of rear axles utilizing CV-Joints and able to take the added stress of HP I was going to throw at them.

I had the entire interior, fender wells, trunk area and bottom of the tub shot by the local Rhino Liner shop after blasting and priming. This stuff totally encapsulates all the known rust areas for future protection and offered an indescribable reduction in noise and heat and increase in solidity. For the body, I chose a BMW M3 color, Imolla Red II which is a beautiful deep and slightly dark red. The body is completely assembled with Stainless Steel Fasteners to alleviate any future corrosion and they simply look nice and actual DumDum was sourced in the UK to seal the seams between the fenders/wings and tub. I shaved off the front side markers on the fenders and door locks to clean it up a little but left the original front turn signals under the grill to accommodate state laws. New front and rear light assemblies were installed too. Included are two new Bullet Mirrors for the doors which I have not installed as I preferred the look and they are not required in the State of KS. The hood / bonnet cable has been removed in favor of a direct release rod courtesy of Macy’s Garage so no worries about stuck hoods because of broken cables. No other body mods were made as I truly wanted to keep it in stock form to any on-looker.

I contacted Dan Masters of Advance Auto Wire and had him make me a custom harness for my project. The heart of the system is a power block that utilizes individual fuses for all circuits and relays for all heavy load items just as on current vehicles. All the instruments were switched to electric models from AutoMeter and incorporated with the harness. I also replaced all indicator bulbs with high output LEDs. Once I completely ran the new wiring, I removed it before termination and “snake-skinned” the entire thing. Most would have just zip-tied it all but I really can’t handle the mess associated with typical aftermarket harnesses so it truly looks stock. I have wired in a CD/Stereo unit but haven’t felt the need to cut in speakers as the note of the exhaust is all the music I needed. The wires are run so if you desire music, just add speakers. The Optima battery has been relocated to the right rear trunk area mounted in a custom keeper and a main battery cut-off switch is mounted on the firewall with the kill-key extending into the glove box for easy access. Both the fuse block and BMW computer are mounted inside the passenger foot well safe from any contact with exterior water or hazards and out of sight.

The interior is outfitted with Heated Miata Seats. They are trimmed in Tan Leather along with all the other interior panels which are piped in a contrasting brown and complimented with Wilton Wool Carpets. The window regulators, channels and seals were all replaced with new units that, believe it or not, don’t rattle. New seat belts were installed as well and included will be a set of Harnesses for track days. I never particularly liked the TR6 top mechanism as it just sits like a lump behind the seats and detracts from the clean lines of the car. I took this opportunity to modify the bows from an early TR4 as a replacement as it affords for the complete removal of the soft top for stowage in the trunk and the bows tuck out of sight behind an interior panel. I never had the intention of purposely driving the car in foul weather but did feel it important to have an emergency plan just in case I got caught out in the rain. I contacted Randy Keller of Prestige Auto Wood to craft me a custom dash laid out in the stock form but for use with the AutoMeter instruments and LED indicators. I chose Hawaiian Koa Wood for this and he also matched a panel for the switch plinth. The visors, mirrors, crash pads, windshield trim, etc. are all replaced with new. An insulated poly transmission tunnel has also been added to replace the original cardboard unit. Back in the trunk, I replaced the original fuel tank with a 16 gallon custom made aluminum unit that resides in the spare tire well. Lastly, I liberally installed Dyna Mat all over the place. When you close the doors, it sounds like a modern car’s door… solid.

The 17×8 3-piece wheels are BMW Style 5 Composites made by BBS. I sent them out to a shop in CA who specializes in wheel customization and they disassembled them, filled and re-drilled the centers for the TR6 bolt pattern, sent the centers out for powder coat and polished the rims. I was able to remove the BMW emblems from the center caps and with a little modification install the TR6 chrome emblems with red stickers in their place. I wrapped them with 225/45/17 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires which are a new class of DOT and SCCA Spec race approved tires.

Bottom-line, this is definitely one of the most unique sports cars you’ll ever come across. It was built with the idea of supreme performance and to withstand the tortures of daily driving without compromise. I wanted the illusion that this engine was factory installed so you won’t find any “bling” under the hood, all business (with the exception of the polished aluminum radiator cowling). Every single nut, bolt, washer, seal, grommet, clip, etc. was replaced on the car with new equivalents of higher grade and if a part was available new, it was replaced. I’m quite certain I’ve missed a few important points in this description but you really have to see and drive this TR6 to truly appreciate what it’s all about — Beauty — Simplicity — Performance.

FYI, I just shot these pics out in front of my house and down at my office . Also, I have this insured at its appraised value of $50K thru Hagerty’s which runs about $275 yr.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me and thanks for your interest. I don’t answer emails thru craigslist due to their spam issue. If you want more info. . .pick up the phone and give me a ring.

Dave DeWalt

Most Triumph purists will probably cringe when they see what’s been done to this car, but that doesn’t describe me nor my reaction to it. Not at all. While there are a few niggling things that I would’ve done differently (maybe some different wheels or a little more BMW in the suspension & drivetrain) this car is about as close to perfect as I can imagine. As I said, if not for the $40,000 entry fee, I would be all over this thing. Maybe in a few years I’ll try my hand at something similar… Lessee… Maybe a BMW S52-powered Alfa Romeo something-or-other? Or maybe build up a kit car with BMW suspension and drivetrain bits, just to avoid the ire of any purists. Modify a GTM Supercar with a BMW V8 or S52-six in the back along with matching BMW suspension in place of the Corvette bits, just to be different? (that could be worthy of sticking a Roundel on the body front & back, and might even fool someone into thinking it’s a factory BMW model!) Oh, the possibilities! If only I had the time and money and workspace.

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/08/30/bmwotd-triumph-tr6-bmw-m3-driveline/feed/ 0 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/06/26/bmwotd-1985-745i/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/06/26/bmwotd-1985-745i/#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:13:23 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=2884

Here’s a car for sale that is becoming very hard for me to pass up.

I am offering up a 1985 745i factory turbo E23. Yes it is NOT an E28 BUT the engine and turbo alone are worth the price for a conversion. And the rest of the car is decent also. A few details: Parting out OR buy the whole running driving car! Rare classic collectible euro model with factory turbo. 4 speed auto transmission, REAR DIFF, 99.9% rust-free body parts, buffalo leather interior with electric seats, working original becker radio, choice of two sets of wheels [either the 18" M parallel replicas or the black 17" ASAs. GREAT PARTS FOR E28s or...? WILL NOT PASS SMOG SO TECHNICALLY SELLING AS A "PARTS CAR" California buyers responsible for getting it smogged and DMV fees of $250. ONLY 2,222 FIRM!

Then the ad was updated on June 11:

PRICE LOWERED TO $1,985 FOR THE 1985 745I TURBO!As pictured with EITHER the black or 18" silver ones OR ONLY $1,685 with a set of 14" rollers. Somebody snatch up this car. Engine, turbo and bumpers alone worth more than that! I have registration in my name. No title unless I pay $250 in fees...

The seller — Evan, aka, BimmerBrothers — is a long-time member of mye28.com and has sold a lot of cars on the site. It's always amazing to see what he comes up with; this car doesn't appear to be perfect, but it's in decent shape. And at under $2,000... I was very tempted but definitely not in a position to buy. Too bad because it sounds like the owner is prepared to part it out. Way too bad. Probably a good thing it's a few thousand miles away from me.

The e23 745i was never sold in the US; it was sold in the European market only. Those that made it into the US did so by going through the gray-market importing process. It was the top-of-the-line luxury car sold by BMW in its day, and was equipped with a variant of the 3.2 liter inline six used in the 735i (and 533/535) but with a bunch of extra HP and torque courtesy of a 10psi intercooled turbocharger. And that makes all the difference. 249 HP and 275 ft. lbs. of torque compared to 215/224 on the normally aspirated 735i.

The process of federalizing gray market BMWs in the 1980s was inconsistently and often poorly executed; some retained the Europe-only headlights, but many others (like the one pictured) had them replaced with the 5" US headlights. This car also suffered the ignominy of having the camper-style side marker lights added to the fenders front & back. The good news is that it was allowed to keep the original bumpers; of all the bastardizations done to this car, that would be the most difficult and expensive to reverse and get the car back to the way it ought to look. The federalizers would often require that the the Euro-style bumpers be replaced by bumpers that were found on the built-for-USA 735i, which required some nasty surgery to the front and rear valences. Others cars, like this one, got away with the Euro bumpers intact, but with a "reinforcing" piece of steel tubing or angle iron inside. Not sure what that would actually do to help, but... This one did end up with the US-approved 5" headlights and grille in place of the true Euro headlight setup — with the 7" low-beams. Reverting to that look would really make this car a standout, as would repainting the front end to match the rest of the car.

The sub-$2,000 price tag on this car makes it very tempting. The BronzitBeige over Buffalo-color leather interior even more so. And how fun would it be to drive a car like this back from southern California... One of these days the availability of a car like this will coincide with me being prepared to buy it, and I'll do just that. This time, I'll have to be content with the cars I have, and patiently wait. It builds character.

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/06/26/bmwotd-1985-745i/feed/ 0 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/05/26/if-james-bond-had-ever-settled-down/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/05/26/if-james-bond-had-ever-settled-down/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 15:51:54 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=2858 … I’m convinced that this is the car he would have in his garage.

No doubt 007 would have it outfitted with all manner of special weaponry and secret agent toys, but I sure wouldn’t turn it out of my own garage even in its current form. Given the fact that my garage space is pretty doggone limited, I would even build a garage specifically for it! The DB5 is a gorgeous machine to begin with, and who could resist a wagon/shooting brake version of the car? And to me, the color combination is perfect; black exterior & red leather… Wow.

This car was featured in a Hemmings Blog post this morning; for the details on the car and their thoughts on it you can click through to their article. The short of it is that the car recently went on the auction block at Bonham’s & sold for an astonishing $704,200 (the full copy from Bonham’s is included below in case it disappears from their site.)

What more can be said about such a gorgeous machine? I think I’ll just sit & stare at the photos for a little while.

Lot No: 345
In current ownership since 1972
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Shooting Brake
Coachwork by Harold Radford
Registration no. KUK 500D
Chassis no. DB5/2047/R
Engine no. 400/2918V

Sold for £430,500 inclusive of Buyer’s Premium

Footnote:
The car offered here is one of only 12 DB5 sports saloons converted into shooting brakes by coachbuilder Harold Radford and thus an example of the rarest of all DB5 variants. Eight were right-hand drive and four left-hand drive, and all 12 survive.

In 1965 a new Aston Martin DB5 cost £4,412 (plus an extra £190 if the optional Vantage engine was ordered) to which the shooting brake conversion added a further £2,000-plus. Thus this car’s total delivered cost was approximately £7,000 at a time when the average price of a house in the UK was £3,600!

Chassis number ’2047/R’ was manufactured during 1965 as a saloon finished in light green (California Sage) and fitted with engine number ’400/2012′ prior to delivery as a finished car to Harold Radford for the factory-commissioned shooting brake conversion. The car was refinished in Caribbean Pearl with red Connolly leather interior and returned to the factory for the fitting of a DB6 Vantage engine, number ’400/2918V’. On 19th July 1966 it was registered as a DB5 Vantage Estate to Cyril Williams (Motors) Ltd of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and then in August of that same year was sold to the St Brides Hotel in Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, whose owner was one Charles Cooper.

In August 1968 the Aston was back at Cyril Williams and the following November was registered to C J P Lindon of Kensington, London W8 (owner a Mr McGill). It is believed that the next known owner, a Mr Phipps of Surbiton, Surrey acquired the car around December 1971, by which time it had been re-sprayed Goodwood Green by Works Service following a crash repair.

In June 1972 (at 30,060 miles) ‘KUK 500D’ was acquired by Denis Roy Smith of Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, the current vendor’s father. From 1974 onwards the car was not used for everyday transport due to Roy Smith having a company car, and later an Aston Martin V8. From this date, ‘KUK 500D’ was continuously garaged and never used in the rain.

Roy Smith had a passion for Astons, and had owned them continuously since 1958 starting with an ex-Le Mans DB2, a DB2/4 MkI, a DB MkIII, an ex-David Brown DB5 and subsequently an AM V8. The DB5 shooting brake was purchased with an extra mortgage on the house, because of its obvious utility and the need for a family vehicle.

Roy Smith was a meticulous record keeper and, as can be seen from the accompanying (copy) detailed mileage record, the DB5′s use declined significantly following the company car’s acquisition. From then onwards it was used only for high days and holidays. Roy Smith took great delight in tinkering with the Aston and noted every detail of its care. He was a silversmith and industrial designer by training, and every job he did was planned and executed with careful thought and attention to detail. The Smith family enjoyed many annual family holidays in Devon with the DB5, and it would attend many AMOC concours events during the summer months.

Roy Smith’s last and long-planned improvement to the car was the fitting of a ZF five-speed manual gearbox, which replaced the original automatic transmission, much to his wife’s disgust! The vendor and his father completed the job together but, sadly, Roy passed away in June 1995 having had little opportunity to enjoy all the hard work. Nevertheless, in the few miles that he completed he was pleased that the conversion had dramatically changed the car’s performance for the better. Fewer than 1,000 miles have been covered since this costly conversion in December 1992. In June 1995 (at 58,514 miles) ‘KUK 500D’ was registered in the vendor’s name and placed in garage storage.

It is now rare to find a DB5 like this one, which (gearbox change apart) is in totally original condition and unrestored, possessing the unmistakable patina of such vehicles. The leather and carpets are all original and the paintwork, though in need of freshening, is the same cellulose finish that was applied in 1971. The car has led a very sheltered life while in the Smith family’s care, having covered only 58,000 genuine miles, and has been meticulously maintained with constant servicing and a 50/50 Bluecol antifreeze mix in the cooling system.

There are meticulous service records and bills on file, the original old-style logbook, copies of Roy Smith’s detailed records and MoTs stretching back to the beginning of his ownership, when the car was only six years old. The recent gearbox conversion has its own file, which includes photographs of the work and a record of the hours taken. This conversion, together with the originality, continuous ownership and factory-fitted Vantage engine, makes this car exceptionally desirable. For the past 39 years the vendor has been intimately involved with the DB5, which is of immeasurable importance to the family. Selling it has been a very difficult decision.

‘KUK 500D’ was carefully re-commissioned and MoT’d in March 2011 by Forge Garage, Sevenoaks, with all fluids replaced and careful attention to oil pressure prior to starting. We are advised that the car suffered in storage only from ‘gummy’ fuel and literally sailed through its MoT test. The garage concerned remarked on its overall excellent condition, in keeping with a vehicle of such limited mileage, and for the past two months the vendor has enjoyed gently driving the Aston with total confidence in its mechanical reliability. Offered with the aforementioned extensive records, bills, current road fund licence, MoT to March 2012 and Swansea V5 document, ‘KUK 500D’ represents a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest of post-war Aston Martins and the only ‘Vantage’ Shooting Brake produced.

This DB5 stems from an era when cars would often be regarded as part of the family and not just ‘white goods’ as many are now. In the vendor’s own words: ‘She now needs a good home and, more than that, a new life.

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/05/26/if-james-bond-had-ever-settled-down/feed/ 1 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/03/19/bmwotd-1985-635csi/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/03/19/bmwotd-1985-635csi/#comments Sun, 20 Mar 2011 05:20:51 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=2819

I’ve brought up the BMW e24 before, and will likely do so again (and again, and…); it is, after all, one of my favorite cars of all time. This one was listed for sale on mye28.com, but sold earlier this year. No word yet on where it ended up, but it is a very clean, very nice looking car. With an asking price of $14,000 for a 26 year old car, it had better be nice, but this thing looks like new.

Here’s the copy from the my28.com ad:

1985 635 CSi 5-speed black with black leather interior.

I have owned this car 5 years and it was owned by a close friend and fellow CCA member 6 years before me. It has never been driven in the winter – there no rust on the car. It has been meticulously (obsessively) maintained and kept garaged and covered when not in use. I do drive it, but am very carful about where and when.

Condition:

General – What is truly astonishing to me about this car is that it is all original. What I mean is, it is not “restored” or “repainted” or “reconditioned”. It is original. Except for maintenance and a few tasteful upgrades, it is as it was when it rolled off the factory floor in Germany 25 years ago. This is the same paint, the same engine, the same interior. The paint still has that depth and luster to it and the interior is nearly perfect. The original factory tools are there, the original blue towel from the toolkit, the original glove box flashlight, owners manual, leather key holder, jack, spare, etc. I also have all 5 original tires and wheels which are included with the car. The engine bay is clean, though bear in mind the car is driven. The underside is solid – when I work on this car I am always amazed at how there is no rust on any bolt that I’ve had to remove. The trunk is clean and dry, all the pieces are there.

Paint – When BMW built the 635 the quality of the fit and finish was a step above the other models of that era. Unlike modern cars, every body panel surface inside and out (underside of trunk, hood, interior of the trunk, etc.) is painted the same as the exterior of the car. Because of this process, on this car though the paint is 25 years old and has aged, it still has that original “wet nail polish” depth and luster to it. There are very few blemishes. I recently had the front air dam repainted by a restoration shop and was careful to ensure the same quality was used.

Records – As for records I have a log book of all maintenance done on the car for the past 11 years including everything from oil changes to replacing any warn parts to measurements taken troubleshooting issues over the years. I also have receipts for parts and any services. Each entry in the log includes the date any work was performed and the mileage on the car at the time. For the past 11 years myself and the previous owner have tried to always use BMW OEM parts except for upgrade items.

Other exterior – The chrome on the mirrors is shiny and clean. The bumper rubber is uncracked and clean, though as you can see in the pictures, the one rear bumper rubber has the typical wave in it. The glass is original BMW, uncracked and clean. The airdam is perfect (recently repainted as noted above), the rear lower bumper skirt is excellent but has a slight dent in the left side, unnoticeable from behind. The bumpers are nice and clean, tail lights and other lenses are all super clean. Bear in mind this is a driver, so the one front kidney has a small dimple in it from a rock years ago – though the kidneys are relatively inexpensive to replace, I chose to leave the car original. The grille work, lenses etc. are all excellent.

Engine and mechanical:

The car runs strong and pulls hard and has been well maintained. Valve adjustments and oil changes have been performed regularly. It starts instantly and runs smooth. The clutch is solid and the car shifts smoothly – it’s a pleasure to drive. The shift lever is tight and accurate. Front end is tight and the steering is solid, there are no shimmys or shakes. It goes down the road straight and true and with the ABS brakes, the car will brake fast and straight. In the past 5 years any work done on the car has been performed by myself (simply because I don’t trust anyone else with my car) or by Zimbrick BMW in Madison, WI. The same was true of the previous owner. The car is super clean and ready to be driven cross country without any hesitation. I typically get about 24 mpg for combined driving, and have gotten as high as 28 mpg on a highway trip a few years ago. My friend owned it from about 65k miles to around 98k. I have owned it from 98k to its current mileage of 128,000. I know this car inside and out. It currently has no issues – everything works.

Recent maintenance and upgrades:

The following tasteful modifications have been done. Note that everything is reversable and original parts were kept. It has a Jim Conforti chip (I still have the original along with a spare ECU). The suspension has been upgraded to Bilstein HD struts in the front and Sports in the rear with Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs (I saved the original springs). The wheels are Rondel Style 0058 16×7.5 professionally refinished this spring with brand new Yokohama S-Drive tires. I also have the entire set of 5 original TRX tires and wheels. The cat pipe was upgraded to a MagnaFlow stainless steel free-flowing cat which gives it a nice throaty exhaust note. The stereo head unit has been upgraded to a modern CD player, but I saved the original factory BMW Cassette stereo. The factory headlights have been upgraded to Hella E-code headlights (I have the originals).

In the last 3 seasons maintenance has included new Bilstein shocks and struts, entire exhaust system and O2 sensor, new Yokohama S-Drive tires (~1000 miles), front end alignment, coolant changes, valve adjustments and replacement of banjo-bolts with upgraded locking type, brake fluid bleed/replacement, differential fluid replacement and regular oil changes.

Interior:

The interior is near perfect, all the original leather is un-cracked and has been well cared for and has its original color. Dash and controls are all perfect. The steeringwheel is excellent and the leather is uncracked and nice. The headliner is clean and tight. The passenger and rear seats look and feel like they’ve hardly ever been sat in. The dash is uncracked, the switches and gauges are all excellent and functioning, the rear speaker pods are unwarped. The interior carpet is original, unfaded and excellent, though the rear window deck carpet has faded from sun. The A/C and heat work just fine, vents work, power windows, power seats, radio, everything. All the lights on the dash light up, any bulbs that have burned out have been replaced and maintained.

I think you’d be hard pressed to find a cleaner e24 that is complete an original. I’m asking 14,000 or best offer. I would also consider a trade for a 911 or Boxster.

With respect,
Mark.

]]> http://www.davintosh.com/2011/03/19/bmwotd-1985-635csi/feed/ 0 http://www.davintosh.com/2011/01/29/bmwotd-mdash-1973-3-0csi/ http://www.davintosh.com/2011/01/29/bmwotd-mdash-1973-3-0csi/#comments Sun, 30 Jan 2011 04:13:19 +0000 dave http://www.davintosh.com/?p=2754 Now this is a gorgeous car.

I’ve always loved the body lines of the BMW e9 coupes, and this one has received some improvements that make it even more desirable. For one, the original carbureted M30 has been replaced with a fuel-injected M30B35 for better reliability and lots more horsepower.

The e9′s are notorious for rust, but this particular car was stripped & repainted by Hardy & Beck in Berkeley, CA. Hardy & Beck also provided the wheels, which fit the car’s style to a ‘T’. Up until last week the car was owned by one of the “>mye28.com members“; he bought it a little over a year ago, but some recent financial & life difficulties forced him to sell. It was listed on CraigsList with some of the gorgeous beauty shots shown below, an oddity that caught some attention at Jalopnik. Bring-A-Trailer also picked up on it. All the attention led to it being sold pretty quickly in spite of the $25,000 price tag.

Much as I like the looks of this car, there is just no way I could own it unless I could garage it and only bring it out on the nicest of days. And considering the car, its relative rarity & value, that would be only fitting. So, like so many other cars, I’ll just enjoy it vicariously by way of the photos.

Here’s the copy from the Bring-A-Trailer post on the car, including the owner’s description.

Hardy & Beck Build: 1973 BMW 3.0csi Coupe
This 1973 BMW 3.0 csi was stripped and repainted in Polaris Silver in 1996 by the BMW specialists at Hardy & Beck in Berkeley, California. That shop also produced the wheels seen on the car, a design well suited to the coupes and highly sought after in vintage BMW circles. Mods like the Metric Mechanic 3.7L powerplant are well chosen and with a few tweaks this could be one of the best hot rod coupes out there. Find it here on Craigslist in Tacoma, Washington for $25k. Special thanks to BaT reader Rob S. for this submission!

The seller gives an honest review of the car, stating that it isn’t perfect and that no E9’s are truly rust free. We like his style, and the build sheet of this car speaks for itself. The Cibie lighting is well executed and the front end looks unique thanks to the Alpina style spoiler instead of the more common CSL treatment. Out back the black bumper is a good look particularly on silver cars. The modern Alpina badge is already long gone says the owner, so just lower the rear suspension a tad and you’d have our ideal E9 exterior aesthetic.

The interior features good looking 1-piece buckets and an excellent 4-spoke Alpina steering wheel. Some photos are shown with all windows in the down position, so we know that they all function. The shot below is from when the seller bought the car in February, as posted here on the E9 Forum.

Given the 280hp engine and dog-leg box, we don’t think this car could be built for the asking price. Add to that a reputable and documented paint job and so many of the right performance parts and we think this is one of the better E9’s to come along in a good while. Drive it north to the Spring Thaw event and you’d have one of the best cars there.

And here’s the post from Jalopnik on the car.

These Photos Are Too Beautiful For Craigslist

The average Craigslist “for sale” post comes with images that look like they were taken by near-sighted meth addict using a broken cameraphone. But these gorgeous images of an impeccable 1973 BMW Euro 3.0CSi? We think you wanted Jameslist.

1973 BMW Euro 3.0CSi. No sunroof, no AC. Imported from Italy in 1985 by Hardy and Beck in Berkeley, CA. California BAR certified. Owned and serviced by Hardy and Beck employees until about 2003. Receipts all the way back to the Italian government releasing the car.
[...]
This car is not original, it isn’t perfect, it isn’t for everyone. It’s modified tastefully and is an excellent driver. Lots of power, completely reliable, and beautiful. It’s the one car I said I’d never sell but changes in my life and plans for the future make it a necessary sacrifice. $25,000 OBO. Please email me for more info. Thank you.
No, Ryan, thank you. And thanks to B2dp for taking the photos. Now someone buy this beauty.

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