Forgotten M635csi’s

I was out walking the other day and did a double take when I spotted two BMW 635's parked very close together. I went up to them to see what they were and to my amazement they were both M635csi's. I have posted a link to photo's below.

The darker of the two cars is a 1989 Highline in Macau blue with a white lotus leather interior. It has 98000 miles on it, the interior is in pretty good condition, the bodywork is starting to show sighns of rust around the rear arches and rear panel but it doesn't look too serious. The Trx tyres are starting to perish. Someone has covered the car in car wax in an attempt to stop it rusting which is why it looks so dull. The NCT and tax disks were last valid in 2004 so I guess she has been lying there since then. This car could be restored in my opinion but I have not seen the engine. Could be a nice project for someone in the trade who could do alot of the work themselves.

The red car is Zinnobar red I think ,with a beige leather interior. It has 190000 miles on it. It is rusting very badly on the roof and arches and I would say that it is too far gone. My thoughts are that it was purchased as a donor car for the blue one and the owner has lost interest in the project.

Its a real shame to see both these cars rotting as they were BMW's flagships in their day. It would be great to see at least the blue one back on the road. I have no idea who owns them.

http://community.webshots.com/album/559917323qWNpKN?vhost=co mmunity

Regards,

Bayerische.

Edited by Bayerische

are they round the ballsbridge area?

shame.

No, Dun Laoghaire.

Regards,

Bayerische.

Edited by Bayerische

The '89 looks in relatively sound condition exterior wise, but then again it is hard to tell from the photo. I doubt you would get them for a song, they are a very rare car and the '89 is a late model making it very desirable. I would love to see them go to a good home, where abouts in Dun Laoghaire are they?? I might check them out next time I'm around the area.

Are you planning on heading over for a gander Mick?

you taking passengers?

[QUOTE=635CSi]The '89 looks in relatively sound condition exterior wise, but then again it is hard to tell from the photo. I doubt you would get them for a song, they are a very rare car and the '89 is a late model making it very desirable. I would love to see them go to a good home, where abouts in Dun Laoghaire are they?? I might check them out next time I'm around the area.
[/QUOTE

635csi,

I will PM you.

 

dryle wrote: spotted a red english reg 635 in celbridge last night.

They are disappearing fast nowadays due to rust, I heard somewhere they suffer most of all from inner wing rust due to it not having any lining. This website currently has a really nice one for sale: http://www.the80semporium.co.uk

Dryle, where have you been by the way??

Edited by 635CSi

dryle wrote: spotted a red english reg 635 in celbridge last night.

Hmm, if it's on a "C"-prefix plate, might be the same one that an acquaintance of mine sold to Ireland last year......and that was a proper M635CSi

635CSi wrote: They are disappearing fast nowadays due to rust, I heard somewhere they suffer most of all from inner wing rust due to it not having any lining.....

The Dun Laoghaire pair will at worst probably be good for parts only by this stage, sadly, but we need more detailed photos to look at. It may well be that both turn out to be saveable if you're prepared to put in the time and money - and you will need both. 

The macau blue Highline in particular - please check whether it has a manual gearbox. If not, then it will only be a "Motorsport" at best, and not a proper M635CSi. Without having access to the engine bay, that gearshift will be your only clue, as the Highline Sixes did not have any body trim to differentiate between ordinary, Motorsport, and M635CSi, unlike the earlier chrome-bumpered versions. The "M" badge may be a clue, but some owners had a penchant for plastering it all over their plain Highlines!

If you leave them sitting around in the open for any length of time - and those two look as though they've been out there for at least a year untouched - then you will be looking at a fair degree of metalwork needing letting-in and/or new panels.

Inner and outer wings were only ever lined with underseal. It's not just the wings, but. Roof will eventually rust in the vicinity of the sunroof panel (moisture trap). Rear wheelarches also deteriorate - again, no seals here (I've got to have my o/s/r one looked at)! 

Sills also go, usually around the jacking points. Door bottoms: check the channel there that holds the door seal. They can and will rust away to nothing - ask me how I know.

Floorpan rusts at the join to the sills, and water ingress can happen from the engine bay bulkhead into the footwells. Windscreen seals perish and water will drip in. There are other things you will need to look for.....

M635CSis have the single-row timing chain in their M88/3 24 valve engines. This chain needs to be obsessively serviced every 100,000-miles, otherwise you'll be driving something with an Achilles heel, and you will need to change the chain tensioner at that stage anyway. But it counts as a major job to pay for, unless you have the skills and facilities to do it yourself.

If you're not put off, and can do something with them, fair play to ye. For meself, I settled for taking the suspension off the M635CSi and installing it in my ordinary 635CSi. Things have been a lot firmer since, and going round corners is now good craic

Ok here is the update..

I looked at both cars and knocked on some doors. No one claimed to own them. One nice chap I spoke to said that they hav'nt moved in atleast 2 years. The disk in the window back that up.

As for the cars... the Red 85 D is a shed. Rust all over the roof in big blisters. Under the arches and just generaly a ruined car. If it was a runner which I doubt I would only take it as a "field" car.

The Blue car how ever looks good to me. However only viewing it from the out side its hard to tell. The owner has covered the whole car in a wax of some sort. (Some sort of protection messure) It has ok Gray leather elec seats and a manual gear box.

Id like to get the blue car but I think the owner may have a big value on it. If thats the case Im not interesed.

I left my contact details on the window so we will see if they want rid of it or not.

Thanks

Mick