My E24 passion

Document your Sixer project here.

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sharkfan
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My E24 passion

Post by sharkfan »

Part One

Hi, I thought I'd write down my little tale of 6er passion.

I suppose it all started with Moonlighting and seeing Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd crusing around in a pale six with very occasional attempts at enthusiastic driving to really show the car - whatever it was, that was pretty much my first 6er re-collection and I guess when that came out (early 80?s ? mid 80?s ?? ) they were still in production and obviously way out my teenage price range.

Within a year of getting my licence I bought my first BMW, a Verona Red 1973 2002tii - it was my pride and joy, despite the obvious corrosion and an eventual full engine re-build. I must have bought in 1986/7 or thereabouts and it stood me well for the best part of ten years.

In 1994 following a domestic upheaval (out with the old, and much to her annoyance, in with the younger) I started to look around at 6er's; they had by then got cheap enough for my meagre budget and there seemed to be at least half a dozen on various small trader plots around Bristol. I remember looking at about a dozen in total but particularly remember a burgundy 635 with beige velour seats, a silver 635 with blue leather seats, a black 628 with black leather, a red 635 with M badges, chrome arch covers and black recaros.

They all had the good and bad points, but none felt right and then I stumbled upon my first 6er love, registration A546 BGM, a 1984 Arctic Blue 635Csi with beige electric leather comfort seats (not memory), air-con (working !!!) and 4 speed switchable auto. It all seemed to good to be true - but it wasn't, it was a great solid car and I think I paid just over 4k for it, which I guess I thought was very fair, for all I did was grin and grin as I piled the miles up from around 150k to nearly 225k in just under 4 years.

It had one minor hiccup - the gearbox failed on me - and after a few electrical glitches with the replacement I was back to excellent, trouble-free, 6er motoring - I can honestly never remember any significant problems with the car; I must have done some work on the brakes in that time and I remember buying one complete genuine exhaust system for what seemed like a ransom but I suffered no starting problems, no cooling problems, no judder, no electrical gremlins, no serious rot, it just had regular fluid and filter change and seemed set for interstellar mileage until one spring day in 1998 when ??..

Some berk in his Daddy?s Ford Galaxy people carrier decided to gamble on amber and took a swipe across that fabulous but vulnerable nose ? the car wasn't even seriously wounded - the lights were all ok, the car still started and ran perfectly, no life-preserving fluids leaked but it looked a mess and critically the bonnet was jammed shut, with no amount of persuasion seeming to budge it even a millimetre.

Insurance companies were called and after their obvious initial derisory offers I managed to secure a decent value around the 3k mark, and I set about looking for more transport, and fortunately I negotiated to hold onto my damaged 6er whilst I looked for a new car.

I didn't have to look far for about a mile from where I now lived in Bristol a car lot had a 1982 635Csi in Baltic Blue, with a completely re-leathered interior with recaro seats, recent front wings and brand new 415 TRX?s all around. It wasn't all good news though, the exhaust was shot and there were bits of interior trim with grim looking screw and speaker holes from a now-removed sound and telephone system and it only had a three speed autobox.

The decision to keep hold of the old car whilst hunting for the replacement paid brilliant dividends however, as they both had the identical pearl beige trim - so an afternoon with a screwdriver sorted the interior out and another hour up at a friendly exhaust fitters saw my complete systems swapped over. The old car duly went on it's way, I thought to be broken after being deemed an un-economic repair.... until about 18 months ago when reading a BMW magazine and an article promoting BMW "specialist" service garages when I spied the registration in the background of a garage in, I think, the Sheffield area. I don't know if the current owners on or even aware of this forum but the BGM (Bloody Great Motor) registration always stuck in my mind.

The new car was as fantastic as the last and better in some ways; I missed the electric comfort seats for about twenty-five seconds as I settled into the fabulous recaros; the bigger wheels and tyres looked more impressive, it had the later M635 front and rear spoilers, and the new car actually handled a million times better than the old - it's still a good firm ride today and a few people have guessed at uprated shocks although I've never investigated. It also goes incredibly well, easily outpacing a 1989 Highline I was later to buy. I also remember swearing to myself that I?d get that old three-speed auto changed for the non-switchable 4 speed, but I never have quite got around to it, I guess I'm still waiting for the three-speed to pack up.

Then later in 1998 I met another true love, the current Mrs Sharkfan, and my gorgeous 635 couldn't make the trip to Kiev in the Ukraine where fate had decided we were to initially live - so it went into storage where I thought all would be well.... but I'll leave that story for part two cos I'm tired of typing now.

Hope I haven't bored you, I just thought I'd tell my tale.

Sharkfan.
Last edited by sharkfan on Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
livnlyf1s

no boredom here

Post by livnlyf1s »

good read.
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Post by sharkfan »

My sixer history - continued.

So I was off to Ukraine with my good lady ? and not wishing to part with my pride and joy I packed it off to storage ? I paid the annual fees, was assured it was ok, made sure it still passed the MoT?s, and two and a half years passed before I got it back again. Credit where it?s due, the car was in the same condition as when I had left it but over the next 6 to 9 months a whole load of gremlins started to appear.

The first niggle was the speedo packing up, then a few weeks later the right hand indicator repeater on the dashboard ? then the head gasket went. After getting the car back from the head gasket work it was only a few weeks before it stopped altogether. The days rolled by before a cooked motronic ECU was diagnosed - so a replacement one of them was sought.

A few months of trouble free motoring went by before it developed an intermittent starting and running rough problem came and went ? it was now getting very frustrating not knowing what was causing and them seemingly self fixing, and I need some decent transport for work. So I did what you should probably never do ? I bought another sixer.

This was a 1989 Highline in Metallic black with Lotus White leather and all the extras ? it had a few little niggles but just that, niggles, and it proved to be a great buy as I drove it for ages as a great reliable car. I loved just sitting in the Highline, with all those acres of perfectly stitched leather and the electric sports seats ? I never quite fell in love with the bumpers over the chrome models but it was a comfortable and reliable car.

I now set myself into changing the 82 635 back into a useful car rather a very decorative driveway ornament which it had become ? in the end the cutting-out / rough running / poor starting ended up being a combination of the flywheel sensor AND the main power relay ? both intermittent faults and both a right PITA. But now it was fixed and after a central locking saga I set to the speedo fault (the speedo had in fact packed up) the indicator fault (a dry joint on the back of the instrument panel) and a few other little bits and pieces. Unfortunately the bodywork on the Highline had started to deteriorate, and as we all know, it?s always rustier than you think.

It was about this time ? about eighteen months or so ago ? that my good lady changed job and due to a change in her company car circumstances asked if I wanted another car, something in a little better condition and newer, she suggested ? so I started thinking about newer BMW?s, perhaps an e34 estate, perhaps an E36 ? and then did what you should never do ? started looking at M6?s.

After driving up and down the country and looking at over half a dozen, I eventually found an enthusiast owned 1985 M635 in Alpine white with Taurus red leather ? it had a great history, it was in great condition and the vendor was a great chap ? easy to deal with, honest but no pushover, and after a 2nd visit we shook hands and the car was mine.

So now the driveway looked like a sixer haven, but there was a price to pay for getting the M635, one of the others had to go; and after a lot of umming and erring I elected to let go of the Highline ? it was still fantastically reliable and in great mechanical and electrical order but setting my meagre funds over three sixers was too much of a stretch.

I had recently found the bigcoupe website and put a little marker in the ground saying it had to go ? but being honest about it?s condition ? it really needed an enthusiast to set about it?s restoration with some renewed passion ? it had all the basics, a Highline in good running order and with 17 inch style 5 x-spokes, but just needed someone who could put time and funds to it.

I and the car got lucky and a very nice chap from the bigcoupe website came to see it, bought it and set about it as only a true enthusiast could and now I follow it?s development into the star of a magazine shoot and it?s sporting the shiniest style 5 alloys I?ve ever seen.

Since selling the Highline I?ve just kept my head above water keeping the M635 and my old dependable ?82 635 going ? the 635 went through the front end shake problem but revised control arm bushes, completely new steering links and ATE powerdiscs sorted that problem for good ? both cars blew their radiators within weeks of each other last year - and both sets of alloys needed re-furbishment ? the style 32?s on the M635 are done, the style 5?s on the 635 will be done this spring.

Other bits and pieces I?ve done include the central locking switch in the centre consoles on both cars; rear headrests for both cars, new speakers for the M635; the E36 timing chain tensioner for the M635; a headlamp spray mod for both cars; both cars now have the rear-view mirrors with map-lights; and of course servicing.

Other bits and pieces I?m planning are a set of very discreet voltage and oil pressure gauges for one or both cars ? the M635 pressure switch location might make this a little tricky; stainless exhausts for both when they need it; the M635 wheel arch extensions for the 635 as it already has the motorsport front and rear spoilers and motorsport steering wheel; a replacement light switch for the 635 as the dimmer?s packed up; air-conditioning and ventilation overhaul for the 635; replacement sun visors for the 635; refurbish the 635?s style 5 wheels; possibly 6x9 speakers in the M635; sub-woofers for both cars; some small bodywork area?s on both cars; of course, more servicing; oh God, the list always seems to go on and on.

I guess I?m a bit of a sixer nerd ? my long suffering wife always says so ? but I?m not the font of knowledge I perhaps should be after 12 years of only really driving 635?s ? thank all the God?s and Brian for this forum, and thanks also to the hidden boffins ? without which my cars would certainly be less well running and appointed.

I guess I just only really love the shape of the E24 car ? everything else, seems, well, less. Modern cars will go faster, modern cars will be cheaper to run, modern cars with their hatches will be more useful, modern cars will be quieter, but modern cars don?t always, always make me turn around and make me look one more time at the beautiful, timeless, elegant shape that is the E24.

I guess that?s all really ? I?m a sixer nut. I of course have my preferences as to how I like my sixers; for the record, chrome bumper phase 2 models, motorsport spoilers, sports or recaro front seats, traditional BMW wheels (alpina, style 5?s, style 32?s plus others), a manual for the weekend, an auto for commuting, and yes, I?m still lusting after a Red one ? through heaven only knows how I?ll sneak another third sixer past the missus; but I?ve never seen a sixer I really didn?t like, whether pristine or rusty in a scrapyard, any colour paint, any interior colour, any engine, any anything really ? just as long as it wears that sixer suit.

That?s it then, thanks for enjoying my ramblings, I hope I haven?t bored you and I hope I?ve confirmed that due to this madness I?m condemned to driving 6ers for the rest of my days ? even when I?ll need a stick or walking frame to turn around and take one last look at the car.
northern_paul

Post by northern_paul »

That's a really good read - thank you.

I've a nice warm feeling inside, think when I get home tonight I'll give my 6 a hug :)
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Post by sharkfan »

I've a nice warm feeling inside,
As a medical professional - I'd suggest a warm feeling inside will rapidly make it's way to any exit - get to a toilet pronto :wink: :lol: :D
86C

Post by 86C »

I really enjoyed reading that :D
sharkfan wrote:
I've a nice warm feeling inside,
As a medical professional - I'd suggest a warm feeling inside will rapidly make it's way to any exit - get to a toilet pronto :wink: :lol: :D
:lol:
EMMMM_90

Good read

Post by EMMMM_90 »

Sharkfan great read. I just found the post. My love for BMW's crossed my mind while reading this. I am quite motivated to get my shark back on the road. Its been sitting in my driveway for a year. I need to a handful of things done before updating my plates.

Handful of things to do:

-rear Cross brace
-restore my BBS RS005
-install tires on my BBS
-Install my fender flares and fix the rust spots (a local Body shop known for their custom paints will barter their work for a set of architectural plans for their shop)
-Install the new headliner.
-and find some Recaro seats.

COUPES UP!!!!!!!!
horsetan

Post by horsetan »

sharkfan wrote:....I elected to let go of the Highline ? it was still fantastically reliable and in great mechanical and electrical order but setting my meagre funds over three sixers was too much of a stretch.

I had recently found the bigcoupe website and put a little marker in the ground saying it had to go ? but being honest about it?s condition ? it really needed an enthusiast to set about it?s restoration with some renewed passion ? it had all the basics, a Highline in good running order and with 17 inch style 5 x-spokes, but just needed someone who could put time and funds to it.

I and the car got lucky and a very nice chap from the bigcoupe website came to see it, bought it and set about it as only a true enthusiast could and now I follow it?s development into the star of a magazine shoot and it?s sporting the shiniest style 5 alloys I?ve ever seen......

....and here's a reminder of a lucky man....who now lives and works all the hours God sends......in Dubai:

ImageImage
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Post by sharkfan »

Updated with pics;
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Re: My 6er passion

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I thought I'd update this thread a little.

First of all the current Mrs Sharkfan from 2006 is still incumbent in the role.

Mrs Sharkfan and I were joined in 2008 by little Miss Sharkfan.

But on to car nonsense.

Way back in about 2006 I decided to purchase a Touring to accomodate the dogs. I landed upon an E34 540i Touring, one of 64 made with a six speed manual gearbox. It was a fabulous thing, mint condition, a replacement engine with only 42k miles on it and perfect for keeping two mucky Labradors off the nice E24 seats.

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2667

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Sadly from that day in May 2006 it lasted just eight months until its demise was hastened along by a sleepy taxi driver; the car was a write-off for as well as extensive front end damage he had hit it hard enough to bend the bottom of the a-post. I was genuinely gutted as I don't think I would have been tempted by anything else; I had fitted leccy heated sports seats and the car needed for nothing, absolutely everything worked and it was a handsome beast on the style 18 alloys.
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After this I was heading toward an early turbo-charged 5 cylinder Audi S4/S6 Avant as I knew finding another minty 540iT/6 would be nigh on impossible but then the legendary E34 M5 Touring slipped onto my radar. Good ones were more than twice my budget but should I take the risk on a high mileage slight shabby example? In hindsight, no. But I did and while it ran it ran very well; it ate a coolant header tank and an alternator and I was getting ready to save the Atlantic-soiled coachwork when the heady,high-strung S38 did what they all do and lunched itself. Being a rare-ish car it languished on my drive for a significant time before common sense overcame man-maths and I decided it had to go; it was a a beast of a thing being cammed and chipped to 363bhp and felt quite special to drive, and I did love the E34 interior. The car had been black, black, blackity black with even the OEM smoked Hella headlamps and smoked rear lenses too - all in all it was a high-powered hearse with only the M5 contrast silver lower bodykit saving it from becoming a complete shadow.
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During 2007, and the above M5 ownership, I was heading for the big 4-0 so I decided I would treat the Baltic blue 635CSi to a little bit of tlc. Some rusts scabs had started forming on the trailing edges of doors, wheel arches and of course under the rear lights. The front wings had been replaced by the PO so were in great shape but the metal and chrome of the front spoiler assembly had also deteriorated badly, so off it went for a few weeks attention at a friend of a friends; I did happen to mention that there was no real rush as I had other cars........

So the M5 Touring had lunched its engine and the rest of the car was rusting on the drive and a replacement wagon was needed; my next move led me down the road of a serious addiction. Again Audi's were appearing on my radar, the V8 powered S6's were looking favourite and I actually looked at two before another German masterpiece stopped in my tracks, the E39 BMW Alpina B10 V8 Touring. Based on the 286bhp 540i the B10 V8 upped the game to challenge the might 400bhp M5. The Alpina's conservative 347bhp bought the car's 0-60 down more than a second from the 540i and within a couple of tenths of the M5. The B10 V8 saloons were made in relatively large numbers by the Buchloe factory but the Tourings were miniscule in proportion with just 10 cars produced in rhd for the UK. Mine was the last ever made before the introduction of the B10 V8S and was a Sytner demonstrator with nearly £20,000 of goodies on top of the £57,000 price tag, itself nearly £15,000 more than the 540i Touring it was based on.

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It was, and still is, a magnificent motorcar; a sublime eater of miles that can switch from gentle sunday driver to NASCAR howling V8 monster with just a press of the loud pedal. The Alpina developed Switch-Tronic gearbox was a revelation; as good as both a manual and an automatic and I quickly learned that using it manual mode was the best option for me. I updated the Sat-Nav, added bluetooth, a digital TV tuner and some other choice OEM goodies, it became a thoroughly modern motorcar with everything you would ever need..... except a reliable cooling system. The E39's are known to have this weakness and mine has been no exception but thankfully no disasters, except for rather regular outbursts under the bonnet, have occured. It remains to this day one of daily drivers and after a paintwork refreshen about two years ago it is also used as the winter hack.

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So all settled by 2010 then; the M635CSi was the high days and holidays car, the B10 V8 Touring was my daily driver, Mrs Sharkfan had let the unused TVR Griffith 500 go in favour of a all singing, all dancing, four seats Audi S4 Cabriolet and the 635CSi, ahh, yes, the 'friend of a friend' respraying it had still not quite got round to it yet......

And then my Alpina addiction kicked in.

I had read a thread back in about 2004 which asked, 'Did Alpina ever make an E34 B10 4.6 Touring?' The answer was yes they had and more information had steadily been added and included a little nugget that had stuck in the back of my mind, just one right hand drive car had been made. No one had ever spotted it, no one had ever mentioned it any other thread and the owner had never been on any forum. Without a registration plate there was no way to even check whether it still existed but I had said to myself that if it ever popped up somewhere I would try and buy it. In mid 2011 it surfaced, albeit briefly, spotted by the son of an Alpina owner but alas when he visited the garage to snap a pic or two it had disappeared back to its owner. Details were left by enquiring minds but the garage owner was adamant that the owner was very private and the details would only be passed on when the owner visited again. Six months passed and the owner agreed to let an enthusiast take some photographs for a forum and it was mentioned it might be for sale; I put myself at the head of the queue and a few weeks later I took a one way train to pick the car up, still unseen by my own eyes. It required some restoration but it was very rewarding as the car is unique in the UK and actually very rare even by Alpina standards, just 19 made and one in rhd. It has the same 340bhp power as the E34 M5 Touring but a good 60lb/ft more torque at far lower revs; it's actually just 20bhp and 30lb/ft short of the legendary Alpina B10 BiTurbo which could never be made as a right hand drive and was never offered as a Touring. It joined the M635 as one of those cars I would never sell, and was deemed special enough to be featured in BMW Car Magazine for whom I thank for these pictures.

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So now we're up to mid 2013 with the Fleet standing on the drive as Mrs Sharkfan's S4 Cab, the M635, the B10 V8 Touring, the B10 4.6 Touring and the 635Csi..... no, wait, that still hadn't quite been finished......

Mrs Sharkfan's career had taken off and a house move had led me onto a new career myself, that of house husband. So in between all the cooking, cleaning, shopping and school runs I managed to take stock of my life and realised I had never owned a V12......

Various guises of this renowned powerplant were grabbing my attention; the AMG S65 with its twin turbo and ridiculous power levels; the Ferrari 365/400/412 range with marmite 1980's styling; some very nice E38 750i Individuals with a whole host of toys for a quarter of the budget of the AMG or Ferrari, or perhaps a left field 12 cylinder choice, the Audi A8 W12 or VW Phaeton with the same engine.

Having an addiction is not very nice, it causes something other than your head to make decisions and so after some detective work and stalking I found another rare Alpina, this time one of just two UK cars delivered, the E38 Alpina B12 5.7 Limousine.

"Yes dear, of course I will sell one of the other cars."

Addicts tell lies to their loved ones to cover their sins and I am no different but this car is quite special. Based on the 5.4litre 326bhp 750iL, Alpina had opened the engine up to increase power up to a conservative 387bhp with a greater increase in torque as well. With a base price of £108,000 compared to the £75,000 of the 750iL it wasn't cheap but sending it off to the BMW Individual programme had bumped the price of this car to nearly £140,000 in 1997. Mrs Sharkfan's reservations vanished on being a passenger in the car - it really is a remarkable way to travel and she has quite often chosen to sit in the rear compartment and work whilst on a longer journey, quite astonishing for someone who normally gets a little travel sick when just reading in any other car. Miss Sharkfan too quite likes it and insists we take it when we embark on a longer family journey.

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It needed a little work here and there but in a few short months it was done, just in time to see the return of the 635CSi after 7 years........
Last edited by sharkfan on Tue Sep 20, 2022 8:44 am, edited 4 times in total.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by kos »

thats some serious cars you've had

was the alpina wagon at Munich Legends last september at their open evening ??
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by sharkfan »

I still have most of them. I still believe that had the sleepy taxi driver not written off the 540i Touring then I'd never have gone down the Alpina addiction route.

Yes, the E34 was invited to park at the front on the Munich Legends evening; ML also took a load of pics of the B12 for their facebook page when I visited recently to see a friends M1 they had been working on.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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Re: My 6er passion

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sharkfan wrote: During 2007, and the above M5 ownership, I was heading for the big 4-0 so I decided I would treat the Blatic blue 635CSi to a little bit of tlc. Some rusts scabs had started forming on the trailing edges of doors, wheel arches and of course under the rear lights. The front wings had been replaced by the PO so were in great shape but the metal and chrome of the front spoiler assembly had also deteriorated badly, so off it went for a few weeks attention at a friend of a friends; I did happen to mention that there was no real rush as I had other cars........

.....and the 635CSi, ahh, yes, the 'friend of a friend' respraying it had still not quite got round to it yet......

.....and the 635Csi..... no, wait, that still hadn't quite been finished......

.....just in time to see the return of the 635CSi after 7 years........
My previously lovely Baltic blue 1982 635CSiA, sent off in 2007 for some bodywork and a respray that would take 'a few weeks', was suddenly returned to me with a curt phone call in the early part of 2014, about 350 weeks (or 81 months, or nearly seven years) later.

I was heartbroken, not only was the respray very poor but the rest of the car, every external surface in fact, was covered in overspray. You could heardly see out of the windscreen when the sun was shining and only thinners would eventually remove it all. The chrome was dulled, the rubbers hard and glossy and to add insult to injury it had some major issues.

One was the electrics. Connecting the battery would light up the dashboard clocks immediately. The car would start on the key but on trying to stop the engine by removing the key it would keep running..... disconnecting the battery wouldn't help anything as the venerable alternator was one of the few things still correctly functioning and being an automatic you couldn't stall the car either. The initial solution was to remove the fuel pump or engine management relay but this was hardly a useful solution.

Another issue was the car would run well for a period but then start running very poorly with little or no power available.... and those good running periods were shortening quite dramatically, soon it was down to about five minutes..

Faced with these problems and some others such as the plumes of black smoke from the exhaust, the cracked exhaust manifold, a now corroding roof panel, an intermittent speedo, flashing hydraulic system alarms, brake pad warnings, interior fan not working at all, a rotting battery tray and on and on, I very seriously thought about breaking the car. I had a Fleet of other functioning, rare and enjoyable BMW's including my M635 which had undergone a complete restoration which was as near as dammit back to bare metal with two new wings purchased and every inch of the rest of the car treated and fixed for even the tiniest blister. New trims where necessary, new screens front and rear and the interior completely stripped out meant it was as new as a nearly 30 year old BMW could be, and after all that it never saw the rain again. Why should I bother with an almost delapidated 635CSi with a hugely old-fashioned three speed automatic gearbox? I could see far better cars being offered as spares and repair on ebay and despite my very best alcohol fuelled man-maths there was absolutely no sums that you could make up or even dream up that could make a case for keeping it, or trying to repair it, except........ the very title of this thread I started way back in 2006, my 6er passion.

I have stated in the past that I have never seen an E24 that I haven't liked and it seemed the more I left the poor old 635 neglected the more I felt I should do something about it. There was still a significant risk it could find its way to a breakers yard though; the plumes of black smoke were disturbing and more especially the attempted removal of a thirty year old exhaust manifold could write off the head with just one snapped stud. The electrics were a major annoyance but on paper at least I had worked a solution if I couldn't trace the problem but on top of all this was the shocking bodywork, covered in overspray. I did say to myself though that I would try and do everything myself without resorting to garages unless absolutely necessary.

The ressurrection started one afternoon when Miss and Mrs Sharkfan had gone to visit friends and I had cried off to watch the football on TV. The couple of beers accompanying the match and the adverse result had driven me to lonely annoyance so I set off to the garage where I located an unused Halfords car polisher (one of those Christmas presents from a relative that takes you aback) and a bottle of T-Cut paint restorer. Within half an hour I seemingly had some results so I ploughed on for a couple of hours and all of a sudden a small quarter of the car appeared to be smooth and shiny once again. A few more less beer-driven sessions had the car looking reasonably decent so I thought I would have a look at those damned electrics. Armed with reams of printed off electrical diagrams I started removing switches, fuses, relays, interior trims and so on until.... I couldn't find the problem.

I was trained as an electrical Artificer in the Royal Navy and was the go-to guy when everyone else said something was dead; we were all trained to find solutions when none appeared to exist and the ship or in my case, submarine, going again. I stripped every switch, relay electric box and fuse out of that car, even removing the fusebox on a couple of occasions and still there was a short somewhere between the constant live 12v and the switched 12v. It had to be in the loom somewhere? Heaven knows how many mice might have nibbled at some tasty old Munich insulation during its seven year isolation but I could not find it so I fitted an OEM looking kill switch in the cabin and a 100amp relay in front of the fuse box. I bypassed this with a fused feed to the central locking and stereo only; it isn't ideal but the upside is that the car is hard to steal as try as you might fiddling with the ignition switch will do nothing, and an extra benefit is absolutely no battery drains - the car can be and has been left for months and still turned over instantly - it might even go longer if I forked out for a new battery!

So onto the engine, the manifold and the black smoke. I started on the manifold with huge trepedation knowing that one moment of frustration or lack of concentration could round a nut or shear a stud thus rendering any repair out of my hands. Remarkably, after many hours of careful work and concentration it came free and a spare manifold I had put aside many years before was popped into place - success. Now onto the black smoke; a top end check had revealed tappets slightly out so they were reset and black spark plugs so running very rich. Should I use trial and error to attempt to fix it or resort to paying a garage? I chose the middle path and purchased a second hand Gunson exhaust gas tester from ebay - it arrived and I duly set out to play with my new toy/tool. Initially it was off the scale but after some fiddling and re-cleaning of now hot spark plugs I managed to achieve a steady idle and legal emmisions - this was awesome, and certainly less cloudy. An oil and filters change followed along with an Inspection check and general service of anything that had needed looking at. During this I discovered a weeping hydraulic system sensor - I replaced this after mopping up the unexpected discharge of oil (even after almost endless pumping of the pedal), the brake pad warning light was a frayed wire, the interior fan was fixed with a transistor replacement from Maplins, the poor running was due to a build of crud on the in-tank fuel filter gauze, the chromes were polished, the rubbers stripped and restored so just the rotting battery tray and roof to fix. I turned to the guys who had restored my M635 but told them in no uncertain terms this was a different brief - this was a budget constrained fix and not a no-holds barred restoration. Whilst they had the car they discovered one of the front suspension legs was badly corroded - I stripped it down and they effected a repair that is probably stronger than original.

The car was bought back home and looked great; the roof respray had necessitated taking the screens out and some additional treating of the windscreen frames and I was assured it was all put back together beautifully. I had spent only a little money but a lot of time bringing the car back from the brink and I was very happy; a few people enquired about a buying it but I was happy enough with it in my care and a very reluctant seller of a car I had owned for so long and just put so much work into.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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sharkfan
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by sharkfan »

Then in the summer of 2015 we moved and a slight miscalculation on my part meant I had to leave the car at my neighbours house for a few weeks while we settled in. Well house moves are seldom easy and moving from the North of England to the South-east meant significant downsizing and so settling in took more than a few weeks. Dear old Baltic blue was left out in the elements untouched, un-covered and unloved from August to November and when I did arrive in pouring rain to get it started and drive it home I was pretty horrified to discover almost swimming pools in the footwells. The kill switch had worked well and they engine initially turned over but wouldn't catch straight away; dread filled me but then after 10 mins of trying it turned over and caught and with a whiff of smoke sprang back into life. The pouring rain had scared the wipers into submission but some gentle physical persuasion convinced them to aid my cause and I set off home. I made it home but the damp carpets caused unrelenting condensation all the way and a few days later I lifted the carpets to reveal the horror beneath.

The sills have previously been very well repaired and were still solid but the join from the sill to the floorpan was rotting extensively with the standing water on it. It appears the screens were removed and replaced correctly but when I had found time to properly clean the rubbers out on the M635 the windscreen replacement man hadn't been as fastidious as I and left some crud in there to leave a waterway for the rain to wick through. I again bit the bullet for this dear old car and after getting the windscreens properly sorted ( I hope) some five solid days of welding followed which have made the cabin watertight. My joy was shortlived however when I discovered the car would not start - the increasing reluctance to start had been the symptom of a now failed speed reference sensor and rather than incur more bills to try the seemingly unending patience of Mrs Sharkfan I resorted to a four hour battle lying outside in the January elements to replace it myself.

So now that's bang up to date - a 635CSi that I have owned for eighteen years this year has overcome all my other cars to find itself my current favourite for a daily driver :D

I have posted a 'Wanted' advert for 4HP22 non-switchable gearbox and associated kit to replace the 3HP but I did state when I bought the car all those years ago, I'll do it when this gearbox gives up the ghost which it still hasn't. The car still isn't perfect, the ageing rear Hankook tyres need replacing but they do provide a sense of nostalgia for the TRX's with their similar wet weather grip characteristics, the CD changer still skips after 18 years, the engine bay still needs little tidy but quite honestly, it is still a lovely car to drive.

In the 22 years since I bought my first E24 the numbers have probably reduced ten-fold; I reckon there was still a larger part of the well over 7000 rhd cars on the road back in 1994, perhaps as many as 6,500 and a week wouldn't go by without seeing one on the road, but now there are well under 700 left on the road so spotting one in the UK is a very rare thing. Just seeing the reactions of people when driving an E24 is great, even seasoned car lovers still raise an approving smile when an E24 passes by and invariably I am stopped to be asked about the car.

Ten years ago in 2006 I started this thread and I wrote that I was a sixer nut and probably destined to end my days in one; the recent resurrection of my dear old Baltic blue car has once again confirmed this to me.
FS11.jpg
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2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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sansouci
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by sansouci »

Wow! Amazing fortitude. Well done. As i read this again, i am doubly impressed by your writing style. Periodic updates makes this a Dicken-like tale.

As to the E38, you may want to venture over to Shogun on bimmerforums where he is a resident guru on older 750ils. The limo is VERY special if i spied the rear drop down writing tables in the cabin.

Ken
Last edited by sansouci on Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
Sansouci
84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
71 240Z 4-speed White/Blue (rusty & sold)
65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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Roku35
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by Roku35 »

Very nice stable you and Mrs Sharkfan have!

As much as I love Alpina, I'm glad that I didn't get a taste of these special Alpina cars. Once you are at the top, it is hard to come down. Hopefully one of these days, but with the market headed upwards, probably still just a dream for me.

Great enthusiast story!
1985 Euro 635CSi CR 5-Spd (Schwartz/Anthracite Buffalo)
1985 Euro 635CSi CR 5-Spd (Polaris/Schwartz)
1985 Euro 628CSi (Zobelbraun/Nutria Buffalo) ...Rehomed
2002 540iT Sport 5-Spd (Schwartz/Schwartz)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaiisharkfest/sets
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MrE
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by MrE »

Thanks for this - impressive from start to finish. Great storytelling and an enviable automotive history. Love that high-powered hearse. Image
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sharkfan
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by sharkfan »

Thank you.

The Alpina bug is nice, but pricey. I was lucky enough to pick each of mine up for reasonable money but they all needed immediate work carrying out on them.

Since 'discovering' Alpina I have lusted after an E24 Alpina creation but they've never seemed to be the car I want at the price I could afford, and now they are all at a price I can't afford so that ship has firmly sailed.

In terms of how they drive, they are simply glorious. The combination of suspension, engine and transmission changes transform a car from the model its based on and each element is absolutely necessary for the recipe to work.

The exterior changes are generally subtle although the wheels can prove to be a little marmite for some. The interior changes can be truly beautiful.... or absolutely disgusting... and that's the penalty for having a completely bespoke service.

As for the prices to fix them, if you 'get' Alpina you have to bite the bullet and realise you can't change the recipe and expect the cake to turn out the same so I have just shelled out nearly £600 for two shock absorber inserts for my E34. They aren't gold-plated, they aren't electronic, they don't come with any other bells and whistles, but they should give me a glimpse of what a new Alpina should feel like to drive, and buying a new Alpina is something I'll never be able to afford to do.

Kudos to those who own an E24 Alpina but please get out and drive it and don't keep it hidden away and off the road in order to 'preserve' a low mileage and investment. Mine get driven all year round and the experiences are worth every penny and pound I knock off their potential future price; their value is to me, here and now.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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rattusM6
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by rattusM6 »

Great write up and glad to see a fellow Alpina buddy on the big coupe forum as well.

Kev
Realised I was dyslexic whilst at a toga party dressed as a goat.
85 E24 M6 - 14 years
92 E30 M3 - 11 years now sold
06 E46 M3 - 2 years
13 Ford Grand C-Max, the family wagon
99 E36 323i Sport Touring - now sold
02 E46 Alpina B3 3.3 - 1.5 years
GazM3
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Re: My 6er passion

Post by GazM3 »

Live that b12 Alpina. An e38 is something that id think about adding to my collection as I'm getting older and would like something that had suspension biased to comfort rather than outright handling.
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84 E24 M635csi
90 E34 M5 3.6
94 E34 540i/6 SC E85
97 E36 M3 euro SC U/C
97 Z3 2.8 widebody

OTHERS
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zinnocoupe
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Re: My E24 passion

Post by zinnocoupe »

Great write up. I'm so glad to have just found this and read it from the start. Quite a stable of rare and unusual cars you have. Those e24 tourings are great. What a shame about the 540i. Awesome BMW journey, thx for posting. I would like to see way more pictures. Your writing is wonderful but more pics would be the icing on the cake.

Cheers
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1979 Euro 635ci no longer a basketcase, just a running rust bucket!
1977 530i Partially restored and running now!
1987 635csi 60K KM Garage Queen
wattsmonkey
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Re: My E24 passion

Post by wattsmonkey »

I enjoyed reading that very much indeed!

Having seen the E34 touring I can really understand the appeal of something so unique and special.

I think an E34 is the perfect running mate for the M635, especially in my case: the 518i is supremely relaxing to drive, oozes quality, but doesn't go up hills very well!

I'll be picking your brains on the big relay installation again: this seems like such a good idea.

Cheers,

Rob
"Most of it necessary; all of it enjoyable." LJKS
'84 635CSi, dogleg...itbs and supercharger????? Eaton Mess
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sharkfan
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Re: My E24 passion

Post by sharkfan »

You're welcome here anytime Rob.

The E34 is a step up from the previous generation cars in quality, design and refinement, but still retains a great deal of driver feedback that makes a drivers drive enjoyable. The E39 is a huge step further again in design and refinement but a leap back in quality as well as driver involvement. My E34 is hopefully a keeper; the first owner had it for 17 years and I'm only up to 5 so far, 12 to go and I might consider selling it 8)

The big relay is a necessity in my car as there is a loom short somewhere but it works well for the car. The battery is over 12 years old but the car still starts after a few weeks off even without a maintainer as all it feeds when the relay is open is the central locking, the radio memory and the cheapie digital voltmeter I installed.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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sharkfan
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Re: My E24 passion

Post by sharkfan »

Just updating this thread - my 1982 635CSi has passed it's 33rd MoT and has just three more to overcome to get to 40 years old and no longer require the rigours of a yearly inspection. It did require an entire exhaust system (courtesy of Fritz Bitz) and a recent brake bomb but then sailed through with only nods of appreciation for its general condition for a 36 year old daily driver - this is it just this evening...

Image
Last edited by sharkfan on Wed Apr 24, 2019 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2001 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (1 of 12 rhd)
1997 Alpina B12 5.7 L (1 of 2 rhd)
1995 Alpina B10 4.6 Touring (1 of 1 rhd)
1985 BMW M635CSi (1 of 524 rhd)
1982 BMW 635CSiA (1 of 100's left from the 1000's made and still valiantly fighting against a rusty grave)
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hornhospital
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Re: My E24 passion

Post by hornhospital »

That's impressive. I hope she cruises through the next two MOTs and enjoys a continued long life without the governmental oversite.
Ken Kanne
'84 633CSi "Sylvia"; '85 635CSi "Katja";'85 325e "Hazel Ann"; '95 M3 "Ashlyn"
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