Putting an idled 85 back in service
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Putting an idled 85 back in service
In April (2015) I purchased a 1985 BMW 635CSi from a junkyard mechanic.
The story was that it had belonged to an older couple that had had it sitting for years and decided to trade it to a dealer for a newer truck. The old tires had dry-rotted so bad that they had bought brand new tires to drive it to the dealer.
The dealer had no market for an old rough running import and it went from back lot, to budget dealer, to junkyard mechanic.
Years ago in Germany I owned an 1802, 535i, and 740i. When I saw the 635 on Craigslist, unmolested and rust free, I was happy to make the hour long drive and part with some cash.
Now, after two months of delays and excuses, I am finally expecting to receive the title to the car from the dealer and get to work restoring it to a comfortable reliable car.
The story was that it had belonged to an older couple that had had it sitting for years and decided to trade it to a dealer for a newer truck. The old tires had dry-rotted so bad that they had bought brand new tires to drive it to the dealer.
The dealer had no market for an old rough running import and it went from back lot, to budget dealer, to junkyard mechanic.
Years ago in Germany I owned an 1802, 535i, and 740i. When I saw the 635 on Craigslist, unmolested and rust free, I was happy to make the hour long drive and part with some cash.
Now, after two months of delays and excuses, I am finally expecting to receive the title to the car from the dealer and get to work restoring it to a comfortable reliable car.
Last edited by 78F350 on Thu Jun 18, 2015 7:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
So far other than driving it home and to work a few days I have not done much to it. I have put newer BBS wheels on it to replace the steel. There is a box of parts ready to go on including; odometer gears, intake tubing, filters and fluids. Years of idleness and neglect have taken their toll, but overall its a good clean car to start with.
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The 'To Do List':
+Fix the leaking sunroof that made the back seat and carpet wet in heavy rain.
+Repaint due to the peeling clear coat on the hood, and fix minor body issues. (Looks like a cheap respray was done on the hood at one point.)
+Replace the front seats. Driver's seat reclines while driving if it isn't braced, and leather is worn.
+Odometer gears.
+Flush all fluids and replace filters.
+Exhaust and muffler replace.
+Fix/replace audio system.
Done:
- Steering reservoir flushed and filter replaced. The filter was completely degraded and clogged, making a terrible sound.
- Steel wheels swapped to 15" BMW/BBS.
+Fix the leaking sunroof that made the back seat and carpet wet in heavy rain.
+Repaint due to the peeling clear coat on the hood, and fix minor body issues. (Looks like a cheap respray was done on the hood at one point.)
+Replace the front seats. Driver's seat reclines while driving if it isn't braced, and leather is worn.
+Odometer gears.
+Flush all fluids and replace filters.
+Exhaust and muffler replace.
+Fix/replace audio system.
Done:
- Steering reservoir flushed and filter replaced. The filter was completely degraded and clogged, making a terrible sound.
- Steel wheels swapped to 15" BMW/BBS.
Last edited by 78F350 on Fri Jun 19, 2015 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
To start with the first item on your list:78F350 wrote:The 'To Do List':
+Fix the leaking sunroof that made the back set and carpet wet in heavy rain.
+Repaint due to the peeling clear coat on the hood, and fix minor body issues. (Looks like a cheap respray was done on the hood at one point.)
+Replace the front seats. Driver's seat reclines while driving if it isn't braced, and leather is worn.
+Odometer gears.
+Flush all fluids and replace filters.
+Exhaust and muffler replace.
+Fix/replace audio system.
It may not be so much the sunroof leaking as the sunroof drains plugged up. Here is some info on the Sunroof drains.
Sunroof Drains (with Photo's):
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... st27801406
Taylor's write-up with Photo's: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... ?t=1065730&
Sunroof Drains (with pic of rear hose): http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...php?t=1657571&
Pic of Front & Rear: viewtopic.php?t=16785&
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- Location: Sydney Australia
Thanks for those links. So far most of what I had found was dead links or 3-series, which isn't quite the same as the e24. I started working on it this afternoon, but just couldn't get myself to drop a perfectly good looking headliner yet. After seeing the first link I think my problem may actually be in the trunk by the jack storage.Chris Wright wrote:...
To start with the first item on your list:
It may not be so much the sunroof leaking as the sunroof drains plugged up. Here is some info on the Sunroof drains.
Sunroof Drains (with Photo's):
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... st27801406
Taylor's write-up with Photo's: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... ?t=1065730&
Sunroof Drains (with pic of rear hose): http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...php?t=1657571&
Pic of Front & Rear: viewtopic.php?t=16785&
On another topic: For the seats, I am going to go to a few junkyards and see what I can find. I have seen a few threads about e28 and e30 seats going in. I'm not a purist, but I really don't want to have a jury-rigged mismatched interior. Any recommendations that won't cost more than the car are appreciated.
More Pics...
Okay, first lets get some of the ugly over with. Here is the baseline where I'm starting and hopefully going forward it all gets better.
The Craigslist Ad:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/282/18321 ... 5642_z.jpg" width="640" height="451" alt="original-ad">
Not quite a grin, but everything generally in good order:
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3774/1831 ... 5b13_c.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="front-center">
Paint:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/401/18753 ... f588_z.jpg" width="640" height="366" alt="left-front">
Original wheels without the hubcap:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/268/18319 ... e180_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="original-whl">
Rear drive:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/508/18936 ... a3cc_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="rear-drive">
Driver's seat:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/357/18755 ... 616d_z.jpg" width="363" height="640" alt="seat-stitch">
Engine Very clean for it's age:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/368/18755 ... af7a_z.jpg" width="458" height="640" alt="engine">
Door:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/316/18936 ... 2e41_z.jpg" width="640" height="364" alt="door">
Back seat:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/323/18321 ... c38e_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="backseat">
Battered, but not beaten (New badges ready to go on after paint):
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/269/18755 ... fddd_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="badge-worn">
Okay, first lets get some of the ugly over with. Here is the baseline where I'm starting and hopefully going forward it all gets better.
The Craigslist Ad:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/282/18321 ... 5642_z.jpg" width="640" height="451" alt="original-ad">
Not quite a grin, but everything generally in good order:
<img src="https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3774/1831 ... 5b13_c.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="front-center">
Paint:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/401/18753 ... f588_z.jpg" width="640" height="366" alt="left-front">
Original wheels without the hubcap:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/268/18319 ... e180_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="original-whl">
Rear drive:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/508/18936 ... a3cc_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="rear-drive">
Driver's seat:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/357/18755 ... 616d_z.jpg" width="363" height="640" alt="seat-stitch">
Engine Very clean for it's age:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/368/18755 ... af7a_z.jpg" width="458" height="640" alt="engine">
Door:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/316/18936 ... 2e41_z.jpg" width="640" height="364" alt="door">
Back seat:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/323/18321 ... c38e_z.jpg" width="640" height="360" alt="backseat">
Battered, but not beaten (New badges ready to go on after paint):
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/269/18755 ... fddd_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="badge-worn">
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- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 5:26 am
- Location: Sydney Australia
More Pics...
Paint:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/401/18753 ... f588_z.jpg" width="640" height="366" alt="left-front">
I like it. A good buy at that price. Given the four seats above, it looks like the four 6'er judges have given scores of at least 5 and left already. Or is this where you and your 3 mates sit with beer in hand and BS about 6'ers?
Paint:
<img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/401/18753 ... f588_z.jpg" width="640" height="366" alt="left-front">
I like it. A good buy at that price. Given the four seats above, it looks like the four 6'er judges have given scores of at least 5 and left already. Or is this where you and your 3 mates sit with beer in hand and BS about 6'ers?
Awesome that it has sport seats, and likely the 265 overdrive transmission!
Those wheels had to go for sure, though!
Those wheels had to go for sure, though!
http://www.Drive4Corners.com
'79 635CSi Revival
'80 635CSi
'83 633CSi Callaway Turbo continued as 1988 535is Turbo
SOLD: '81 635CSi/A
'79 635CSi Revival
'80 635CSi
'83 633CSi Callaway Turbo continued as 1988 535is Turbo
SOLD: '81 635CSi/A
That seat may be able to be stitched back together and they all can be refinished in leatherique: http://www.leatherique.com/
I think that I have the roof leak fixed. The drain on the right rear was clogged. At first I though that I was going to have to take the whole headliner down, but after looking through some helpful links, I figured out that I could just open up the edge of the right rear and get access to the area I needed.
sunroofdrain
sunroofdrain
Good guesses. Actually I have no idea what those chairs are doing there.Given the four seats above, it looks like the four 6'er judges have given scores of at least 5 and left already. Or is this where you and your 3 mates sit with beer in hand and BS about 6'ers?
I wish, but it is the Automatic transmission....and likely 265 overdrive transmission!
That looks like a great product line. I hope that I can save the leather. For now, the more important issue is that there is some broken and bent metal in the mechanism that reclines the seat. I'm going to have to pull it all apart and see if it can be saved.That seat may be able to be stitched back together and they all can be refinished in leatherique: http://www.leatherique.com/