bigcoupe.com

Well, the big day came yesterday! Got a call from the seller last Thursday and we agreed on yesterday (Saturday) to do the deal. During the call he told me he just couldn't physically nor mentally finish the rust repair. I understand that. One of the effects of PTSD is a lack of motivation. One just can't seem to find the (whatever) to do things, or you are overwhelmed by everything, so you freeze up, yet you don't have this problem back in the jungle, it's weird.

I didn't have a problem with the rust issue as (I believe), there is enough slack in the purchase price ($2850.00) to allow for a pro repair. He provided replacement clips for the trim as well as the removed trim piece.

He told me that he was also going to sell his truck, though it is in pieces, because of the lack of motivation. I explained that my method of dealing with that was a butt-load of BMW's. As long as you can make yourself start working on something, you can use momentum to keep going. Every once in a while I do get a bit overwhelmed and do just "shut down" for a couple of days, but then I remember how it feels to experience what PO is dealing with, so I get up off my a** again. So, long story short, I'm going to start dragging him to car club get-togethers (Bootleggers, hot rod club) and the BMW club, when they start with the better weather. There are a lot of vets in the Bootleggers, so it may help him to be around others with similar issues.

Okay, moving on...
Since the only time I saw the car was in an unlighted garage, I thought the interior was black - Surprise! - it's blue. I have attached some quickie pics of when I got the car home yesterday, including the 2 years of dust it accumulated while the seller installed all new gaskets and changed all the fluids and filters and had the radiator cleaned and tested. Sorry about the quality and lack of professionalism of these pics, but this is kind of a starting point I'm trying to document for the car and hopefully, I will improve on what is here in the future. (Next question is can I get these pics posted???)

It looks like I will have to make multiple postings to get this done, as it seems to choke up after 4. So, more to come.

See ya!
Mike

Round two!

Moving on: Here are pics of the interior. As I mentioned earlier, the PO's brother had installed "furry" seat covers when the car was new and I found (almost) showroom quality front seats, it was amazing!

More interior pics of the dash. It has a weird floor mat on the driver's side. I'm sure the original died a long time ago, but as you'll see, the passenger side is still intact.

Pics also showing the dash cracks. But, maybe repairable???

Happy - Happy - Joy - Joy!

Couldn't believe all the tools are there (I think), also the first aid kit (still in shrink-wrap) and the warning triangle. Wow!

Here is the "heart" of the matter... I just hope you guys don't see anything really out of wack..

Gentlemen;

This is the post where the questions start. The car has 214k miles and feels very solid. The suspension "works" and there are no odd "bangs". Took it out for a spin and it was a blast! It's true, one never forgets how to row the gears, but it led to some inquiries.

1. The pressure point on the clutch is about 1"-2" off the floor. Is this normal for a BMW? I'm more accustomed to pressure points at least mid-way along pedal travel if not 3/4 of the way up. Can it be adjusted? Should it be adjusted?

2. The shifter seems a bit "catchy", "heavy" and/or "notchy". It's not as smooth as I would like. Somewhere in my BMW meanderings, I have a vague recollection regarding bushing replacements or something. Am I on the right track, or am I thinking of a different transmission altogether?

3. The tachometer is a little flaky. Alternates between reading fine and reading not-so-fine. Possible loose connection or ground issue?

4. PO had adjusted the steering box, to remove a bit of steering slack, but overdid it. I'm slowly trying to back it off. Is there some trick to it, or is it just a "trial and error" thing?

5. Is it me, or is the back bumper assembly not lining up with the body lines? I'm hoping for some form of adjustment, if it is indeed out of alignment.

6. I do have the fog lights. PO removed them to glue the broken pieces of the lenses back in. Is there any source for lenses only as the remainder of them are in good shape, though dirty?

So, this is the start of yet another project, but one I am anxious to do. It's interesting, I work harder now that I'm retired, than I did when I actually worked, but IMO there is no such thing as too many cars!

Please let me know if I have (A) really screwed up and bought a bow-wow - (B) What would be a normal purchase price for this vehicle in this condition be if I did not - and (C) potential upside value?

As always, you guys (gals) are the best and I am endlessly impressed by the knowledge and skill of the people who hang out here.

Regards,
Mike

I’d say you got a really good deal. Your car looks to be in great shape, especially the engine compartment.
Good example in Northern California are $6-8K and rough ones are $4-5K.

The rust in the fender is an easy fix (I had that too). I did notice the diagnostic port wasn’t in it’s normal perch. Also, the red caps for the port are getting harder to find.

Just about anything you need to do will be documented somewhere on this site. I started my journey 3 years ago and the people on this forum are amazing. I’ve put 23K miles on my car (daily driver) in the last 2 years and every drive is an adventure still!

Welcome to the madness and I look forward to reading about your progress.

I think you got a good price provided the rust repair isn't any worse than it appears. Engine bay looks like the PO kept up with preventive maintenance...judging by new looking belts etc.

I spent lots of $ and time catching up on preventative maintenance on my '85 Euro after I bought it but enjoyed doing most of it myself. All part of the fun.

I replaced all of the shift linkage with new OEM parts on my 265 dogleg transmission and it is less notchy than before but certainly not as smooth as most modern transmissions. I generally don't downshift from 3rd to 2nd above 40 mph and after putting thousands of miles on the car am just enjoying it the way it is. Probably not too much different than when it was new.

My dash also has cracks and at some point in the future I plan to send it off to JustDashes and get it repaired. This is a $2300 job and will likely require pulling the front windshield out to get the dash back in...so I've put this off for the time being.

Enjoy!

One last thing...the biggest improvement to enjoying the car I've made is ditching the 14" wheels and going with 16" and performance rubber. Completely transformed the ride and drive.

Wow! for $2300 I think I will learn to love the dash cracks. It has a nice blue dash cover on it right now, so hopefully the cracks won't get any worse.

I was afraid that pulling the windshield was a possibility, which is something I don't want to do either.

Since you replaced your shift linkage with OEM, am I safe in assuming there is no aftermarket "improved" shift parts for this transmission? If not, that's too bad.

Thanks,
Mike

My dash has a couple cracks in the same place as yours...and I'm ok with it :)

I'd start with making sure your existing linkage is in good shape. Mine was missing a screw holding the sheet metal plate to the transmission and the sheet metal plate eventually broken in half at the weld. When new and properly installed it seems to work fine except that there is excess play if you pull up on the shift knob. This play can be removed with with a little ingenuity. I think others on this forum have used a different bushing in place of the rubber OEM one.

Wonderful story and really nice car. You did REAL good. Have fun with the to-do list.
Ken

Thanks, Ken.