1986 628CSi Restoration
Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:28 pm
In January this year I took this for its MOT, as usual. 1986 520i. My brother and I dragged it out of a barn around ten years ago when we were teenagers, and returned it to the road. I daily'd it for about three or four years, but she lives in a barn and only comes out on sunny days now. I've had this, and another E28, in pieces and back together more times than I've changed my clothes, so am no stranger to the ins and outs of these cars.
Its "only" a 2.8 auto, but its a late shadowline car, fairly complete, and upon close inspection, doesn't have any serious rust issues. The bodywork is what I would call serviceable: sill ends and leading edges of the front wings need repair, but I've got plenty of welding experience and like a challenge!
It was laid up ~12 years ago with a suspected gearbox fault, and was parked indoors at the back of a unit. However, Its been parked outdoors now for several months with no side windows or windscreen (bloody vandals ). Hence the challenge will be the interior. The engine turns over on a spanner though.
So, its now safely back at my unit and the stripdown has begun. I quickly located not one but two replacement windscreens and a pair of doors with good glass via eBay.
The Keys have unfortunately been lost in the mists of time, possibly pocketed by the same little scrotes who bricked the windows. So if anybody has a full lock set they are willing to sell me, please get in touch :) . We had to dismantle the steering column and turn the rack with mole grips just to get it on and off of the low-loader in a straight line!
These have definitely seen better days but apart from that bolster (which has broken down like soggy cardboard), look like they will respond well to a really really good clean.
The interior is all boxed up, and back at home ready for restoration piece by piece. Next step is to strip down the doors.
Bye for Now
Dave
So, January this year while its MOT was being done I spotted this in the corner of the yard....Its "only" a 2.8 auto, but its a late shadowline car, fairly complete, and upon close inspection, doesn't have any serious rust issues. The bodywork is what I would call serviceable: sill ends and leading edges of the front wings need repair, but I've got plenty of welding experience and like a challenge!
It was laid up ~12 years ago with a suspected gearbox fault, and was parked indoors at the back of a unit. However, Its been parked outdoors now for several months with no side windows or windscreen (bloody vandals ). Hence the challenge will be the interior. The engine turns over on a spanner though.
So, its now safely back at my unit and the stripdown has begun. I quickly located not one but two replacement windscreens and a pair of doors with good glass via eBay.
The Keys have unfortunately been lost in the mists of time, possibly pocketed by the same little scrotes who bricked the windows. So if anybody has a full lock set they are willing to sell me, please get in touch :) . We had to dismantle the steering column and turn the rack with mole grips just to get it on and off of the low-loader in a straight line!
These have definitely seen better days but apart from that bolster (which has broken down like soggy cardboard), look like they will respond well to a really really good clean.
The interior is all boxed up, and back at home ready for restoration piece by piece. Next step is to strip down the doors.
Bye for Now
Dave