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bmthnick1981
2,794 posts
85 months
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Robatr0n
11,512 posts
85 months
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Great work, it looks fantastic!  If I had the time I'd love to give my E34 540i the same treatment.
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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O.K support and encouragement team, what shall I restore next????
I am thinking a manual 635CSI any year, if I can find a good enough example that needs a good refresh. Keep your ears and eyes open, original and un-messed with.
Regards,
James
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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Robatr0n said: Great work, it looks fantastic! If I had the time I'd love to give my E34 540i the same treatment. I think it's worth it, getting very scarce now – and I think they are appreciated in good condition as they are very useable with ABS and other mod cons. Compare it to the eye watering depreciation on a new car? 1st stop, cooling system 2nd stop suspension and brakes Cheers, James
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Robatr0n
11,512 posts
85 months
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Just out of interest, do you restore cars for customers or do you buy cars to restore them for the sake of enjoyment and sell them on afterwards? Well mechanically the old girl isn't too bad but ideally I would need to attend to the small bit of rust on the driver's side door. I can't seem to find any other areas of rust on the car and overall it does seem fairly solid. It also has the added bonus of a LSD and manual gearbox. 
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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Robatr0n said: Just out of interest, do you restore cars for customers or do you buy cars to restore them for the sake of enjoyment and sell them on afterwards? Well mechanically the old girl isn't too bad but ideally I would need to attend to the small bit of rust on the driver's side door. I can't seem to find any other areas of rust on the car and overall it does seem fairly solid. It also has the added bonus of a LSD and manual gearbox. Just for fun to deal with my OCD, enjoy for a while until it's perfect then look for the next project tend to be the way it goes. A 540i Manual is a rare thing indeed. Naturally if I can recover some of my costs the wife is happier me starting the next project!!!
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bmthnick1981
2,794 posts
85 months
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Robatr0n
11,512 posts
85 months
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Car OCD is a bad disease indeed! I think it's great that you're giving some older cars a new lease of life, this 535i looks brilliant.
Yes the 540i manual is certainly a rarity. Oddly I was never bothered about owning one until a friend lent me his 540i and the idea of having one just stuck.
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Johnboy Mac
2,666 posts
47 months
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bmthnick1981 said: Nice cars but the potential to be a money pit is all to common. I'd worry about rust and the engine, especially the possibility & expense of a top end o/haul. Still, I won't say no in an ideal world.
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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Johnboy Mac said: bmthnick1981 said: Nice cars but the potential to be a money pit is all to common. I'd worry about rust and the engine, especially the possibility & expense of a top end o/haul. Still, I won't say no in an ideal world. I love them, but hugely expensive to restore properly. I was considering an E34 M5, ditto - the 535i is simpler and tougher the parts being more garden variety. I am tempted if the main mechanics are still strong and the main body is still good. You could spend £15,000 to a nice job all being well.
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Johnboy Mac
2,666 posts
47 months
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Bogracer said: You could spend £15,000 to a nice job all being well. Maybe better off buying a 'good' 10k one and allowing a budget of 5k? Bogracer, consider an E32 735iSE or a E12 M535i (if you can find a good'ish one)?
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E38Ross
10,510 posts
81 months
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you can do my E38 if you want  why not go for an E28 or an E21 even?
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Pig Skill
1,368 posts
72 months
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Bogracer said: Johnboy Mac said: bmthnick1981 said: Nice cars but the potential to be a money pit is all to common. I'd worry about rust and the engine, especially the possibility & expense of a top end o/haul. Still, I won't say no in an ideal world. I love them, but hugely expensive to restore properly. I was considering an E34 M5, ditto - the 535i is simpler and tougher the parts being more garden variety. I am tempted if the main mechanics are still strong and the main body is still good. You could spend £15,000 to a nice job all being well. That M6 looks like a wallet opener to me. When you can visibly and readily see corrosion its always far worse once ground back and that is showing corrosion in some awkward areas. Wide berth methinks
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St John Smythe
3,800 posts
86 months
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Pig Skill said: Bogracer said: Johnboy Mac said: bmthnick1981 said: Nice cars but the potential to be a money pit is all to common. I'd worry about rust and the engine, especially the possibility & expense of a top end o/haul. Still, I won't say no in an ideal world. I love them, but hugely expensive to restore properly. I was considering an E34 M5, ditto - the 535i is simpler and tougher the parts being more garden variety. I am tempted if the main mechanics are still strong and the main body is still good. You could spend £15,000 to a nice job all being well. That M6 looks like a wallet opener to me. When you can visibly and readily see corrosion its always far worse once ground back and that is showing corrosion in some awkward areas. Wide berth methinks Agreed. Looks totally rotten.
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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Yep, no MOT, lots of nasty rot, no leather, you have got to be really keen.
If it was £1000, maybe - there are much better starting points out there. Unless you are an able bodywork guy. You need to see it in the flesh and on some ramps.
I have looked at loads of M6's which on the surface look good, nice and shiney, nice interiors, Alpina wheel etc, but need a total refresh. Somthing decent its £10k. Allow £7,000 for a refresh, peace of mind stuff in a 150mph car!
Or just buy a nice 635csi and sort it properly.
I have always wondered if 535d engine would fit in 6???
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bmthnick1981
2,794 posts
85 months
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How about an E32 740i? I MAY know of one needing a new home shortly...
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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My preference is manual cars, really 
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Zwolf
22,321 posts
75 months
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bmthnick1981 said: How about an E32 740i? I MAY know of one needing a new home shortly... 
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Bogracer
Original Poster
350 posts
76 months
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Zwolf said: For free? With the provisor I restore it?
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bmthnick1981
2,794 posts
85 months
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Zwolf said: bmthnick1981 said: How about an E32 740i? I MAY know of one needing a new home shortly... The Calypso Red one as shown in the photos with my old e38 740il. Belongs to my house mate but its in need of some mechanical fettling and seeing as he bought it cheaply as a short term car I'm not sure he is going to be minded to pump the requisite ££ into it. I think it's into the garage tomorrow for a view on what it needs spending on it to put it straight and I think he will form a view shortly thereafter.
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