850 CSi - first steps
Discussion
It's not much but on facebook is a tiny clip of the first time she opened her eyes
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4720174662357...
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4720174662357...
I should be under the car changing the oil right now...but it is just too cold, wet and windy around here at the moment...
But that gives me time to list the very little I know about the car and the story how I found it.
We picked up a friend of a friend to watch some football. I didn't know the gentleman at that time, and I noticed a rather sorry looking TVR Chimaera in his driveway
I felt very sorry for the car, especially with a badly damaged rear window and the rather rainy English climate.
When I asked him about it he said that he really should do something about this, as the car had not moved for about 5 years. And then he mentioned that he also had an old BMW standing around...
But that gives me time to list the very little I know about the car and the story how I found it.
We picked up a friend of a friend to watch some football. I didn't know the gentleman at that time, and I noticed a rather sorry looking TVR Chimaera in his driveway
I felt very sorry for the car, especially with a badly damaged rear window and the rather rainy English climate.
When I asked him about it he said that he really should do something about this, as the car had not moved for about 5 years. And then he mentioned that he also had an old BMW standing around...
That's when I really woke up! The E31 was one of the cars on my bedroom wall, next to a 993 and a F40 - THE cars of my childhood! AMAZING!!!
I have some experience with older cars, about 5 years ago I bought an old Mercedes SL500 (R107), which I still consider to be one of the most elegant cars. But that did not need to be refurbished, it was already quite pretty:
However, as it was already an old car when I became car-crazy I never really fell in love with it! To an extent that the car is now in storage...
Anyway - I was electrified when I heard there was an E31 standing around, clearly abandoned and not wanted. And I didn't ask at the time, but secretly I of course hoped and prayed that it would be the pinnacle...the 850 CSi.
I have some experience with older cars, about 5 years ago I bought an old Mercedes SL500 (R107), which I still consider to be one of the most elegant cars. But that did not need to be refurbished, it was already quite pretty:
However, as it was already an old car when I became car-crazy I never really fell in love with it! To an extent that the car is now in storage...
Anyway - I was electrified when I heard there was an E31 standing around, clearly abandoned and not wanted. And I didn't ask at the time, but secretly I of course hoped and prayed that it would be the pinnacle...the 850 CSi.
Edited by niki0712 on Tuesday 28th January 17:15
Edited by niki0712 on Tuesday 28th January 17:35
You should post in this very long running thread http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The very best of luck with this bringing back to life of a truly amazing car!
The very best of luck with this bringing back to life of a truly amazing car!
So fairly soon after I contacted the gentleman and asked him whether he would consider selling the BMW. Remember that at that time I still had not seen the car! He said yes and I immediately came up to Suffolk to have a look..and it was indeed a CSi!
Then I asked myself why someone would leave such an , well actually two such iconic and valuable cars outside, and he said that after turning the garage into an office there was simply no more garage.
A very friendly and helpful gentleman from this forum has now sent me a list of the service dealers this car has been to prior to 2002, and I will enquire with them about the service history of the car. I hope they will release this kind of information. The mileage etc all adds up and makes sense, and so does the service book.
According to the seller the car was and is absolutely fine, I guess I will find that out sooner or later. I think he just lost interest...
My friend Phil has subsequently bought the TVR off him (with 19,000 miles!), and according to the mechanic restoring it, it is in surprisingly good conditions. It is running, not much rust and should be done in a few weeks.
V8, 285 hp - and 1,000kg!!!
Then I asked myself why someone would leave such an , well actually two such iconic and valuable cars outside, and he said that after turning the garage into an office there was simply no more garage.
A very friendly and helpful gentleman from this forum has now sent me a list of the service dealers this car has been to prior to 2002, and I will enquire with them about the service history of the car. I hope they will release this kind of information. The mileage etc all adds up and makes sense, and so does the service book.
According to the seller the car was and is absolutely fine, I guess I will find that out sooner or later. I think he just lost interest...
My friend Phil has subsequently bought the TVR off him (with 19,000 miles!), and according to the mechanic restoring it, it is in surprisingly good conditions. It is running, not much rust and should be done in a few weeks.
V8, 285 hp - and 1,000kg!!!
Edited by niki0712 on Tuesday 28th January 17:19
Edited by niki0712 on Tuesday 28th January 17:32
Very lucky find, well done. Sold mine four + years ago after enjoying every minute for ten years. Modified it to steel hand made wide-body conversion for last couple of years.; see Issue 67 Total BMW. Sold it to a chap from Midlands who painted it LIME green, everybody to their own tastes, and saw it up for sale last year, Don't know if it sold. Loved it and surprisingly economical for a V12 when driven (sometimes) sensibly. NEVER gave me any major problems. Have a rear spoiler that looks ace on the car in my garage if you're interested.
07721552108
Glyn.
07721552108
Glyn.
niki0712 said:
So that it the story about how I found this car, sorry for the lengthy postings, without much content...
So, the original barn find without the barn..... Bizarre how someone how someone can basically park up a 5yr old car that cost over £80k (and must have had a value north of £30k then I guess) kind of stuff you read about but never see, you were in the right place at the right time and looks like you have the stomach for getting it back to how a 30.000 miler should look!
niki0712 said:
S
My friend Phil has subsequently bought the TVR off him (with 19,000 miles!), and according to the mechanic restoring it, it is in surprisingly good conditions. It is running, not much rust and should be done in a few weeks.
fMy friend Phil has subsequently bought the TVR off him (with 19,000 miles!), and according to the mechanic restoring it, it is in surprisingly good conditions. It is running, not much rust and should be done in a few weeks.
k sake, my next post was going to be 'do you know if he'll sell me the TVR?'The 8 series (I'd probably target a 4.4 840 though), TVRs Chim and Cerbera are three cars on my bucket list. If I get to fully restore one of them in the process then I would be a very happy man.
Good luck to you and your mate in getting these two amazing cars back on the road.
Great thread.
Just for reference, on E31 prices, we've just waved goodbye to our 1999 T 840Ci Sport with circa 70k miles on for £10k.
In excellent condition, owned from new, nice list of extras with Individual paintwork and leather.
Gone but never forgotten, it just wasn't getting used much and the bills (anything that needed doing was done right away) were becoming a bit silly for what was being treated more like an ornament.
Was introduced to the E31 by Ian Rush who had a lovely 850CSi in white maybe 20ish years ago, he was a good friend of our next door neighbour and I came home one day to see it parked outside.
Enjoy it, I'd love to own an 850CSi one day... but you are a very brave man!
Just for reference, on E31 prices, we've just waved goodbye to our 1999 T 840Ci Sport with circa 70k miles on for £10k.
In excellent condition, owned from new, nice list of extras with Individual paintwork and leather.
Gone but never forgotten, it just wasn't getting used much and the bills (anything that needed doing was done right away) were becoming a bit silly for what was being treated more like an ornament.
Was introduced to the E31 by Ian Rush who had a lovely 850CSi in white maybe 20ish years ago, he was a good friend of our next door neighbour and I came home one day to see it parked outside.
Enjoy it, I'd love to own an 850CSi one day... but you are a very brave man!
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