BMW 635i: PH Carpool

An abandoned 6 Series rescued from oblivion by two astonished BMW fans in a story to warm any PH heart

Name: James and Jon Marson (itsallicanafford and CSLmarson)
Car: 1979 BMW E24 635CSI
Owned since: June 2013
Previously owned: Current cars are E46 M3 CSL (Jon), E36 328i trackday car (Jon), Mk1 MX-5 1.8 (James)

One of those stories you think never actually happens

Why we bought it:
[James writes] "It all started with a text message to my brother Jon from a friend, showing a dusty and forgotten old BMW. It was in the underground car park of an upmarket, west London block of flats and the managing agents wanted rid of it, were we interested? From the picture, we could see it was a 6 Series but apart from that we were in the dark. We texted straight back saying we would have it, thinking it would be most likely a rusty old nail. Worst case we could just scrap her, no harm done.

"Jon went to have a look and what followed was a series of rather interesting and increasingly excited calls. Firstly, although clearly neglected, it looked complete and original. It was also an early E24 635CSI with the big rubber rear spoiler. The news then got better, there appeared to be very little signs of rust, the wings and sills all looked solid. It was also a manual with a dog-leg box, the cream leather interior looked good and it had 31,000 miles on the clock. As it is LHD, this actually turned out to be 31,000 km.

Front to back, inside and out - totally original

"We were told that the car had belonged to an elderly lady who had lived in the apartment block. She preferred to drive her Ferrari to the shops so the 6 had only been used occasionally (we have no idea if that is true or not). When she passed away in 1995 the Ferrari was sold and the 6 Series was just left. When we found it, we believed it had not turned a wheel in nearly two decades.

"We managed to contact the relatives of the owner, a deal was done, the big coupe was ours."

What I wish I'd known:
"Nothing, we were not looking for an E24, it just fell into our laps."

Things I love:
"The car is in time warp condition. The underground car park must have had ideal conditions for long term storage as the usual rust to the front wings etc is not present. Had it been left outside, it would be a pile of bolts by now. It really is like driving a car straight out of a museum.

"It is amazing how much positive reaction the car gets, from thumbs up at traffic lights to people coming up to you to chat about it. There is a lot of love out there for an old shark.

"I love the 70s tech, it has this big button marked 'Test' which lights up a dozen green check lights all in German. Everything is electric, it also has AC, parking lights, headlight washers, etc. It must have been the height of luxury at the time.

After years underground the big 6 is out and about

"Above all, you've got to love the engine and drivetrain. Point the 6 at a straight stretch of road and let it off the leash and the back squats down and it flies, relatively speaking of course! Could you out-drag a modern 320d? Who cares, you are too busy rowing through the dog-leg box (fourth feels like you are reaching into the glove box!) with the front nodding with each change, trying to keep things in a straight line while being accompanied by a classic straight-six sound track."

Things I hate:
"Nothing, I pinch myself each time I go for a drive."

Costs:
"We have done most of the work required to get the 6 back on the road ourselves (well, Jon has as he is the spanner man but I give it a go!), apart from brake line renewal and having the alloys refurbished. A big thanks for the technical help from contributors on the PH BMW forum. The main problem we encountered was that the 20-odd years of inactivity had led to all the coolant evaporating and crystallising in various pipes, in the radiator and also the block. We spent quite a lot of time removing big lumps of coolant from just about everywhere and constantly flushing through the system. We replaced the thermostat, water pump, removed the radiator and soaked it overnight in citric acid. New discs, pads and tyres. Most parts are cheap as they seam to be shared with the contemporary 5 Series and pattern parts are widely available. There is always something to do but that's half the fun of it."

Hadn't turned a wheel in near enough two decades

Where I've been
"Jon took the 6 to Bruges and Amsterdam...I have taken her to a BMW meet at the Ace Cafe and we both went to the Duxford classic car meet and Silverstone Sunday service. All in all about 3,000km this year, no way it will be a garage queen we fully intend to use her as much as possible, we have got to get that mileage up to something more respectable."

What next?
"There will always be jobs to do but we will take our time and work through the issues as they arise. Our daily cars will come and go but I hope the big 6 is here to stay."

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