Looks like it's back to BMW

[car.chic]

Well I really think I'm going to have to get rid of my Porsche if I want to follow my heart and start a new business ... even if I don't the car is costing me an absolute fortune.

So ... I'm gonna buy an older BMW, question is I want an Alpina.

Can't find alot about them I like the E36 coupe B2.5 and B3.

Are the ones put together in this country "proper" Alpinas?

Can I insure it as a 325i or does it have to be insured as an Alpina B2.5?

What are the general opinion on these cars?

Edited by car.chic on Wednesday 12th December 00:32

[derin100]

Well, I had an Alpina B3 3.0L Coupe with manual transmission. I should never have sold it!

That's also what its previous two owners subsequently also admitted. I sold it about a year and a half ago and its current owner recently wrote to me to say he drives it everyday a considerable distance and has really upped the mileage on it yet it has never missed a beat and he still loves driving it.

As a daily driver, for one person on their own, in the real world it was still probably the most 'complete' car I've ever owned! Fast, smooth, really easy to drive, unbelievable fuel economy and...well, I thought it looked good!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/alpina_b3/index.html

[UpTheIron]

car.chic said:

Can I insure it as a 325i or does it have to be insured as an Alpina B2.5?

[derestrictor]

Permission to form The Derrin Appreciation Society?

[car.chic]

UpTheIron said:

car.chic said:

Can I insure it as a 325i or does it have to be insured as an Alpina B2.5?

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

[Gad-Westy]

car.chic said:

UpTheIron said:

car.chic said:

Can I insure it as a 325i or does it have to be insured as an Alpina B2.5?

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You can't. There may be some confusion because you can add Alpina parts to a standard 325 and insure it as a modified car but a real Alpina, is built by Alpina and must be insured as such. On the plus side, I was finding that 3.0L B3's weren't a great deal more to insure than my 328 Sport via Elephant.

Derrin's one above looks absolutley stunning but I think you'll struggle to find a manual. The Swithtronics are very good as Auto's go though, although I'll confess to only having tried it in an E39.

[burriana]

car.chic said:

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You work in the trade and you believe that one Nicola?

Derin, 'bout time you got yourself some decent cars, fed up seeing all this tosh you turn out



Actually, I'm with DER ...

[car.chic]

burriana said:

car.chic said:

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You work in the trade and you believe that one Nicola?

Derin, 'bout time you got yourself some decent cars, fed up seeing all this tosh you turn out



Actually, I'm with DER ...

I wasn't sure, especially with the (early) Alpina's that have been built in the UK (under licence).

As it seems very hard to find a BMW Alpina B2.5 on insurance lists.

Anyway got a quote ... as an Alpina B 2.5 - £750 f/c very appy with that!

[derin100]

burriana said:

car.chic said:

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You work in the trade and you believe that one Nicola?

Derin, 'bout time you got yourself some decent cars, fed up seeing all this tosh you turn out



Actually, I'm with DER ...

Cheers Al and DER...

I do have another couple of pieces of tosh in the pipeline! One should be finished early new year; the other early Spring (I hope?!). Could be the last for a longtime!

Also, had a message last week from the chap who bought my E30 M3 not long ago informing me that he's intending to sell it again because the condition is just too good and such he's just too worried about actually driving it for fear of ruining it!

[Shropshiremike]

derin100 said:

Well, I had an Alpina B3 3.0L Coupe with manual transmission. I should never have sold it!

That's also what its previous two owners subsequently also admitted. I sold it about a year and a half ago and its current owner recently wrote to me to say he drives it everyday a considerable distance and has really upped the mileage on it yet it has never missed a beat and he still loves driving it.

As a daily driver, for one person on their own, in the real world it was still probably the most 'complete' car I've ever owned! Fast, smooth, really easy to drive, unbelievable fuel economy and...well, I thought it looked good!

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/alpina_b3/index.html

I should have known that was yours Derin - I'm sure I recall seeing it - it might have been Moseleys when I was dropping my friend there to collect his car.

By the way, is there any truth he might be finishing soon?

[derin100]

Hi Mike

I actually haven't been to see Nigel for a few months but will probably try to pop in there on Friday to drop off the annual Xmas present. He's been talking about possibly stopping for a while...with me trying to talk him out of it! I hope he doesn't...things just wouldn't be the same without him!

After the E30 M3 was 'finished' it never went to Nigel's although he did all the mechanical stuff prior to it going off for its paintwork and my final 'finishing' (although though in my near 7 years of ownership it was there quite often having 'this and that' done)...so you must have seen it before it was finally finished?

[derestrictor]

derin100 said:

Could be the last for a longtime!

NO!Why?

[Mustard]

derin100 said:

burriana said:

car.chic said:

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You work in the trade and you believe that one Nicola?

Derin, 'bout time you got yourself some decent cars, fed up seeing all this tosh you turn out



Actually, I'm with DER ...

Cheers Al and DER...

I do have another couple of pieces of tosh in the pipeline! One should be finished early new year; the other early Spring (I hope?!). Could be the last for a longtime!

Also, had a message last week from the chap who bought my E30 M3 not long ago informing me that he's intending to sell it again because the condition is just too good and such he's just too worried about actually driving it for fear of ruining it!

Tosh is good

Bout time we had a progress report, on the two that are stretching even your talents to the limit!

[Mustard]

burriana said:

car.chic said:

Probably looks like a thick question but I've seen from someone selling one "you insure it as a 325i".

You work in the trade and you believe that one Nicola?

Derin, 'bout time you got yourself some decent cars, fed up seeing all this tosh you turn out



Actually, I'm with DER ...

[Beemer-5]

Keep the Boxster CC!

[derin100]

derestrictor said:

derin100 said:

Could be the last for a longtime!

NO!Why?

Well, so many reasons really...

But principal amongst those reasons is that what started out as just a "hobby" has become too all-consuming and actually has just been bringing too much stress with it.

If I'm not spending evenings and great chunks of the weekends actually working on them I'm either scouring the 'net for parts or driving here, there and everywhere getting stuff. It's knackering me out!

Example, yesterday I did one operation at work that took 11 hours came home and still do something (albeit not much) on the M535i. Today, after finishing, my operating list I then get in the car and drive nearly 200 miles round trip to pick up some 5 wheels just because two of the tyres were worth the trip...Tomorrow morning I have another operating list...but then need to drop in and see Nigel Moseley at Moseley Motorsport for something...Last week Monday night I drove 300 miles round trip for some bits...and so it goes on.

Parcels arrive here everyday...boxes everywhere...there's been an M535i bootlid in our entrance hall for weeks now...that's quite a big box!

I'm not a trained mechanic or anything thus anything I do know I've only learnt by either figuring it out for myself, advice from places like this and the internet in general or from things like the Bentley's and Haynes Manuals. However, as we all know when we haven't done something before it is so much more difficult the first time? And on older cars when the Bentley's Manual says "simply undo nut A"...That could take a novice half a day!

So, whilst I do like seeing the final result and the 'cost'to me is just getting too much. Also, as we all do with any big project whether it be doing up a house or working on a car we all quickly forget "how it was and what we put into it to get it that way"?

And then when they're I never even drive them anyway!

I'll get the current two done, clear the decks of all the left-over parts, wheels, tyres...even whole cars (!)...cluttering up my garage, garden and house and then that'll probably be 'it'.

Mustard,

The Silver 528iSE is still at the bodyshop (has been for weeks and weeks now) but will be almost complete once it comes back.

The black M535i is almost ready to go to the bodyshop from my point of view and then just some final finishing, mechanical 'servicing' type stuff by me plus getting the wheels refurbished to do once it comes back.

So in both cases that's the rate limiting step.

I haven't really got an pics uploaded on the website yet except these of a headlamp re-build and getting the wash/wipe to work that I did last weekend for an E28 Forum (not very interesting really):

http://www.bmwclassics.co.uk/gallery/index.php?spg...

Obviously, I put something 'proper' together on my website when the car(s) are done.

Cheers!

Edited by derin100 on Thursday 13th December 20:19

[car.chic]

Beemer-5 said:

Keep the Boxster CC!

I don't want to get rid of it.