Alec's BMW E64 650i Project
Discussion
Hi Chaps,
Had the itch to buy a new car for the last two years, I could not settle on a car. I was tempted to sell my beloved Jaguar Super V8 and buy a newer XKR 5.0 or AMG SL, but could not bear to part with it.
So 2nd car it is, I tried to take over a lease of a PHer on a Alfa 4c Spider, unfortunatly, the lease company were absolutley appaling and was not to be
Gutted was an understatement, so set out my search, critirea was manual gearbox, cheap tax and good on fuel - so some how I ended up buying a 650i which is none of those!
Had put a £250 deposit for a 2006 Red convertible from a dealer down in Brighton - however, this 2008 Lci turned up, I made a good offer and he accepted!
So loosing the non-refunable deposit and the extortionate £540 tax still made it a cheaper buy for a more valueable car.
Collected it yesterday from Milton Keynes after taking the train from Lancaster. The seller kindly collected me from the train station and I drove it back to his house. The car drove very well, very smooth. I gave it a once over, the MOT had 13 months and only a advisory for rear brake pads. All good, just better check to see if is suffers from the valve stem issue, let it idle, then rev, a little blue smoke appeared... At this point I wished I had viewed other examples first. So decided to buy it anyway and keep an eye on it, if it gets bad I can always get them changed.
6 hours of M6 traffic later, I finally got home. The oil level has not dropped and not seen any more smoke yet. Took the family out in it last night with the soft top down, there were some tunnels and it sounded amazing! The ZF gearbox is a joy to use, the paddle shifter really make the drive more engaging for me and shift up and down quick enough. My X350 has the same gearbox, but is so lazy compared to BMWs implementation.
Spent most of today cleaning and assesing areas that need attention, very pleased with the paint condition, just some stone chips and minor scrapes to deal with. Gave it a clay, then Poorboys Black Hole (odd name) and wax. My neighboor misread the number plate and thought it was 2018 model!
The interior looks great, but the drivers seat bolster needs attention, dont like beige carpets though! The BMW Dakota leather is pretty crap compared to the nappa leather in the Jag.
The Lci gearshifter is pretty cool, cupholder is metal and well made, but looks a bit aftermarket.
iDrive is very complicated, yet to figure out half of it, but way more advanced than anything Jaguar had at the time! DAB too
To do list:
-Find out why Logic 7 sound system sounds off, possibly amp failure
-Belt (hopefully) squeel when cold
-Refurb drivers seat
-Refurb rubber coated steering wheel plastic
-Machine polish
-Touch up stone chips
Had the itch to buy a new car for the last two years, I could not settle on a car. I was tempted to sell my beloved Jaguar Super V8 and buy a newer XKR 5.0 or AMG SL, but could not bear to part with it.
So 2nd car it is, I tried to take over a lease of a PHer on a Alfa 4c Spider, unfortunatly, the lease company were absolutley appaling and was not to be
Gutted was an understatement, so set out my search, critirea was manual gearbox, cheap tax and good on fuel - so some how I ended up buying a 650i which is none of those!
Had put a £250 deposit for a 2006 Red convertible from a dealer down in Brighton - however, this 2008 Lci turned up, I made a good offer and he accepted!
So loosing the non-refunable deposit and the extortionate £540 tax still made it a cheaper buy for a more valueable car.
Collected it yesterday from Milton Keynes after taking the train from Lancaster. The seller kindly collected me from the train station and I drove it back to his house. The car drove very well, very smooth. I gave it a once over, the MOT had 13 months and only a advisory for rear brake pads. All good, just better check to see if is suffers from the valve stem issue, let it idle, then rev, a little blue smoke appeared... At this point I wished I had viewed other examples first. So decided to buy it anyway and keep an eye on it, if it gets bad I can always get them changed.
6 hours of M6 traffic later, I finally got home. The oil level has not dropped and not seen any more smoke yet. Took the family out in it last night with the soft top down, there were some tunnels and it sounded amazing! The ZF gearbox is a joy to use, the paddle shifter really make the drive more engaging for me and shift up and down quick enough. My X350 has the same gearbox, but is so lazy compared to BMWs implementation.
Spent most of today cleaning and assesing areas that need attention, very pleased with the paint condition, just some stone chips and minor scrapes to deal with. Gave it a clay, then Poorboys Black Hole (odd name) and wax. My neighboor misread the number plate and thought it was 2018 model!
The interior looks great, but the drivers seat bolster needs attention, dont like beige carpets though! The BMW Dakota leather is pretty crap compared to the nappa leather in the Jag.
The Lci gearshifter is pretty cool, cupholder is metal and well made, but looks a bit aftermarket.
iDrive is very complicated, yet to figure out half of it, but way more advanced than anything Jaguar had at the time! DAB too
To do list:
-Find out why Logic 7 sound system sounds off, possibly amp failure
-Belt (hopefully) squeel when cold
-Refurb drivers seat
-Refurb rubber coated steering wheel plastic
-Machine polish
-Touch up stone chips
Absolutely love the E63/4. The V8 is a very good unit too, just keep an eye on coolant leaks and oil consumption. Know someone with these, loads of toys on them, has HUD and is an edition sport.
The ZF gearbox can be so different in so many cars. Faster in Audi's than it is in BMW's. All down to engine configuration and map settings I guess.
The ZF gearbox can be so different in so many cars. Faster in Audi's than it is in BMW's. All down to engine configuration and map settings I guess.
Hi Alec,
Lovely looking car!
I look forward to the updates. Hopefully to put you mind at rest, my late 2005 650 only started suffering from the valve stem seal issue at 140k miles. I had it done at 158k (and am happy to recommend the specialist in Manchester (10 minutes from the airport) who dropped the engine to change the stem seals). I am now back to using no oil between services.
Over my 7 years with mine, it has been exceptionally reliable. I am now on 172k and it sailed through it's MOT a couple of weeks ago with no advisories.
Common part to replace is a gearbox seal, from memory ~ £100 all in.
If you need to change the pads / discs, get a quote from BMW asking for Value line parts. My front discs + pads + sensor dropped from £550 to £300 for exactly the same parts.
I had an intermittent failure of the oil level sensor. It would send a warning that I needed to add a litre, but if I added a quarter of a litre, it went back to 5 bars. My local specialist at the time (Autohaus York - fantastic) checked it out and drained the oil and measured how much came out. They replaced the sensor and all has been fine since.
Member "McSam" has a 645 and did a good write up on his a couple of years ago, with loads of interesting info.
Enjoy!
ETA: I ditched the RTT's for Goodyear AS3's or Michelin Pilot Super sport 4s and have never looked back!
Lovely looking car!
I look forward to the updates. Hopefully to put you mind at rest, my late 2005 650 only started suffering from the valve stem seal issue at 140k miles. I had it done at 158k (and am happy to recommend the specialist in Manchester (10 minutes from the airport) who dropped the engine to change the stem seals). I am now back to using no oil between services.
Over my 7 years with mine, it has been exceptionally reliable. I am now on 172k and it sailed through it's MOT a couple of weeks ago with no advisories.
Common part to replace is a gearbox seal, from memory ~ £100 all in.
If you need to change the pads / discs, get a quote from BMW asking for Value line parts. My front discs + pads + sensor dropped from £550 to £300 for exactly the same parts.
I had an intermittent failure of the oil level sensor. It would send a warning that I needed to add a litre, but if I added a quarter of a litre, it went back to 5 bars. My local specialist at the time (Autohaus York - fantastic) checked it out and drained the oil and measured how much came out. They replaced the sensor and all has been fine since.
Member "McSam" has a 645 and did a good write up on his a couple of years ago, with loads of interesting info.
Enjoy!
ETA: I ditched the RTT's for Goodyear AS3's or Michelin Pilot Super sport 4s and have never looked back!
Edited by gf15 on Sunday 1st April 10:47
Thanks for the comments guys
Good to hear about the new valve seals, if the car is a long term keeper, I probably will get it done.
Ok I lied, there is more upgrades/customisation to do! And some repairs, to make it look as clean as reasonably possible
- Replace drivers side indicator, as it has strange cracking all over the lens. £260, ouch!
- Fit white LED bulbs to replace filament bulbs
- LED Angel Eyes, recomendations please!
- Oil change (only done in December)
- Coolant flush, weird copper flakes in antifreeze - possible old k-seal?
- Refurb front diamond cut wheels, double ouch!
- Buy personalised number plate and fit
- Fill number plate holes in front
- Change grotty cream carpets and seatbelts for black, as per Alpina:
That wood though
Enough to be getting on with? I will be taking the BMW and Jag to the local Cumbria Car show next month...
Good to hear about the new valve seals, if the car is a long term keeper, I probably will get it done.
Ok I lied, there is more upgrades/customisation to do! And some repairs, to make it look as clean as reasonably possible
- Replace drivers side indicator, as it has strange cracking all over the lens. £260, ouch!
- Fit white LED bulbs to replace filament bulbs
- LED Angel Eyes, recomendations please!
- Oil change (only done in December)
- Coolant flush, weird copper flakes in antifreeze - possible old k-seal?
- Refurb front diamond cut wheels, double ouch!
- Buy personalised number plate and fit
- Fill number plate holes in front
- Change grotty cream carpets and seatbelts for black, as per Alpina:
That wood though
Enough to be getting on with? I will be taking the BMW and Jag to the local Cumbria Car show next month...
Anybody with some photoshop skills? Mine are lacking.
Interested to see how the interior would look with black carpet, black console, door cards as is and creambeige seats.
Thanks!
Also, can't decide which Angel Eyes to get, want something which will last, but not too expensive. Does not need to be super bright.
Interested to see how the interior would look with black carpet, black console, door cards as is and creambeige seats.
Thanks!
Also, can't decide which Angel Eyes to get, want something which will last, but not too expensive. Does not need to be super bright.
Lovely looking car OP, even today the E6/4 shape still looks fresh especially when its LCI. Wouldn't mind one of these for the summer.
With reference to the amp issue I seem to recall these convertibles have an issue where water gets to the amp and starts causing problems, I believe they can be taken out and dried out depending on how much has gone in
With reference to the amp issue I seem to recall these convertibles have an issue where water gets to the amp and starts causing problems, I believe they can be taken out and dried out depending on how much has gone in
A few bits and pieces done over the last week:
Wetsanded & Polished the headlights, they were very chipped and discoloured before:
After- different side, I know:
Not the biggest improvment, I think they should still be better.
Steering wheel trim, it was very worn, a common issue with rubber coated plastic:
I obtained a complete (non M Sport) steering wheel with satin chrome trim, the plan was to create a hyrid of the two. I prefered the satin chrome as it matched the other accents on gear selector & paddles:
Thankfully, the center insert is glued in place and can be pried apart
I used double-sided tape to secure the trim with a small amount of general purpose adhesive in center, incase the tape failed.
I took the oportunity the scrub the steering wheel with my new favourite cleaner- Dove soap bar! It took off the accumulated oils and grease, which give that awful shinny look:
Very happy, much nicer to look at and hold when driving.
The drivers seat was still a mess - look at that seat belt! Before:
More vigorous scrubbing of everything and I did a temporary touchup with my Funiture Clinic paint (will do it properly later)
Worn bolster after:
Would love to get rid of those creases, then it would look new again.
A disgusting seatbelt:
After:
Starting to be a much cleaner, nicer place to sit. Can't wait to get rid of those carpets- they get dirty every time
Wheels refurbished by Top Wheels, Greg (the owner) is a perfectionist and stayed late into Saturday afternoon to get the car ready. Highly recomended! One of the wheels had to be welded sadly, not ideal, but I am assured it will be fine.
Before:
After acid dipping, you can see the crack:
After, new center caps too
New wheel bolts ordered & calipers to be painted next...
The new plates fitted, front plate trimmed to legal minimum as per my Super V8.
A mini photo session with my Super V8, the first time parked side by side!
PPF removal from sills, was lifting at edges and looking tatty, before:
After with heat gun and glue remover:
Made a start wetsanding out the many small scratches and scuffs on the rear bumper, ended up with some good reflections:
This is the finish I want to produce for the whole car:
Fitted number plate LEDs, connections sealed with hot glue and heatshrink tubing:
Very happy with the LED temperature and no bulb warnings so far, however, the new modules are slighly thicker than the originals and stick out more... Annoying!
These LED tail lights are very cool, they come on automatically when you unlock the car and face out after interval, not bad for a 2008!
PCV Valve replacement & Oil Breather pirework cleaning as per Meeknet guide:
Well and truely split
Engine bay cleaned:
New air filter installed, piece of cake!
New pollen filters installed too and drains cleared of leaves ect. New oil and filter here for later.
Wetsanded & Polished the headlights, they were very chipped and discoloured before:
After- different side, I know:
Not the biggest improvment, I think they should still be better.
Steering wheel trim, it was very worn, a common issue with rubber coated plastic:
I obtained a complete (non M Sport) steering wheel with satin chrome trim, the plan was to create a hyrid of the two. I prefered the satin chrome as it matched the other accents on gear selector & paddles:
Thankfully, the center insert is glued in place and can be pried apart
I used double-sided tape to secure the trim with a small amount of general purpose adhesive in center, incase the tape failed.
I took the oportunity the scrub the steering wheel with my new favourite cleaner- Dove soap bar! It took off the accumulated oils and grease, which give that awful shinny look:
Very happy, much nicer to look at and hold when driving.
The drivers seat was still a mess - look at that seat belt! Before:
More vigorous scrubbing of everything and I did a temporary touchup with my Funiture Clinic paint (will do it properly later)
Worn bolster after:
Would love to get rid of those creases, then it would look new again.
A disgusting seatbelt:
After:
Starting to be a much cleaner, nicer place to sit. Can't wait to get rid of those carpets- they get dirty every time
Wheels refurbished by Top Wheels, Greg (the owner) is a perfectionist and stayed late into Saturday afternoon to get the car ready. Highly recomended! One of the wheels had to be welded sadly, not ideal, but I am assured it will be fine.
Before:
After acid dipping, you can see the crack:
After, new center caps too
New wheel bolts ordered & calipers to be painted next...
The new plates fitted, front plate trimmed to legal minimum as per my Super V8.
A mini photo session with my Super V8, the first time parked side by side!
PPF removal from sills, was lifting at edges and looking tatty, before:
After with heat gun and glue remover:
Made a start wetsanding out the many small scratches and scuffs on the rear bumper, ended up with some good reflections:
This is the finish I want to produce for the whole car:
Fitted number plate LEDs, connections sealed with hot glue and heatshrink tubing:
Very happy with the LED temperature and no bulb warnings so far, however, the new modules are slighly thicker than the originals and stick out more... Annoying!
These LED tail lights are very cool, they come on automatically when you unlock the car and face out after interval, not bad for a 2008!
PCV Valve replacement & Oil Breather pirework cleaning as per Meeknet guide:
Well and truely split
Engine bay cleaned:
New air filter installed, piece of cake!
New pollen filters installed too and drains cleared of leaves ect. New oil and filter here for later.
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