Mrs Fb’s 650i...regret may be strong with this one!
Discussion
Well earlier this year I decided I wanted a BMW E63, I would have preferred the V8 version but all my research showed they are bottomless money pits with numerous expensive common oil leaks etc. I got all sensible and though I don’t enjoy being stuffed upside down under a car for hours in end any more, so went with the more sensible option of the 630i straight 6.
I found a super mint one with low miles , fsh, lovely options and everything I wanted . See thread below
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Lately Mrs Fb has been giving me grief for selling her VXR8 5 years ago... yes they really do go on about stuff years later ! It was a cracking car but timing with family and young kids meant I didn’t want to see it ruined with food stuffed into the seats and kick marks up the front seats etc.
Browsing faceache on Thursday a chap listed a 2005 650i with 100k on the clock and all common leaks sorted including the famous N62 valve stem seals. Car was black with chateau leather and apart from engine and wheels, a carbon copy of my 630i.
Will continue post in a short while.. doing this on my phone and need to make a call now !
I found a super mint one with low miles , fsh, lovely options and everything I wanted . See thread below
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Lately Mrs Fb has been giving me grief for selling her VXR8 5 years ago... yes they really do go on about stuff years later ! It was a cracking car but timing with family and young kids meant I didn’t want to see it ruined with food stuffed into the seats and kick marks up the front seats etc.
Browsing faceache on Thursday a chap listed a 2005 650i with 100k on the clock and all common leaks sorted including the famous N62 valve stem seals. Car was black with chateau leather and apart from engine and wheels, a carbon copy of my 630i.
Will continue post in a short while.. doing this on my phone and need to make a call now !
Ok, spoke to seller and arranged to view/buy the car on Saturday. Short version is we bought it and started the 140 mile trip home. I reset all the OBC stuff , filled the tank and headed for home. I drove the 650 for the first 15-20 miles just to be sure all was well, then pulled over and handed the keys to Mrs Fb. I jumped back in my 630 and followed her. It was this point I remembered she’s had plenty 400-500hp cars in the past and was very familiar with a little hoonage 
Trip home involved a pair of matching blacked out 6’ers abusing the BMW Lane all the way back, pace was err, plentiful ! Fuel consumption was quite a surprise from the 650, annoyingly I didn’t reset the 630’s OBC to get a comparison .
Once home my neighbour who’s also a car nut came out , looked at both cars absolutely filthy from trip home, shook his head laughing and walked back inside.... he approves
And this is the part where I was reminded why I avoided the N62 in the first place. Took the car out for a drive on Sunday, all seems well until I gave it a little boot full, car took off and sounded nice... however the smoke screen that followed literally made the 2 lane road behind me disappear! I’ve never seen so much white smoke in my life, immediately followed by lots of typical BMW dash bongs and warnings. My heart sank and I was convinced that was that. By some grace I was less then a mile from home so I’m the absence of bad running or noises I decided to limp it home quick.
Pulled up outside my house and lots of steam pouring out the bonnet. I was greeted by a top rad hose has popped off. Got the wife to grab me a watering can full of boiling water out the tap to avoid thermal shock, fitted hose in under a minute with new clamp and filled system back up while still running. Lots of testing yesterday and today seems to indicate all is well and it was just a fatigued hose clamp, happy days !
I should probably mention that on the way home from buying it on Saturday I had already placed my first parts order , which happened to arrive today
So car goes up on axle stands and under trays come off....oh cock !!! Feckin alternator gasket is starting to go ffs. I had hoped to avoid having to do this job but I guess I will soon be wedged under the car for a day while I sort the leak. It’s not mega and couldn’t be seen from above.
Anyways splitter is fitted which again is identical to my car... swap plates and you wouldn’t know lol
Before
After
And some pics of a very dirty 650i, the ceramic coating on it is actually doing a decent job of keeping dirt off it.
Trip home involved a pair of matching blacked out 6’ers abusing the BMW Lane all the way back, pace was err, plentiful ! Fuel consumption was quite a surprise from the 650, annoyingly I didn’t reset the 630’s OBC to get a comparison .
Once home my neighbour who’s also a car nut came out , looked at both cars absolutely filthy from trip home, shook his head laughing and walked back inside.... he approves
And this is the part where I was reminded why I avoided the N62 in the first place. Took the car out for a drive on Sunday, all seems well until I gave it a little boot full, car took off and sounded nice... however the smoke screen that followed literally made the 2 lane road behind me disappear! I’ve never seen so much white smoke in my life, immediately followed by lots of typical BMW dash bongs and warnings. My heart sank and I was convinced that was that. By some grace I was less then a mile from home so I’m the absence of bad running or noises I decided to limp it home quick.
Pulled up outside my house and lots of steam pouring out the bonnet. I was greeted by a top rad hose has popped off. Got the wife to grab me a watering can full of boiling water out the tap to avoid thermal shock, fitted hose in under a minute with new clamp and filled system back up while still running. Lots of testing yesterday and today seems to indicate all is well and it was just a fatigued hose clamp, happy days !
I should probably mention that on the way home from buying it on Saturday I had already placed my first parts order , which happened to arrive today
So car goes up on axle stands and under trays come off....oh cock !!! Feckin alternator gasket is starting to go ffs. I had hoped to avoid having to do this job but I guess I will soon be wedged under the car for a day while I sort the leak. It’s not mega and couldn’t be seen from above.
Anyways splitter is fitted which again is identical to my car... swap plates and you wouldn’t know lol
Before
After
And some pics of a very dirty 650i, the ceramic coating on it is actually doing a decent job of keeping dirt off it.
BrabusMog said:
Brilliant I’ll be looking forward to the updates. I like the interior colour, nice change from white / black on black.
I love the chateau interior, as you say it’s so nice and different to black . With the pano roof it makes it a cracking place to sit in summer I’ll be looking forward to the updates. I like the interior colour, nice change from white / black on black.
therealsamdailly said:
These are looking great nowadays, and they can be a proper bargain
Also, your Mrs sounds awesome!
They can be a bargain, or bite you... time will tell with this one Also, your Mrs sounds awesome!
Mrs Fb is a hoot, she’s a petrol head through and through and will always be found on the stag do’s rather than the Hen’s . She even beat me at the standing mile event in her VXR8
ops:LGriffiths88 said:
I’ve been looking a lot at these of late.
But not sure how I can accommodate by 2 kids (5 and 4 in the rear). Doesn’t seem like there’s much room for them.
Depending on how tall you are they are ok for kids , I’m 5’10 ish and don’t sit like a gangsta so there is an acceptable amount of space behind me. My girls are both 11 and they sit behind us fine. I can sit in the back with my drivers seat in position so even adults can fit... wouldn’t want to go too far though ! But not sure how I can accommodate by 2 kids (5 and 4 in the rear). Doesn’t seem like there’s much room for them.
LGriffiths88 said:
They’re about the size of a 6 year old. Youngest quite tall for age. Was looking at E61s but petrols seem to be unicorns.
What’s the boot like on these.
That shot with the pano roof looks awesome!
Boot is quite large to be fair, slightly narrow opening but not prohibitively small I can grab a pic tomorrow for you. 6 year old will fit perfectly fine in one of these, my girls are 145cm and they are fine in the back. Best do what I did and just find the nearest one regardless of spec or engine so you can go check it out and try it for size. If it’s for you then you can hunt down the right car.What’s the boot like on these.
That shot with the pano roof looks awesome!
That interior shot was taken on my iPhone , it really did come out well and show what a cracking place it is to sit
Tommie38 said:
Do you have an idea what the cost of the seals (especially valve stems) would be at a specialist?
Although very rare, the manual cars do look like an interesting way of getting into a manual V8.
Valve stem seals alone can be done for around £800ish now, however I would throw £1500 at it and do the lot at once while you are there. Valve stem seals, rocker cover gaskets, vacuum pump seals and alternator bracket seals. You could also do the coolant transfer pipe stent while it’s all apart too, that should pretty much future proof the car. Considering they can be had for as little as 4k now, it’s silly cheap for what it is. Although very rare, the manual cars do look like an interesting way of getting into a manual V8.
fastbikes76 said:
Tommie38 said:
Do you have an idea what the cost of the seals (especially valve stems) would be at a specialist?
Although very rare, the manual cars do look like an interesting way of getting into a manual V8.
Valve stem seals alone can be done for around £800ish now, however I would throw £1500 at it and do the lot at once while you are there. Valve stem seals, rocker cover gaskets, vacuum pump seals and alternator bracket seals. You could also do the coolant transfer pipe stent while it’s all apart too, that should pretty much future proof the car. Considering they can be had for as little as 4k now, it’s silly cheap for what it is. Although very rare, the manual cars do look like an interesting way of getting into a manual V8.
What is the steering like? Electric / rack / steering box?
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