BMW E23 735i+850R Swedish Barge+ Schnitzer S3 projects
Discussion
Hi,
These are my current 3 cars/money pits. They aren't the most exotic or pant wettingly beautiful but I'm pretty attached to them.
I've owned the M3 for about 2 years now and its a great car. It has quite an interesting past too. It was bought brand new by AC Schnitzer and owned by Chris Rossiter where it was fitted with just about everything Schnitzer offered for the car at the time. This was before the release of the larger capacity later cars called the Evo. Bolted on to it are their own cams,ecu and exhaust that upped power to 320bhp over the standard 280bhp (the same out put of the later evos). An aero dynamics pack, coilovers, braces, wheels etc. were also added at the same time along with some light weight Recaro seats. It was then sold to his sister Carolyn Barker- Ben Barker's mum who currently races in the Porsche supercup. It then spent a good few years in Germany and was used as a drive development car round the Nurburgring. The car then came back to England and that is when I got hold of it. I had been given the car to sell on from one of our business contacts but I soon decided that it was staying put and I purchased the car my self.
This is how it looked like when I first got it.
There is a video of it making a lot of noise on the rolling road here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yxQNVCTzL8&fea...
This is how it currently sits on rather bling but rare ACS Type 1 split rims.
The 850R I use as a daily run around though it's thirst for fuel it truly eye watering. I own a garage, selling cars and needed something that was big enough to carry sets of alloy wheels to be taken for refurbs and hauling other parts around so the criteria had to be something big enough for a set of wheels and tyres, cheap enough that if it breaks it doesn't matter and more interesting to drive than a van. As a kid there was a house I'd walk past on the way back from school that had a brand new 850R just like this one in red and I'd always hankered for one since. 15 years later and I tracked one down that had had a very easy life, all be it having covered a galactic number of miles.
Lastly there is the E23 1980 735i- This was bought a year ago on eBay unseen. We've all been there right? late at night, glass of your favorite poison in one hand, slightly bored/pissed and restless loitering on eBay looking at old relics you think you can bring a new lease of life back to right chaps? Well this came up, not a lot going for it really, other than its very solid structurally ,which is rare for a BMW of this vintage. It is a manual which I liked and they are as rare as hens teeth now these old E23. Most have been scrapped and the rest forgotten about I think but that spures me on to bring it back to life as it is in a hell of a state. It is in need of a full restoration really but it is all there.
How it currently looks:
I'll update this with progress of each car if there is enough interest.
These are my current 3 cars/money pits. They aren't the most exotic or pant wettingly beautiful but I'm pretty attached to them.
I've owned the M3 for about 2 years now and its a great car. It has quite an interesting past too. It was bought brand new by AC Schnitzer and owned by Chris Rossiter where it was fitted with just about everything Schnitzer offered for the car at the time. This was before the release of the larger capacity later cars called the Evo. Bolted on to it are their own cams,ecu and exhaust that upped power to 320bhp over the standard 280bhp (the same out put of the later evos). An aero dynamics pack, coilovers, braces, wheels etc. were also added at the same time along with some light weight Recaro seats. It was then sold to his sister Carolyn Barker- Ben Barker's mum who currently races in the Porsche supercup. It then spent a good few years in Germany and was used as a drive development car round the Nurburgring. The car then came back to England and that is when I got hold of it. I had been given the car to sell on from one of our business contacts but I soon decided that it was staying put and I purchased the car my self.
This is how it looked like when I first got it.
There is a video of it making a lot of noise on the rolling road here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yxQNVCTzL8&fea...
This is how it currently sits on rather bling but rare ACS Type 1 split rims.
The 850R I use as a daily run around though it's thirst for fuel it truly eye watering. I own a garage, selling cars and needed something that was big enough to carry sets of alloy wheels to be taken for refurbs and hauling other parts around so the criteria had to be something big enough for a set of wheels and tyres, cheap enough that if it breaks it doesn't matter and more interesting to drive than a van. As a kid there was a house I'd walk past on the way back from school that had a brand new 850R just like this one in red and I'd always hankered for one since. 15 years later and I tracked one down that had had a very easy life, all be it having covered a galactic number of miles.
Lastly there is the E23 1980 735i- This was bought a year ago on eBay unseen. We've all been there right? late at night, glass of your favorite poison in one hand, slightly bored/pissed and restless loitering on eBay looking at old relics you think you can bring a new lease of life back to right chaps? Well this came up, not a lot going for it really, other than its very solid structurally ,which is rare for a BMW of this vintage. It is a manual which I liked and they are as rare as hens teeth now these old E23. Most have been scrapped and the rest forgotten about I think but that spures me on to bring it back to life as it is in a hell of a state. It is in need of a full restoration really but it is all there.
How it currently looks:
I'll update this with progress of each car if there is enough interest.
Edited by GringoG60 on Sunday 19th January 19:56
All specialist, classic cars to me. Very interesting all of them 
My favourite though has to be the 7. My dad's boss had a a few which my dad was lucky enough to take home every now and then (being a car nut), I love the shape of the e23's. Has anyone ever tried shoe-horning something interesting into them? The 3.5 was amazing in it's day, especially compared with dads 2.3 Granny.
My favourite though has to be the 7. My dad's boss had a a few which my dad was lucky enough to take home every now and then (being a car nut), I love the shape of the e23's. Has anyone ever tried shoe-horning something interesting into them? The 3.5 was amazing in it's day, especially compared with dads 2.3 Granny.
GringoG60 said:
Apologies, I am new to PH. The E23 is 34 years old and the others both 20 years old but If they aren't deemed as "classics" then hopefully a moderator will move them to an appropriate section.
I regard them as classic cars. I particularly like the 735i, they're rare cars now.So here are a few more pics of the E23 as I got it about 6 months ago.
I give you the the good the bad and the rusty.
It's very solid underneath which is good as I've no clue how to weld and would probably electrocute myself/take down the national grid if I tried. I am however 100% competent at mechanics, having messed around with cars since I was a very young brat I am skilled at snapping and rounding things off just like every competent mechanic out there. Previous projects in the pasts have highlighted my tendency for temper tantrums when things don't go my way.
Anyway, the first thing to tackle was to get it rolling properly. As much as I enjoy the physical work out of pushing cars with binding brakes I thought I'd start with a gentle lead into to the project and get it rolling properly. The front brakes appeared to be OK on the but one of the rear brakes wasn't playing nicely and no amount of violent reversing and going forward to try and free it off would work.
Starting on the back of the car revealed one new caliper, presumably fitted just before the car got laid up and one completely shafted one.
Offending article:
10 minutes later and miraculously without a skinned knuckle or lost temper it was off on the deck. The pads were buggered too but the discs looked new'ish. Being all confident and smug that the first job I'd tackled on this relic had gone smoothly I got on the blower to my local friendly parts supplier to be told my them and every other parts place in the land that the caliper was no longer available. Not taking "computer says no" for an answer I pleaded with the chap on the counter at ECP to do some digging.As luck would have, a couple of days later,he managed to source the caliper and the pads.
So went and picked them up and got a load of service items for it as well.
Caliper on:
Old crappy ignition bits off:
Started it up thinking it would run like a dream and the new parts would have revived a few ponies. Wrong on both accounts. It ran like a pissed sea side donkey, coughing and spluttering and I could smell over fueling. Looks like I'll need to look at the cold start injector, auxiliary air valve, check for air leak, bad earth and the 3 water temp senders at the front of the head.
So being rather miffed that it wouldn't run properly and knowing that I'd have to get all methodical with checking individual components etc I went and bought some stupidly expensive wheels for the car, as you do.
Found on German eBay and after some ferocious last second bidding I bagged a set of E9 16" Alpinas.
After a week they turned up and I was staggered too realise just what lengths/money I would go to for an extra two inches.
On the rusting hulk, also know as Sharkweena.
Next was a lucky find on eBay, I say lucky as finding bits for these cars is pretty difficult/impossible. They either did sell that many of them in the Uk or they've all turned to dust.
Anyway.. the e23 being broken for parts got relieved of both rear doors to replace the crunchy ones on my car and a few other bits. I need the front doors but they were no good on the parts car.
Crusty borked old door looked like this.
Old one off.
Replacement on and roughly lined up - can fart about with alignment when it goes for paint.
And the same was done with the other side but I'll spare you the boring pictures.
Next up was more attention to the brakes. The slave was well an truly leaky and generally shafted.
Off it came with little fuss and zero blood letting from the hands or fingers.
Replacement from the parts car (new ones no longer available)
All bled up with the help of an ingenious brake bleeding thingy majig. Gone are the days of needing a second person you scream at to pump the brakes whilst you mess around with the bleed nipples- this bit of kit does it with the help of a tyre and that's it.
As luck would have it the front brakes have now started to seize up but they can wait for now and that about takes it up to date from where it is now.
Took a few pics of it outside this weekend
Oh and before I forget in other incredibly exciting news (not) I managed to track down a complete tool kit for the car on eBay.
I give you the the good the bad and the rusty.
It's very solid underneath which is good as I've no clue how to weld and would probably electrocute myself/take down the national grid if I tried. I am however 100% competent at mechanics, having messed around with cars since I was a very young brat I am skilled at snapping and rounding things off just like every competent mechanic out there. Previous projects in the pasts have highlighted my tendency for temper tantrums when things don't go my way.
Anyway, the first thing to tackle was to get it rolling properly. As much as I enjoy the physical work out of pushing cars with binding brakes I thought I'd start with a gentle lead into to the project and get it rolling properly. The front brakes appeared to be OK on the but one of the rear brakes wasn't playing nicely and no amount of violent reversing and going forward to try and free it off would work.
Starting on the back of the car revealed one new caliper, presumably fitted just before the car got laid up and one completely shafted one.
Offending article:
10 minutes later and miraculously without a skinned knuckle or lost temper it was off on the deck. The pads were buggered too but the discs looked new'ish. Being all confident and smug that the first job I'd tackled on this relic had gone smoothly I got on the blower to my local friendly parts supplier to be told my them and every other parts place in the land that the caliper was no longer available. Not taking "computer says no" for an answer I pleaded with the chap on the counter at ECP to do some digging.As luck would have, a couple of days later,he managed to source the caliper and the pads.
So went and picked them up and got a load of service items for it as well.
Caliper on:
Old crappy ignition bits off:
Started it up thinking it would run like a dream and the new parts would have revived a few ponies. Wrong on both accounts. It ran like a pissed sea side donkey, coughing and spluttering and I could smell over fueling. Looks like I'll need to look at the cold start injector, auxiliary air valve, check for air leak, bad earth and the 3 water temp senders at the front of the head.
So being rather miffed that it wouldn't run properly and knowing that I'd have to get all methodical with checking individual components etc I went and bought some stupidly expensive wheels for the car, as you do.
Found on German eBay and after some ferocious last second bidding I bagged a set of E9 16" Alpinas.
After a week they turned up and I was staggered too realise just what lengths/money I would go to for an extra two inches.
On the rusting hulk, also know as Sharkweena.
Next was a lucky find on eBay, I say lucky as finding bits for these cars is pretty difficult/impossible. They either did sell that many of them in the Uk or they've all turned to dust.
Anyway.. the e23 being broken for parts got relieved of both rear doors to replace the crunchy ones on my car and a few other bits. I need the front doors but they were no good on the parts car.
Crusty borked old door looked like this.
Old one off.
Replacement on and roughly lined up - can fart about with alignment when it goes for paint.
And the same was done with the other side but I'll spare you the boring pictures.
Next up was more attention to the brakes. The slave was well an truly leaky and generally shafted.
Off it came with little fuss and zero blood letting from the hands or fingers.
Replacement from the parts car (new ones no longer available)
All bled up with the help of an ingenious brake bleeding thingy majig. Gone are the days of needing a second person you scream at to pump the brakes whilst you mess around with the bleed nipples- this bit of kit does it with the help of a tyre and that's it.
As luck would have it the front brakes have now started to seize up but they can wait for now and that about takes it up to date from where it is now.
Took a few pics of it outside this weekend
Oh and before I forget in other incredibly exciting news (not) I managed to track down a complete tool kit for the car on eBay.
Edited by GringoG60 on Wednesday 29th January 22:21
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