A car deal story

[87911jon]

Ahhh, where to start. I have an obsession for anything with a motor. Mainly cars. Mainly cars with German heritage. Mainly an '88 M5 that's slowly being restored, an '89 C4 in excellent shape and an equally nice e36 M3 daily driver. And so, as a car guy with issues, all it took was a verbal nudge from Dave, one of my closest car buddies. Years ago, maybe 4-5 years? he started to make a yearly summit to West Palm Beach to experience Cavalino. And while there, would stay with a transplant friend from Baltimore, who just happens to have a storage and restoration shop in West Palm Beach. And Dave comes home, sees me, and says something like "Saw Scott, he has a euro 635M rotting away in his parking lot, you should buy it for parts". Fast forward to today, sight unseen until today, my patience paid off. I'm now the proud owner of an '85 european 635M. Straight from under the hot Florida sun. The deal was more than fair to the point of being heavily, heavily skewed in my favor if you base value on the value of the parts. Basically I'm a very fortunate guy. I've known the car was mine since about 3 months ago, the mechanic's lien process had started and I happily waited. And since that time I've been abusing myself by visiting every e28/e24 site known to exist, not that I wasn't already doing that. Of course this didn't eat into my normal browsing habits; Pelican, Rennlist, Bring-a-trailor just to name a few. And then BAM! I was casually told the title was in hand, it would cost X and come get it. So I immediately hired a company to transport the car to Baltimore, this company was great to work with. Before arrival, I was hoping it might be a good candidate for restoration, but as advertised, a parts car. My long term plan is to keep the entire drivetrain and electric bits and sell off parts. Near future is putting the E88 headers on my US M5, that ought to wake it up! Then at some point I'd rebuild the euro M88 and swap out the US S38. Thanks to my friend/mechanic Mark who's allowing it to grace his lot!

[GG Allin]

Probably my favorite BMW M Car.

[GG Allin]

I tried buying this one a few years ago. Dude wanted $5k, car had salvage title. As bad as it looks, the car was actually very straight and rust free.

[Tobra]

Where I walk my dog, there is a guy with a clean one of those on the side of the house, nice longhood targa in the garage. Dig the M6 a whole lot

[1990C4S]

A few carriage returns would make that paragraph a LOT easier to read...

[speeder]

That hood rust is very strange; how does that happen?

The rest of the body does not look rusty. If it's not rotted-out, I'd restore it. It looks very straight and otherwise dry. Replacing the hood would be easy. I have a lot of mint parts for that car, (mostly interior but some mechanical), LMK if you're interested.

[porsche4life]

Unless the floorboards look like that hood, that shark needs restored!!!!

[ckelly78z]

Cool find, I've always had a passion for the 635 CSI, but never had one. I currently have a 03 325 CI vert.

[KNS]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

A few carriage returns would make that paragraph a LOT easier to read...

Agree (sorry, couldn't help it)...

[87911jon]

Sorry about the lack of carriage returns, too busy spell checking!

My dilemma is I love both the M5, and having owned a 633 and 635, love the shark too. But my pockets are only so deep. The M635 could not have come at a more inopportune time, but for $575 who was I to say no?!!!

While my US M5 is very solid body wise, it's scheduled to have the interior redone next week (after being pushed off for two weeks in a row). Not to mention I have a euro M5 bumper set ready to install. And so now I forced to consider which car to spend my money on, it's one or the other but not both.

Rust on the 6 seems to confined to the hood and rear light housing area. Will pick and prod this weekend with my other best car buddy who thinks I should sell the 5 and restore the 6. I think it would be easy to find a tired 6 with a good interior and then move all the needed bits over.

I hate cars.

[ninelevenick]

Any pictures of your e36?

[87911jon]

[Macroni]

Had an 85 euro M6.... powerful w/ great sound track and leather comfort.

I vote restore.... too nice to part and with the quantity of parts out there; it is an affordable process.

Love the M5.... the 88 and 91 are my favs......

If I had the wherewithal a 2016 M6 GrandCoupe would be my DD.

[Tobra]

Weird that the hood is rotted and the rest looks so good. How is the interior with that back window gone?

[87911jon]

Interior is toast. Florida sun for at least 10 years. Scott threw in a leather covered dash, some seams are torn but cool none the less. Will spend some quality time this weekend looking the car over. I've owned the M5 for 6ish years, and it's always been dead reliable, a blast to drive... So not loving the idea of selling it to tackle the 6. But then I look at the 6...