1983 BMW 635csi EURO California Legal | FerrariChat

1983 BMW 635csi EURO California Legal

Discussion in 'Ad Archives' started by johnb@macarbon, Sep 13, 2014.

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  1. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    #1 johnb@macarbon, Sep 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi All,

    We're selling one of our shop cars. If you are reading this, you probably know your 635s. Maybe you've been looking for a 635 Euro with a manual transmission. Most 6 series are just USA versions with big bumpers and smog strangled engines. They are waiting to eat you out of house and home. And if you find a euro, it's usually been beat within an inch of its life.

    My 635 is no garage queen. It has been driven. It has 228K miles. But its been pampered. It is a great car that has already had much time and money spent on it. It's ready to go! The interior is in amazing shape. The dash has no cracks and is perfect. The AC blows cold (amazing!). It has factory Recaro seats. There are no creaks or rattles. Mechanically, the suspension has Bilstein shocks, H&R springs and new bushings. The brakes have been upgraded. The engine has been rebuilt. The cooling system has been redone.

    This car has been in California since at least 1996, passes smog and is BAR certified. The BAR certification is a big deal. California requires any grey market cars brought to the state to go through the full smog certification process now. So there will be no more euro 635s moving here!

    Cosmetically, it has the small euro bumpers, perfect 16" Alpina replica wheels and good chrome. The roof and trunk have been repainted. The lower half does have 'patina' but I've wet sanded and polished it. The Dolphin Grey Metallic paint is a classy color that suits the 635 perfectly.

    A similar condition M6 or M635 will be $30K. That is a lot of money for just another thirty horsepower (when smogged) sinec the M motor was very sensitive to having cats. The M engines are also harder to smog and cost serious money to rebuild if anything goes wrong. My wallet starts to tremble any time I look at one!

    All that is needed to make this 635 one of the best in the USA is the lower body cosmetics and new side stripes.

    We have a video where you can see details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdkmmevIGVk

    Why am I selling such an amazing, California legal, impossible to replicate 635? Well, I basically have too many cars. My 635 is the nicest of the bunch and the easiest to sell.
    I also ummmmm. . .. forgot to tell the wife about it when I bought it. . ...


    We're asking $9750.

    I hate to sell it. If you are looking for an interesting euro car and a 635 in particular, this is the car. Please contact me through email or call me at 650.489.4415.

    Here are the highlights:

    Overall
    • Euro import with small bumpers and more powerful engine
    • 5 Speed -- Getrag 265 o/d gearbox - Not Automatic!
    • California BAR legal! Passes SMOG.
    • COLD AC
    • Rebuilt Engine
    • No Rust
    • Factory Recaro Seats
    • History file going back to 1996.

    Interior
    • Black interior with grey highlights. The best look.
    • Dash is perfect with no cracks or rattles!
    • Genuine Recaro factory sport seats
    • Rear headrests in great condition. They are not warping.
    • Rear seats are in perfect condition.
    • Retains the original Becker Grand Prix stereo.
    • Door cards in perfect condition and have not been cutup for aftermarket speakers.
    • Fast electric windows
    • Fully functional sunroof
    • Cold AC!
    • Only Negative in the interior: Small tear in the driver side seat bolster

    Engine
    • Passes SMOG! No referee needed.
    • CA BAR Sticker.
    • Rebuilt Engine
    • E34 (535) starter motor
    • New Ireland Engineering silicone water hoses
    • Radiator, thermostat, water pump and fan clutch replaced two years ago
    • New Heater core
    • New motor mounts, diff mount, driveshaft
    • Fuel injectors replaced 2 years ago (correct low-impedance for 011 ECU)
    • Original Euro Bosch 011 ECU.

    Exterior Cosmetics/Body
    • No rust!
    • No evidence of accident damage!
    • Complete tool kit
    • Repainted roof and trunk
    • Wet sanded sides and hood.
    • Hella H1/H4 headlights (not true Euro lamps but better than sealed beam)
    • Small negative is three small rock chips in the windshield
    • To show the car in a concourse, a re-spray of the lower body would be needed.

    Suspension
    • Replica 16" Alpina wheels by Coupeking. No road rash!
    • Tires are nearly new, high quality BFGoodrich
    • Bilstein Sport Shocks
    • New H&R lowering springs
    • Upgraded brakes: E32 735 front brakes, E34 540 rear brakes.
    • Upgraded Master Cylinder from E32 750
    • Racing Dynamics front/rear sway bars
    • Every other moving part of front/rear suspension replaced in the last 30000 miles.
    • MWrench steering box mount reinforcement
    bigcoupe.com :: View topic - Subframe and Steering Re-Enforcement
    • David Pepin pedal bracket reinforcement
    PEDAL BRACKET Reinforcement / repair - REV. 4-welded tab ? MyE28.com
    • "Wokke" upper control arms with spherical bearings
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/wokke/112449428857682
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  2. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
  3. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    #3 johnb@macarbon, Sep 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    #4 johnb@macarbon, Sep 13, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  5. Valenzo

    Valenzo F1 Veteran

    Dec 4, 2010
    5,069
    IL & NC
    Full Name:
    Ted
    One of my favorites, this and the 2002tii. Very nice!
     
  6. Nurburgringer

    Nurburgringer F1 World Champ

    Jan 3, 2009
    11,031
    Texass
    What a classy ride.
    Love the greenhouse especially, the antithesis of today's machine-gun-bunker styling.
    Amazing condition considering the miles, a testament to old-school German engineering and craftsmanship!
    GLWS
     
  7. merstheman

    merstheman F1 Rookie

    Apr 13, 2007
    4,417
    São Paulo, Brazil
    Full Name:
    Mario
    A true beauty!
     
  8. SCKOMS

    SCKOMS F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 21, 2011
    3,843
    Lake County, IL
    Full Name:
    Spiro
    Nice! This is a car I lusted after when I was in college in the 80s......this and a Testarossa.
     
  9. open roads

    open roads F1 Rookie

    Jan 28, 2007
    3,798
    Sarasota, Fl.
    Full Name:
    Stan
    A very prettily presented classic beauty. Oh my. And for a song.

    GLWTS
     
  10. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    Thanks for all the kind words. The greenhouse does make it very bright in the interior. That's why the AC working is so critical! one would think with the miles and the thin A,B&C pillars that the car would be rattling and shaking all over the place. But its soooo tight.

    I think I have priced it right. Maybe not a song! I will say on the face of it though, $9750 looks very strong when compared to bluebook or other cars out there. But the old saying "can't be replicated for this price' is certainly true here. The wheels ($1600) and big brake kit ($1200) cost over a quarter of the price. I've looked at a lot of 635s over the years. None were this nice.

    The only thing this one doesn't have is the dog-leg 5-speed. I drove one car with it but the rest of the thing was a total beater so hard to judge. I did have a Mercedes 190 2.3-16 with a dog-leg and found it a little annoying.

    But I loved the 16V and would normally trade this for a clean one but my wife once said "none of those again". At least she never said not to buy a 635....


    If anyone is interested in a 1972 R107 Mercedes 350/450SL, I have two...... then I could sell those and keep the 635! I make and sell carbon fiber for modern cars but love the old stuff. Which gets me into trouble. That probably goes for a lot of us!
     
  11. albert328gts

    albert328gts Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    1,618
    California
    of the 350 and 450 SL

    Please
     
  12. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    #12 johnb@macarbon, Sep 14, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Here are some pics of the 1973 350SL. 42K miles. Clean interior. No accidents. Brand new top. It came out of a doctor's collection. So I was told. Main point to me: small bumpers and no cracks in the dash. If the dash on a R107 is cracked, its a 10 hour swap job. And your only choice is taking it out and sending it to justdashes.com in Los Angeles. And then waiting two months for it to come back. And they charge $1500ish for the work. So $2500 to do it right - or use a dash cap.

    It was represented to me as perfect with 42K. But it has needs. Paint is 10 footer quality. I think it probably needs the front suspension gone through. (so does my other one!) Seats need to be re-stuffed. (other one too!) There is some evidence of rust repair on the driver footwell. For someone looking for a small bumper R107 SL, it would be a good car to start with. When it arrived from North Carloina, the seller changed his tune from "its perfect" to "its a 40 year old car".

    I think the early R107s (before smog and big bumpers) will be the next 'collectable' SL. Euro cars in California are pretty rare. Already the ASK on eBay for 72-73 cars is 12K for non-dogs and 15-20 for good ones. Dealers are looking for $25K. I bought it thinking I'd drive it for a month or two here in the California summer and sell it. Sort of an easy flip for fun. Ummm not.

    I'd take $8K for it... which is at least a $4K loss..... gulp.
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  13. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 4, 2006
    8,281
    Palos Verdes
    Full Name:
    Vince V
    The 350SL is targeted as a collectible. Anyone interested in these cars should jump on this low mileage example right now. Early years of this type in the US marked as the 350SL model. After this they were 450SL's. Former GF used to drive one. Heavy car, but a fun cruiser.

    I swear John if I could get away with it, I'd have that 635csi in my garage this week. Fly up and drive it back. I know the coupeking himself. The shop is not far from my house.
     
  14. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
    33,571
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Rich
    God I love these BMWs! When I was a valet in the '80s I drove a few of the American models, and they were great.

    Too bad I'm not in the market!!! :(
     
  15. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    #15 johnb@macarbon, Sep 15, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  16. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 4, 2006
    8,281
    Palos Verdes
    Full Name:
    Vince V
    Kind of got thing for heavy German iron, eh?
     
  17. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    Like most of us, I like interesting cars!

    I had my 308QV for thirteen years but sold it in 2010 when we needed a shop car that was a better fit for what we did. Enter the 996. The BMW was bought on a lark and then the two Mercedes were ummmmmm... bought in a moment of insanity. But I'm making progress in getting back to just the 996!

    For a daily driver I've gone '62 Buick Skylark Convertible, Merc 2.3-16, E36 325i, C36 and now a W211 E55. I'd like to sell the E55 and move to a C55 or maybe a E46 M3. Too bad the E46 only comes as a 2-door. And as a company, we don't do BMW.
     
  18. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    The 635 will be going back to the mother land. So one less 635 with sexy bumpers in California. German buyer and I have a signed contract and now I'm just waiting for the wire to arrive. Probably tomorrow. Buyer's agent was local, responding to my craigslist add. But I'm not totally counting the chickens yet!

    Mercedes is still available. Take your pick! Guess I need to post pics of the black one.
     
  19. Jdahlstrom

    Jdahlstrom Formula 3

    Feb 28, 2005
    1,184
    Miami, Fl
    Full Name:
    Josh Dahlstrom
    That e24 was worth every penny.
     
  20. zc911

    zc911 Formula Junior

    Mar 4, 2014
    707
    Brampton, Ontario
    Full Name:
    Rob
    Damn it, I was hoping to have my mustang sold so I could snag that BMW
     
  21. sburke

    sburke Formula 3

    Dec 21, 2010
    1,273
    Lake Norman, NC
    Gorgeous car
     
  22. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    It looks like our German buyer is also going to take the silver SL. We've been paid for the BMW and are now finalizing the deal on the Mercedes. Once that is done, then they will be picked up and the 996 can resume its place inside the shop.

    Then maybe I'll start a thread on the black SL! At a minimum, this thread has been fun!
     
  23. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    I was looking at the SL as I was filling out the paperwork today.... wish I had had more time to see if I could love it... it actually was really clean and probably needs just a little TLC to get it good. My heart is not feeling as much for the black one.
     
  24. TexFerrari

    TexFerrari Formula 3

    Sep 11, 2004
    1,194
    Texas of course!
    Where did the German buyers find your cars?
     
  25. johnb@macarbon

    johnb@macarbon Formula Junior

    Feb 24, 2004
    808
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    John Borchelt
    They have a local agent who saw the craigslist add for the 635.
     

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