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Thread: Abandoned 840Ci

  1. #1
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    Abandoned 840Ci

    There is a long story as to how I found this car, but it has been sitting disused in a field in Northern Perth WA for over a year. As a particularly striking car, I thought I would share some pictures of it - it may make some of you cringe though...




    http://imgur.com/a/qya7Y#0

    The car is the result of a contested estate of the owner who suffers from advanced Alzheimer's Disease. The car has recently been collected by a public trust and will be sold at auction. I had been hoping to try and negotiate privately with the vested interests in the estate, but with it going to auction I will be unlikely to be able to get the car. It needs some TLC.

  2. #2
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    May be a good catch. Originally when I looked at the post I thought you said it was in Washington, not WA (I think you are saying Western Australia).
    Last edited by rogbmw; 06-04-2015 at 07:57 AM.
    CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
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  3. #3
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    Nicely scrubbed roof!
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by rogbmw View Post
    May be a good catch. Originally when I looked at the post I thought you said it was in Washington, not WA (I think you are saying Western Australia).
    Yeah, Western Australia. I had been thinking about getting it, and the son was going to look into dealing with the Public Trust before it went to Auction, but too late. If it hits auction it will almost certainly exceed my budget.

    Quote Originally Posted by Timm View Post
    Nicely scrubbed roof!
    Most of the car is like that. The self-serve car washes with the brooms are really popular here, and it is very sandy. So if a car has been sitting a while and isn't pre-rinsed properly that is the damage I would expect. That car is in rough shape, every panel needs to be cut and polished - personally I would like to wet-sand the whole thing back and then mirror polish it...

  5. #5
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    Nice color!!

    Quote Originally Posted by lambertius View Post
    The self-serve car washes with the brooms are really popular here
    I cringe every time I see some idiot using one of those on their paint. Even on a crap car, it kills me.

  6. #6
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    OMG...that appers to be Santorini blue! arggg...sports seats. Poor car.
    CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
    CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather


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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaifanSC View Post
    OMG...that appears to be Santorini blue! arggg...sports seats. Poor car.
    And the factory two-tone paint job.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by lambertius View Post
    And the factory two-tone paint job.
    I had to look it up in the 8er registry....if this car is santorini blue, then it's either 1/11 or 1/17 (depending on Santorini or Santorini2). The fact that it has the OEM black roof/hood cowling probably mean's it was a J spec car.

    Totally worth saving. Would it be possible to get the VIN?
    CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
    CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather


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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaifanSC View Post
    The fact that it has the OEM black roof/hood cowling probably mean's it was a J spec car.
    The fact that it is right-hand drive means it is not J-spec.

  10. #10
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    Looks like super low KM. No breakup of coating on Valve covers. Interesting mix of 4.0L M60 with M-Sport body kit. Did you get Km. Agree with Caifan. Totally worth it.

  11. #11
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    Beautiful Car....Is this car an "Individual"?
    With the sport seats, unique 2-tone color, CSi mirrors & sport package w/rear spoiler, it sure seems so. It would be in the US....maybe not in Australia. I'm also curious about the exhaust system.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by CaifanSC View Post
    I had to look it up in the 8er registry....if this car is santorini blue, then it's either 1/11 or 1/17 (depending on Santorini or Santorini2). The fact that it has the OEM black roof/hood cowling probably mean's it was a J spec car.

    Totally worth saving. Would it be possible to get the VIN?
    The car is CB97271 on 8coupe. It was built for the Sydney International Motor Show in 1994 - hence the two-tone paint and having all the options.

    Quote Originally Posted by olinjohnston View Post
    The fact that it is right-hand drive means it is not J-spec.
    J-spec cars are RHD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_..._traffic#Japan

    Quote Originally Posted by sleepy81 View Post
    Looks like super low KM. No breakup of coating on Valve covers. Interesting mix of 4.0L M60 with M-Sport body kit. Did you get Km. Agree with Caifan. Totally worth it.

    The mileage is around ~200 000kms (120 000 miles) and is in good condition considering. The son was telling me that the condition had deteriorated significantly over the last few years as his father no longer maintained it. From what he was telling me the car was kept to a very high standard.
    Last edited by lambertius; 06-05-2015 at 09:19 AM.

  13. #13
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    I have a J-Spec car and it is LHD, so is every J-Spec 8 I've seen, along with most other BMW's in general to be honest. It is a RHD country, but all of the high end German cars seem to be preferred in LHD.

    Nice looking car, I had no idea you could get two toned paint....
    Live, Love, Life, Amazing...

  14. #14
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    I've been trying to track down some cars for 8coupe to help complete the registry. I haven't been able to get one myself, so I figured if I helped work out where they were, when the time comes it may be easier for me to get one. This was one of the 'missing' cars on the list.

    I would love to get it, and I may have been in with a chance had I been able to negotiate it privately. There is a long story behind the family regarding the car, but the short version is that even though they're fighting I may have been in with a chance to get it - however a week after I finally saw the car, the public trust collected it and it will be sold at auction. Once it hits auction I will be outbid by a dealer who will dress up the car the minimum they need to sell it. I can afford to buy a car or restore one but not both, and a lot of these cars are in seriously rough shape. So I either need to find a good one - or in the case of this car, I would've needed to get it very cheaply and then enjoy restoring it.

    I emailed a collector I know to see if it appeals to them, mainly because the son wants to see "my father's legacy" go to someone who cares. At one point he told me he 'would rather give it to you than sell it to someone who doesn't care'. So I thought since I won't be able to get it I would at least try and see it to someone who cares.

    It needs a fairly substantial amount of cosmetic work, but about 90% of it could be fixed through cautious detailing. Some parts are beyond that and need to be resprayed.

    Mechanically, it seems very well cared for. They day I saw it though the batteries were flat, but I am told it was running last month. Apparently there is a full service history (which was collected for the auction) for both previous owners.

    I'm guessing that it will sell for ~$15 000 AUD in its current condition. A dealer will give the worst parts a shoddy respray and a clean then resell it for between $20 000~$30 000 assuming there are no major mechanical defects. I actually don't want to see it resprayed anywhere as that would be a real shame for the paint that is still retrievable.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by peezen View Post
    I have a J-Spec car and it is LHD, so is every J-Spec 8 I've seen, along with most other BMW's in general to be honest. It is a RHD country, but all of the high end German cars seem to be preferred in LHD.

    Nice looking car, I had no idea you could get two toned paint....
    There aren't many with the two-tone paint. 299 Japanese Special Edition cars, 58 850Ci Platinum Special Edition Middle East cars, and a few special orders:

    CB11656 - Santorinblau, roof Schwarz II
    CC00577 - Santorinblau, roof & trim piece Schwarz II
    CD00025 - Aqua, roof & trim piece Schwarz II, Motorshow Detroit (US CSi)
    CB97271 - Santorinblau, roof & trim piece Schwarz II, Motorshow Sydney
    CC84456 - Santorinblau, roof & trim piece Schwarz II
    CC84531 - Santorinblau, roof & trim piece Schwarz II
    CB97559 - Hellrot , roof & trim piece Schwarz II
    CC84822 - Hellrot, roof & trim piece Schwarz II
    CD05213 - British Racing Green, roof & trim piece Schwarz II, private car of artist David Hockney (E31 Art Car). Likely "payment" for the creation of BMW Art Car.
    CC41537 - Arktissilber, roof Cosmosschwarz
    CC41675 - Avusblau, roof & trim piece Cosmosschwarz, mimicking JPN M-Individual (see below)
    CC41827 - Santorinblau II, roof & trim piece Schwarz II, allegedly initially car of Wolfgang Reitzle (back then CTO at BMW)

  15. #15
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    AFAIK, all E31's imported to Japan by BMW were LHD. All the J-specs on my Registry
    http://www.wuffer.ca/index.php/bc-8s-registry.html
    are LHD and I have never seen an RHD J-spec E31.
    FWIW....
    91 850 (Panzer), 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman (WifeMobile) www.wuffer.ca


  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by lambertius View Post
    not E31s!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wuffer View Post
    AFAIK, all E31's imported to Japan by BMW were LHD. All the J-specs on my Registry
    http://www.wuffer.ca/index.php/bc-8s-registry.html
    are LHD and I have never seen an RHD J-spec E31.
    FWIW....
    Quote Originally Posted by olinjohnston View Post
    not E31s!
    Evidently my mistake - I find it super strange though, Japan is notroiously conservative with its road laws so I wonder why they would do that!

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by lambertius View Post
    Evidently my mistake - I find it super strange though, Japan is notroiously conservative with its road laws so I wonder why they would do that!
    Marketing

    "Japan is a right hand drive (RHD) country along with the UK and countries that used to be in the British Empire. However, in Japan there is a certain status associated with LHD (left hand drive) cars – probably because it accentuates their foreignness, making them seem more exotic." https://integrityexports.com/japanese-car-auctions-overview/lhd-cars-in-japanese-car-auctions/

  19. #19
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    Would be nice if the owner sets a reserve so high no one will bid and then does right by you ... I'm just sayin.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by olinjohnston View Post
    Marketing

    "Japan is a right hand drive (RHD) country along with the UK and countries that used to be in the British Empire. However, in Japan there is a certain status associated with LHD (left hand drive) cars – probably because it accentuates their foreignness, making them seem more exotic." https://integrityexports.com/japanese-car-auctions-overview/lhd-cars-in-japanese-car-auctions/
    Things you learn!

    Quote Originally Posted by Chillax View Post
    Would be nice if the owner sets a reserve so high no one will bid and then does right by you ... I'm just sayin.
    It isn't in the owner's control - all of his assets have been seized by a public trust after his family fought over his estate when he was finally committed. To stop his estate being consumed in legal proceedings the state seizes all assets, liquidates them and then distributes them at their discretion. They also control what the reserve (if any) will apply to a vehicle at auction.

    I went and registered to bid today, and inspected the car further. After they cleaned it the extent of the neglect became more evident. Here are some close ups here http://imgur.com/a/logBA#0 Definitely not completely lost.

    I also finally got a confirmed number for the odometer at ~215 000kms (~130 000 Miles).

    I spoke to the guy showing me the car and told him the whole story behind it and he was saying it wasn't as bad as others. He was telling me there are cars that sit on the lot for 5~6 years while estates are being contested, he said that this one was lucky that it was still held by his relatives. He also showed me an obscenely rare Holden (an Australian car, not my thing but still historically interesting) that was a result of a deceased estate that was fighting. He also told me that people had gotten word the car was there and people were rocking up with bags of cash trying to bribe an early sale - though fortunately that hasn't happened with the BMW.

    He was asking me what I thought the car would sell for, and I said that it was really hard to say. If someone has a bit of money and knows about it and is bidding against a like minded individual it could go for ~$30k even in its current condition. For the most part though the car is horrifically unpopular here and the most likely person to pick it up will be a Sydney dealer based in the South West looking to sell it to a 'hectic' who wants the brand and doesn't care what condition it is in when they get it or when they're done with it.

    Basically, I'm just hoping that the people watching that car on the day aren't Sydney Dealers looking for a quick coin. Who wants to get in on a kitty to help save this car? :P

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by olinjohnston View Post
    The fact that it is right-hand drive means it is not J-spec.
    ah, you're right...i forgot some platinum editions for the middle east also got the black roof.
    CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
    CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather


    My other projects:
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  22. #22
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    Looks like this car has crossed Australia after it was picked up at auction. It is now in NSW and looks like the current owner wants to modify it quite a bit. It is still currently the original paint scheme!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BGz66SfpT6W/

  23. #23
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    Wow, they have some amazing toys at that shop!

  24. #24
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    it probably is be a later model 4.4 M62 V8 individual
    i take it by J spec you don't mean japan spec because the majority of Japanese cars are right hand drive cars which would also explain the relatively high spec of the vehicle

  25. #25
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    Did this car sell on Carsales last year around September? There was a light blue one that was for sale in WA.

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