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Thread: Possibly buying a 1991 850i 6 speed - opinion needed

  1. #1
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    Possibly buying a 1991 850i 6 speed - opinion needed

    Greetings fellow bimmer enthusiasts!

    Lately I've been really taunting with an idea of getting this 06/1991 850i with a 6 speed manual.

    I owned a decent number of BMW's over the years and most recently e39 M5, e46 330Ci ZHP, few e38 740's and a bunch more, but never a BMW with a V12 engine and never 8 series.
    I was always fascinated with the beautiful design and a V12 engine paired with 6 speed manual gearbox. I didn't know a lot about 8 series up until recently when I started doing more reading and research. I read E31 buying info few times and watched Taylor's Petrolicious video with his CSi like 5 times (phenomenal video btw).

    Example in question got my attention for the following reasons. Obliviously, a manual gearbox which is pretty rare in Europe and the price of around $14,000 which makes it one of the cheapest 850is with a manual in Europe. The car is located in northern Italy and the seller is on vacation so I have pretty limited info until he comes back sometime next week.

    The car apparently has around 68.000 miles (110.000 kilometers) which I doubt are true, but who knows. He also told me that it was repainted due vandalism. I can still see some damage on the passenger door and drivers side door as well. Waiting on better pictures for that.

    It also appears that its sporting a CSi look - front and rear bumper, mirrors, then some sort of exhaust, rear spoiler and what looks to be BBC RC302 wheels.
    Inside I noticed that the headliner is coming off, some hideous steering wheel, button missing around gear knob and I have no idea what's going on with the radio.
    I also can't tell if there is excessive wear on the drivers seat.

    I don't know anything regarding mechanical condition other than that it's registered and that it drives fine according to him.

    Here are some pictures (click on the image twice and you can zoom in).





    I wanted to get thoughts from you guys and general opinion if you think it's worth saving?

    Obviously, I'm waiting on lot more details and pictures/video before I decide to fly over there and look at it. I live in Berlin so it's not exactly close.
    If I do end up flying over there and it checks out, on my way back I would hit up Stelvio Pass and pray to god it survives 850 miles ride back home.

    Cheers,
    Sreten
    Last edited by sreten; 08-25-2017 at 05:14 AM.

  2. #2
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    Looks like an incredible deal for 14k usd.
    Pictures look ok, car is not clean but for that price its great. You are saving around 10k from a market price of a 6 speed in EU. Just make sure the car has proper papers, run interpol check and don't get scammed!
    Last edited by shogun; 09-03-2017 at 01:56 AM. Reason: unneccsary quote removed

  3. #3
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    Pelican Parts is offline Senior Member Supporting Vendor
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    Hello Sreten - in addition to the useful information that the above member gave, I would also HIGHLY recommend getting a full PPI report done by an independent BMW mechanic. The car could look solid on the outside, but be a nightmare under the hood. Just my 2 cents, please let us know if you have any questions and best of luck!
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  4. #4
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    I say, if you can afford it and afford the upcoming repairs you will have to make to bring it back to snuff, then by all means go for it. If you are worried about the long drive, have it shipped. Then, when it arrives, get to work as these cars when right, are very rewarding to drive.

  5. #5
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    Thank you guys!

    Definitely waiting on more info before I head over.

    I'll pay attention to papers, but not sure how to run Interpol check?

    I know what you mean about PPI and I always recommend that to others when looking at a car they don't know a lot about, but I will be going there on a weekend and I can imagine it will be difficult to find a specialist shop that's open and knows these cars and speaks English.

    That being said, I will ask the owner if he has garage jack or something so that I can do my own mini inspection and make sure there isn't horror awaiting underneath. It's important that exhaust system is original otherwise it will never pass German TÜV. I'm used to doing inspections in driveways by now.

    I imagine that maintenance/fuel economy will be more or less like my M5 and there is a specialist shop in Germany that only does E31's.
    Shipping is always an option, but I would love to be able to drive it home. Best way to get to know the car IMO, but we'll see.

    Am I better off without EDC? I had this on my e38 740iL and I loved it so I was hoping to have it here as well. I know if it did have it, it would probably be shot by now, but I would keep the car original and have them refurbished by a guy in Poland or the specialist shop in Germany. It also doesn't have heated seats or rear sun blind.

    Any other useful tips besides buying info that I should pay attention to?

    Thank you!!
    Last edited by sreten; 08-25-2017 at 05:15 AM.

  6. #6
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    I will be most likely going to see the car on Monday.

    Does anyone know if PA Soft or INPA will work with '91 e31? I have the old style round connector that connects under the hood.
    My pre-facelift M5 has that as well. I'm mostly interested in reading the kilometers and see if it matches with the odometer.

  7. #7
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    Got the VIN info. Originally a Belgium car. This one has pretty moderate equipment?

    Vehicle information
    ========================================
    VIN: WBAEG11040CB12658
    Type code: EG11
    Model: 850CI (EUR)
    E-F-R series: E31
    Series: 8
    Type: COUPE
    Steering: LL
    Doors: 2
    Engine: M70
    Displacement: 5.00
    Power: 220 (299 hp)
    Drive: HECK
    Transmission: MEC
    Paint code: 287 - MAURITIUSBLAU METALLIC
    Upholstery code: -
    Prod.date: 1991-01-29
    S301 Alarm system
    S303 BURGLAR AL. WITH TILT ALARM SENSOR
    S401 Lift-up-and-slide-back sunroof, electric
    S428 Warning triangle and first aid kit
    S528 AUTOMATIC AIR FLOW CONTROL
    S676 HiFi speaker system
    S687 Radio preparation
    S690 Cassette holder
    L811 National version Belgium
    S899 Optical signalling for anti-theft alarm
    Last edited by sreten; 08-31-2017 at 07:50 PM.

  8. #8
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    850 CSI
    Manual...... all classics with a manual box are worth more than an automatic, so perfect.
    CSI package, nice but not a factory option on this vin ! (still worth something).
    Two-tone leather: rare option.
    Sliding roof: nice option.
    Get rid of the wheels.

    And be prepared to spend some money.... nice deal.


    ODO: dash reads from the same module as DIS (dash and odo module are in sync, not easy to change, but it can be done).
    BMW 850 CSI march 1994 (EU spec), SOLD. https://www.classiccars-forsale.com/...94-bmw-850csi/
    BMW 850 CSI november 1994 (EU spec)

  9. #9
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    Thanks!

    Yeah, it doesn't appear to be factory CSi package, but it has front and back spoiler/diffuser, rear view mirrors and door sills have M on them (not sure if this is also part of CSi package?).

    WhatsApp Image 2017-08-31 at 11.12.03 (1).jpeg

    I'll see how I feel about the wheels once I see them in person. These should be BBS RC302 wheels if they are original.

    I'm sure I will be spending money since it doesn't come with any service history. It was family owned for more then 10 years, but they didn't keep track of service records unfortunately.

  10. #10
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    I arrived in Italy. Went exploring Milan for the better part of the day and then arrived in Turin to see the car.

    All I can say, it runs and drives. These past 26 years have taken its toll on this car.

    On the outside it's actually in pretty decent shape. It was recently repainted and while it's not perfect, it isn't that bad at all. Just good polish/wax and it will look much better. Interior needs work - pillars, headliner and some bits of plastic, good cleaning... leather is in good condition which is a big plus since it's hard to find good replacement seats.

    Mechanically is where it will need a lot of work. First good stuff, it pulls smooth with good amount of power, clutch feels good and gear changes are also good.
    It doesn't blow smoke and oil color looks good. All of the windows function good including the the sunroof. Pop up headlights work great and all of the lights, minus the left turning signal.

    Suspension will need some work as there is some slop in the steering wheel and it generally feels loose.
    It idles good but I can feel it has a slight misfire, probably needs a good tune up (spark plugs, cables and I found cracked hose on the intake).
    Rotors and brake pads look good all around, but breaking itself is not good. When you first press it nothing happens, press it little harder and all of the braking happens. I'm thinking new break fluid, flush and system bleed, but could be something more complicated than that of course. A/C doesn't work. Few leaks all around and both batteries are dead. Trunk latch doesn't work either.

    Normally I would walk away given everything, but I ended up getting a pretty good deal on it.

    Tomorrow I'm going to try and finish the paperwork for export which is much easier said than done.
    Plan is to transport it to Germany on a truck. I can't drive it on its own wheels because Italy doesn't have export plates, and even if I could, I wouldn't do it.

    I will also try to get a cold start tomorrow cause it was moved around and warmed up when I got there.

    Here are few better pictures.











    Last edited by sreten; 09-03-2017 at 05:18 PM.

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