840ci that has been sitting for 14 years

[currymacka]

Hi guys,
I am going to inspect, and eventually buy, a pretty unique 840ci later this week. The only problem is that the car has been sitting outside for around 14 years in Sweden's various weather (in winter below 0 °C), except one startup 5 years ago.
The current owner wants a quick sell, and I assume that the batteries are dead.
Under these circumstances, what am I going to look for?
(Picture of the car in question)

IMG_6012.jpg

[henryc]

Hej, Currymacka-
Yikes...sitting for 14 years in Sweden. As it sits, your purchase would be a gamble, will it turn out to be a parts car or will it actually run? And what about the gearbox? Most likely, the gasoline is beyond it's freshness date. Batteries dead too, so.....I suggest you look for body rust and base your purchase price on what you may or may not see rust wise and as if it were a parts car, not a running vehicle. If you come to terms on a purchase price, most likely all rubber parts (suspension bushings, coolant hoses, belts, rubber fuel lines, oil, air & fuel filters, possibly fuel pumps, etc) will need to be replaced, wheel bearings freshened, brake system overhaul, water pump, maybe radiator- I'm sure coolant was never changed in 10 years so you may have engine coolant passages corrosion and have engine freeze plugs that have popped out. I'm sure others will add their comments.
Hopefully, this car can be brought back from the verge of being just a parts car - and another one saved. Good luck-
/Henry

[72tpik5]

Look for damage to the cooling system, and engine from freezing, check all fluids, and look for the lowest price possible. You will need 2 batteries to boost/start it. Unplug the coils first and turn the motor over to circulate the oil before attempting to start it.

[Omega man 1969]

You might want to remove all the plugs and spray some light oil in there.....let it sit for a day or so and then try and turn the engine using a wrench at the crank pulley. If it turns, then spin it up on the starter before fitting the plugs back in. You can say for sure the fuel pump will be stuck solid, fuel doesn't last very long in plastic fuel tanks. You wont be able to repair the pump, so figure on paying for a second hand unit.

The brakes will need attention, likely need a complete overhaul. Hopefully its not too rusty underneath, looks solid from the outside.

[killian665]

Yeah I wouldn’t even crank it. Any oil it did have has settled down in the pan by now. I wouldn’t even start it without changing it, then pulling the fuel pump relay and giving it some quick hits to get the new oil circulated.

I’m sure the sunroof is rusted out too.

[razman850]

why has it sat for so long? did it run before it was parked? its a nice color and looks good on the outside i hope you can save it.

[Money Pit]

Hi Currymacka, you're a brave man. In addition to the above add in full suspension rebuild both front & rear. As long as the car is straight (accident free), price is right (very cheap) and you have deep, deep, abyss pockets for the repairs (read rebuild, 2nd & 3rd mortgages ) go for it!

[currymacka]

Hi again,
Thought I might wrap this story up. And then ask for help again. More to that later.
Anyway. I went to see the car and boy it was bad. It had literally grown into the ground, mold everywhere inside and a squirrel nest in the engine compartment. Despite this, I was interested since it had a very nice spec and a good history. The owner bought it I Germany and drove home with it in the late 90's.
After I went to see it, the owner made up his mind and decided he wanted to keep it. And for about 6 months ago he sent me a video of the car up and running. And it actually looked really nice. So one more example rescued.

But, now I am going to see another E31 (850i -91) that been sitting for quite a while. 15 years to be exact, but this time in a heated garage (perhaps 15 °C). Owner told me he did the large inspection at BMW before it was parked. The batteries are of course dead and the tyres are flat. So, the same recommended procedure for inspection here?

I thought I might bring a battery and see that everything works/lights up the way it should? Worth trying to crank it, too?

[Belgiumbarry]

as discussed here many times, a car like this is a gamble.... the price you can buy it is not important , but count at least a average 10K in repair parts to get it drivable….if you can do all the work yourself. If not , stay away from it as far as you can.

[Stantz]

I really wouldn’t attempt turning it over if it hasn’t run in 15 years. All you will prove is that the engine isn’t seized up, and there are better ways to do that. The whole fuel system will need to be gone through before attempting to actually start it. Additionally, the idea another mentioned where you remove the spark plugs and add some penetrating oil is a pretty good one. In short: every system in the car that is to be relied upon should be checked, cleaned, and repaired before putting it back into service. If you skip the fuel system, it definitely won’t run. If you skip the oiling system, it’ll probably fail in some manner and ruin the engine. If you skip the cooling system, it’ll probably fail, overheat and damage the engine. Since everything in this car is expensive to replace, you don’t get to gamble with those systems, unless you enjoy wasting money. If it were an old Chevrolet 350, I’d say change the oil, put new gas in a bottle next to the carburetor, and attempt starting it... but this is an entirely different animal. Good luck, and please do take your time.

[spikec]

He ought to be paying you for taking it!

[Amo3686]

Any car sitting for that long will be risky to start, stored inside or out. By this stage, 14 or 15 years, the engine will be dry, all oil will have dropped to the sump. An engine that has not been cranked for a long time will need to be turned by hand. Also the E31 weighs nearly two tonnes, so no doubt various suspension components will need replaced, with such a heavy car sitting with so much dead weight for that long.

How much is the seller asking? By the time you buy the car and do all the necessary work, it may be close to the price of a good one.