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BMW E64 650i

15K views 48 replies 19 participants last post by  alecescolme 
#1 ·
Hi Guys, it has been a while since I posted here. I thought I would share the latest project, a 2008 650i Convertible, which I purchased back in March.

Here is my Jaguar Super V8 thread:
http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=389735
The Jag is still with me, I really need to update that thread!

The below is copied from another forum, a bit backdated, so please bear with!

Had put a £250 deposit for a 2006 Red convertible from a dealer down in Brighton - however, this 2008 Lci turned up, I made a good offer and he accepted!
So loosing the non-refunable deposit and the extortionate £540 tax still made it a cheaper buy for a more valueable car.

Collected it yesterday from Milton Keynes after taking the train from Lancaster. The seller kindly collected me from the train station and I drove it back to his house. The car drove very well, very smooth.

Spent most of today cleaning and assesing areas that need attention, very pleased with the paint condition, just some stone chips and minor scrapes to deal with. Gave it a clay, then Poorboys Black Hole and wax. My neighboor misread the number plate and thought it was 2018 model!









The interior looks great, but the drivers seat bolster needs attention, dont like beige carpets though! The BMW Dakota leather is not a patch on the nappa leather in the Jag.


The Lci gearshifter is pretty cool, cupholder is metal and well made, but looks a bit aftermarket.


iDrive is very complicated, yet to figure out half of it, but way more advanced than anything Jaguar had at the time! DAB too


To do list:
-Find out why Logic 7 sound system sounds off, possibly amp failure
-Belt (hopefully) squeel when cold
-Refurb drivers seat
-Refurb rubber coated steering wheel plastic
-Machine polish
-Touch up stone chips
- Replace drivers side indicator, as it has strange cracking all over the lens. £260, ouch!
- Fit white LED bulbs to replace filament bulbs
- LED Angel Eyes, recomendations please!
- Oil change (only done in December)
- Refurb front diamond cut wheels, double ouch!
- Buy personalised number plate and fit
- Fill number plate holes in front

Enough to be getting on with? I will be taking the BMW and Jag to the local Cumbria Car show next month...



So 2x V8s, 9 litres, 16 cylinders and around 820bhp for the price of a new Fiesta, these cars are motoring bargain imo.
 
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#27 ·
A supercar is probably closer that you think. I’m a few years older than you but back in 2014 when I turned 30, I was able to buy myself a DB9. It didn’t go very well, but there are other alternatives that fall in the supercar territory that are going for around £25k these days. Anything pre 2010 is going to be a bit of a money pit, after that Ferrari and Lamborghini really got their acts together and started screwing the cars together much better. Aston Martin’s were still shaky until 2012 but epic depreciation makes even those cars cheaper than you think. The time will come and when it does, you’ll be amazed at what’s out there for a reasonable purchase price. Running one is another matter; take what you have spent on the Jaguar and the BMW combined and then double it. You might be nearly there!!
 
#28 ·
I have been looking at the lower end "supercars" - GranTurismos, M6's, even Continental GTs and more convinced than ever that a W216 CL is absolutely comparable. Whatever I buy will be used regularly so things like tyres, brakes etc need to be considered as regular consumables and they are really not badly priced - certainly better value than other comparable performance cars in the same used price bracket.

Will be getting it maintained by a Mercedes specialist who has already given me some pointers and it appears the major weakness is electrical gremlins - mechanically they seem pretty bulletproof
 
#29 ·
I don't think the W216 CL can really be called a "Supercar", in the same way I don't class the Porsche 911 a supercar either.

The CL sort of blends into the background of other cars and people just think its any old Mercedes Coupe. It's only people who know what it is that show an interest. I actually got more attention driving the Jaguar XJ that I do the CL.

To me the Maserati Grandtourismo, TVR Tuscan or Lotus Esprit V8 are 'Entry level' supercars, and then Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Bentleys are the real deal.

But I think in many ways the CL is a better buy though. It is more highly specified than many of those, costs a lot less, and depending on which you buy it can be a lot faster. Parts and servicing are probably much cheaper than something like an Aston Martin or Ferrari too.

I still hanker after owning a DB7 vantage one day... but the CL makes one hell of an amazing daily driver!
 
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#34 ·
Nice clear advert and i like the YouTube video bit, definitely borrowing that idea for my next sale.

I'll ask not because i want to buy it (lovely though that it is) but because somebody else is bound to, what happened to the service in 2013 as it seems to have done 23k miles between 2012 and 2014?

And this is purely my opinion but I am always a bit cautious when people advertise their cars still with their private number plate. Suggests to me that they don't really want to sell. Unless your insurance company charges a fortune to make the change would you not do it in anticipation?

I've never done it but what happens with the V5 in that situation if somebody wants to buy it and the plate is still on it?
 
#35 ·
SBM, thanks!

Andy, still re-searching. I am currently changing jobs also, so might need to take into account daily running costs.

James, well spotted... At the time, it was owned by the original owner, so I don't know if they forgot to stamp the book or what. I figured it would be best to include the dates/miles to be 100% honest to a potential buyer. As it was quite a few years ago and I could see that the car has been very well maintained since then, it didn't put me off buying. Regarding the plate, yes you are correct on the insurance side, plus I am taking both my Jaguar & BMW to a show later this week - possibly the last time they are photographed together with matching plates. I will put the cert on retention after the show.
 
#36 ·
James, well spotted... At the time, it was owned by the original owner, so I don't know if they forgot to stamp the book or what. I figured it would be best to include the dates/miles to be 100% honest to a potential buyer. As it was quite a few years ago and I could see that the car has been very well maintained since then, it didn't put me off buying. Regarding the plate, yes you are correct on the insurance side, plus I am taking both my Jaguar & BMW to a show later this week - possibly the last time they are photographed together with matching plates. I will put the cert on retention after the show.
Makes perfect sense. Hope you enjoy the show and you get a nice easy sell.
 
#37 ·
Good luck with the sale Alec.

Sad to hear you are selling It, I know whoever buys it will be a very lucky soul - you've transformed It from great to stunning.

The thing is, now I cannot wait to see what you get next!

See you at the Cumbria show this weekend!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
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#38 ·
The car is still with me, after a buyer disappearing off the face of the earth at the last minute... I have another buyer, who viewed the car and loved it, the problem is he has to sell his (very nice) 2009 Mercedes SLK350 with 69k miles first. I have been offered a straight swap for it, as lovely as it is, it is not really 'me'! So have to wait and see in the mean time...

Itching to buy, constantly looking at the clasified ads. But first sell the 650i, then get the Jaguar Super V8 daily driver in 100% shape before buying another car.
 
#49 ·
Thanks, blademansw.

Andy, nothing gets past you :D
I will try to get a thread up this weekend, and even clean it, as it is filthy from its trip from the highlands.

I have never driven a CL of any kind, but I imagine it would drive very different to the M6. The M6 drives hardcore compared to the 650i, mostly due to the engine & SMG. I see the AMG as a very large engined, torquey cruiser, but very comfortable. To be honest, the M6 is less appealing if you are town driving, or low speeds, mainly due to the gearbox. However, on country roads, autobahn, ect, the M6 really excels. The V10 supercar howl is so addictive and makes my V8s sound pedestrian, once the car really gets moving. Feels like a proper drivers car and rewarding to drive- this was my reason for selling the 650i.

Early days, but it put a smile on my face, the handful of times I have driven it. I have so much yet to learn about it.
 
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