Hello there,
You may recall I joined the forum as I had a chance of a 20v Turbo. After much going back and forth I finally managed to buy it for what I think is a resonable sum. Weeks later I finally managed with the help of a good friend recover the coupe....
Found out more details...It had been "parked up" since 2001! although it has been outside all this time it has been on hard standing so at least the underside is pretty free from any rust damage. 56K miles on it, 2 owners from new, one being a dealer (ex- demo car??). All the keys are present and the code card.
With four flat tyres the chances of shifting it being a simple job looked dodgy to say the least.
However after pumping them up the car moved.
No siezed brakes - amazing.
So finally home... Hope the picture thing works



Yes it was alittle green, but 3 hours with a pressure washer and it's cleaned up well.
When I get a chance it's into the shed to start to see if it will live again.


Edit I have sorted out your picture for you.
Click the "quote" button to see how it's done. Use the direct image link on Photobucket.

Just replace anything made of rubber and she's good to go!

Nice Camo effect

Great find and well done Malc on the persistence side

Have you been following this great weekend playtime thread for when your coupe is back on the road?

Hi and Welcome , good to see another one saved .

Wow that's some project ahead of you, well saved and good luck with it

Nice find! But first things first, get the cambelt changed ASAP!

Thank you all for your replies and encouragement! Also PeteP for sorting the picture for me.
More things discovered...

1) Brake pedal goes to the floor, ops no fluid, must be a leak somewhere.......
2) Handbrake seized off.
3) Clutch pedal doesn't move - slave cylinder or stuck clutch?
4) Oil levels in engine and gearbox are fine.
5) Radiator "full".
6) gear linkage very stiff, can't find all the gears, related to point 3 above?

I was thinking of throwing a battery in it to see if it turns over and or starts, I would only let it idle due to the age of the timing and Aux belt - good idea?
Malc

No but when I get it up and going I will!
Thanks,
Malc

i wouldn't my belt went on starting and was much newer than yours, they often just slide off without necessarily breaking.

Really good to see one rescued, best of luck.

NO! - definitely not - WAY too much chance of a belt failing

Full belts service, with new oil and all filters and even then you should drop a little oil down the spark plug holes and turn the engine over by hand a few times (crank pulley) and then a few seconds on the starter motor with no plugs in and no injectors connected in order to get some oil pumped round before it has a chance to fire up

And while you're changing the cam belt, at that age its a good idea to change the cam sensor as well.

It would be really useful to find out why it was laid up 14yrs ago, I'd imagine given it's worth then it would have had to have been something significant; cambelt, clutch, gearbox etc

The reason I was given was that the tax was running out, it was "time" to do the cambelt as it is close to 60,000miles, and finally it was December.
I am actually inclined to believe this because I have known the chap for a long time and "unfortunately" he has no mechanical aptitude at all and thus was reliant on garages to do the work. This combined with the fact he still isn't that good with money I think he found it too expensive to run and or get the work done. He said he always wanted one and is sad to see it go but it is "local". I have promised him that he can have a ride / drive once I get it up and running again.

Good luck, it could be worth doing some investigatory work before you get too deep. Looks like the car was doing 20k a year until it parked up. Does seem strange as it would've still had some value.

Even with the levels all good change all the fluids, the oil will have drained out the engine and the bores will be dry. Turn the crank by hand after doing the fluids and belts a couple times as well

Thank you all,
Heard what you have all said re trying to get it going. I guess I will have to tow it into the shed!
Tipped some redex / diesel mix down the spark plug holes tonight (Old tractor trick). will let it sit for a while
before attempting to turn it over by hand.
Thanks,
Malc

How anyone could not touch their Coupe for 14 days, let alone 14 years, is beyond me.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Is there any lacquer peel or did the 'green wax' protect it from the sun?
Incidentally, what's the car behind the Coupe in the piccy?
Enjoy sorting it out.

The only lacquer peel is a small area around the bonnet badge, alittle around the boot lock and the filler cap. The rest seems intact. As to the "green wax" when I finally got it all off I found the paint was spotted with a slightly purpley colour where it had been particulary bad, chemical reaction?
Car lurcking is an old 1972 BMW 3.0Csi coupe. I am rebuilding/ restoring one of those (slowly) and that one is for afew spares.

FascinAting stuff!

Doing the same thing except mines was laid up since 2006.

First thing i done was change the belts, also great opportunity to learn about the car.

In doing so meant i could go find out the original reason for being laid and mines seems to be turbo, smokes like a chimney.

My next job is full brake service and to fix a small hole in the floorpan and its MOT time

good luck

Wow, that's a project!! Good luck with it. Time for more pics maybe....