3 hour wait in the tire shop. AMA? 

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt) 12/22/2015 at 13:56 • Filed to: Bored to Death

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Story time: This 850csi lives in a Garage in central Mass. The elderly owner lives thousands of miles away, in Italy. He raced Porsches when he was younger, and has so many cars that he had to ship this beauty to the US for storage. His adult grandchildren, who own the garage in question, are not car people. They view driving it every so often as a chore!

One of their daughters loves the car, and they’ve promised it to her as her first ride. I sincerely hope that does not come to fruition. I love the idea of a young car gal being introduced to the cult via one of the best automobiles BMW ever made. That said, we all know what happens to many teenagers’ first cars.

Before you ask - yes, it is a 6 speed. The interior is dove grey and it has 20,xxx miles on it. The worst part? I passed up an opportunity to drive it. I really am an idiot sometimes.

I was “dating” the niece of the folks who own the garage a few summers ago. We used to house sit for them when they went on vacation, which was awesome because their house was gorgeous, and they didn’t pay us - instead, we were allowed to drink as much of their alcohol as we could. That was a truly wild summer.

The girl I was spending time with actually suggested taking the car for a joyride, which I categorically refused to do. I would never forgive myself if something happened. However, the owners weren’t opposed to me taking the old beast out for some exercise when they were around. Which never happened. After writing this, I am seriously considering hitting up that girl, who now lives in Chicago, to see if I can finally get my hands around that steering wheel.

RallyWrench > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:03

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Is that Daytona Violet or blue? Fantastic car, I did heads on a CSi some years back, it’s what the 850 always should have been. And find that woman!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:07

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“Dove grey”

NOPE. She could burn it to the ground for all I care now. Hate dove leather so much.

DrScientist > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:09

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amazing cars. my college gf’s dad had one of these.

i’d do my best to get this out of that neice’s daughter’s hands and into mine! the fact that it has been sitting may be a bit of a concern. but still...

i haven’t checked recently, but low-mileage CSis were in the 50k range. compared to is and Cis which were in the 10-20k range. also... really difficult to find these with the 6 speeds. which actually drive pretty well.

amazing cars. BEST of bmw in the 90s.

disclaimer: i have a thing for overly complicated gts and personal lux coupes.

jkm7680 > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:16

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Rest in peace that BMW. She'll crash it or fail to maintain it within a month.

Noah - Now with more boost. > RallyWrench 12/22/2015 at 14:20

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Dark Blue! Daytona Violet would be hilarious though. And yeah I’ll probably send her a Facebook message in the spring, I can’t stop thinking about that car. The caretakers were incredibly chill so I think I can make it happen. They gave us the keys to their WRX when they were away. Needless to say, we ran many lengthy and usually pointless errands in that car. That woman was surrounded by interesting cars. Her mother let me drive her RX8 once too, and even made fun of me for not winding it all the way out lol.

Noah - Now with more boost. > jkm7680 12/22/2015 at 14:22

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I’m hoping the parents will see the light when they realize how much it’s worth. But yeah the thought makes me shudder.

jkm7680 > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:22

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I'm hoping they buy her a Corolla or something. Even if she is a car person, I would trust a delicate and rare BMW in her hands.

Noah - Now with more boost. > jkm7680 12/22/2015 at 14:25

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Yeah I wouldn’t even trust myself with that car.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DrScientist 12/22/2015 at 14:27

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Me too! My first car was a 1989 635csi. And I’m dying to own another. And an XJ-S V12. Those will be my next two purchases hopefully, both are still seriously undervalued IMO.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 12/22/2015 at 14:33

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I love grey leather. Light colored interiors are so inviting to me. But hey you could just do an interior swap! I have the same visceral reaction to silver cars with black leather. That’s the most boring choice possible. Deeply conservative and incredibly common. Black is so uninviting to me. I currently drive a silver/black leather car, it kills me lol. That’s the beautiful thing about cars though right? We all like different things for completely subjective reasons. Nobody is right or wrong. Just into something different.

DrScientist > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 14:35

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well, the m6s are definitely moving in auctions. and 635s seem to be getting a little bump.

extremely well sorted xjs’s have asking prices in the high teens, but your everyday 100k mile xjs can go for 6k but need another 16k to put it exactly right.

just sold mine (with plenty of flaws) for under 4k over the summer.

Noah - Now with more boost. > DrScientist 12/22/2015 at 14:40

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An XJS with a tremec swapped into it + a loud exhaust would be dreamy. That sound is intoxicating.

Dsscats > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 15:03

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With that mileage, that’s an $80,000+ car

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 15:09

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Mauritius Blue?

Noah - Now with more boost. > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 12/22/2015 at 15:46

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Yep definitely. What a color combo.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Dsscats 12/22/2015 at 15:51

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And imagine what it will go for in 20 years when 90s kids have the cash for a good old fashioned bidding war. Easily 150k + for a csi like this I bet.

Anon > jkm7680 12/22/2015 at 16:14

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Now, lets not assume she won’t maintain it! I know several women who are very into cars and are even more anal about talking care of their’s. However, I like to consider myself a decent driver and I’m pretty sure I would crash it if driving seriously, much less if I were a new driver!

Joe F > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 17:49

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me want

Baeromez > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 18:47

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Noah - Now with more boost. > Baeromez 12/22/2015 at 20:00

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LOL. Too accurate. Consider my wounds salted. I left at 12, returned at 6. At least I had fun on Oppo, and ate some decent Indian food!

Baeromez > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/22/2015 at 20:46

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Sorry, my buddy is a mechanic and just posted that on facebook today, so I kind of had to do it. I used to be a service writer for Sears and we all dreaded anyone waiting for their car. It inevitably ends in frustration for everyone.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Baeromez 12/22/2015 at 20:56

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Hey no worries! That was the perfect meme, you absolutely had to do it. I have the utmost respect for techs and service managers so I never ask about when my car will be ready. I actually learned a few interesting things from the dude at the desk - I guess some tires contain sunflower oil and/or orange extract!? For tire wear and petroleum content reduction? The science behind it is interesting, I’m probably going to do a writeup after I investigate further

JGrabowMSt > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/31/2015 at 14:09

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Realize how much it’s worth? What’s it worth?

Unless it’s got BMW Motorsports door handles, it’s one of the most ungodly V12s to attempt caretaking of.

Best left to those with deep pockets. There are several 850CSi cars around me, three of which are in remarkable condition, but if you talk to the owners, you’ll find that only one of them is in showroom shape. The other two are uphill battles to keep the paint shiny and the bottom of the dipstick covered in oil.

Noah - Now with more boost. > JGrabowMSt 12/31/2015 at 14:20

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But that’s the nature of people with pockets deep enough to buy old V12s, right? Maintenance isn’t a concern and the car is a toy, not a DD. So they’re willing to pay the price of entry and the running costs. I’m sure this isn’t the healthiest e31 since it doesn’t get much attention, but I bet it would be on the high end of the KBB value due to rarity and low mileage. Also since you sound like a fellow BMW nut - we both know that the V8s are just as horrible!!

JGrabowMSt > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/31/2015 at 17:47

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Oddly enough, Im not really much for most BMWs. I have a really picky taste, so as far as BMW gies, if you want my attention, you need a: 2002, Sharknose 3.0 CSL, 850CSi, 7 series V12 or M1. Thats about it for me when it comes to BMW. I do own a V12, though somehow its been spectacularly reliable and Im just keeping it on the road, and making sure its appearances are well kept to match its status.

The V8s in the more modern BMWs are a little bit atrocious, but going back to previous generations like the 850CS, theyre actually quite favorable, enough power to move, but Im certainly not going to call it any form of awakening, even when you stand on it at a light. Dont worry though, Mercedes is guilty of the same things. The CLK430 is a pretty car, and certainly a nice one, but that V8 has the same motivation as a toddler in time out. On the flip side though, theyre (I cant believe Im saying this) frugal for a V8, as I was easily able to average 24MPG. Oddly enough, its not unpleasant, but Im hard pressed to say I would go get a CLK430 after my initial experiences.

Ive come to have a better appreciation for BMW in the past year, being around them more (I even went to Bimmerfest), but its not a brand I see myself owning, short of a select few gems.

When it comes to the 850 cars, unfortunately, theyre desireable, yes, but not in the same way as a Ferrari or a Lamborhini. The V12 is definitely supercar status, “normal cars” would never have a V12, but the people who are after them are the people that lusted for them when they came out, or people who experienced them once, and caught the bug. My SL600 Sport gave me the bug. I couldnt let it go. I was 6 when it was first built, and my parents are not fond of German Reliability, but the person I bought it from was. We appreciate the car for its drive, the feel, the luxury and the power. Most people at car shows or events go into two categories “OMGWTFBBQ ITS A V12 OMGGG” or “you know, I saw one of these on the street in NYC when it first came out, and just about everyone on the street stopped what they were doing to look at it.” Its hard being young and owning a car like that, it requires a lot of responsibility to uphold the status and to keep it in good shape, often people forget how easy it is to hurt that. Bump a parking stop? Thats not cheap. Feed it bad gas? Put the wrong tires on it and drive it in the rain just a little faster than conditions really allow? Or the worst sin of them all, leave it sitting in the garage/driveway/parking garage. Theyre not trophies, but they do need to be treated like them when theyre being used. The 850CSi is just like that, its a smaller group that really wants it, a bigger group that says they would buy one for the right price, and everyone else that doesnt even turn their head when one goes by.

Wealthy rich people are far more picky about what their money goes to, but someone genuinely interested in the car will be quite the opposite.

Noah - Now with more boost. > JGrabowMSt 12/31/2015 at 17:56

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It’s hard to disagree with anything you’ve said! Also mmmm R129s... I hope your exhaust isn’t stock :p

JGrabowMSt > Noah - Now with more boost. 12/31/2015 at 18:10

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It is stock, and will stay that way. Its too significant to cut up.

Dont think it hasnt crossed my mind though......