1985 BMW 7-Series

Sedan

M30 3.5L I-6

Manual

WBAFH7405F0630320

Clear

Gasoline

0 0 1 722 4122 TravelersRest 34 9 4835 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE 1985 BMW 735i 4 door sedan w/ Dinan suspension modifications 340,300 original miles 5 speed manual transmission Cosmos Blue Metallic Light tan leather interior Fantastic car Bought new at what is now Stevens Creek BMW in San Jose, CA, one owner drove until summer 2014, and I acquired it then. All records from new - two massive folders full detailing literally all oil changes, tune ups, and everything else done to the car since new. Car was sent to Dinan when it was new in 1985 and the entire suspension was reworked. Car is slightly lowered, with much more aggressive roll bars than stock, and had bigger bushings, different springs, shocks, etc. Suspension had major rework about 100K miles ago with all new poly bushings and refreshed fasteners. Shocks were just replaced recently within 5000 miles ago at great expense with Bilstein HDs and adjustable front K-MAC shock tower bearings. The motor and transmission are factory BMW - bone stock, no modifications. Mechanically car is extremely sound. Cooling system is in great shape - radiator replaced some years ago but not many miles ago, water pump, thermostat and fan clutch just replaced within last 5000 miles. Coolant is new. Both fuel pumps replaced in last 5000 miles. Car burns no oil between changes - remarkable. There is a slight oil weep in the front of the motor - this is quite common on BMW M30 motors. Have been checking dipstick regularly and impossible to tell that oil is down at all from normal. Car has had Kendall 20W50 dino oil since new at very regular intervals. Motor runs extremely strong. Transmission was replaced at some point and consequently is very tight relative to other BMWs of this age and mileage. Clutch is strong and tight, master and slave cyls were replaced within last 5000 miles. New Kumho touring tires on original BMW 14" wheels. Climate control module does function, and A/C compressor works. The one function that is inoperable is that the A/C won't blow out of the dash vents except intermittently. It blows very cold, but only from the defrost vents and floor. Heat works fine and defroster works fine. All window motors and switches work well - sunroof works well. Recently the door lock cylinder on the drivers door has been temperamental - need to lock/unlock car using key in the trunk or passenger side door. Car runs down the road steady and solid as a rock and is quite capable of speeds well in excess of the legal limit. Dinan suspension is fairly stiff and makes for a unique car. The top of the line BMW with a stick and a quite aggressive suspension set up is really one of a kind custom build that original owner specified. The car handles remarkably tightly for its size and especially given original equipment (small by today's standard) size tires. Cosmetically, interior is very good. All leather is intact, no tears. Dash does have cracking. All gauges and lights work. Aftermarket Pioneer CD player and speakers, tastefully installed. Wood is in nice shape, glass is very good, all exterior rubber is quite good. Weaknesses are the paint on the horizontal surfaces - the hood, roof and trunk. The hood is quite faded, the roof and trunk less so. The valence panel under the rear bumper was bent inward at some point. Doesn't detract too much from overall appearance. Overall, this is a very unique and extremely well-preserved classic BMW with an outstanding history and a remarkable book of records and documents attesting to its careful (nearly fanatical) maintenance schedule over the years. The way it runs and drives is a testament to its original owner's care and to the inherent quality of the German engineering of its time. Every possible service item that was needed to make this car completely roadworthy has been taken care of. I regrettably put it up for sale, but my circumstances have changed and I need a more practical commuter. This car is certainly capable of serving as such reliably, but given storage constraints as well I have made the decision to put it on the market. For the right buyer, this is a serious find at a price that is a massive discount for what it would take to get another car into this condition - not to mention the pedigree of a Dinan car and the rock-solid documented history. Also, for some reason, the value of these E23 sedans has lagged other classic BMWs, making it even more of a bargain given all of the care, effort, time and resources invested to make the car ready to roll. There is something inherently satisfying about a big car that can seat four full-sized adults in comfort, and still has a manual transmission and can probably out-handle most all of its contemporaries in the BMW lineup. $4900 OBO