850 ceiling

bwalvoord

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http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/bmw/alpina/1729592.html#PhotoSwipe1428803518884

I have started searching for an 8 series for my wife's 40th birthday present. I was planning on buying a nicely used 840 with an automatic for under 20k and then spending a few bucks on fixing whatever cosmetic items needed replacing or painting.

We have been together since high school and I knew she was the one when on our 3rd date we saw an E31 and she said that was her favorite car.

The 850 in the link claims to be a very rare Alpina imported from Japan. Assuming it is legal and is what it purports to be, do you guys think this is outrageous or just represents the current ceiling for these cars.

I don't know enough about these to know whether they will ever be six figure cars but much like our coupes, I think they are still stunning and will age well.

Lastly, if any of you are in PA near the car and want an excuse to go check it out, please pm me.

Thanks

Benji
 

Stan

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Understand that the 840 is much easier to work on, at least as reliable and has the same horse power. (per HB Chris):shock:
 

rsporsche

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Benji,

you should be able to find a nice 8 series for 10k to 15k. don't expect to find an 850csi for that ... but certainly an 840ci and maybe an 850ci. i don't expect them to ever be a 6 figure car except the alpina variants or maybe the csi.
 

dave v. in nc

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Hi Benji,
Seventy five is pretty strong..Check out Mich foreign cars in Hickory, NC. One in their inventory for around $13.5. I have known John and his son Chris for many years, and Chris is bringing a client up this afternoon to look at my 76 Taiga 2002 that is for sale...I'll ask him about it. Looks good in the pictures, but I haven't been down there to see it except a drive-by...
Dave V.
 

Stan

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Hi Benji,
Seventy five is pretty strong..Check out Mich foreign cars in Hickory, NC. One in their inventory for around $13.5. I have known John and his son Chris for many years, and Chris is bringing a client up this afternoon to look at my 76 Taiga 2002 that is for sale...I'll ask him about it. Looks good in the pictures, but I haven't been down there to see it except a drive-by...
Dave V.

I think the rarity of "one of two" Alpina V12 850's is what is driving up the cost as well as the low mileage
 

bwalvoord

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I can already hear Don yelling at me for even thinking about the V12. Or perhaps I'm just having a flashback. She doesn't care about the motor., just the color and finish.
 

phead82

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I second Stan's comment on 850 vs. 840 - everyone I've talked to so far recommended the V8 over the V12.
Apart from the 8 Series, have you also given the - in my opinion - beautiful Porsche 928 a thought? The future classic smell on that one is pretty strong too.
 

GolfBavaria

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I keep an eye out for 840's 850's as well because it may be my daily driver once my current daily dies (Not an 8 series). But the daily keeps ticking, I can't kill it. Anyhow, I was just reading up on the Alpina 8 when ironically I saw this same one on Hemmings when I did a search. I couldn't believe it, especially considering how few there are and here is one for sale. If it is everything it says it is, I would buy it in a heartbeat if I had the pocketbook for it but I do not. About whether 850's/40's are in a ceiling, that is a question that if one knew the answer to we would all be super rich. It's nearly impossible to call a ceiling in todays current environment. Who would have been able to tell you we would be where we are in todays financial market 8 years ago? I for one am astonished this market is still going up. And with that, so do the collector cars value/price (two different things I realize that). Collector Cars were the best percentage return on the whole of all the asset classes last year. That being said, this house of cards could come crashing down tomorrow and then what? Boats, collector cars (second, third, fourth) cars all of a sudden loose their appeal when your portfolio crashes and everything comes back to reality and people lose jobs and stop paying their bills again. There will be bargains out there. Everything across the board is overpriced right now. So, do you hold out longer and wait for prices to drop or buy at a perceived height of the market right now? That is the question we all face when looking to buy another vehicle. No easy answer to that. Like I said, I've been wrong about how long this market can keep sustaining itself for the last four years now and missed out on some good opportunities, cars, stocks, precious metals, etc. So if it is a daily she is looking for, the Alpina is probably not the right car. But there are some bargains out there on these 8's that for a daily and someone that is passionate about BMW's and doesn't mind working on them, doing some homework, PPI, etc..you will find a nice one. They are awesome cars in my opinion. I think you will do just fine finding your wife the perfect 8 with just a little looking around. Will that Alpina be worth 6 figures in two years? At this rate, probably, if it's not going to be worth $40K with a market crash tomorrow. But forget about the investment aspect and buy something for her she will enjoy and if you get a little curb rash from daily driving, your not going to freak out about it (Happy wife, happy life). You decide which way you want to go and make your decision. I'll tell you what I think, then just do the opposite LOL....My track record stinks lately....Happy Hunting! :) Ok, no more coffee this morning for me.
 
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bwalvoord

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You guys are great. She already has a daily driver and I have a year to get it right as she is only 38 at the moment. Perhaps I am subconsciously looking for the next project since my coupe will be home in a few weeks. She drives a 550 every day so this would be a sunny day driver for her. I'm not looking for a return on the car but rather the pure joy and sexiness of seeing her drive it.
 

Ohmess

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You may want to consider heading to Sharkfest at the end of the month. Its not far from where you live: http://www.bmwsharkfest.org/

They consider e31 to be a shark in addition to the e24 (and the e9!), and there were several nice e31s on display last year along with folks who are into those particular cars. One of the better Alpina folks I know often goes to Sharkfest as well.
 

execmalibu

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I know E31s very well! I currently have (5) 850i+850Ci +parts car

From first hand personal experience. My daily drivers for the past two years have been 850s. They are GREAT drivers and I get as many thumbs up in the 850s as in the Great Pumpkin. People love the E31s but are afraid of the V12s.. Don't be!

The engines in both V8s and V12s are bullet proof and are NOT the problem... I like the exclusivity of the super rare V12 Coupe so I drive them daily. The first V12s were in 1991 called the 850i then "called" 850Ci (exact same car with the same M70 V12 engine, 4 speed trans etc)... But was finally changed in 1995-1997 the V12 850Cis had the M73 engine (325HP) with a 5 speed trans. A MAJOR improvement!

With a total production of only (363) M73 USA 850Cis built they are ultra rare Super Cars!

The problems with ALL of the E31s (V8 or V12 ) are the same. Almost ALL the problems are caused by the complicated electronics. There are about 10-15 electronic modules a few that are prone to failure regardless of milage because the capacitors dry out with age and cause all kinds of interesting problems. Doors,trunk won't open, Sunroof goes crazy, Tilt wheel moves by itself, Mirrors go haywire, MID reads fault codes etc.

Sometimes the Passenger side Ejector Seats will deploy without warning and without opening the Sunroof... Messy!:mrgreen:

The good news is that there are experts on the E31 site that can and will walk you through almost any DIY repairs.

The brake and suspension systems are complicated but pretty reliable also with DIY info online and custom made upgraded parts that are very reasonable.

A Perfect ultra low milage 850Ci can be had in the low $20K range... Near perfect 1991-94 850is with a few miles (100K-125K) can be stolen for in the $10-12K range. 850s with even a tiny bit of drama are almost free...
For example:

The red 850i below would not pass smog and the mechanic condemned the car with a super high estimate to get it to pass... The owner panicked and absolutely gave it away at just $2,500. The wheels are worth that! After plugging in the OB1 tester reading the fault code and installing one $65 O2 sensor the car passed the ultra tough Calif Smog test with no problem! It still drives great...


E9s are more prone to issues...

Trust me!
 

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BimmerBud

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As has been stated, SharkFest, just down the road from you would be an excellent venue to see first-hand and discuss the E31, 850/840 series with enthusiast owners. I am an E9 coupe owner and a E31 owner and find the electrics of the E31's get a bad rap. I also find the E9 to be far more "needy" than the E31. The key is buying one with records and a fastidious owner--that will cost more up-front, but less in the long run. I will be at SharkFest this year with both cars and happy to discuss the nuances of each with you.

If you had attended Euro Auto Festival this past fall at the BMW factory you might have seen the black 850 Alpina in attendance as it was there. Amazingly, BOTH/ALL of the E31 Alpina's in the United States were in the Greenville area that weekend. PM me if you would like some further insight into this.
 

bwalvoord

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Yes I was at the euro festival and that's where the idea came from. I found her lingering by the alpina inside the Zentrum. I will see what's going on next weekend. Sharkfest looks like fun.
 

Ohmess

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I took Elsa (my 540i6) to one of the independent BMW guys here locally who does all my "overflow" work. He has a couple of e31 customers.

The guy with the Euro 850 5 speed was just in, but he probably will never sell (that car is sweet). The guy with the 840 has a bunch of cars and will be in soon to get his batteries replaced. Eddie doesn't know if he might sell, but said he'd call if he starts to get any grumbling from the 840 guy about maintaining the car. Eddie says the car is well sorted.

The shop is near Tysons Corner, VA.
 

bwalvoord

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Thank you for your consideration. Please keep me in the loop if you hear of anything. As I will most likely buying the car and storing it for a while, I will probably need some local eyes and ears as well as local BMW mechanical expertise.
 
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