M (r) Parallels - The Wheel Donor (E32 740iL)

Wheels are definitely a personal preference.  What some think are awesome, others think are ugly.  To my eye the most beautiful wheels BMW has ever produced are the Style 37 (often referred to as M parallels).  I've been wanting a set to put on my E34 Touring.  I've looked on e-bay and the list of Craig's for months.   So when this E32 popped up for sale for about the price of a set of wheels I went and snatched it up.

I bought the entire car (with a matching wheel in the trunk) for only $300.  My original plan is (was) to part it out and basically get free wheels.

It's was cheap because it doesn't run.  The engine is stuck.  Here's the offending spark plug:

Any one know what kind of failure this was? (M60 V-8)

My thought was to grab the car, rob it of it's wheels, then sell it off for scrap (easily get $200 from pull a part).  But here's the problem:  This is a cool car, and it's actually in better condition (interior) than the car I'm going to put the wheels on.

Right now, I don't know what it's fate is going to be, scrap? Maybe stock engine replacement? maybe an engine swap like a carbed Small Block Chevy. Maybe a Midwest "parking lot build" party to do something yet unknown.

What would GRM do?

Because everybody loves pics, here you go:

Been off the road for about 4 or five years.

I think that is a pretty rare color for an E32, and it's just plain pretty! How is the paint? Maybe swap your engine into the E32?

I almost bought one just because it had those wheels on it.  

I think you should do something with the 740, but if not...

Put the basketweaves on the 740 and list the whole car on CL trying to get back your $300, but...  Keep the center caps from the basketwaeves.  The caps can often be worth as much as the wheels themselves but shipping a cap is cheap and easy.  

nedc said:

I think that is a pretty rare color for an E32, and it's just plain pretty! How is the paint? Maybe swap your engine into the E32?

Clear coat on the hood is bad, and here are the worst rust spots.  For a 25 year old midwest car, it's pretty much mint. 

I'll give you $20 for the M60.  Totally unrelated to my $2019 Challenge car, in case anyone is trying to make a connection.

Use what you need, Part it out, sell the carcass for weight and profit. 

It looked pretty good until I saw that rot around the glass and in the roof in the last photo...

After working on one that came from Cali, I have to say the ballpoints and other suspension pieces aren’t expensive, but good lord even the Cali car had rusted hardware.

The engine’s a bit stuffed in there (and they made a V12 version!) and God help you if you have the auto leveling rear suspension.

The engine is awesome though.  The rest of the car isn’t worth much, IMO.

If you need a spare set of wheels, I have a set of 19’s that I’ll give ya for the cost of shipping.  I can’t get anyone to buy them locally.

AngryCorvair said:

I'll give you $20 for the M60.  Totally unrelated to my $2019 Challenge car, in case anyone is trying to make a connection.

I'll keep you in mind when I make a decision about irsi fate.

In reply to NOHOME :

Probably best to do this. ItsI my original plan, but I can't help but feel a connection to such a cool car. This thing was surely expensive when new.

In reply to Stefan :

I appreciate the offer on the wheels, but no doubt shipping would be pretty expensive.

My vote for what to do with this thing is to cut the trunk off it and put it on a heavy truck frame to make a 7 series crew cab, like a sportier version of this:  

If you find the engine is salvagable, maybe consider a 6-speed swap and have yourself cool beater

Screw that rust, snag the expensive bits and off it for scrap

Yeah, part it on eBay.

But snag the good stuff for your wagon. Maybe check the ecu for a 'tuning chip', that might increase the value.

Patrick said:

Screw that rust, snag the expensive bits and off it for scrap

What he said

I got a quote from "pick-a-part" for the car. They'll give me $145 for it. A lot less than I thought they'd offer, but at least this way, I only need to find $155 worth of small easy to ship items to equal FREE wheels.

So, it's official, I've decided Mr Parallels fate. 

Anyone need anything easy to ship ( or come pick up any big items)

Put the whole car on CL for $400.

Some guy, like yourself, will come offer $350 and haul it all away. 

Keep the center caps. 

Put the caps on Ebay for $65 each buy now or best offer. Accept $50, shipped, likely less than $8. 

Net nearly $200 from the caps. 

I would guess that M60 dropped a valve. Pretty common failure from what I've seen. If it's not hard to find a junkyard longblock in a 540 or 740 where you are, then that would likely be the cheapest & most expedient way to get this car running.

I'd part that out, but that's just me.  The rust and tan interior kill it for me.  Those mpars look like reps also, there's no indentation for the ///M emblem that goes on them.

In reply to atl530i :

I actually really like the tan interior. I  still need to find some good rear door panels (in tan) for my E34.