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1986 635csi across the pond getting cut up for bags this week. If it turns out as well as yours Jorge it will be the project of my lifetime, nice work. My pictures to follow.
Not that it really makes a rip difference but I sacked my wildman7798 profile for a more honest title of the build - looking forward to sharing my info and photos in the days to come - this E24 bagger is getting some fresh mods like wi-fi control. More to come - the Bent6 is under the knife.
1986 635CSI on air courtesy of Meister Werks in Renton, Wa
Players show yesterday, the first outing for the BMW. I taxed it this week, cleaned it, polished it and tidied the car up.
Woke at 5.30am to start the 2 1/2 hour drive down. Met my friend in the red S2K at the petrol station. Ignore the sidelight bulb.
Arrived at Players, North Weald Airfield at 8.30am, noticed a flat in the large queue to entrance. Didn't think much of it, met a couple of others and headed to the 'StanceWorks' stand... (there was no stand areas, just park where you are told...)
Got the banner out, at least the flat made it sit lower in the grass?
Had a look around, caught up with some people then decided to sort the spare which is where problems began.
Blagged a can of tyreweld off BenKoflach, filled the tyre... foam just spewed out the otherside and got a compressor off one of Dips friends on their stand, still couldn't get enough pressure to hold air.
Next was to find a spare, I stupidly left mine in the garage. Never again. I bought all I thought I'd need, tools, water, jump leads and a jerry can.
Dips again sorted us out with a spare, unfortunately the E36 spare caught the bag. I then found a spare from an E38... it was a monster tyre but fit. Just. Fag paper clearance. Took a slight test drive and smelt some burning rubber. The tyre was catching on the very base of the bag. It had worn a groove and thought this would be sufficient enough to drive. I was wrong, very wrong. Pulled out of the airfield, still going sub 20mph and all of a sudden a huge BANG and the front corner dropped.
I popped the bag.
Decided it was time to call it quits and did what I should have to start. Call my breakdown cover. Rang at 4pm, and at 5 a trailer came out. I told them it would need a low loader but no, they sent a standard tilt one. Another hour later, a second guy arrives. Same truck kind. Another 2 hours later, he comes back with a tri-fold flat loader.
The lowest car they have ever loaded apparently. Took a lot of pissing around with wooden blocks to get it on. The chassis rails are literally 5mm off the ground, and the flat tyre didn't help. Ended up being jammed on a piece of wood and dragged up with the winch.
It was gone 9pm now. I was getting tired and very hungry. (The recovery company asked me to take a few photos for them)
An hour later I arrived at Toddington services and was told I had to swap trailers to another company to take me the rest of the way home.
The next driver arrived 15minutes later giving me time to get a much needed BK. He was an old boy who had 20 years experience unlike the first foreigner who didn't have a clue. Within 10 minutes we had loaded it off one and on to the other, only using two pieces of wood.
At 12.34am I finally arrived home. The second guy flew down the M1 to get us back. Had a good chat talking about some drunk girl he picked up yesterday who had run down a flat tyre to past the edge of the steel wheel, loosing about an inch of metal. Got it off the trailer fine. Getting it onto the driveway... not a chance. Camber in the road, chassis rails and sump dragging. So here it sits now.
A sad end to a very long day.
Plus points:
- No fuel used
- I learnt to always take a spare
- Always call breakdown if in doubt
I will find out the full extent of the damage tomorrow when I try to get it onto a driveway.
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