I was watching few older episodes recently that I have DVR-ed a while ago. First with Mercedes 190 Cosworth and then with BMW 635 CSi ...

Are cars really that cheap in England? I'm having a really hard time to believe that a BMW 635 CSi that they did was worth only 3,700 GBR (or $5,700). I mean, that car looked great - the interior was new, rims looked like new, body was in a great shape ...

What's the catch?

 

There may be some fudging of the numbers, I also get the impression that used cars are just generally lower in the UK than other markets.

 

I saw the BMW 635csi episode. I remember wanting one back when i was about 14. Cybil Shepard drove one on the TV show Moonlighting with Bruce Willis. i bought a Revell model of it and built it and painted it British racing green with gold bbs wheels.


Also saw the Lotus Esprit non turbo episode. I wanted a Lotus Esprit most of my life. Heck since I was a kid. But after seeing that episode I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole!

I'm also amazed at how cheap they can pickup parts like a complete interior that's only slightly used.

 

Love the show! And agree about pricing for cars and parts.

 

It's possible to buy a 635 for less than £5k. A cheap car to buy, but not a cheap car to maintain. You've got to be prepared to spend more than the car is worth to keep it maintained.

Here's one:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...1984-a/1309405

As for Wheeler Dealers? The show's OK, but take everything with a pinch of salt. It's an entertainment show and most of the buying/selling scenarios are set up..........it's often one of the crew that ends up "buying" the car. Oh, and Ed's man-time costs are never figured into how much they spend on the car.

 

If you use they figures they show and add in the labor costs, then they almost always lose money on the car. They don't care since the profit is in selling the show itself.

 

His "man-time"?

What is that like hookers in his trailer on the set?

 

What exactly do you mean by this?

I know the annual registration is pretty expensive for the 3.0L car in Europe, but what else is pricey? Because they seem to get parts pretty cheap on the show.

 

For a car like the 635, there will be bargain parts out there, but what the show never shows you is just how hard you'll have to search (owners forums/ebay etc)..........they make it look as if you'll have no trouble hunting down parts.

Mechanical parts are not always cheap on a BMW.

My e46 330i is much newer (a 2003) and I bought it for a relatively low price (less that £5k). However, in the first year I've spent:

Fuel pump - £250
Disks/pads all round - £660
Tyres x4 - £450
Radiator and air con condensor - £600

Those are the big ticket items. And that's the problem with older cars like this. They fall into the hands of people that can afford to buy them, but not maintain them. Too many will simply skip on the maintenance and the car quickly becomes a shed.

 

Love that show....Ed China is da man!

 

I didn't know (until about a year-or-so ago) that Ed helps (or did help) with a lot of Top Gear projects.