{"id":942,"date":"2019-05-26T10:36:36","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T10:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=942"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:24:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:24:47","slug":"ultimate-barn-find-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/ultimate-barn-find-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate Barn Find Machines"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term \u2018barn find\u2019 is one that seems to be banded about far too willingly. People on eBay stating their 2002 Mondeo with MOT is a \u2018barn find\u2019 because it\u2019s been under the carport for six months. You know exactly the kind of thing we\u2019re talking about. In fact, if there were as many barns in the UK as there are \u2018barn find\u2019 listings online, then really, we should all be living on the streets as there can\u2019t possibly be any space for houses. The whole thing is, frankly, getting out of hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

The popularity of the term is, however, understandable. There\u2019s a sense of pleasing solitude that comes with hearing the words. A barn, in reality, is a busy, dangerous place, filled with plant machinery and men who swear a lot. But the reality isn\u2019t enough to quash the romanticised image of a barn, sitting in the middle of a field, its interior stacked high with hay and cobwebs. We hear \u2018barn find\u2019 and we picture a car that was bought new by the farmer and then parked up decades upon decades ago. We get giddy at the thought of a car having been untouched for all that time. We positively go weak at the knees at the thought of reuniting door handle with hand, only to then reveal a pristine interior untouched by the ravages of time. That\u2019s the dream of a barn find, but the reality is finding the term attached to a battered Vauxhall Insignia with a flat tyre and a misfire and \u201cno V5, but full reeseept[sic] will be given\u201d care of Facebook Marketplace. Disappointing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

You can imagine, then, that we were somewhat hesitant when we were given a lead on a barn full of BMWs. We thought it would just be a load of mid-2000s 5 Series, probably stuffed around the back of a taxi rank or something. The term \u2018barn find\u2019 has become diluted and impure. We didn\u2019t think much of it. But then we decided to look into it a little deeper, because what if it was a proper barn find with some seriously cool old metal? BMW has built some truly heroic cars in the past after all.<\/span><\/p>\n

The lead came from<\/span> Classic Bahnstormers<\/span><\/a>, a Gloucestershire business set up by BMW-lover, Steve Curtis. He\u2019s been in the BMW restoration game for over a decade now, and as you can imagine, in that time he\u2019s built up a pretty hefty contact book. And it\u2019s that book that leads us to the cars we got to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

After a brief call, we get a quick rundown of what Steve has unearthed \u2013 nine BMW E28s. Nine! All bought from the same individual. Not a collector as such, just a man who liked the E28. He\u2019d buy one, it\u2019d expire, and then he\u2019d buy another. Or, as was the case for Steve, people would get word of the man\u2019s love for them, and then offers would come out of the woodwork.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

As we follow Steve to the undisclosed farm on which the BMWs are hidden, we find ourselves becoming increasingly giddy. We\u2019d seen a few pictures, but that wasn\u2019t enough. We wanted to see more. We pull up to the farm and drive into the grounds and then we\u2019re there, out of the car and faced with a sea of one of BMW\u2019s most handsome cars. And here\u2019s the best bit \u2013 they\u2019re in an actual, real barn. Our faith in the term has been restored.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking around the cars, their most recent and inactive years are evidenced by the odd flat tyre, thick and well-set dust and of course, a fair dose of rust. But don\u2019t look at these images and think these cars are all junk. They\u2019re not. In fact, of the nine, seven will definitely be saved, two are unfortunately nothing more than parts cars, while the final car, a 520i manual, sits on the fence of fate. It could (and should, if you ask us) be saved, but it needs a lot of welding.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Steve explains that the deal has taken some time, years in fact. It started when he bought a couple of E23s off the seller along with a whole host of parts. \u00a0\u201cIt was one of those\u201d explains Steve. \u201cHe said he had those E23s, and that lead me to think, and ask, what else do you have?\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

As it turned out, a lot. \u201cThe guy had loads of E28s that he was looking to move on. At first I only has a rough idea of what was there, but then as more detail came through I knew it was something I couldn’t pass up on, despite the tricky logistics of re-homing nine cars!” We don\u2019t know the deal, nor do we want to, that\u2019s Steve\u2019s business. What we do want to know, however, is more about what Steve has bought.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

The most exciting cars are, arguably, the M535i models. There are two in the collection, and both are manual. However, the diamond black car is a traditional \u2018H\u2019 pattern, while the white car is the rare \u2018dogleg\u2019 version. Both cars are in need of love, though the black one is the better of the two, which explains why this one has been sold.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

At the back of the barn, there is a very sorry looking 535i auto. In alpine white, it wears the dirt and rust with impressive contrast to the other cars. At 230k, it\u2019s been used well throughout its life, there is no doubting that. The selling point for this one is the frankly strange specification. Full Mtec kit, black sports leather, cruise control \u2013 someone ticked <\/span>all<\/span><\/i> the option boxes back in the \u201880s. However, all the options aren\u2019t enough to stop the rot setting in \u2013 a common killer of these cars. In reality, this is probably a parts car.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re after a 528i, Steve has one of those, too. Left-hand drive, the car lived most of its life in France, though it has since been UK registered. The bumpers are a little sad, but on the whole this manual transmission car is definitely savable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Next down the line in engine size are the two 525e models. The alpine white car is way past its best, with rust having well and truly set in. And with the clocks suggesting 667k (though take that with a pinch of salt) it\u2019s definitely lived its life. Now it stands to be a parts car, breathing welcome life into an as yet untold number of projects. And with Recaro trim and parts like the rare front spoiler, the recipient cars will be all the better for this 525e\u2019s sacrifice.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

The other 525e, a lachs silver model, is altogether more solid. In shadow-line trim, the car has a subtle, but menacing look. The chrome is good. The interior is clean, if dismantled, and the correct 14-inch alloys are present and correct. This one is a definite saver, and well worth doing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Then there are the three 520i models. The black auto is, in Steve\u2019s opinion, the best of all the cars, which explains why it already has the interest of a potential buyer. It needs work, but it\u2019s a solid and complete car. The interior is mint, the panels are straight and the fact it\u2019s black makes it a solid choice. It\u2019s one of the best colours for the E28.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the opal green 520i manual. This one tempted us, but alas, this is the car that\u2019s on the cusp as we mentioned earlier. It could be saved, but not by Steve. \u201cThe deal with cars is\u201d he explains \u201cif you buy them, you do so on the basis that Classic Bahnstormers does some of the work needed. That can be the difficult welding, we can get a car up to MOT standard, or we can do a full nut and bolt restoration. The choice is the customers. But we really do want to keep these cars in the fold to begin with at least, we want to know they\u2019ve been saved properly. It\u2019s what we do.\u201d So what of the 520i, we enquire. \u201cIt could be saved, but it needs a lot of welding\u201d says Steve. For what it would cost through Steve, or any bodyshop to do it, it far outweighs the value of the car. As such, this is one that the owner would have to do themselves to make it financially viable. That’s not to say Steve won’t take on the work if asked, of course.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

Commercially speaking, there is thousands of pounds of welding to be done. But, as we look around the car, we can\u2019t help but feel it would be worth doing. It\u2019s a straight, honest car and while it does need welding, weirdly most of it is on one side. It\u2019s not your usual rotten E28.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, there\u2019s the jewel in the collection, at least for us. The gold 520i manual. An incredibly rare early car, this model has 98k on the clock and the rare K Jet fuel injection. Yes, it\u2019s clearly left a squirrel homeless going off the acorns hidden in the engine bay, and yes the paint lacks shine and tyres air, but this is still a solid and frankly, lovely car. The pearl beige interior alone is a selling point \u2013 you just don\u2019t see it anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/p>\n

This is, for us, about as good as a barn find gets. A collection of cars that serves to represent almost everything the E28 range had to offer. Each car the same, but alluringly different, too. Time capsules from an age of big hair, big phones and big business. And most importantly of all, all bona fide classics. But unlike most barn finds, these cars don\u2019t lay trapped behind the surly shouts of a henpecked farmer. Instead, you can buy them. But get in quick, as they won\u2019t be around for long.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t