Stephen Murphy - 1989 BMW 635csi
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IG - @Apollo_Murphy
“Build with passion, drive with purpose — every great car starts as a bold idea.”
— Stephen Murphy
Some builds start with a parts list.
Some start with a budget.
Stephen Murphy started with memories.
The sound of anti-lag bouncing through Irish hills.
Group B legends sliding through wet tarmac.
Late nights outside bars with friends, car spotting instead of clubbing.
Before he ever picked up a wrench…
before he ever owned a project car…
Stephen was already hooked.
Because growing up in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, cars weren’t just transportation.
They were the show.
Raised on Rally and Redline
If you grew up where Stephen did, motorsports weren’t something you watched occasionally — they were part of life.
The Circuit of Ireland Rally.
WRC.
Formula 1.
Even the insanity of the Isle of Man TT.
Speed wasn’t entertainment.
It was culture.
In the early 2000s, when he and his friends went out at night, they weren’t just chasing nightlife — they were chasing cars.
Spotting icons like:
- Lancer Evos
- Impreza 22Bs
- Skylines
Those were the heavy hitters back home. The dream machines.
And like most of us, that fascination quietly turned into a promise:
“One day… I’ll build something of my own.”
From Ireland to America — and Learning Everything the Hard Way
Stephen moved to the U.S. 16 years ago and eventually settled into life as a general contractor, trading Irish backroads for American highways.
But the builder mindset never left.
In fact — it got stronger.
His early projects weren’t exactly subtle.
Before the BMW ever entered the picture, Stephen built:
- A replica A-Team van (yes… that van)
- A supercharged Roush F-150
- A heavily modified C3 Corvette
That Corvette, though?
That one tested him.
He converted it to a ’68–’72 front and rear, added 3–4 inch fiberglass wide panels, and spent four straight months sanding and shaping fiberglass in a tiny one-car garage.
By the end of it he told himself:
“Never again.”
(We all know how that goes.)
Because builders always say “never again”… right before doing something even crazier.
Finding the 635 — and the Moment Everything Clicked
After finishing the Corvette, Stephen wanted something different.
Older. European. Classic lines.
He started hunting for an older BMW and stumbled across an E24 635CSI locally.
Then he found Coutner Japan’s widebody kit.
And that was it.
Game over.
Some kits look cool.
Some kits look aggressive.
This one?
It looked like a factory race car that never existed.
And Stephen knew immediately:
This wasn’t going to be a bolt-on build.
It was going to be a transformation.
Not Bolt-On — Built-In
Most Coutner kits are installed exactly how they come:
Bolted on.
Exposed hardware.
Race car raw.
Stephen didn’t want that.
He wanted something cleaner.
Something OEM+.
Something that looked like BMW could’ve built it themselves.
So instead of just mounting the kit…
He blended it into the body.
Smoothed seams.
Integrated panels.
Eliminated the “aftermarket” look.
The result?
You don’t see a kit.
You see a completely reimagined 635.
Like this is just how it always should have looked.
Zandvoort Blue: The Color That Sold the Vision
Color choice can make or break a build.
Stephen found his inspiration in an unexpected place — a friend’s 2024 M2 finished in Zandvoort Blue (C6E).
Under different lighting it shifts personality:
Blue in the sun.
Grey in the shade.
Metallic and sharp under show lights.
On the E24’s long body lines?
It absolutely pops.
It turns a vintage BMW into something that feels both retro and futuristic at the same time.
Exactly the balance he was chasing.
The Garage-Built Mentality
Here’s the part I respect the most:
This car wasn’t built in a shop.
It wasn’t outsourced.
It wasn’t dropped off with a credit card.
It was:
DIY. In his garage.
Stephen openly admits:
He didn’t grow up wrenching.
He wasn’t professionally trained.
He learned from:
YouTube.
Forums.
Trial and error.
And that’s honestly the most relatable version of car culture today.
Regular people.
Learning skills.
Building wild stuff at home.
Because passion beats credentials every time.
Why He Builds
Ask Stephen what he loves most about the scene, and it’s not trophies or social media.
It’s people.
The random conversations at shows.
The friendships.
The motivation you feel when walking away is inspired.
And sometimes?
It’s the simple stuff.
Like a kid walking past his garage saying:
“Oh, look, Dad… a Ferrari.”
Even though it’s not even close.
That’s when you know you built something different.
Something that makes people stop.
Something that sparks imagination.
What’s Next? (And It’s Wild)
Right now, the car still runs the factory M30.
But Stephen didn’t buy an automatic by accident.
This next phase?
Is serious.
Plans include:
- Supercharged LS swap
- 8HP transmission
- Sequential + paddle shifters
- Turbolamik management
- Full drivetrain overhaul
- Big brake setup
- Carbon + Alcantara interior rebuild
- New carbon buckets
- Full electronics refresh
So yeah…
This isn’t slowing down.
It’s leveling up.
BUILD SPECS — BMW 635CSI (E24)
Engine / Drivetrain
- Factory M30B35
- D’Sylva EAT chip
- (Future: Supercharged LS swap + 8HP sequential setup)
Suspension
- BC Racing airbag kit
- Airlift dual compressor system
Exterior
- Coutner Japan widebody kit
- Rear wing
- Front bumper & lower valance
- Custom forged carbon rear diffuser
- Custom splitter & side skirts
- Zandvoort Blue (C6E) paint
- Ceramic tint
- Full PPF
- LowGlow underglow kit
Wheels / Tires
- Custom 3-piece forged 18” wheels
- Michelin Cup 2 tires
Interior
- Aftermarket bucket seats
- Rear seat delete
- Suede upholstery
- NRG quick release
- Short shifter kit
- Apple CarPlay stereo
Build Style
- 100% DIY garage-built
Final Thoughts
Stephen’s build isn’t about chasing trends.
It’s about vision.
It’s about taking a classic chassis and asking:
“What if BMW had gone just a little crazier?”
From Irish rally dreams to American garage nights, this 635CSI represents something bigger than parts.
It’s proof that:
You don’t need a shop.
You don’t need sponsors.
You don’t need permission.
Just an idea.
And the stubbornness to make it real.
Dream Car
Street-legal Pagani Zonda Revolución
(Yeah… aiming high. Respect.)