635 CSI

[gooner1]

Evening all,
would like some informed information on the above.
Common faults, availability of parts, reliability etc, etc.
Would prefer the thoughts and knowledge of current and past owners in particular, and views on the auto specifically.
Any info from mechanics would also be good.
TIA, Rob.

[Rodderz]

Rust is a big problem! Wings are prime spots and new wings are around £500 each!

[gooner1]

That bit i did know Rodderz, but cheers anyway.
Keep it coming....

[Rodderz]

Mechanicaly they are very good as you would expect,and are probably best in an auto as a sports car they aren't really!

[ivqii]

Rob

You will need to differentiate between Series 1 and Series 2 - entirely different cars

Series 2 is a better ride,cheaper and more available parts - but common as pigshit in a bacon factory

Series 1 ( basically the chromie) has become a proper Historic Vehicle

Coupla tips

Wheels - the metric tyres cost £500 each but 15" e39 wheels are a like for like fit
The Series 1 starter motor is hard to find
Decent shockers will cost you £500 a corner
The Series 1 has 2 brake cylinders - at £450 each new

The engine however if properly maintained ( need FSH yadda yadda ) will do galactice mileages with no probs ( M30? )as will the auto gear box

Driving wise it is not chuckable and is more a Grand Tourer - you will need to make an appointment to get it to 60 but once there will accelarate very quickly to 120

I have a Series 1 with 45000 genuine and a e30 325 - which one would I sell? the e24

[Ollie_bwoii]

No E24 is common!

[cecotto479]

Rob

You will need to differentiate between Series 1 and Series 2 - entirely different cars

Series 2 is a better ride,cheaper and more available parts - but common as pigshit in a bacon factory

Series 1 ( basically the chromie) has become a proper Historic Vehicle

Coupla tips

Wheels - the metric tyres cost £500 each but 15" e39 wheels are a like for like fit
The Series 1 starter motor is hard to find
Decent shockers will cost you £500 a corner
The Series 1 has 2 brake cylinders - at £450 each new

The engine however if properly maintained ( need FSH yadda yadda ) will do galactice mileages with no probs ( M30? )as will the auto gear box

Driving wise it is not chuckable and is more a Grand Tourer - you will need to make an appointment to get it to 60 but once there will accelarate very quickly to 120

I have a Series 1 with 45000 genuine and a e30 325 - which one would I sell? the e24

I've seen some misinformed drivel on here, but that must come close to the most uninformed, unhelpful pish I've seen.

I don't know what you mean by series one and series two and differentiating by virtue of chrome.

The early cars, from '76 to '81 were based on the E12 five series. There are very few of them left in good roadworthy condition. They are mostly rotten by now.

From 82 on the cars were based on the E28 five series and still with chrome until late '87 for the '88 model year. Only the 'late 87 on cars, known as Highlines had the plastic bumpers, along with full leather interior - and almost all options.

Wheels. Metric tyres are available from Michelin at about £235 a pop. E39 wheels are not a "like for like" fit, but need hubcentric rings due to the larger centre bore. Almost all wheels from the E28/31/32/34 and 38 will fit straight on. E31 style 5s are a very popular choice and look the business.

I'm not sure that any M30 starter is hard to find, but I am prepared to accept that it might be. If "series one" means E12 based, I have an E12 based car for spares if you're needing a starter (or indeed anything else)

A full set of M-tech shocks, springs and top mounts cost £900 from the dealer - there are cheaper alternatives. That's all four corners, by the way.

Acceleration is pretty adequate and top speed is OK too, you are right in that it's a GT, but it's not slow even by today's standards. An early 635 ("series one" E12 based) with a dogleg manual box is *still* a rapid car today and quicker than the later versions.

As an indication of where they can rust, see the restoration of my M635 at www.m635.co.uk/Restoration.htm. But generally you need to be looking at the wings (behind the indicators and where they attach to the bumper - there is a bracket here that acts as a mud trap, the top rail can rot too, and at the sill area), sills, floorpan and inner sills, B post, inner wings (crucial - very expensive to fix - try to take out the washer bottle and the battery to see down), sunroof and aperture, screen frames, rear arches, number plate panel, below the rear lights on a Highline.

Mechancally - don't worry. They are relatively cheap and easy to fix. Bodywork condition is paramount, then interior if it's leather as a ropey one can be expensive to fix, lastly mechanics, which are generally cheaply and readily available.

Manuals are rare, but sought after - a manual conversion out of an E28 M535i isn't difficult.

Many have LSD as standard - all manuals do, I think.

I have a decent Highline for sale too at www.bavarianretro.co.uk/clmain_view.php?editid1=152

Buy one. They are fabulous cars.

Any photos of your 45000 mile "series one"?

[Blitz]

Your M635 is stunning cecotto479.

[robbo86]

cecotto your 635 page says not found!

I love the m635, there was one round the corner from me for sale for four grand a few years back. I spent ages trying to convince the old man to go and buy it. Then spent ages talking to the seller about it. I still love them and cant wait untill I can get one.

[Blitz]

cecotto your 635 page says not found!

I love the m635, there was one round the corner from me for sale for four grand a few years back. I spent ages trying to convince the old man to go and buy it. Then spent ages talking to the seller about it. I still love them and cant wait untill I can get one.

On diary then restoration.

http://www.m635.co.uk/

[Ollie_bwoii]

Are we considering a change gooner?

[gooner1]

Ollie, if the right car came up , in the right condition and for the right price.
then i,d always be up for a change. O/T. have you sorted your fogs ?

[Ollie_bwoii]

E24's are a very nice car! But perhaps a little boring?

I haven't recieved them yet! BBB have been having a little trouble with the sale of the 318is so I perfectly understand!

If I get stuck I will tap you up or some help gooner!

[Blitz]

E24's are far rarer on the roads then an E30. And if its a good one I can imagine them to be very special to own. I wonder how many looks you get on the road. You cant beat that shark nose.

This is got to be the best looking one. earlier bumpers with original 16" BBS RS.

[gooner1]

The one i have in mind is an 85 model.

Boring!!!!!!! In what way Ollie? It,s not all about top speed, or even 0-60 times,
if that was the case i probably would,nt have gone for an E30 in the first place.
Look at the pic Blitz has posted, can,t you just feel the presence and charisma that car radiates. No probs with a helping hand mate.

[ImysE30]

Best shaped BMW ever IMO. Miss the one my dad had, was a 635CSI in brilliant red

Very nice car's, would love to get another one

I'd prefer a auto, sit back and cruise

[Ollie_bwoii]

Automatic, massive, probably not very quick etc....... But I would need to drive one to make up my mind!

There is no doubt though that they are absolutely stunning!

[Blitz]

I think as soon as I have enough money and insurance is affordable I want to get a 635csi manual.

[cecotto479]

The black one I have for sale is well worth a look chaps. If you are considering buying a 635, you really should see this one.

Here it is:-

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9240



The restoration link should work, but Diary and then Restoration gets there too.

[Ollie_bwoii]

Isn't that the one that was possibly going to be traded in under the scrappage scheme? Did you save it in the end?

[cecotto479]

It was considered, but even the Fiat dealers offered him more than scrappage for it. He bought a Fiat 500.

[Andyboy]

The Series 1 cars can be pretty much discounted now. A mint low miler is worth having, one needing work is junk. I can't think of anything worse than a tired old S1 628CSi Auto. Three speed auto - yuk.
Even the later ones can be a lot of aggro. The autobox is the 4HP22 and a 1985 car will have the EH switchable sport/economy unit. Many are ripe for a rebuild now and they don't like extended periods in N or P. The engines are okay, as 20 year old + engines go. Be prepared for an expensive top end rebuild and whip the cam cover off every year/6000 miles to check the infamous banjo bolt onthe spray bar. The buggers DO work loose.
A 1985 car will have the shitty old 1.1 Motronic system which is a ballache when it goes wrong - two crank sensors, old wiring, a temperamental DME relay (just fit a new one from day 1). ECU's like to go pop as well but there are plenty of used ones about.
Front suspension can be a nightmare, replacing knackered bits every 5 minutes and chasing mysterious knocks and rattles as per E28. The ABS is much the same story - shagged sensors and corroded rear hub rings means that most don't work properly. The brakes are not as bad as the Series 1 but you still have the potential nightmare of fixing a 24 year old hydraulic booster system - brake pressure spheres, the booster unit between master cylinder and bulkhead, sticking cross linkages, soft brake pedal, rock hard brake pedal - you get it all with these. Add broken steering box mounts on Series 2 cars which is really a crossmember off job to fix.
Manual cars are sadly rare, and they are in a different league to the autos. You can really use the engine with a five speed.
Standard E28 problems apply; shagged SI boards, heater valves, rear beam bushes, water leaks into the boot, rusty auto trans cooler pipes, worn steering boxes etc etc. You can spend a lot of money on yellow Bilsteins, but on most 635CSi's a new set of Boge gas shocks (which is what they had as standard) will transform the, Rear shocks rarely fail, front ones do.

Oh, and they can really rust.

To be honest there's only one way to buy one of these, and that's to buy a low mileage fully historied example that's had the money spent in the right places. Do consider a car that has cosmetic rust but is mechanically perfect. The rust is unstoppable (the last one is 20 year old now) and the only way you'll find a rust free one is to buy one that's a)done no miles or b)has been fully and properly restored at huge expense. Budget £10'000 for such a car. I'd rather pay £4000 for a very well maintained example needing £1000 worth of bodywork. Wings can be repaired. Sadly nice examples are expensive, but not as expensive as trying to rescue the typical £2000 scrapper.

I had two many years ago and luckily they were both nice ones. The last was a 1984 Auto owned new by Tom Jones, Alpine white with blue leather Recaros. I paid £3200 for it at Blackbushe Auctions in 1992.
Sadly, E24's became secondhand BMW's all too quickly and were kept running a slow death on a shoestring.

[capri_rob]

I'd love a late model Dolphin Grey highline - I remember these when they were new and they were the absolute tits.

Unfortunately my E30 only just fits in my garage so I stand no chance of shoehorning a 6 series into there.

[Andyboy]

I remember seeing a Highline parked up at North Oxford Garage in 1989 when they were new and thinking how old fashioned it looked compared to the E34.

[murran]

an m635i csi is my dream car. ill have to make do with my baby shark nose, but someday.........

[sweep]

I no where there is one i may have a punt at..

[cecotto479]

http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9240

It needs to go. Make me an offer. Look at what a potential purchaser said about it last week.

[robbo86]

I want
I cant afford

[tomson]

The Highline's do look sweet in Diamond Black

[Rodderz]

There is an E24 buying guide in one of the mags in the shops at the moment....Classics Weekly I think?!

[cecotto479]

Classics Monthly.

I'm paraphrasing slightly, but it says, "Buy Big Boyd's Black One" or something along those lines.

[stumob]

I am a luckv man. I have a 1985 635 CSi auto and I am about to take her off the road for a few months to rebuild the engine and replace the front wings. These are the only real rust issue and you can get GRP ones now that will never rust (if that is your thing). I have owned her for 4 years and in that time I have driven her every day and covered over 50k miles. She has now done a total of 120k miles. I paid £1200 for her on ebay and wouldn't sell her for the world. Nothing but the normal oil changes, disks, pads, filters plus 1 "brake bomb".

I live in France on the borders of Switzerland and have beautiful, traffic free, winding country roads to play on. I have chosen a 1988 325iX 2 door to use her while the work is done. They are both great cars and I do not intend to part with either.

[gooner1]

Well it,s been a while. and i,d forgotten all about this post but after spotting
this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-635-CSi-A ... 4d09781cf6
and deciding to do a bit of a search , hey presto.
Not great photos I know, have emailed the seller for better and more detailed ones, whats the
general consensus on this turd.

[capri_rob]

The wheels ( road and steering ) look terrible but apart from that it looks very straight - are they genuine alpinas ? just looks wrong.

Needs some proper metric BBS and the correct period steering wheel and then it would be perfect

[pony]

E24's are far rarer on the roads then an E30. And if its a good one I can imagine them to be very special to own. I wonder how many looks you get on the road. You cant beat that shark nose.

This is got to be the best looking one. earlier bumpers with original 16" BBS RS.

A BMW E24 M635CSi HighLine is one of my dream cars probably in my top 5 of BMWs I want. Really lusted after them in 2001 when the E46 M3 came out. The performance of the M635CSi is on par if not quicker than a E46 330Ci (correct me if I am wrong) and all the equipment it comes with is plenty ... Plus beautiful rare looks.

How much is a good M635CSi command these days ? Always heard prices are on the up over the last 15 years not sure though ?