# Seeking Info on a 635CSI



## PorscheToBMW (Mar 20, 2004)

Hi,

I am new to this board. I recently sold my 1979 Porsche 911SC. A move I now regret  But instead of searching for another 911 I have decided to look for a BMW 635CSI.  I found a really clean 1989 with a 5-speed and all the usual options. Asking price is 10k and the BMW has 130K on the clock. I haven't had a ppi done yet. I have always liked the lines of the 635's and would like to try a touring sports car. I know I will be giving up a little in the performance and handling department but what can I expect from the 635 as far as performance is concerned. Will they do 0 to 60 in around 6 seconds? What's the h.p. of the 635csi. Will a performance chip do anything for a stock engine? Any issues with the 1989 that I should look for? Thanks in advance for any info or advice you guys can share with a new guy on the block.

Bill Carcot


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## Clarke (Oct 21, 2002)

6 seconds sounds a little quick.Be very careful with this car it could very well be an old grey market euro import.Plusses if so-better performance,Minusses many were total hack jobs done poorly with questionable mods & documentation and parts availabiliy problems.They were great cars though,Good Hunting!


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## PorscheToBMW (Mar 20, 2004)

50 people have read this post and only one board member can offer any advice? You guys ever want to buy a Porsche, head over to the Pelican Parts website and post on the 911 technical forum. You will get 15 replys the first couple of hours. 

No one owns an older BMW on this board? An 1989 isn't exactly ancient. Not ranting, I guess I am just used to guys responding to post. I will just have to dig a little further, on my own. 

Any advice is appreciated - thanks

Bill Carcot


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## Grey Coupe (Nov 15, 2003)

*...sugar than with vinegar, whatever*

6.O zero to sixty. Nah.
218 hp, I think. Been a long time.
Some chips were effective, Dinan, I think.
Rust.


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## LmtdSlip (May 28, 2003)

Have you considered an M6?

I see them very frequently in Roundel in very nice original condition.

Youd be giving up less in performance and gaining a lot of :bigpimp: points.


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## uter (Jan 6, 2002)

PorscheToBMW said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am new to this board. I recently sold my 1979 Porsche 911SC. A move I now regret  But instead of searching for another 911 I have decided to look for a BMW 635CSI.  I found a really clean 1989 with a 5-speed and all the usual options. Asking price is 10k and the BMW has 130K on the clock. I haven't had a ppi done yet. I have always liked the lines of the 635's and would like to try a touring sports car. I know I will be giving up a little in the performance and handling department but what can I expect from the 635 as far as performance is concerned. Will they do 0 to 60 in around 6 seconds? What's the h.p. of the 635csi. Will a performance chip do anything for a stock engine? Any issues with the 1989 that I should look for? Thanks in advance for any info or advice you guys can share with a new guy on the block.
> 
> Bill Carcot


I have an
1985 635csi and found other e24 forums more useful , such as roadfly.org. The performance numbers you quoted are a little too generous


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## Grey Coupe (Nov 15, 2003)

*BMWCCA for sale listings*

4 vintage M6s listed on BMWCCA site. Other 6s as well. Will at least permit you to price check your example.


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## hugh1850 (Jun 20, 2003)

check here for info, they usually have some good lookin' 6 for sale. I don't know anything about them (munitech), or where their prices fall, but they do have some good looking coupes.

http://munitechmotorcars.com/


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

No, there aren't very many owners of older BMWs here. The Big Coupe Group is probably the most popular place for E24 information.

I'm thinking of starting to look for a US spec M6 myself (euro ones are called M635CSi).


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## holson (Apr 8, 2004)

I almost bought a Euro Grey market M635CSi. Yes, with the short bumpers, sport leather seats, and the On-Board Computer display with labels in German.

I still want one of those... such a menacing sight in someone's rear view mirror I'm pretty sure.

Things that I read about (roadfly.org)

-. The service indicator /(SI?) thingy is most probably broken by now
-. The steering could be kind of loose
-. Timing chain issue (single-row?) for some of the M88(?) motors
-. Rust around the front wing area.

The car that I almost bought also had a defective AC. It worked but it barely made me comfortable..

but yes... I love the E24!!! What a beautiful car!


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## SharkD (May 4, 2004)

The best resources for the E24 6 series are BigCoupe.com and the Roadfly 6-Series Message Boards.

Manuals are much rarer in the 6, especially in the last two years of production (1988 & 1989). The 1988 and '89 years also have a different ECU and OBD set-up and some minor bodywork changes. It's easier to find dealer parts for them, but oftentimes parts from 3rd-party retailers are more expensive due to the fact that the 1988 and 1989 years did not share many parts with other BMW series. (The E24 from 1984-1987 was mechanically based on the E28 5-series, but with the introduction of the E34 5's, the 6er became much more unique in terms of the production lines.)

With a Dinan or Conforti chip, the 6er will pull 0-60 in about 7 seconds and the '88-'89 engines will produce ~240-260hp at the flywheel.

The engines and manual drivetrains are bulletproof, so long as minimal maintenance has been performed at regular intervals. The automatics are given to failure at about 90,000-120,000 miles, generally. The timing chains on the stock U.S. and Euro M30 engines are stout, but the Euro M635 and U.S. M6, which were powered by the (M1 powerplant) M88-derived S38 engine are subject to timing chain failure after around 140,000 miles.

The electrical systems are usually suspect, the front fenders can be rust-traps (and at $600-800 apiece, they're expensive rust-traps), the air conditioning is barely adequate, even with the rear-a/c in the '87-89 models and the steering box design is poor (though easily reinforced for around $10 in parts and an hour under the car).


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## Sander (Jul 2, 2004)

*635csi*

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PorscheToBMW said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am new to this board. I recently sold my 1979 Porsche 911SC. A move I now regret  But instead of searching for another 911 I have decided to look for a BMW 635CSI.  I found a really clean 1989 with a 5-speed and all the usual options. Asking price is 10k and the BMW has 130K on the clock. I haven't had a ppi done yet. I have always liked the lines of the 635's and would like to try a touring sports car. I know I will be giving up a little in the performance and handling department but what can I expect from the 635 as far as performance is concerned. Will they do 0 to 60 in around 6 seconds? What's the h.p. of the 635csi. Will a performance chip do anything for a stock engine? Any issues with the 1989 that I should look for? Thanks in advance for any info or advice you guys can share with a new guy on the block.
> 
> Bill Carcot


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## Sander (Jul 2, 2004)

I recently purchased a European 1985 635CSI M6 with a brand new engine with 500 miles on it for $14,500 from a guy who owns a BMW/Mercedes Repair Shop because he is getting a divorce. I now have about 19k in mine with all upgrade/repairs, tax and licensing. I figure I'll have about 20K in mine once I finish it off by replacing or rebuilding the dashboard. Worth every penny of it, what kind of new car can you buy for that, let alone hold it's value, and compare in any form of driving. Insurance is cheap, and so is regisgtration. I just paid $49.00 bucks to register it for the year yesterday. 

Much better then the American M6, mine has a little over 300 horsepower. I have replaced all the struts (front and back) recently with Bilsteins, installed new Control Arms and Tie End Rods, the interior is original, and the car is literally like brand new except for the dashboard, which I'm trying to replace, it has cracks and they no longer make dashboards. Yesterday I installed a new short shifter, what a difference, the car flies and shifts at half the time it took before, and feels like better than ever to drive, best cutomization/upgrade I have made, what a difference. Mine definitely does 0-60 in 6 seconds, perhaps even less, but I have a retarded cam, headers, Euro model comes with a performance chip and a higher compression engine, lighter without the extra 350 pound American bumpers, it's just a terrific vehicle. M6 also has improved suspension over any 635csi, and many other changes, it's just the body that looks identical, everyting else performance wise has been improved upon. A great collector's car, perhaps considered one of the very most collectible BMW's ever.

Now I have about 4,500 miles on the newly rebuilt engine, and have just started to jump on the gas a bit when entering the freeway, etc. now that it's a bit broken in. The other day, I hit 100 miles an hour before I shifted out of third gear and into fourth gear. I hit fourth, and layed off the gas before even considering fifth, worried I'd get a speeding ticket. My M6 is the most solid handling car at any speed I have ever owned. At one hundred, you feel like you could be going 50, it's just as solid. Beautiful lines, very collectible, people constantly look at it and ask me what's an M6 is, or, what a beautiful car, unless of course they already know, and then they simply tell me how hot my M6 is. I wouldn't even want a regular 635csi, it just isn't the same car, and has significantly less power, well over 50 horsepower less, and much less torque.

If you have a chance to purchase any M6, Euro or American, buy one instead of a 635csi. There is no comparrison. 24 valves instead of 12 valves on the 535csi, all Euro models are not detuned, no doubt the most fun touring sedan/car I have ever owned for a large 3,600 pound vehicle. Much lese expensive to maintain the a 911, which you have to drop the engine out of just about for any repair you undertake of any magnitude, and just that is expensive. I just saw a completely rebuilt American M6, new motor, new everything, sell on ebay last week for $17,600.00 It was beautiful. Couldn't of been nicer. I've seen perfect ones go for as high as 25k+ or even almost 30K, it just depends on the car, and how hungry someone is to part with it.

M6, terrific car, I use mine as a daily driver now, but it's so nice, and so special, I'm thinking about garaging it, and buying something else to knock around in, becasue finding another like it will be very difficult if I ever wear it out. 

Only negative thing I cn say about it, is that parts aren't cheap, and it doesn't get the greatest gas mileage, perhaps 10-12 around town (the way I drive it), and about 18-20 freeway, but worth the tade off, it's very reliable. Hope you find yourself one, you will never regret it, and four people can sit very comfortably in it, even the back seats are like very comfortable Rococco racing seats.

Sander/Thousand Oaks, CA...


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## REM (Jul 6, 2005)

*A truly great car!*

I have an white/black auto '89 635csi that has been bullet proof. It has 215K and I have driven it about 80 miles every day for years. Everything (including the transmission) is original on the car except the wheels, stereo and air filter.

The issues I've had include the lights that backlight the computer display (under the stereo) are becoming a little dim and the window controls have become a little touchy. Otherwise, I've had to do very little to the car other than regular maintenance.

It's not terribly fast and the gas mileage isn't great (14/18) but I've had great reliability and the car always gets a second look. There's just nothing like the "shark"...

I recently bought a 2000 540i (cause I've always wanted one--BMW #5 for me) but plan to keep my 6 forever.


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