Advice needed on old 6 series (E24?)

[89speedster]

Hi Guys,

I'm seriously thinking about buying an old 6 series to run as a daily driver for the next 6 months to 1 year.
I do about 30,000 mainly motorway miles a year and am wondering if the car would be in the shop more than on the road?

I like the idea of the Highline model.

Can anyone offer advice on what to look out for or if there are any 6 series specific forums.

Many thanks

[Rollcage]

IMO ,if you get one good enough to do that sort of mileage ,it will be good enough that you wont want to put 30k on it.If you find one that isn't going to need some serious remedial work on corrosion then mechanically it will be able to handle it ,no problem .They are pretty tough mechanically ,but just dont expect much in the way of fuel economy .

I have had a 635 in the past ,and it was a real belter - I wouldnt have wanted to put that sort of mileage on it though.

[specvision]

If your looking for a good Bmw to put mileage on (they can all take it) but to have some sort of mpg - go for the E34 5 series - 2.5td is always an option and will return 40mpg on motorway (give or take a little)

I just sold my e34 525td recently - 285k miles on the clock - pulled like an absoloute Train - handled perfectly - munched motorways for fun (mine was in germany 4 times!!) and they are arguable the nicest 5 series ever to be built

However if your stuck on a 6 series - go for it - but they are fairly thin on the ground -

[89speedster]

Thanks guys,

I really do fancy a 6 series. I'm not too bothered about economy as I'm coming from an L322 V8 Range Rover!

I'll probably be proved wrong but it looks as though you can buy a good one from about 5k.
I'm seeing one later, so wish me luck.

[ardvaark]

I had a Highline a while back. Fabulous car, pretty straight forward to maintain too. Watchout for rot inside the front wheel arches just above the bumper. Highline exhausts are hugely expensive, not being the same as the earlier models. If the brakes are a bit spongy, look at the accumulator sphere, not an expensive fix. Fuel economy isn't too bad, 16 around town to about 26 on the motorway without too much restraint. The TRX tyres are expensive though assuming it's still on the original rims.

[caferaca]

Mines up for sale. PM if interested.
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

[89speedster]

You have mail

[wrighty78]

As someone has already suggested, a 2.5 tds e34 would be a better bet for that sort of mileage, but it's up to you.

I had my 6 series (1987 - D reg) for 18 months, during which time I did around 15k miles in it. Marvellous car, and I would have another if funds, time and garaging permitted, but I don't think I would consider running one 30k miles per year.

Mine had been very mell maintained, but it still cost me a small fortune over the 18 months. They were pretty complicated cars for their day and the youngest is now 20 years old. I can't remember everything I had to have sorted, but brake calipers seized, the head gasket was replaced, suspension bushes and a steeing arm, the brake master cylinder, and water pump spring to mind so far. I got to know my local independent BMW specialist very well!!

On the plus side, it was very comfortable for long distances - I took mine on holiday to the South of France and to Le Mans, and it was a very comfortable cruiser. And of course, they are beautiful cars.

Oh and one last thing... the 3.5 engine does like to be used (although 30k miles p.a. might be extreme), so beware of garage queens. Mine hadn't been used much for the 6 months before I bought it, and over the first couple of months a few issues arose as it got back into regular use. Once sorted, it got better and better.

[wrighty78]

89speedster said:

I like the idea of the Highline model.

Make sure you check the seat electrics!

[downthepub]

Have a look at http://www.bigcoupe.com.

Can't see any problems with that sort of mileage, excepting the fact that the youngest cars are 20 years old, as all the dirty bits are tried and tested BMW components from the 5-series or 7-series of the time.

[Sharknose]

There's a nice restored white Highline on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-635-csi-Hiline_W0QQitemZ...

It's a rare 5 speed manual with Shadowline dechroming, low mileage and restored body so it would definitely be worth a look.

From personal experience I can recommend an M635CSi as they have a very different character, but they are not cheap to run.

Edited by Sharknose on Thursday 30th July 19:32