RE: BMW 635 CSi | High Mile Club

RE: BMW 635 CSi | High Mile Club

Monday 4th October 2021

BMW 635 CSi | High Mile Club

Freshly restored and then never driven - what are you waiting for?



Every car out there has a story to tell, from journeys driven to the owners it's had. Even cars that seem similar have often led very different lives, which is part of what makes them so interesting. And why one car can be offered for sale at so much more than another...

This BMW E24 6 Series is a case in point. With more than 160,000 miles recorded, it seems eminently sensible that some remedial work would be done. Though the advert is brief, it promises "a full engine rebuild and full paintwork respray" - always good to hear - as well as plenty of supporting paperwork. Certainly it looks good for the paint, red lustrous and contrasting perfectly with the black details. Even as an early (1982) non-M model, this looks excellent

But, bless it, the big BMW just hasn't gone very far in a long time. With all this work done, you would think an owner would want to enjoy their investment; for whatever reason, though, it's up for sale in this immaculate, freshly restored state. And it's taken a while to get here: for as long as the MOT history goes back, the 635 has shown more than 163,000 miles. In the 14 years from the 2006 test to last year's, just 214 miles were added. Though tested in 2006, 2007 and 2009, it wasn't tested again till 10 years later. Presumably this is when the overhaul began, as it passed without an advisory a few days later, and repeated that trick in November 2020. There seems no reason to suggest it'll do differently this year, but it might be worth negotiating a fresh ticket into the sale just to avoid the hassle.



Whoever gets hold of this next is duty bound to add miles, surely. The E24 6 Series, after all, was designed for big miles at big speeds, a powerful and fast two-door sports GT that won its maker a lot of fans in the 1980s. The grander, more luxurious 8 Series that replaced it never quite captured the imagination in the same way.

As a manual 635 this must also be an incredibly rare 6 Series, the creamy smooth straight six a perfect travelling partner. Assuming you could stop looking at it and get inside, of course. If ever proof were needed that brilliant pieces of automotive design look good even on small wheels, here it is.

With miles under those wheels but seemingly recent work elsewhere, this Six looks like the High Mile Club jackpot; the price a little lower thanks to the odometer reading (though £30k will look a lot for those that haven't watched E24s soar) although with the recent spend that should mean the next owner won't be forking out loads. All they'd have to do, in fact, is drive the thing after so long going nowhere. And that promises to be nothing but a pleasure.


See the original advert here







Author
Discussion

McRors

Original Poster:

376 posts

69 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
In this day and age of mad used car prices this seems something of a bargain. It has beauty, poise and an excellent engine. What's not to love. You'd definitely want a new MOT and a peak underneath but if I had the money this would be a no-brainer.

waynecyclist

11,592 posts

127 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
160k in 39 years is not really high miles

Nice car however

DeanHelix

135 posts

168 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Hmmm, I think I'd have my 635 in Black with less than half the mileage and £6k cheaper - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12132377

Manic Street Sleeper

1,173 posts

54 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
DeanHelix said:
Hmmm, I think I'd have my 635 in Black with less than half the mileage and £6k cheaper - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12132377
Wrong wheels and therefore, tyres.

J4CKO

43,995 posts

213 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Doesn't look that great in that spec, too much going on, wrong colour and wheels for my taste,


Itsallicanafford

2,843 posts

172 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
mmmh, there is something not quite right about this car.

I believe being an 1982 model it should be around the time of the facelift from E9 to E12 based cars. Front valence with the fog lights on the outside rather than integrated points towards E9 earlier car. But then, the rear spoiler and interior is of a later E12 cars. Could be as simple as its had a bit of a front end shunt, which would make sense and the bumper does not align very well.

big_rob_sydney

3,603 posts

207 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Fkn HOW MUCH?!?

For a car with moon mileage???

trevalvole

1,433 posts

46 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Itsallicanafford said:
mmmh, there is something not quite right about this car.

I believe being an 1982 model it should be around the time of the facelift from E9 to E12 based cars. Front valence with the fog lights on the outside rather than integrated points towards E9 earlier car. But then, the rear spoiler and interior is of a later E12 cars. Could be as simple as its had a bit of a front end shunt, which would make sense and the bumper does not align very well.
What do you think of the alignment of the front part of the boot lid - see picture 16 of the advert?

waynecyclist

11,592 posts

127 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
trevalvole said:
Itsallicanafford said:
mmmh, there is something not quite right about this car.

I believe being an 1982 model it should be around the time of the facelift from E9 to E12 based cars. Front valence with the fog lights on the outside rather than integrated points towards E9 earlier car. But then, the rear spoiler and interior is of a later E12 cars. Could be as simple as its had a bit of a front end shunt, which would make sense and the bumper does not align very well.
What do you think of the alignment of the front part of the boot lid - see picture 16 of the advert?
In a word it is crap, badly adjusted maybe

This car is 88k and £2k less: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/11334082

Edited by waynecyclist on Monday 4th October 13:03

Lotobear

7,744 posts

141 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
I've always admired these cars purely on the basis of their aesthetics but suspect that the ownership and driving proposition may well be a disappointment.

Itsallicanafford

2,843 posts

172 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
trevalvole said:
Itsallicanafford said:
mmmh, there is something not quite right about this car.

I believe being an 1982 model it should be around the time of the facelift from E9 to E12 based cars. Front valence with the fog lights on the outside rather than integrated points towards E9 earlier car. But then, the rear spoiler and interior is of a later E12 cars. Could be as simple as its had a bit of a front end shunt, which would make sense and the bumper does not align very well.
What do you think of the alignment of the front part of the boot lid - see picture 16 of the advert?
Yeah, not great, i am no expert but it should like like this. If anything the fit should be looser where the boot meets the rear lights, rather than at the front part





Edited by Itsallicanafford on Monday 4th October 13:11

BigChiefmuffinAgain

1,338 posts

111 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't touch a car that had sat undriven for that long, despite whatever recon it had had ( and some of the work here looks a bit iffy ). Things just seem to go wrong when you try to drive them again....

Itsallicanafford

2,843 posts

172 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Apologies, should have said E12 to E24 facelift!!

Hairymonster

1,614 posts

118 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
I reckon that's had a serious shunt at some point

anonymous-user

67 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
big_rob_sydney said:
Fkn HOW MUCH?!?

For a car with moon mileage???
Not high miles. High miles irrelevant - buy on condition. Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

nobrakes

3,564 posts

211 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
tommy1973s said:
big_rob_sydney said:
Fkn HOW MUCH?!?

For a car with moon mileage???
Not high miles. High miles irrelevant - buy on condition. Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.
Wouldn’t bother me either, until I tried to flog it with nearly 200k on it.

anonymous-user

67 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
BigChiefmuffinAgain said:
Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't touch a car that had sat undriven for that long, despite whatever recon it had had ( and some of the work here looks a bit iffy ). Things just seem to go wrong when you try to drive them again....
Well you'll have to sort out a few issues no doubt. But storage per se does not wreck a car. Seals, rubber items for sure. Not a big deal in the scheme of things. Of course, if your expectation is new car standard, you'd run a mile. However, if you're used to old cars, no big deal.

anonymous-user

67 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Still the guvnor. Prefer M88 engine model, but they're over-priced. Let's hope that whoever buys it doesn't ruin it by fitting chavvy big wheels and miserable low profile tyres.

Chubbyross

4,677 posts

98 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Looks great in the pictures from a distance but unless it was fully restored by one of the top specialists I wouldn’t touch that with a barge pole. A friend bought a BMW from that era. It was advertised as a full resto, looked stunning and had featured on the front cover of a BMW magazine. My friend was dazzled by the shiny paint and magazine feature. The car turned out to be an utter lemon. It ended up needing a full wiring loom replacement, along with many other things that needed doing. It cost him more than he’d spent on the car.

The mileage wouldn’t put me off in the slightest if it had been rebuilt to perfection. Nobody questions the mileage on a Singer’s donor car as they know the rebuild will render that irrelevant. I suspect this hasn’t been done to a particularly high standard and they’re trying to sell it on its glossy paintwork.




benzinbob

750 posts

69 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
nobrakes said:
tommy1973s said:
big_rob_sydney said:
Fkn HOW MUCH?!?

For a car with moon mileage???
Not high miles. High miles irrelevant - buy on condition. Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.
Wouldn’t bother me either, until I tried to flog it with nearly 200k on it.
You must be new to 1) classic cars 2) reading something someone has already addressed with the correct response and 3) common sense.