1984 635csi

[jhenson04]

I am interested to know about the 635 line. In particular, the 1984 636csi. Just a few questions:

One with about 100,000 miles on it and in fair condition should sell for about what price?

How much horsepower is standard on such a car?

What is the published top speed?

Also, any information is appreciated, including commentary on reliability. I am interested in a 6 series (any one really) for about $3000 that will run good for 10,000 miles with no engine trouble. (I am 16, and am looking for a nice car for high school. Trying to be different than all the lowered pickups and flashy Honda's etc.)

Any information is appreciated.

Will

[Jay!]

Welcome to AF.

Originally posted by jhenson04
Trying to be different than all the lowered pickups and flashy Honda's etc

Kudos to you for that.

For an "appropriate" retail price, look it up on www.kbb.com.

For more general info about it, go to BMW World (link above) and look in the E24 section. That's the code for the '70s/'80s 6-series.

[dieselpower]

http://www.roadfly.com/bmw/

chek this place out for more info

[3.5litermoose]

My dad has an 86 635 csi, unfortunately automatic, with about 120,000 on it. he got it for about 6000 (I thought a bit over priced) and had to do a few repairs. The listed horsepower is 185, but there is plenty of torque with the 3.5 liter engine. top speed is 129 with auto, 132 with a stick.
If you plan on getting one of these cars, definately go witha manual transmission. First of all, its funner to drive. Also, the way the gearing is with the 5 speed manual compared to the 4 speed automatic, the 0-50(which is listed in the owners manual) 5.8 compared 7.1 with auto.
The 635 is a great car, but you might need some more money if you want one with that low of miles on it.

[Honda Killer]

It will be hard to find one in great shape for less than about 5K, but one for 3-4k won't be that bad. I think the horse power on an 84 is about 215, or about 190 at the wheels. Get a five speed if possible so you can peel out of the school parking lot, and cherp the tires is 2nd and 3rd gear. The biggest problems you'll have with a 6 are minor electral problems. And an occasional driveability problem which is more of an irritation than a reason to put it in a shop. A BMW is not likely to leave you stranded, but the 3.2 and 3.5's require alot of maintenence. Valve adjustments are very important, as well as the fluids and filters. An 84 5 series I used to have(same drivetrain) had close to 300k hard miles on the engine until it was destroyed by a drunken Honda driver.

[Tunaoue]

For the record, the 1984 is the 633CSi. 635s were from '85 to '89. But the point being . . . 100,000 miles is not a lot for these cars. Many can go far into the 300K without rebuild - IF they're properly maintained.

I find the price range to be very broad. Some will sell for over $10,000, others are less than $1000. My feeling is that anywhere between $2000 to $5000 is reasonable.

Your driving style should determine which transmission to get. For comfortable cruising, the automatic is the way to go. If sport driving is more to your liking, then the manual might be better. If you go with the 635 version, upgrade the wheels from the factory TRX to decient 15 inch wheels. The TRX tires are an odd-ball size and thus kinda expensive -- to the point that a set of TRXs will cost the same as upgrading the wheels and new tires combined (depending on the wheels).

Be very careful if you get the 4 speed automatic - the ZF 4 HP 22. It's clutch packs tend top burn up if the motor is revved in park or neutral. Many a trans was burned up during smog inspections. A trans rebuild by a reputable shop is about $1500-$2000.

The upside is that the car is very strong. Safe place to be in case of a wreck. They are fairly easy to work on - inexpensive to own IF you do your own work. If you want to work on it but don't know how, use the forums like this and others. Lots of information and support on-line.

Good Luck!

[3.5litermoose]

Just agreeing with ya here in that the TRX wheels are metric and not many places make tires for them, much less for cheap. Ours has 16 inch sport wheels on it and it looks swell to say the least.

Where im going to disagree with you that they are inexspensive to maintain. Alot of the stuff that have been fixed on ours has been expensive as hell just because is factory bmw parts, 635's are fairly rare and arent made any more. For example, the car is now getting a brake booster, at the cost of 1,100 smakroos!!! There is no way someone who doesnt have mechanic backround or a lift could do this work.

[BILLYKOUV]

Just a comment on the cost of the brake boosters,I thought parts in the US were cheap because I got both of mine recoed for $450 aus installed in Sydney.I got a 1979 635 csi English import.
Great car,love it
Also has no pollution restrictions as the US cars have..218 bhp..