Opinions on BMW 635 CSi (Classic Shape)

bell boy    on 1 August 2006

as Armitage Shanks says at £1500 you will only buy a shed,dont do it..........

nick    on 1 August 2006

As I think Aprilia once advised me when I was considering something similar, with a old car that was expensive new, the purchase price is merely the down payment.

Armitage Shanks {p}    on 1 August 2006

This looks like a good one but check the price!

Make: BMW

Model: 635csi

Year: 1989

Mileage: 109,000

Colour: Royal Blue / Grey Leather trim

Engine: 3430cc Straight 6

BHP: 220 bhp

Performance: 135 mph 0-60mph - 8.4 secs

Extras:
Automatic Transmission with Sport gearbox. Air Con. Very recent TRX tyres. Grey Leather everything interior! Cat 1 immobiliser. BMW service Sept 2002.

History: Full service History

Price: £7,450 (GBP)

For more details:
Contact

madf    on 1 August 2006

An MD I worked for had one as a company car in early 1980s. I drove it a few times. I can recall a very smooth engine, comfortable but acceleration disppointing. He replaced with a XJS - which says it all I suspect.

I lloked 10 years ago at buying one. Terminal rust was the problem.

Have you the odd £3k to keep it running if rough? By £3k I mean every year as you weld it/ rebuild everything , stop the leaks etc?

Buy the best you can afford is my advice and if that is only £1500 you can't afford to run it. Period.

Sorry to be so negative.
madf

mike hannon    on 1 August 2006

The gloomy forecasts of future hits to the wallet are probably true but I have to say, it's the most exciting car I have ever driven (and I once took a Countach round the block at 25mph!), not to mention one of the best looking.
The dealer had a 635 in and thought it might appeal to me so he threw me the keys (they were the days).
After about five miles to get used to it I started trying deliberately to hang the tail out! I've never again been in such a driver's car.
I didn't buy it though. (These are the words that will appear on my tombstone, if they don't have room for 'they don't make 'em like that any more').

Roger Jones    on 1 August 2006

Speaking as someone who has bought two old MBs in the past year or so, the advice above is good. A cheap old BMW (or MB, or whatever) will be a money pit. One of the good 'uns may cost four times as much and will still make demands on your wallet. Many older cars are put up for sale when the owner knows something is likely to require expensive repair; many owners simply don't know that anything is wrong, because they skimp on servicing and don't look closely enough themselves.

So, do find the best one you can and do get an independent specialist expert to check it out before you part with your money. That may cost you £200 but save you £2000. No matter how good it looks, it will almost certainly need things fixing.

A friend of mine had a 635 CSi and had serious rust problems around the front end, and later the back window gave out somehow or other. He didn't help the car by using it only for short trips to the railway station. In the end he was glad to see the back of it. All that said, I have always thought they were attractive cars and I might well have been tempted in the past (too wedded to MBs now).

DP    on 1 August 2006

The MD of my old company had an M 635CSi from this era that he'd owned from new. It was serviced by the same BMW dealer that supplied it new religiously as soon as the indicator came up, yet it was constantly going wrong towards the end. And this was a cherished car. It's hard to imagine many people being so diligent maintenance wise on such an old car. Even he admitted it made no sense, but he was sentimentally attached to it. He estimates the final year cost him about £2,500 in servicing, repairs and upkeep.

None of this made sense to any of us until it got literally run over by an artic when parked outside the office. The guy actually broke down and cried. I guess that's how you have to feel about this kind of car to stomach the bills.

Altea Ego    on 1 August 2006

An M 635CSi ? run over by a truck? I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes myself.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >

Nsar    on 1 August 2006

Fond memories of being on a stag weekend in Reeth in the Dales with a mate who had one and was also an amateur rally driver and due to hold-ups on the A1 it was touch and go if we'd get there for last orders on the first night. Memory is fuzzy but I think we had to achieve a mile a minute along 20 miles of twisty A roads to be sure. We were on our 2nd pint by the time the bell rang - but happily it turned out to be an academic excericse.

Collos25    on 2 August 2006

The 635 alpina in Germany was called the widow maker and for good reason