Possible 6 series purchase; any advice

Sarc · 07-29-2003, 09:57 AM

Hi all,
I've come across an 82 633csi for sale.
The stats;

Charcoal gray/tan leather
5 speed
49,000 original miles

$7,500

I haven't driven the car yet, but gave a good lookover this afternoon. This car is like a timewarp;
Body- 9.5 (some minor chips on the hood) No rust. lower front valence is aged, but in perfect shape
underside of doors are spotless, as are inner fenders

Interior- 9.9 No cracks, seats perfect, everything works

Engine appears to have no leaks, underside appears dry. Engine compartment is spotless (of course I assume its been detailed)

Now my questions,

How durable is the 3.3 engine?
Will this car last a very,very long time?
What do I need to look for on the test drive?
I will of course have a PPI done.

Thanks!

Trunk area is bone dry

LARRY ISAACS · 07-30-2003, 04:04 PM

SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE UNCOVERED A REAL JEWEL. THE ENGINE IS VERY STRONG AND REPAIR PARTS ARE PLENTIFUL. MANY OF THE 5 SERIES PARTS ARE INTERCHANGABLE WITH THE 6.

DURING THE PPI PAY CLOSE ATENTION TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM A CAR THIS OLD WITH LOW MILAGE COULD HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WHICH MAY SHOW UP WHEN YOU START DIRVING IT OFTEN. THE REASON FOR THE CAUTION ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS THE POSSIBLITY OF WATER AND THE RESULTING RUST AND CORROSION IN THE PROPOTIONING VALVES. I AM SURE YOUR MECHANIC WILL REVIEW OF OF THESE POINTS WITH YOU. FOR OTHER INPUT YOU CAN GO TO THE WEB SITE-WWW.BIGCOUPE.COM.

GOOD LUCK

Jared at Pelican Parts · 08-21-2003, 02:37 PM

Sounds like a good deal. 6er's are hard to find with the five-speed. I agree with Larry here, check the brakes, as this is a heavy car. These cars are more of a tourer than a performnce car. Do the obvious things like compression check, check rotor, cap plugs, etc.. However with only 49K on the clock, it sounds like a good one. I would pay close attention to how clean things are. This is typically a good indicator of how well the car was maintained.

81633CsiDriver · 08-22-2003, 06:38 PM

I've owned a '81 633 for the past 15 years, and the engine has been extremely reliable. I have had the head off only once to have a leaking head gasket replaced.