Tell me about old 1980's BMW 6's - cult following?

[VaSteve]

I know these have a sort of cult following.... I'm not sure why. It's hard to tell from the outside since they are only "ok" looking. I have never driven one. What is the allure? Better driving than the 5 of the day? Certainly not to compete with the 1980's 911 as is the current... So tell me about them?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I know these have a sort of cult following.... I'm not sure why. It's hard to tell from the outside since they are only "ok" looking. I have never driven one. What is the allure?

Maybe none....for you. If you don't like them much why are you interested?

Personally I've never owned one either but I have been in love with 633 csi and 635 csi's since they were now but one of these days I am going looking for an M6. To me they look like they're going fast standing still. I know they aren't THAT fast, especially by today's standards but I still love the look.

Found this one a long time ago on Ebay and the guy wanted big bucks for it, but with the updated wheels I think it is fantastic looking.

[Dan in Pasadena]

[snowman]

I owned a 1983 633CSI. a great car. I drove form Boston to San Diego, AVERAGE speed, including stops, 85 MPH, no tickets, an E ticket ride all the way .'' Very comfy, cruse at 120 MPH was just like driving 70 in a Caddy. 26 MPG, at speed!!

I then purchased an 85 M635. A total E ticket ride. 60 to 0 was and is record breaking distance of like 104 feet. Top speed, over 185 MPH on Michigan Int Speedway. Acceleration good, not great. Cornering, like 1G plus and still able to hold a cup of coffee in one hand. Comfort, just like my Caddy. Impossible to beat this car, its an E ticket all the way. Due to the spoiler I got 3 tickets going across country one week. Remove the racing stripe and spoiler and you have the ULTIMATE car.

[Dueller]

I had a euro spec 85 M6 that had been breathed on by a euro tuner that put out 327 hp (I think stock was 289).. It was a heavy car compared to my 87 Carrera but quite comfortable and handled well for a car of it's size.. I updated to 17" wheels and wider rubber and slightly stiffer/lower springs. Being a euro model it had the smaller bumpers, not the US spec impact bumpers' so it was a bit lighter.

While not nearly as nimble as my 911, I have no doubt it would outrun the 911 in a straight line. Great brakes, too. Extremely light flywheel so you had to be careful not to bump the rev limiter all the time. It would run an indicated 165 with no problems all day long. Suprised a lot of Mustangs and Camaros....a real sleeper.

Second to my 911, its the favorite car I've ever owned. Until I dropped a valve and to repair the motor cost more than I paid for the car. If you're looking at an M6 make sure they have replaced the original valve springs as this was a weak link.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Think 928, it's a real GT car. 635i has the M30 straight 6, which is absolutely bulletproof. M6 is the ultimate, and I'd love to own one. I've always loved the look.

[the]

It is basically a 2 door version of the 5 series of the time. Same chassis, engine, mechanicals, etc.

Ironically, even though it is a 2 door, they tried to make it more luxurious than the 5 series. It cost more new back in the day. And it was heavier than the equivalent 5 series, mostly because of several hundred pounds of additional sound insulation. So the performance of the 6 was not quite as good as the 5, when equipped with the same engine (i.e., 635 v. 535, or 633 v. 533).

Does it have a cult following? Well, I guess any car does, I'm sure there are Pinto and Gremlin freaks out there somewhere.

But the 6 does NOT have the cult following that one would expect. It's a nice looking BMW coupe, decent performance and fun to drive, but there really isn't much of a following (there probably is a bigger cult following for the E28 5 series, i.e., the 84-88 533/535). There is a big following for the earlier Big Coupes (the 3.0 from the early 70s, etc.), and that is reflected in the prices. But even though the 6 series was not made in huge numbers, their prices as used cars do no reflect a lot of demand.

(Note: I'm not talking about the M versions, that is a significantly different beast, both from performance and cost standpoints).

[Rick Lee]

I think the old 6'ers crush the new ones in the looks dept.

[Nostril Cheese]

I had two of them

1987 635CSi

nice car, gutless auto gearbox, not very quick, but a great car for long distance driving. Lots of electrical stuff that doesnt hold up well over the years. Constant 18MPG.

1981 633CSi

The WORST car I ever owned. Rust, electrical glitches, heavy and slow.

The nice thing about the 6 is that all the mechanicals are similar to the 5, so most of the parts work. However body and interior stuff is 6 only and rare/expensive. They are heavy and good luck finding a 635 with a 5 speed.

I'd rather have a nice 535is than my old 6s' in retrospect.

[the]

The automatics are a weak point in all of them. They are slushy, slow and really kill the performance of the cars. Gotta have the 5 speed.

The '81 633 was based on the old E12 chassis. That chassis had been around since around 70 or 71, so it was a pretty aged car by '81. The '87 635 was based on the newer E28 chassis.

They are nice cars, but you have to really have a thing for them, and be willing to work on them. A lot of the 6 series cars on the road today are "rolling totals," in that they need almost as much work done on them to bring them up to snuff as they are worth.

[TerryBPP]

I would say the e30 is more likable than the e24. Much more of an online following.

I drove a few e24's and felt they had more of a 928 feel than a 911. Highway cruiser not a track rat.

[the]

The E30 is much more fun to drive, and has a HUGE following. The E30 is considered by many to be the "84-89 Carrera" of BMWs - a fairly modern car with things like Motronic engine management, but still keeping the "feel" of old school BMWs, which many feel was lost by BMW by the early and mid 90s (kind like 911s).

I've had E30s, and the following E36, and liked the E30s better.

A nice late 80s or very early 90s 325is is a great car. The E30 M3 has a huge following. I'd love to pick one of those up, but the asking prices for nice ones has gotten too high.

[rouxroux]

Roofline, proportions: just right! Beautiful cars!

[deathpunk dan]

A little known gem is the E28-based E24 euro 635csi with the 218hp high compression M30 SOHC engine. The euro spec cars are ~400 lbs lighter.. A lot more fun to drive. Headers, cam, headwork and you are close to 250 bhp...in a 3000 lb car...not far off E36 M3 power/weight.

Yes, the 6ers are based off 5 series platforms (as previously mentioned, the 76-81 models were based on the circa 74 E12 5 series, with later cars based on the warmed over E28), but can be lots of fun with better suspension. Think bilsteins, H&R springs, better bushings, sways etc. run some light wheels.

The US spec bumpers are gross looking and heavy (the 88s had better integrated bumpers).

Euro M635CSI is truly amazing, gorgeous and fast with the M88/1 M1 engine (pretty much the S38 M5/M6 motor 30 more hp...)

[VaSteve]

Cool. Just curious, I saw one in traffic yesterday and I know a lot of guys here have/have had one. I have always like Bimmers... finally got one, but it's a modern one. Just curious about the older ones.

[Rick V]

Beth and I had an 88 L6, 5spd, (yes we did before the naysayers claim never L with manual trans) it was a blast. Loads of torque, comfort out the ying-yang, and dual air in a 2 seater. The rear seats were good to hold a CD case, not much more. You should drive a nice example of one and you will understand the allure. I wish I never sold that car, I see it around town every once in a while and it breaks my heart, I miss it.

[jhelgesen]

I miss mine still. Went like stink with cold ac and a cd player. REALLY liked triple digits. But paying a PI to get rid of alimony was more important at the time

[DanielDudley]

I had an 84 with a built engine, shocks, springs, close ratio gearbox, euro rear end, etc. What a nice driver's car ! It had well over 230K on the odometer when I sold it, and still going strong.

I probably should have kept it ... Not the fastest, but much more than the sum of it's parts. Like a good dance partner, it always made me feel like a better driver than I probably am. Really solid build quality to the mechanicals. A mid 90s M3 would be a similar drive, just up a notch. Rust is the issue...

[nota]

I had a 79 635 euro alpina zf 5 speed with 16 inch wheels
usa spec cars were 3.3 4 speeds with 14 inch wheels
as other have said nice road car esp on interstates
but tooo big and over weight + rust and bad el-tricks and
over priced parts [1 k for brake parts]
allways wanted a 3.0 or 3.5 csl but never found one in good shape at a nice price
just missed a couple

blew the head gasket but sold the car at a small loss due to the value of the alpina goodies +
the 5 speed zf , 16'' ect

[jluetjen]

(admittedly only a co-star in the following...)