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DGJohnson View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: 6 Series Buying Tips
    Posted: 09-May-2003 at 22:09

I am very interested in 6 series but am new to them.  Was wondering if anyone could offer me advice and tips on buying and maintaining them.

Good info sources. What tends to go wrong with them. Necessary maintence.  Things to ask sellers.  Specialist (esp in London area). Basically all the typical buyer questions.

Any help would be great.

 

 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2003 at 09:07
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2003 at 19:26
Quote: Originally posted by DGJohnson on 09-May-2003

I am very interested in 6 series but am new to them.  Was wondering if anyone could offer me advice and tips on buying and maintaining them.

Good info sources. What tends to go wrong with them. Necessary maintence.  Things to ask sellers.  Specialist (esp in London area). Basically all the typical buyer questions.

Any help would be great.


I have spent somewhere in the region of three grand in the last 6 months on my 1983 635CSi Auto, bringing it up to scratch. You can see the results in the Motormec Customer Gallery at http://website.lineone.net/~motormec/customers13.html

The better cars are the ones made from May 1982 onwards, as that is when the engine, suspension
and computer upgrades kicked in. The floorpan was based on the E28 5-Series.

The wings are the major Achilles heel. As BMW did not design wheelarch "fill-in" covers, this
unfortunately allowed water to collect on the mounting point between the front indicator
and the wheelarch itself, so the rot would slowly "break out" from there. They also rust along
the tops of the wings, usually from the inside outwards. Wing panels are about £400 (incl. VAT)
each. ALSO TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT THE INNER WINGS!!!

If you are going for the "slim chrome bumper" examples made between May 1982 and June 1987, bear
in mind that the chrome bumper trim can also rot through (ask me how I know!), and the individual
parts are costly. Because they are only made in batches, if you miss your slot, then you might have
to wait more than a few weeks for the next batch.

"Highline" Sixes, built from June 1987 up to 1989 have more improvements, but also more electrical
complexity, because they had even more bells and whistles put in. They are recognisable because of
their thicker US-spec bumpers, ellipsoidal headlights and 27 sq.metres of leather interior - even
the dashboard is covered in leather.

They will also eventually rust at the edges of the rear light clusters, mainly due to the fact that
the rubber gasket seals there have perished and allowed moisture in.

Other hotspots are around the bootlid opening, where the bootlid seal may have had its day. This can
lead to the metal underneath the seal rusting away, and also the bootlid itself can corrode at the
mounting points for the hinges.

The sills are generally long lasting, which is just as well, as a complete sill repair section can
come to about £300 or more.....

However, take extra care with body-kitted examples (fortunately very few) as the external trim can
also hide potential rust areas.

Engine specs from May 1982 onwards were:

3430cc, 12-valve, 218bhp (standard 635CSi)
3453cc, 24-valve, 286bhp (M635CSi)
3430cc, 12-valve, 220bhp ("Highline" 635CSi) - this engine was the one used in the then new E32 7-Series.

The M635CSi is the one to have if you can afford it, but you must pay close attention
to servicing and engine maintenance. The M635CSi's timing chain, for instance, must be changed at around
the 100,000 mile mark. Its suspension and brakes are also quite unlike the standard Six. The battery
is located in the boot because there was no room in the engine bay once that 24-valve unit had gone in!

But don't get put off - most of the above is only common sense. A Six is a joy to have, but please please
look after it when you acquire one. Don't take shortcuts - it's not that sort of car.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2003 at 19:34

I should also add that the following should be checked rigorously:

All steering links and bushes. Rear subframe bushes and rear "Pittman" arms. This is a heavy car, weighing in at over 1.5 tons.

Engines are generally long-lived if regularly maintained. Look out for traces of oil in the coolant, which can mean either a head gasket that's had it, or even a cracked cylinder head. If possible, get the valve stem seals / guides renewed.

I tend to have my oil changed at between 3000 and 5000 mile intervals. I generally use Mobil 1, but Castol GTX Magnatec can also be used.

"Highline" Sixes can run on unleaded without any trouble. Anything older would be happier on LRP / super unleaded plus octane booster additive.


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