not so random question

[blondechick]

So, if someone were to look at an 89 635 with 114k, and a stick, what would be good things to look for to make sure they get a nice one?

[The Beastmaster]

Have a dealer do a pre-purchase inspection. It's well worth the money.

If you want to do it yourself, look out for rust in the fenderwells and shock towers. As for the motor, those a pretty bulletproof, but to get a good idea on it's condition, check the service records.

[blondechick]

thanks. i'll check out that stuff myself, and if it looks good, i'll probably have someone else check itout. i am, after all, me, and i'll almost definately miss something.

[The Beastmaster]

Umm, I'd pay someone to have the inspection done. It'll probably run $75-$150 for the inspection. Maybe the guys that work on Pookie's car will give you a discount.

I have a 6er here that just sits and sits. It's got a close ratio 5 speed, so you can play with my stick anytime!

[blondechick]

that's what i said. i think. i don't know. sorry, long day.

hmm that's a good idea, maybe they will. i doubt it, though.


oooh can i? a trip to hawaii and i get to play with bryan's stick? nifty.

[Rob Levinson]

Niiiice car. I get tempted by E24s quite often.

Stuff to look for:

MOTOR:

Loud valves are nothing to worry about, usually time for an adjustment.

However, as with any E24/E28 M30 motor, you shuold pull the valve cover to inspect the cam lobes for premature wear. The oiler bar bolts have a tendency to loosen, resulting in no oil spray pressure for some of the lobes. Once the camshaft starts to wear, the hardened outer layer is gone and wear will continue quickly. You can see the wear if it is present. Revised bolts with crush washers are an easy factory fix. The car should have good power, be prepared for a little kick around 3500 rpm. If this transition is really abrupt, then there may be a cam problem.

Otherwise, the M30 is very reliable and only subject to problems from maintenance items such as cap/rotor, coil, wires, plug, dirty AFM, leaking intake boot connections.

CHASSIS:

Watch for shimmy under braking from 65mph down to 45mph. This is a multi-part problem, consisting of control arm bushings, center link, and brake rotors. Fix them all at once if this problem exists, as leaving one part bad will rapidly wear the new good parts. Figure $1200 for a full job.

A clunk or vibration in while driving could be a bad driveshaft joint. Rebuilders offer greasable fittings for extended life on the replacement.

A clunk while backing up (or a back-end sideways jump when letting off the gas on the highway) can be bad "dog bone" links in the rear. Cheap to fix.

INTERIOR:

Check the climate control throghout the temp range as these can go bad and are expensive. Listen for the shrieking of bad fan bearings. Basically, make sure all interior stuff works. If the SI lights are on in a random way, be prepared for a $200 bill for repair.

EXTERIOR:

6ers rust more easily than other contemporary models, and it's not cheap to fix. If you see a little bit of rust, then there's a lot that you don't see. Look for it on rear fenders behind wheels, front fenders in front of wheels, base of windshield, and around the sunroof. Be mindful of a repaint that has bubbles in those areas hiding rust yearning to break free.

TRANSMISSION:

Clutch should be relatively easy, too stiff is a sign of binding or bad t/o bearing. Crunching into second gear is common, sometimes made better by a tranny fluid change. Bad crunching is really bad, luckily replacement Getrag 260/265 gearboxes are available for around $2K.

WHEELS:

If the car has TRX metric wheels, be prepared for absurdly high tire costs, or to replace the wheels with conventional 15" or 16" from an E34 ($400-$600 per set).

Otherwise, simply drive the car. If it feels good, great. But with any car, do not fall in love with a pretty face. If you really think you want the car, spend the small fee for a professional to do a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Good luck!

- Rob Levinson
UUC Motorwerks * http://www.uucmotorwerks.com

[blondechick]

Thank you very much! I'll have to remember to print this out to bring it with me. And bring someone who'll stay slightly reasonable and not fall for the preety face.
Thanks again!

[JamesM3M5]

Rob isn't too far from you, you're both in Joisey. Great guy.

As far as the camshaft wear issue, didn't BMW correct the bad banjo bolts on the 1989+ engines? If this is a 1989 635, it should have the M30B35 engine with Motronic 1.1 and 208HP from the factory. The latest 635s were NICE.

Rob has the rest of the problems pegged. Count on buying new wheels and tires if the tire size looks like 220/55/390 or something like that. Those are the infamous Michelin TRX's.

[Rob Levinson]

Originally posted by JamesM3M5
Rob isn't too far from you, you're both in Joisey. Great guy.

As far as the camshaft wear issue, didn't BMW correct the bad banjo bolts on the 1989+ engines? If this is a 1989 635, it should have the M30B35 engine with Motronic 1.1 and 208HP from the factory.

You are completely correct. I mis-read the original post as "'86". Small monitors and deep desks do not mix!

- Rob

[jsp98m3]

On the interior, the rear storage compartment covers may be warped and cracked. These are hard to come by in good condition without paying a lot.

Seats may or may not have broken cables in the back and headrests.

Dashboard cracks.

Check the operation of the vent sliders. Make sure the cables aren't broken.

OBC may be flaky. Push on it and around the main gauge cluster to make sure of connections.

Look at both sides of the sun visors.


Chassis

Make sure the rear wheel wells haven't been full of water.

Replace antennae mast gasket

Check the drains carefully on the cowl and the sunroof. lots of clogs and rust spots. Make sure there is no rust near wiper motor

Make sure wiper motor functions CORRECTLY

Check washer spray bottle for cracks and proper pump operation. Jets, heaters and T's are problematic

Check to ensure the brakes have pedal travel and aren't as hard as stepping on a granite floor.

Light bulbs all over the place will be bad. Check every switch, especially the seat switches.

[evlgt85]

BC, if you got a 6, that would increase your already high cool factor exponentially. I'm being taunted (seduced?) by a red M6 in my neighbourhood as well as a few other sharp 6ers in the area. Stunning lines on those cars.

For some reason, I never realized that they were TRX cars. The early Fox Mustangs and Capris had them as well and I hear about tire costs all the time.

I'm taking notes on this thread should I decide to go for an M6 in the future.

[Rob Levinson]

Originally posted by evlgt85
For some reason, I never realized that they were TRX cars. The early Fox Mustangs and Capris had them as well and I hear about tire costs all the time.

I'm taking notes on this thread should I decide to go for an M6 in the future.

You also find TRXs on some Mercedes models.

M6s, of course, also are affliced with the TRX wheels, but the larger 220mm size. 17" is a good replacement wheel size.

- Rob

[blondechick]

Originally posted by evlgt85
BC, if you got a 6, that would increase your already high cool factor exponentially. I'm being taunted (seduced?) by a red M6 in my neighbourhood as well as a few other sharp 6ers in the area. Stunning lines on those cars.

For some reason, I never realized that they were TRX cars. The early Fox Mustangs and Capris had them as well and I hear about tire costs all the time.

I'm taking notes on this thread should I decide to go for an M6 in the future.
haha. Thanks Skye, and the same with you. I would throughly love an M6, but I don't trust myself with it quite yet. I'm not ready to be the "bitch who crashed the M6."

Of course, it doesn't look like I'm getting this 635, either. ::sigh:: Back to the search, I guess. Good luck with the M6.

And thanks a bunch to everyone who gave me information. If I find another 6 er I'll be sure to use it. THanks!