How desireable is a 1988 Bmw 635csi? There is one in my area that is in perfect shape and looks sweet. it has a huge lower air damn in the front end and it kind of looks like some of the raced out bmw's that you post pics of in here. Its also Got some kind of 5 spoke racing wheel on it. im telling you, this car is hot. Is it a rare car in any way? let me know.

if you like the styling, it's a great car. it's got motronic injection which is pretty desirable, makes good power and gets good mileage (compared to the earlier ljet systems).

and dood, it's got a friggin beer cooler in the armrest of the back seat. buy it.

it is not rare, with a strong engine with solid maintenance records and perfect condition inside and out it's probably worth around 6-7 grand.

got pics?

beeeer coooler is the SHIT!

by the way if it's got an automatic, make sure you run it around the block to see how fast it is. some were total slugs until they got on the freeway. most of that is associated with the rear end gear which is easily changeable for around $150 (aka buy a new diff from the boneyard).

jason

BEER COOLER?? i gota have it. the guy wants $4500 for the car and it does have an automatic in it. The car also has 150k on the clock. does that affect those cars?

yes beer cooler. make sure to check for it, because i originally thought it was only in the L6 (luxury 6) models, but an L6 owner i just met said that all post '85 6ers had the beer cooler. see there is a rear a/c system that blows forward, they ran the lines of the ac cooler around the cubby in the armrest and forward to a duct at the front of the armrest (afaik, this is a 2+2 car with a stationary in the down position armrest), so it cools the beer when your a/c is on.

the automatics aren't bad. when it goes out you can upgrade to a manual for around $650 total.

i'd ask for this information: 1. when was the last timing chain change, 2. when was the last valve guide job, 3. a leakdown test and 4. proof of the last change of tranny fluid and full flush.

if he can't provide those, try to get him to knock off the costs of each of those items...

jason
then when you're ready to turbocharge it you can join my m30boost listerv.

sounds good, ill go talk to him on sunday, i have off than and i can get to the bottom of things. i really like this car so i hope it dosent sell. if it does, i guess it wasnt ment to be. anyways, i only have $3500 to play with so we will se about that too. what kind of performance can i get out of this thing anyways?

it's reputably a freeway annihilator. with a bmw 745i turbo manifold and/or a custom manifold you can make it into anything you want it to be.

i've got five or so folks on my boost listserv who run 6er's with turbos.

the bottom line is the car handles like god.

jason

Send me the VIN, last seven, you have my address at work and I will check the history for you. The '88 was almost the last year ('89 was) so it is sort of collectible since it was replaced by the 8 series however they are coming out with the 6 series again next spring. It may have the engine from the '88 7 series in it which is better than the older 3.5 that idled bad, if it has a check engine light, large black/gold idle valve on the side of the air boot, or large round diagnostic connector then it has the better engine. Like Jason said, check between the rear seats, should have a vent in front of it with a fan control and temp control, lift the lid for the "cooler". The old 3.5 was notorious for a VERY rough idle, some are better than others, just sit in the car and see how it is. You can smooth it out a little with a valve adjust (looser), more plug gap, and a adjustment on the throttle plate, but it is something with the design of the camshaft compared to the earlier 3.3 models. The trans should have a mode switch, make sure they all work, if you leave it in "S" mode and turn the car off it should go back to "E" when starting the car. Drive the car, make sure the check engine light (if equipped) doesn't flicker at idle and the engine stalls afterward, it may need a engine harness. Motor mounts, front control arms/bushings, and rear sub frame bushings like to wear out. Which tires does it have? Michelin TRX? BAD! They are a 15 1/2" wheel and are very hard and expensive to find. Make sure the seats work properly, the tracks may rock and sometimes the drive cables shrink causing only half the seat to work.

Damn, you guys sure know your BMW's ill get that vin number on sunday. i hope the car dosent sell. i have a feeling it will because it looks sweet sitting in the guys front yard. i have a feeling somebody else is going to fall in love with the car just as easy as i did. Thanks for the help, and ill keep you posted.

sounds good. hey ls454, do you know where i can get a set of fatty wide, 14" diameter rims to fit under these fenders?

i'm seriously considering them now.

jason

Not off hand, you may have to find someone that can do something custom for you, you may need a lot of offset to fill the fenders. What did the race cars use? I'll see if there is anything on a parts fische.

looks like the old ones used a centerlock single bolt knock off wheel. i would need to get the 5 lug customs though, as the corners are 3500 bucks each for the centerlock style suspension.

jason

Ouch! Time to go another direction, go stealth and freak out the ricers.