{"id":5588,"date":"2020-03-05T08:37:26","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T08:37:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=5588"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:21:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:21:28","slug":"1982-bmw-635csi-project-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1982-bmw-635csi-project-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"1982 BMW 635CSi – Project Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 1980s were the golden age of the executive coupe, and while the E24 from BMW<\/a> may have come to market in 1976, there is no denying that it was truly in its stride from \u201880 to \u201889 when BMW killed it off. In the decade of excess, of \u2018loadsamoney\u2019 and of giant car phones, there was no better way to show the world you were doing well than a fully-loaded BMW coupe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s marketplace is full of SUVs and \u2018soft roaders\u2019 and they frankly don\u2019t have the same appeal, or the same neck-snapping looks as the coupe of old. Back in the \u201880s, we were happy to sacrifice practicality in the name of looks, and cars like the E24, the W123CE, the Audi Coupe and others were keen to pick up on the trend.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it wasn\u2019t completely impractical. The \u2018city money\u2019 owner could, in the case of the E24, still fit the kids in the back thanks to there being two bucket seats. And with a big boot, it was perfect for the weekly shop, or of course, a set of golf clubs or two. Not to mention the filofax and the briefcase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/a><\/p>\n

The BMW\u2019s biggest selling point, however, was that it was a coupe built for the driver. Perfect weight distribution, tight steering, suspension ready and willing to deliver feedback to the driver and of course, rear-wheel drive all added up to, as the brand itself says, being the ultimate driving machine. The only way to heighten the E24\u2019s appeal was to specify it with a manual transmission, which is exactly what this one has.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is it?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

What you\u2019re looking at here is a 1982 BMW E24 635CSi<\/a>, which short of the M635, was the best specification. That straight-six engine was capable of delivering 215hp to the rear wheels, which as we mentioned above, is diverted there via a five-speed manual transmission, not the usual four-speed automatic. This gearbox makes this car, tired though it may be, one well worth considering. The E24 is great as an auto, but it\u2019s more cruiser than B-road blaster. The manual transmission changes that, and transforms the E24 in the process, especially when mated to that silky-smooth six-cylinder engine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/a><\/p>\n

Being the top CSi specification, this car has leather bucket seats, electric windows, central locking, a rev-counter, power steering and ABS. Make no mistake, in 1982, cars didn\u2019t come much better than this. If you wanted a fully loaded E24, the 635CSi was the way to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it a project?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sadly, the advert gives very little away in regard to the car\u2019s past. Though, from what it looks like, the old E24 has gone the way of being forgotten for a while, as it\u2019s more than a little past its best. However, it\u2019s not a complete basket case. The vendor states that the car does run (though it needs a water pump and a new radiator), which is better than it being a non-runner. However, there is no mention of the gearbox and clutch, so we don\u2019t know if they\u2019re working. The vendor also goes on to say that the wings, sills and roof all need work, but given how the E24 absolutely loves to rot, this isn\u2019t at all surprising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BMW,<\/a><\/p>\n

The advert may be light on information, but the pictures are good and from them we can see that the car is complete, it looks reasonably solid and on the whole, it looks a bit forgotten rather than neglected. We\u2019re quietly confident that this would be a worthwhile project, and if the pictures are indeed representative of the car\u2019s real world condition, it shouldn\u2019t take too much to get this E24 to at least \u2018rolling restoration\u2019 standard. And being a manual car, it\u2019s well worth saving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Five things to look for<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Running Gear\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

We know the engine runs, but the vendor states the water pump and radiator need replacing. This needs further investigation. Did the engine overheat? Is the head gasket still okay? Is the block cracked?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Rust<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the E24 likes to rust, and while the vendor does state that the roof, wings and sills need some love, you still need to check everything else. Front and rear screen surrounds, scuttle, bulkhead, inner and outer wings\u2026 if it\u2019s metal, check it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Trim<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Happily, the interior of this E24 looks to be in good condition, and as such, would respond well to some leather feed and a good clean. Of course, still check for rips and damage, as it\u2019ll be costly to repair – replacing won\u2019t be an option with rare trim like this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Electrics<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s no mention of how long the car has been off the road, but even if it\u2019s been a short time, the electrics are still something you need to have a look at. Has it been fitted with an aftermarket alarm or stereo? Have rodents been at it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Wheels\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

This car looks to have the difficult metric alloy wheels, which meant the tyres (that will almost certainly need replacing) are going to be hard to find. You can find the tyres, but they\u2019re expensive. If you want to stick with them, make sure the wheels are worth saving\/reconditioning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What should you do with it?\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

As the vendor quite rightly states, this is a very rare car indeed, as such we would be inclined to restore it to original specification. It\u2019s a rare car in a rare colour and with a rare specification, and that\u2019s something that should be celebrated. Plus, the E24<\/a> does not lend itself to modification. BMW got it right pretty much out of the box, there\u2019s nothing to really improve on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019d strip it back, fix any rot, get the interior looking as fresh as possible and then we\u2019d treat the car to new paint, new rubber and a sympathetic rebuild. This is a car to be enjoyed as BMW intended. Plus, you\u2019re building money into the car by restoring it to stock condition, because the market for these cars in good condition is always strong.<\/span><\/p>\n

Missed out on this one? Here’s where to find another BMW 635CSI for sale<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 1980s were the golden age of the executive coupe, and while the E24 from BMW may have come to market in 1976, there is no denying that it was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":5590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[322],"tags":[1688,110,45,1557,648,1555,12,13,383,11,1556,325,108,1214,16],"yoast_head":"\n1982 BMW 635CSi - Project Profile - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The \u2018shark nose\u2019 era BMWs are some of the best looking out there, and the E24 6 Series is arguably at the top, making this 635CSi a worthy project\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1982-bmw-635csi-project-profile\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1982 BMW 635CSi - 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