I’ve brought up the BMW e24 before, and will likely do so again (and again, and…); it is, after all, one of my favorite cars of all time. This one was listed for sale on mye28.com, but sold earlier this year. No word yet on where it ended up, but it is a very clean, very nice looking car. With an asking price of $14,000 for a 26 year old car, it had better be nice, but this thing looks like new.
Here’s the copy from the my28.com ad:
1985 635 CSi 5-speed black with black leather interior.
I have owned this car 5 years and it was owned by a close friend and fellow CCA member 6 years before me. It has never been driven in the winter – there no rust on the car. It has been meticulously (obsessively) maintained and kept garaged and covered when not in use. I do drive it, but am very carful about where and when.
Condition:
General – What is truly astonishing to me about this car is that it is all original. What I mean is, it is not “restored” or “repainted” or “reconditioned”. It is original. Except for maintenance and a few tasteful upgrades, it is as it was when it rolled off the factory floor in Germany 25 years ago. This is the same paint, the same engine, the same interior. The paint still has that depth and luster to it and the interior is nearly perfect. The original factory tools are there, the original blue towel from the toolkit, the original glove box flashlight, owners manual, leather key holder, jack, spare, etc. I also have all 5 original tires and wheels which are included with the car. The engine bay is clean, though bear in mind the car is driven. The underside is solid – when I work on this car I am always amazed at how there is no rust on any bolt that I’ve had to remove. The trunk is clean and dry, all the pieces are there.
Paint – When BMW built the 635 the quality of the fit and finish was a step above the other models of that era. Unlike modern cars, every body panel surface inside and out (underside of trunk, hood, interior of the trunk, etc.) is painted the same as the exterior of the car. Because of this process, on this car though the paint is 25 years old and has aged, it still has that original “wet nail polish” depth and luster to it. There are very few blemishes. I recently had the front air dam repainted by a restoration shop and was careful to ensure the same quality was used.
Records – As for records I have a log book of all maintenance done on the car for the past 11 years including everything from oil changes to replacing any warn parts to measurements taken troubleshooting issues over the years. I also have receipts for parts and any services. Each entry in the log includes the date any work was performed and the mileage on the car at the time. For the past 11 years myself and the previous owner have tried to always use BMW OEM parts except for upgrade items.
Other exterior – The chrome on the mirrors is shiny and clean. The bumper rubber is uncracked and clean, though as you can see in the pictures, the one rear bumper rubber has the typical wave in it. The glass is original BMW, uncracked and clean. The airdam is perfect (recently repainted as noted above), the rear lower bumper skirt is excellent but has a slight dent in the left side, unnoticeable from behind. The bumpers are nice and clean, tail lights and other lenses are all super clean. Bear in mind this is a driver, so the one front kidney has a small dimple in it from a rock years ago – though the kidneys are relatively inexpensive to replace, I chose to leave the car original. The grille work, lenses etc. are all excellent.
Engine and mechanical:
The car runs strong and pulls hard and has been well maintained. Valve adjustments and oil changes have been performed regularly. It starts instantly and runs smooth. The clutch is solid and the car shifts smoothly – it’s a pleasure to drive. The shift lever is tight and accurate. Front end is tight and the steering is solid, there are no shimmys or shakes. It goes down the road straight and true and with the ABS brakes, the car will brake fast and straight. In the past 5 years any work done on the car has been performed by myself (simply because I don’t trust anyone else with my car) or by Zimbrick BMW in Madison, WI. The same was true of the previous owner. The car is super clean and ready to be driven cross country without any hesitation. I typically get about 24 mpg for combined driving, and have gotten as high as 28 mpg on a highway trip a few years ago. My friend owned it from about 65k miles to around 98k. I have owned it from 98k to its current mileage of 128,000. I know this car inside and out. It currently has no issues – everything works.
Recent maintenance and upgrades:
The following tasteful modifications have been done. Note that everything is reversable and original parts were kept. It has a Jim Conforti chip (I still have the original along with a spare ECU). The suspension has been upgraded to Bilstein HD struts in the front and Sports in the rear with Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs (I saved the original springs). The wheels are Rondel Style 0058 16×7.5 professionally refinished this spring with brand new Yokohama S-Drive tires. I also have the entire set of 5 original TRX tires and wheels. The cat pipe was upgraded to a MagnaFlow stainless steel free-flowing cat which gives it a nice throaty exhaust note. The stereo head unit has been upgraded to a modern CD player, but I saved the original factory BMW Cassette stereo. The factory headlights have been upgraded to Hella E-code headlights (I have the originals).
In the last 3 seasons maintenance has included new Bilstein shocks and struts, entire exhaust system and O2 sensor, new Yokohama S-Drive tires (~1000 miles), front end alignment, coolant changes, valve adjustments and replacement of banjo-bolts with upgraded locking type, brake fluid bleed/replacement, differential fluid replacement and regular oil changes.
Interior:
The interior is near perfect, all the original leather is un-cracked and has been well cared for and has its original color. Dash and controls are all perfect. The steeringwheel is excellent and the leather is uncracked and nice. The headliner is clean and tight. The passenger and rear seats look and feel like they’ve hardly ever been sat in. The dash is uncracked, the switches and gauges are all excellent and functioning, the rear speaker pods are unwarped. The interior carpet is original, unfaded and excellent, though the rear window deck carpet has faded from sun. The A/C and heat work just fine, vents work, power windows, power seats, radio, everything. All the lights on the dash light up, any bulbs that have burned out have been replaced and maintained.
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a cleaner e24 that is complete an original. I’m asking 14,000 or best offer. I would also consider a trade for a 911 or Boxster.
With respect,
Mark.