Friday 20th April 2007

SOTW: BMW 635

BMW 635CSi

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Already on opposite lock...

With big BMW coupes at the front of our minds this morning, you won’t be that surprised to see we’ve fallen back on an old favourite for ‘Shed of the week’.

‘Shed’ has always lusted after the big Beemer, and we all know why that is: it’s got a great big straight six under the bonnet that sends its drive to the rear wheels. Not difficult to understand, that.

Then there’s that priceless mental image of crossed-up, ETCC ‘works’ M6 entries with M stripes in ‘BMW Parts’ livery. Ok, a humble and ageing 635 Auto is a long way from such heroics, but ‘Shed’ is nothing but an optimist.

Interesting too, that although the six series looks very much ‘of its time’, there’s an essential ‘rightness’ to its overall form that the Bangle era designs have rarely managed to match. Yes, it’s conventional and traditional, but a good example still looks sleek and imposing – the shark-like nose parting the air with genuine gravitas.

Not sure if that applies to this example here however. We’ve had to opt for the cheapest CSi out there to fit within Shed’s budget, which hardly fills us with much confidence; big car, big bills. And we’re trying not to think too hard about the slusher ‘box either. The vendor doesn’t seem to have much to say. Still, it looks ok from a distance, and how hard can it be to drop a manual in there - anyone?

Advert: Automatic, 118,000 miles, Silver. £650

www.autotrader.co.uk

[malaccamax]

Must be a Monet: great from a distance, a mess close-up. That is crazy cheap. I bought mine for £1400 and that was the devil's own rust pit. Lovely engine though.

[phil1979]

Hmmm, looks front-ended to me. The wing is a different colour to the doors, and look at the shut lines on the hood. A little picky, I know, but that could reflect the price.

Lovely cars.

[pasthim]

LOOKS good for £650, a bargain in fact but underneath......

[Vodka Margarine]

OMG that still looks good.


Pee's on new BMW's looks wise

Edited by Vodka Margarine on Friday 20th April 11:52

[colacube]

love these big coupes. problem is with these is they really have to be in good condition to drive around, otherwise they just look a bit shabby. you cant get away with the ironic shabby look in the same way with say a capri.

best looking bmw ever made? ill take an m6 please.

[malaccamax]

Perils of cheap 635s, no. 381: rotten spring cup



Needless to say, had to use the yellow card on this one

[bob1179]

Beautiful, beautiful car.

M635csi please.

But, at 650 quid, that thing is going to be a shed. I think the wing is probably a different colour as it is full of filler as they all rust here. At 900 notes a wing its easier to tart it up a bit and sell it on. I'm sure it has lots of hidden rust in all the scary places!

I'd buy it at that price though and use it as a handy parts bin for a decent example. At 118,000 miles the interior is probably nice and clean and it'll have loads of useful bits in it.

[justayellowbadge]

bob1179 said:

But, at 650 quid, that thing is going to be a shed.

The shed of the week? A shed? Surely not.

[bob1179]

justayellowbadge said:

bob1179 said:

But, at 650 quid, that thing is going to be a shed.

The shed of the week? A shed? Surely not.

D'oh! I'll go and sit in the corner for ten minutes with my 'D' cap on...

[sleep envy]

justayellowbadge said:

bob1179 said:

But, at 650 quid, that thing is going to be a shed.

The shed of the week? A shed? Surely not.

[gumballer]

now a 318is would be a good shed, great fun on track with that revy 16v and only a few hundred quid. probably why i bought one this week then

bring on the rain!

the 635 has a great prescence, even just statcic on your drive!

[NiallOswald]

A friend of mine attempted the 'dirt-cheap, old BMW' experience. His 200 quid 528i lasted 6 hours, in which time it turned out that most of the electrics didn't work. Hasn't cost him too much as it had almost a year's tax on it.

Went (before the fuel pump cut out) very nicely though apparently

[curveking]

I had one of these 6 or 7 years ago it cost me £5k for the car and about another £5k a year in bits. The second worst car I have ever owned. The Worst was a 1970's bently

[bri_the_fly]

wooor...my dog would bite yer f****n leg off at that price where I am
650 quid = 2600 Brazilian Reais
I can't even get a clapped out Beetle with a million KM on it for that price...

sometimes wish I wuz back home...

[ATG]

Over the years two of my frinds have amanged to destroy one of these. A mate picked one up for a few grand last year, found a real 635 enthusiast independent to tidy it up and look after it for him ... and then he spun it off a roundabout and killed it. A crying shame. T'other mate managed to barrel roll his while flying over a hedge. Apparently the steering went quite light when the car was upside down. That car was a write off too funnily enough.

[Balmoral Green]

sleep envy said:

justayellowbadge said:

bob1179 said:

But, at 650 quid, that thing is going to be a shed.

The shed of the week? A shed? Surely not.

And another

Class.

[plasticpig]

Thats about what I paid for a 628i last year on Ebay. Mine didnt look too bad a came with a years ticket. The bodywork looked in generally good nick and I sorted a few minnor rust patches on the arches and the sills. It was when I came to clean up the bubbling paint in the engine bay it all came unstuck. Some one had done a nice job of hiding the rust on the suspension turrets. A couple of hours with a wire brush led me to the conclusion that it was well beyond my capabilities to fix as I could fit my fist through several of the holes.

[malaccamax]

PP, what did you end up doing with it? Get any spares or repairs takers? I found rust in the weirdest places on mine, as pic shows. I bodged all the holes for a half-decent showing at Le Mans last year then quickly sold it. Still half-regret it.

[plasticpig]

[quote=malaccamax]PP, what did you end up doing with it? Get any spares or repairs takers? I found rust in the weirdest places on mine, as pic shows. I bodged all the holes for a half-decent showing at Le Mans last year then quickly sold it. Still half-regret it.[quote]

Flogged it to a mate of a mate who runs a garage and has a very nice 635i. He was doing up another 635i and wanted the interior out of mine (blue leather) and the stainless steel exhaust system. I would like an M635 one day but one with no rust. I sold it for £350 had good summers out of it.

[rimmer]

bargian even if it is a rust bucket with dodgey panels its still (probably) the best thing that you could get for £650 and if you were to get a manual and strip it out it would make a preety good track car and then you dont have to worry about mots and all that crap.