Have you ever parked a car with plans to bring it back to life – only to see a few decades slip by? That’s what has happened to this 1988 BMW 635CSI, which has remained in storage for 20 years and in the seller’s possession for a total of 25 years. The E24 chassis BMW is a terrific grand tourer and one of the best-looking coupes it has ever designed. While the automatic is a bummer, these cars are well suited for long-distance cruising with either a stick or an automatic. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $6,500 with just over 85,000 original miles.
With mileage on the low side and all of its desirable parts still attached (rear spoiler, front air dam, Style 5 wheels), it’s safe to say this 6-Series has never been owned by a younger driving doing their best to abuse it. The factory body kit, which included lower front and rear air dams / skirts along with the trunk spoiler, gave the big coupe a seriously sporty appearance, and while it originally came with a more modest set of metric wheels, the updated rollers are an ideal fitment and make tire shopping much less painful. The Alpine White paint is also a favorite among BMW enthusiasts. Check out the rare AWD E30 lurking in the background – a sure sign a BMW enthusiast lives here.
The interior is really the only bummer, as it sports standard leather seats in Pearl Beige. Sport seats with their thicker side bolsters in a color like black or Pacific Blue are much more desirable, but were rarely selected by car shoppers looking for a comfortable cruiser. The airbag steering wheel is a clear sign we’re dealing with a later model 6-Series, and overall, the interior is in fine condition. If you can source a set of Sport seats in the same color of tan, you’ll add a few thousand in value to this car right out of the gate. The dash appears to have a few cracks, unfortunately.
The good news is the M30 inline-six is one of the most reliable engines you can find in a vintage BMW, and it will likely come back to life with ease. The seller is not wrong in his speculation that a cleaned-out fuel tank and fresh battery would lead to this long-slumbering coupe becoming a runner once again. With 208 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque, this 6-Series will still make an excellent highway cruiser for anyone willing to spend a few weekends getting it up and running once more. The asking price seems more than fair to me for a car with mileage on the low side and no obvious signs of abuse or modifications.
Oh man, when I had my little E30 318i coupe (black with a 5-speed) in the late ’80s, I dreamed about getting a 6-series. Gorgeous. Someday…