Hey all,
it's german, so gimme a break. Anyone got one of these? I've been considering one, as el wife-o is not so keen on the diesel affliction. And, she just today was offered a new job which will require some travel. She's been hinting for a while that she's 100% comfortable with driving the '81 300TD, so I'm going to sell it and get her a gasser. I'm just trying to get a gasser that I can have some fun with...

So, I found this '84 BMW 633CSI. I've always liked the looks of them, and they seem to be relatively rare. But I think I'd like driving it more than I'd like driving another old volvo or some honda or something that are a couple of the other choices she's voiced. (also looking at some mb gassers)This one has a 5 speed, so no ZF auto. And I think it's got newer tires, so unlikely to be the TRX 390mm beasties.

Opinions on longevity, things to look for, make sure of, etc....
(I did read 1967250s' thread on the same model)

cheers,
Kevin

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www.djugurba.com
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I've got an '83. It's got BMW's robust M30 engine, which while long-lived can be prone to oil leaks. (Sound familiar?) The airflow meter is a weak point, as the contact point can wear out and create drivability problems. Look out for oil leaks at the back of the head. The banjo bolt on the oil supply line to the cam can back out, but a responsible owner should be on top of that issue. It shoudl be torqued with every valve adjustment.

The suspension takes a beating on these cars, and you'll likely want to replace the control/thrust arms if it hasn't been done already. Use Lemforder parts exclusively if you can. Rear "dogbone" links are another suspension wear point. The steering box can break loose from its mooring -- there's a preventive fix out there that you can make yourself with a long bolt, washers and some rubber bushings. Brakes are hydraulically boosted using an accumulator similar to the nitrogen spheres in the 300td rear suspension.

Dead instrument clusters can be expensive to resurrect. I could go on, but it's easier to direct you to a technical library maintained by the godfather of the Big Coupe Groupe, Norm Grills. Here's the link: http://www.normgrills.net/bcg/

A poster on Norm's list is selling an '85 Euro (more hp) at the moment. A little rust (Evanston, Ill), but the price is right at $3500/offer. Please buy it before I buy again!!

On second thought, are you sure you want to send your lovely spouse out to business-related destinations in a 20-year-old car? Maybe it's time to cater to her and get some late-model transportation. I recommend a Mazda Millenia. Mazda couldn't spell, but they produced a fine chassis that's going seriously cheap these days. My wife's '95 just turned 194,000 and is going strong. It's as unstoppable as a quattro in heavy snow. FWIW
Russ M.

Nothing wrong with a good BMW.

If a wagon has special appeal, a guy up here has one for sale, 525i wagon with 125k miles and a double sunroof that doesn't work. He's asking $5100 but it's been sitting out there long enough I imagine he would deal (and he would need to).

If you go later model, Maximas seem to hold up awfully well, and are fast and feel solid. If I had to buy a newer car frugally and wanted it to last awhile, that is what I would get.

Good luck finding something good!

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http://webwench.net/albums/new83-300...1700.thumb.jpg
1983 300D-T
348,000 miles

The six series has to be one of the coolest looking cars of its day. I have heard it can be expensive to maintain though.

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With best regards

Al