My Early 635csi And Introduction

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DeadStar
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My Early 635csi And Introduction

Post by DeadStar »

So I've creeped on this forum for a number of months and i thought it was time for a bit of an introduction.
I was turned onto older BMWs by a neighbor who had an E30 sedan for sale at a good price a few years ago and that turned into my first car! Fast forward a year of driving it and slowly liking these 80's BMWs more and more. But i wanted a manual and soemthing a bit less boxy.

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I started to look out for more of the older cars and managed to find an early E12 based 6er. A grey market Euro that had spent nearly all its life in Georgia! quickly got it bought and home where it sat.. With work i hadn't had time to really learn how to drive manual yet. So she didnt get to see much action until pretty recently

So more on the car, a Polaris with black interior, 1980 635csi with a CR dogleg :mrgreen: Sometime in the early 90's the engine threw a rod and was replaced with a Metric Mechanic built M30 with 260HP that currently has about 10,000 miles on it. Black leather recaros that had a good bit of bolster wear. The PO had replaced them with E39 M5 seats while he waited to recover them. So theyre sitting while i search for a good upholstery shop and fix up some things with the car first. Got a few boxes of random parts and a big stack of recipts with the history of the car. It does has some aftermarket wheels that i just cant find any information about unfortunately. I am missing BMW centercaps for the rear wheels and want to be very sure that they are the correct hub bore size. All in all a great base to start with :D

Now onto the pictures





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Here are the odd fittipaldi 17 inch wheels
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It also has this pretty cool enclosure for some VDO gauges, though only the oil pressure seems to work
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Im sure in the coming months I will have plenty of questions. As nice as she looks, she's still 34 years old and I will always be discovering some little thing to be fixed up. I have a long road ahead of me with her restoration but I am glad to be a part of the BMW classic community and be the caretaker of such a beautiful car.

-Kyle :D
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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tschultz
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Post by tschultz »

Looks like a pretty nice early model, very nice!

That gauge pod is sure interesting! In for more photos. Does it need much work?
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Post by DeadStar »

At some point it's going to need some more electrical work done. A few weeks or so after I brought it home the headlights completely cut out on a back road late at night that had no street lamps. I had to crawl my way home using a big flashlight in the windshield.
It sat for a good number of years before I picked it up as well so likely needs all the bushings and rubber bits replaced. It's got the infamous shimmy at about 60mph too, so maybe that'll clear that up. Still can't nail down the tune just right either, it's hard finding anyone who can tune the old L-jet. More pics coming soon!
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by GripGreg »

Double WOW!
You found a highly desirable machine!
With a MM L-Jet 260 HP engine with 10,000 on the clock? WOW!
Then it has the dog-leg CR tranny?! The other WOW!
And I believe some rare Fittipaldi's! Keep those too.
They look great! The wheel caps are way, way, way down the list.

If, in your goodie bag, you have some Bilstein shocks, Keep those too.
They can be re-built by Bilstein; plus it's VERY hard to find some decent shocks for your E12.
Hoard everything E12 that you can & buy a book & tools.
You can also buy some custom sheepskins for you Recaros if you chose to.
Make sure they're not the generic ones though.
They are warm in the winter & cool in the summer!

Your car looks just like my E12 based 'Buster'.
Welcome & please post pictures of the motor & open door interior?

Greg

Ps: Be sure to change ALL the fluids, belts & hoses.
There's one particular hose that needs to be BMW only.
I forget which one but, this website said the Autozone or wherever
hose rubs because it's too thick for that one spot.
It rubs against a pulley somewhere down below?
Everything else is allowed except, never buy cheap!
Be frugal of course, but, don't buy cheap.
I recommend Castrol 20/50 changed every 3,000 or 4,000 miles but, that's just me.
I'm old skool, so I don't believe the hype about the new oil that can go 10,000 miles!
Where do the shavings from normal wear & tear go?? But again, that's just me.
I always say stay away from the 'stealership' as much as possible.
Hit the apex
in Long Beach, Cal
Buster/'82Euro6 Build Date 9/81
Rosallina/'80 528i Build Date 4/80
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DeadStar
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Post by DeadStar »

The man I purchased it from had a similar idea so he threw in a workshop repair manual in with the parts he passed on. Its a real jumble of random pieces though, nothing real big. Mostly engine accessories, heater and AC parts and the control panels for those. Oh and I'm pretty an entire extra wiring harness. Its huge. And a pair of tail light housings

But the real gems are here.
Front and rear racing dynamics springs and bilstein shocks. Even two full rear struts with springs installed no idea what car they are from exactly, be it M or non M e24 struts.
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The original recaros in a sad state Image
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by DeadStar »

Thanks for the tip on the hoses! I an certainly looking into getting all the rubbers replaced, already done the belts and a few of the vacuum hoses.

Here are some more pictures

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pretty clean door cards all things considered
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until we see the poorly fixed map pockets that is
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you can just about see the rear shelf that was started out black but now is sun bleached white
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radio was broken and haven't even attempted to sort all that out yet. But who needs one of those when you have a great exhaust note?
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the dash is very cracked from the sun, but the gauge pod seems to hide most of it from where i sit so I'm happy
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had a few of the vacuum hoses replaced but apparently they only come if blue
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this does leave me scratching my head a bit however, unless it was just cheaper for MM to source a 3.3 block and punch it out to the 3.5 for the engine build
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1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by GripGreg »

Very nice & thanx.
Racing Dynamics' website is 'under construction' but, here's their # 800)350-0615.
Call to see what springs you have. It may tell you what shocks you have by association.
Bilstein's # is 858)386-5900.
I'll bet you got lucky!
BTW; your car doesn't look like it was sitting for that long.
Nice clean-up?
And blue is the color of air. Red may be the color of of spark plug wires but,
keep them black; you don't want a clown looking motor!
I gotta ask; you don't have to answer but, it'll be a guideline for us; how much did you pay for it?
Greg
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Post by tschultz »

Get rid of that hot air intake and 'upgrade' to the stock airbox. It works very well at keeping intake temperatures ambient-- I have some heat gun images that show this very well for an E28 535i.
http://www.Drive4Corners.com
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'79 635CSi Revival
'80 635CSi
'83 633CSi Callaway Turbo continued as 1988 535is Turbo
SOLD: '81 635CSi/A
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Gauges . . .

Post by GRNSHRK »

Welcome, nice find :shock:

Looks like a great project car :lol:

That gauge package looks like the ones that Alpina used to offer :-k

Curious about the 3.0/3.3 on the block as well, as this model would've come with an M90, 3.5L block :-?

Anyhoo, welcome, and good luck 8)

:mrgreen:
:mrgreen:
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Post by DeadStar »

You would think that but I ran it through a Vin decoder that said it was a factory M30. Unfortunately the original engine threw a rod in 92 I've been told. And was replaced by a Metric Mechanic built engine. I'm thinking it was cheaper to just source a 3.3 block and build it out to what they used

04/80 build date with an M30. I was under the impression that all the 635s in Europe received the M90 until 81-82?
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by DeadStar »

GripGreg wrote:Very nice & thanx.
Racing Dynamics' website is 'under construction' but, here's their # 800)350-0615.
Call to see what springs you have. It may tell you what shocks you have by association.
Bilstein's # is 858)386-5900.
I'll bet you got lucky!
BTW; your car doesn't look like it was sitting for that long.
Nice clean-up?
And blue is the color of air. Red may be the color of of spark plug wires but,
keep them black; you don't want a clown looking motor!
I gotta ask; you don't have to answer but, it'll be a guideline for us; how much did you pay for it?
Greg
Thanks for the numbers! i had tried google but had no luck with racing dynamics. Ill give them a call soon. As far as how long it sat i really cant be sure. Sat in a barn between 1992 and 2014 i think so it stayed in pretty good condition for an East Coast car/ The gentleman who bought it from the original owner had it for about 5 months before i picked it up off of him. He had just purchased an E34 M5 and was willing to let the E24 go as he had struggled to find parts. So i was able to buy it for a bit of a steal, 4,500. considering for what the dogleg boxes go for these days and the engine with 10,000 on the clock i think its fair. Polish really cleaned up the paint and I have already replaced most of the sun bleached carpets.

tschultz: thanks for the advice on the airbox,though i might just look into getting the cone boxed off with a heat shield
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by GripGreg »

Wait: did you run the numbers you found on the block or somewhere else? :-k
Where on the block?

And, a heat shield will work a lot better than what you have!
All you would really need is an 'L' box placed just right?
Oh, and an extension to get the filter closer to the hole in the headlight backing plate.
If you don't have one ask around.

That seems to be a great price for what you got!
And, yes, you will have problems finding parts but, it's so satisfying!
You can use a cross reference I think on 'realoem' a website for BMWs to help.
Go to 'classics' or something like that.
Again,,I love the Fittipaldi's! They sorta remind me of my Hartges.
Hit the apex
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Buster/'82Euro6 Build Date 9/81
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Post by DeadStar »

I ran my vin number found here on the ID tag through a decoder
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and here is the info that it pulled up
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I didnt like them at first but they are growing on me a bit, They look kinda like E46 M3 wheels to me.
Extending the tubing to the filter would be a good idea, it would probably give enough room to fit a box like the one you described
Ive used real oem before and they're a great place to find part numbers, or to be crushed when everything in a category is NLA #-o
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
1989 Alpine 325i
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Post by GripGreg »

It must be a re-spray! I say that because your euro type stripe isn't really euro.
The factory euro stripe connects at both ends & is all one color.
I do see your great euro bumpers!
Also, on mine, the speedo reads in mph and whatever you call the metric system.
Boy, did you get lucky! =D>
Greg
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Post by Roku35 »

Great find! Looking forward to all your post for your E24. I love the Metallic Polaris and the Recaros :mrgreen: We almost have twins.
1985 Euro 635CSi CR 5-Spd (Schwartz/Anthracite Buffalo)
1985 Euro 635CSi CR 5-Spd (Polaris/Schwartz)
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Post by sansouci »

Wonderful starting point for a powerful resto-ration. Not thrilled about the "pod"
Sansouci
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Post by GripGreg »

Well, I for one, like the "pod". It gives the driver more info
& you wouldn't have to look away from the windshield!
But then, I'm not a purist! :roll:
Greg
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Post by DeadStar »

I can't say that I've done much beyond repairs and enjoying it much the past few months. With work and school I don't get much free time. But this is the gallery so I can certainly post some of my favorite pictures over the weeks.

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Yes it's dark and they're not great pictures, but I just love the way it silhouettes and the chrome lights up just after sun down.
Last edited by DeadStar on Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1980 Polaris 635csi Euro 5 speed dogleg
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Post by sharkfan »

They look like E38 or E39 front seats? How do you get anyone in the back?
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Post by DeadStar »

sharkfan wrote:They look like E38 or E39 front seats? How do you get anyone in the back?
Those are indeed E39 m5 seats, and it was next to impossible to get anyone in the back. The PO had installed them and I left them in while deciding what to do with the Recaros that I got along with the car
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Post by sansouci »

The 1 fog light gives it a snaggle tooth look...
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84 E24 633Csi Auto, Bronzit/PearlBeige 6997510
93 E32 740il M60 Auto, Alpenweis/Ultramarine
60 528i M30 5-speed Green/Beige (crushed)
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65 396 Chevelle 4-speed, Marina Blue/Black (stolen)
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