I will be looking at an 88 m6 this weekend and wanted to know what are common problem areas and popular updates to the M6. Brief description from tele conversation. 104K miles, new front brakes,new radiator and hoses, plugs all replaced within last 5K. Rear self-leveling disingaged, 1 new bilstein rear shock ( was leaking ), engine compression recent check 180/185 all cylinders. Original TRX wheels are not included, has 5 spoke 17" w new Pirelli P6000, very good interior, front drivers side fender and hood appear not to be original because no sticker?, no undercarriage damage. respray of red paint except for roof and front air dam has some dings but easily touched up. Any insight that can be shared would be very appreciated.

Here are a couple of threads that helped me jump into shark-infested waters:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=492632

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=487873

From your description, is the SLS completely removed or? Not sure what you mean by disengaged. Mine is gone and I'm quite satisfied with that.

As you'll probably see in the threads linked above, the big ones are things like:

Service records - really, REALLY want as much documentation as possible
Timing chain replacement
Valve adjustment
Any and all known suspension work
Wheels - do they need/have hubcentric rings?
Owner willing to take the car in for PPI? VERY important.

There's a lot more that others will chime in with.

When you inspect the car, take lots of notes, and lots of pictures and report back :) Really, the group here was instrumental in my learning, shopping, buying experience and I now have an 87 M6 that I got a very good deal on and couldn't be happier with.

Don't hesitate to ask questions, if they've tolerated ME for this long, they'll be nice to anyone :)

Look for rust. Rust eats these cars like a 14 year old boy on a Big Mac.

Look around the rear tail lights and of course the metal areas behind each wheel. These cars are known not too have a lot of rust preventative on them and if you have to fix these areas it could be really costly.

The E24 is a great car - good luck on your purchase.

When you get one you will ask your self 1 question:
1. Why didn't I buy one sooner?

Thanks for the feedback! The owner told me the self leveling was dis-engaged so I wasn't sure what that meant either. I'm not sure how the system works but I'm guessing air would need to be pumped into the shocks. I would think it would not ride properly if only the self leveling feature was inoperative. Claims no rust, we'll see. Thanks for the list and links, I will report back.

Almost every other component can be replaced with newer/better components, save one: the engine. A good used S38 long block runs for about 7-10k. A rebuild can go for almost double that, depending on how crazy you get with it. So, make sure the motor is in top shape or allocate some scratch to fix it.

With E34 M5's, (basically same engine, S38B36) there is a saying: It is a 20k car, you can pay it now or pay it later.

Couple of good sites to look at
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/bmw_home.html
http://normgrills.net/bcg/

Look for rust. Rust eats these cars like a 14 year old boy on a Big Mac.

The E24 is a great car - good luck on your purchase.

When you get one you will ask your self 1 question:
1. Why didn't I buy one sooner?

Actually, I think "Like a Texan on a pork chop" is a better analogy. Good luck

"Like a Texan on a pork chop"
Thats funny.

Actually, I think "Like a Texan on a pork chop" is a better analogy. Good luck

Apparently, you don't have a 14 year old son!

Apparently, you don't have a 14 year old son!


Actually, he is now 21yrs old, 6'3", 260lbs. I KNOW how they eat. :eek:

Go check the Big Coupe Buying Guide. (http://www.bigcoupe.com/buying.html) Also, you should ask if it has the dual row timing chain (can't remember at this point if it was standard on the US cars). There was also a valve spring recall, but I doubt there were many that didn't get the fix, especially that haven't blown up by now.

Most of these cars are now due for tensioner and rails replacement for the timing chain. I'd factor some money in the deal to have that done if it hasn't been .

Well a liltle disappointed based on original conversation. The owner originally purchased the car 4+ years ago in Colorado because he always thought the E24's were cool! As such no winters in Mn salt and body appears rust free so that's the good. Front spoiler has curb damage as well as being pushed in slightly and both end caps are damaged. Windshield is missing half of chrome trim and drivers side door needs new rubber seals and appears to sag slightly. Paint has some burn through from buffing. Small dent on roof and rear bumper panel. All not too bad as long as parts are available. Both hood and trunk gas shocks do not work and hood release is frozen. Interior leather is worn but no rips, rear speaker trays are warped. Dash is not cracked but missing trim pieces, knobs and buttons worn with no legible markings on some. Seat controls sticky but work. Fan is very noisy, might just be full of debris. i didn't check everything but interior and engine bay show lack of care. Don't know if AC works. Okay the meaty ...engine starts right up, similar lopey idle my 87 535i had. Not used to strong clutch spring, unlike the E36 which is very light in comparison. First thing I notice is very loud gear whine coming from transmission. Shifts are direct no syncro problems. What was weird is when coming to a stop and pushing in clutch I could hear a sound like the gears were still spinning? I haven't driven an M6 before but the power didn't really overwhelm me. I was concerned that the whole time the check coolant light was on although the coolant level was correct and temp was okay.I checked oil cap and no tell tale signs of a coolant leak. Had a new radiator and hoses so was worried it may have had an overheat in the past. Brakes were strong as they were updated recently. Did not track straight always wanting to go to the left. Left front fender and hood are missing stickers and appear not original; Owner had complete records stopping at 65K, then just some receipts. No mention of timing chain replacement. General first impression was lack of real maintainance. Guy wants 10K + !!. Do I run away or pay for a PPI and make a low ball offer?

**WARNING: What follows is a patented 'Skye ranting and rambling about hunting sharks' saga**

Run far, run fast, do NOT look back.

Trust me on this, I spent 3 years dreaming, 6 months actually searching with money in hand. WAIT FOR THE RIGHT CAR. And I mean, the one that grabs you and does NOT let go, the one you have NO real logical reservations about. It may be a long time, but when you get the pay off, it is WORTH IT.

One of the biggest things about these cars is that you need to buy as much car as you can when you make the purchase. You will not come out ahead by buying a project and trying to put money and effort into it. If that is what you want, and you're DYING for a car to rebuild from the ground up and have no worries in spending the money (not "investing" it as so many people wrongly state), then look for a project car, and look for one going into the transaction.

I don't know if you have this all settled in your mind, but setting the following goals helped me keep on track in my search (blatantly ignore me if you have all this down already):

Purpose of the car - regular driver (not necessarily daily) occasional driver/toy, show, project, etc.

Realistic ideal car cosmetically - Utterly flawless, a few dings and scratches, but overall presents well, a little rough around the edges, total basket case

Realistic ideal car mechanically - Low mileage, high mileage but well maintained, doesn't matter if the engine is in the car, whatever.

Purchase budget - include in this things like your PPI, travel expenses, possible shipping expenses, starting the insurance policy, those few little things you're sure to want to deal with or have to deal with in the case of a 20 year old car. For example, I was willing to spend about a grand on getting the car.

Geographic search range - Some of us have the time to travel, some don't. Some are willing to ship a car, some aren't.

I'm sure there's a few other things I'll think of later, or that others will think of.

I got very, very lucky. I had a budget, a specific color (it HAD to be blue), an ideal car condition in mind, a geographic area I could search, and wound up on target for my budget, and with WAY lower miles on the car than my budget typically would allow me. I got about 10 years worth of records on mine, it had a very good PPI, I could not have asked for a better buying experience.

I didn't want to admit it, but I had 'the tingle' during the entire thing that this car was THE car for me. And, only a few months later, I don't see myself EVER getting rid of this car. It makes me that happy.

My car is not perfect by any means, but it is absolutely the perfect M6 for me.

Reading the description of that car, I can see thousands upon thousands of dollars to be spent trying to make the car half-way decent. And untold thousands more trying to make it nice. I know what it's like to really, really want one and just have to back off. Tens of thousands could be sunk into the car, especially if you have someone else doing the work.

Another thing regarding your idea of the car's power. Given the car's state, it is likely WAY down on power. Mind you, these things really sing at 3500-4000 RPM and above (they pull so beautifully above 100 mph....), so if you're used to low-end torque monsters or something, then it won't be quite what you're used to, but, I'd bet the car is lacking in the HP department due to neglect. I'm used to piloting far stouter cars in terms of power, but my M6 didn't disappoint me.

In short, know what you want, and don't compromise. Wait for the warm 'n' fuzzies. Then you might just wind up having a car that makes people question your sanity when they see you staring at it, caressing it, making goo-goo faces and noises at it...or maybe that's just me. :devillook

When I get on a roll, I get on a roll... :help

Off to watch Metalocalypse. :buttrock

Thanks for getting me back on track! The minute I saw the car I knew it was TROUBLE! Definitley NOT enthusiast owned. I just hate to see such wonderfull machinery neglected and abused. But I'm not in the rescue business. I prefer to be more of a care taker...find that well loved machine, maintain and drive it as it was meant to be. I'll just keep making deposits to my M6 fund and keep asking LOTS of questions.

That's the way to do it, keep saving, searching and learning.

We have some 'rescue' cars here, but they're cheap and easy breeds (non-BMW). I do not want to see neglect take yet another M6 out of the gene pool, but those sorts have to be picked up by the right people who have experience, drive, money and time. If the wrong person gets a fixer-upper, it generally means there will be another person out there who thinks old Bimmers are junk heaps, and likely the car will be parted to nothingness.

We'll all be awaiting your success story :)