I'm going to be in the market soon for a new, er old m car. I've always loved the m6's but the e30 m3 is screaming my name as well. Which car would you rather have? full thread here

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=966094

Well you should know what the 6er forum is going to say. But here's my reasons for preferring the M635csi:

Its faster. Slice it anyway you want, faster is better.
Its cheaper. Probably only due to the insane popularity of the m3, the 6ers are the bargain of the M world at the moment.
The looks. Both are absolutely stunning cars, but the 6er is a more elegant, "grown up" design. A gorgeous car.
It's vastly more rare. As rare as the M3 itself is, its still just too popular for me. The 6er is a cut above in the 'exclusivity' department.

Edit: I don't know why you left the M5 out of your search, but thats another fabulous car, and a whole other discussion.

Ligonier!!!!

I think i have seen your car before!!! My friend's family lives in Ligonier, i used to go there like every summer when i was a kid, i love that town!

You should definitely get an M6 or M635csi. It is definitely a different driving experience over the E30, but its just a great car. They are a little easier to find anyway too. they are great for high speed crusing, and where itll lose to the M3 in the turns, it makes up for with torque, and more mature ride and styling. I just feel the M6 is classier than the M3. I find the M3 to be more of a sport car than the 6er.

Anyway, id love to see the Alfa next time im in Ligonier, are you there full time? My friends family lives on church street and whatever street the school is on (the one on top of the bigass hill)

-Jeff

get them both but start with the M6(35CSi). Why take a four cylinder if you can have six? :)

im going to get shot in the face....


e30 m3, that is what i would get

i LOVE the m6 buttt i have always wanted a e30m3 since i was a wee little tike...so BA and you would be a BAMF for owning one

Get the M6, the M3 looks looks like a regular E30 with a kit, the series 6 always look amazing.

thanks for all of the input guys!

I do live in Ligonier full time, but the alfa is in a garage in pittsburgh. And I also do love Ligonier, it's a great little town. My friend lives on church street as well. Let me know if your ever in the area, we'll meet up at a dinner and talk some 6'ers lol. Also you should attend the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in July, We should have the car there!

As far as the e30/e24 debate, I've always loved the e24 ever since my dad came home with his first bmw ever, an 87' 635csi that was black over red. The car had 70 some thousand miles, but was just perfect. I really mean a mint example. And we had that car for a while, I rode in the back seat all the way to the florida keys from PA, and loved every minute of it. He then sold it and shortly after and picked up an 85' m635csi with full aero package, all blacked out chrome, 45k miles, and a custom $2700 exhaust system that made it sound just amazing. I fell in love with the car from the moment I saw it and actually sorta talked him into buying it. Anyways, it was the car I took to prom and just loved riding in it as much as I could. And ever since have just had a passion for 6'ers.

I think though that I would enjoy driving the e30 m3 hard in the bends over the m6. not that the m6 is bad in anyway, just not quite as edgy and nimble. But there is that special something about the m6 that just pulls me in everytime. I love the muscle behind it, it's really almost like a 60's - 70's american muscle car... except german :)

The one thing I'm a little worried about is the amount of aftermarket support for these cars. I know for the e30 m3 they make about almost every race part possible, and can be customized to the fullest. My question is can this be done with the 6'er? Are coilovers possible? ltw body panels? is the m88 fairly easy to get some more power out of without going f/i?

On either the e24 or e30, I'm either going to get a car that needs a good bit of work, and just try to turn it into a street monster with a cage in the back and race suspension and it must be LOUD. Or try to find a mint example with low miles and just keep it that way and try to perfect it as much as possible. The problem with the later is that it's getting very hard to find mint m635csi's with low miles that arent $30k.

But I guess time will tell, right now I'm leaning towards the e24, but I still have to drive an e30. The problem is once I decide what to get, I will probably have to wait at least 6 months to a year to find the car I want. But hopefully it'll come around, thanks guys!

I also wanted to post some pics of what I fell in love with :)

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q66/M635dude/attachment-3.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q66/M635dude/attachment-2.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q66/M635dude/attachment-1.jpg

Well if you like the E24's, and your interested in something faster than an M635csi, you might want to consider a turbo euro 635csi. If you are planning on doing some work on the car, it may be the cheaper way to go, and you can get more oomph out of it.

Let me put it this way. Fresh M88/S38 rebuild = $10k and 286 Bhp.

Solid running M30 + Stage 1 TCD kit = $4000 and 280 Whp
Add an intercooler system, which you can build yourself for less and youve got over 300 whp...

Ground Control does some coil-over kits for E28s which im sure can be used on an E24, but you cant go wrong with a Dinan or Eibach set up with bilsteins and upgrade sway bars.

As for lightweight body panels, you are probably SOL haha. You may be able to find some used ones from retired race cars, but even that is shooting in the dark, the only option is custom...

BTW, the family i know in Ligonier are the McKain's...dont know if that rings a bell, they have been there for more than 15 years i think now...

-Jeff

as in sidney mckain? hunter and sarah? that would be pretty crazy

hahahaha...yeah, i grew up with them, sydney is like a 2nd mother, hunter and sarah siblings

-Jeff

If you look around you can find a M635csi with low miles...at least under 100,000 K for a pretty good price. Prices for a good M6 have dropped some since I purchased mine last year. If you are patient and look around a bit you'll find what you what. Good luck finding an E30 M3 with under 100,000. Good luck.

I have both the E30 M3 & an M6 and they are world's apart in how they drive. If you want a track machine, the M3 is the one. That is what it was built for. The M6 is a GT coupe, excellent super slab cruiser. The M3 is a butt load of fun to drive in the twisties but the M6 is style & grace. Neither would be good daily drivers due to long term maintenance costs but if I only had one for weekend cruises it would be the M6. If you have to put a cage in one let it be the M3.

I've always been very fond of E30 M3's, especially love the styling even more than the performance. Even though I currently own an 85 M635 I would not pass the opportunity to own an M3; sometimes I get the bug to sell my M6 and start a different project... until I take it for a spin, it makes me forget why I wanted to sell it in the first place! They are two completely different animals and the power of the 6 makes a world of difference to me... Some people are going with the S50 conversion on the M3's and it definitely makes for an interesting set up (not to mention pretty fast) I guess you can't go wrong with either, it's a matter of finding the right car for the right price...:buttrock

Thanks a lot for the comments guys, it really helps a lot and just reasure's some of my previous thoughts. As far as if I would put a cage in it or not really depends on the car. If I get a car that doesnt need much work I probably wont, and just leave it mostly stock besides suspension. But if I get a car that needs some work I'd be interested in doing a full rebuild and just taking the entire car apart to a shell and starting up from there.

I spent this past year in nor cal, and my friends and I would reguarly take our bimmers' up to mount tam which had the tightest most twisty roads I've almost ever driven. And everytime I was always wishing for an e30 m3. But now that I'm living back in PA, we really don't have that many roads like that. They are more long sweepers with high speeds and I feel that the m6 would be more at home here. I also feel that when just cruising, the m6 would be a little less ricer boyish (not that the m3 is rice in anyway lol)

It really helps hearing from someone who owns both cars as well. This car will see some track use, but I believe that anycar if setup right can be fun on the track. At the local track they have mazda 6 automatic rentals that you can take out on the track, and I remember talking to a guy who had done that and although wanted a stick, still had a blast racing around. So the m6 should be just as much fun I think :D And in reality it would probably be less then 5 tiimes a year.

The s52 e30 m3 is also very tempting, as the cost of the s14 is just so hard to swallow given the power. I was thinking about an obd1 s52 swap with a eurosport twin screw thrown on top of it. I feel this would just be one of the best combinations out there. All the instant torque, and the lightweight, seems like it would be a rocket. decisions decisions.....

jeff- I went to valley school with hunter and became very close to him and his family. Sydney is a great person! I'm sure sometime we'll all meet up together, hopefully I'll have an e24 by then! lol

Jeff - you should bring him to SharkFest to help him decide...

:D

I have both the E30 M3 & an M6 and they are world's apart in how they drive. If you want a track machine, the M3 is the one. That is what it was built for. The M6 is a GT coupe, excellent super slab cruiser. The M3 is a butt load of fun to drive in the twisties but the M6 is style & grace. Neither would be good daily drivers due to long term maintenance costs but if I only had one for weekend cruises it would be the M6. If you have to put a cage in one let it be the M3.

as I said - take em both :)

I once took my M635 to the Nuerburging (about 50 miles away from where I live) and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not sure an E30-M3 would have been any faster than me. A proper suspension, lowered and the right tire size makes the M635 a very fast and superb handling car.

http://www.wokke.de/BMW-E24-M635CSI/Grossglockner/PICT12.JPG

http://www.wokke.de/BMW-E24-M635CSI/Grossglockner/PICT1.JPG

god your car looks so good wokke

agreed, that picture of the car in the rain makes it look ridiculously cool.

jealous in state college pa, usa...

-Jeff

thanks guys.
It was on the way to Italy going via the famous Grossglockner pass in Austria where all European car manufacturers do their brake tests. Normally a very scenic drive, but the weather was total shit. Became a lot better in Italy then and I had tons of fun being chased by some motorcycles which actually had no chance because of too many turns where a car is much faster than a motorcycle.

I have both the E30 M3 & an M6 and they are world's apart in how they drive. If you want a track machine, the M3 is the one. That is what it was built for. The M6 is a GT coupe, excellent super slab cruiser. The M3 is a butt load of fun to drive in the twisties but the M6 is style & grace. Neither would be good daily drivers due to long term maintenance costs but if I only had one for weekend cruises it would be the M6. If you have to put a cage in one let it be the M3.

Really? What is the range now a days?

Theres a sweet red m6 in the local pittsburgh autotrader. I would love to have it. mmmm

Theres a sweet red m6 in the local pittsburgh autotrader. I would love to have it. mmmm

link? I havent been able to find it.

might be in the hardcopy version of the circular. im not sure if the circular ads make it to the online ad database or not.

-Jeff

I'll have to grab one when I get home then, anyone know the mile's and price?

as I said - take em both :)

I once took my M635 to the Nuerburging (about 50 miles away from where I live) and it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm not sure an E30-M3 would have been any faster than me. A proper suspension, lowered and the right tire size makes the M635 a very fast and superb handling car.
http://www.wokke.de/BMW-E24-M635CSI/Grossglockner/PICT12.JPG

http://www.wokke.de/BMW-E24-M635CSI/Grossglockner/PICT1.JPG Wolf, what exhaust are you using? The pipes look larger than stock and further apart.:)

it's a self made (pretty loud) one.

it's a self made (pretty loud) one.I thought so.:) I just installed Euro Headers on my M6. It already had track pipes (no cat) but I am experiencing a pretty heavy resonance from 2850 to 3000 RPM. It sounds good outside of the car but booms a little too loud when the resonance kicks in. No problem above 3000 RPM. Any hints on how to subdue it a little?

omg wokke, any chance you have some sound clips? I've also gotta admit that the one side shot is my backround. I just love the stance of it, and I think it's persuaded me away from getting a factory aero kit if I were to get one.

I thought so.:) I just installed Euro Headers on my M^. It already had track pipes (no cat) but I am experiencing a pretty heavy resonance from 2850 to 3000 RPM. It sounds good outside of the car but booms a little too loud when the resonance kicks in. No problem above 3000 RPM. Any hints on how to subdue it a little?



Where did you find the Euro headers? Last time I saw a set for sale they were going for about $1600... Just curious because I would like to get a new set...

Where did you find the Euro headers? Last time I saw a set for sale they were going for about $1600... Just curious because I would like to get a new set... Steve Haygood at http://www.stevehaygood.com/ :) BTW with the dollar so weak right now, expect new parts from Germany to be a lot more expensive.

Thanks for the info! Last time I saw a set was at fleabay and the seller was from Germany so I figured with shipping and everything it would have come up to about $2K...

This has been an interesting read. I have owned a US M6 and several E30 M3's, currently have a 635CSi, a Euro M5 (same drivetrain as an M635CSI) and an E30 M3. The M6 in US or Euro form, is a fine car. It is, however a completely different animal that an E30 M3. The E30 M3 is a homologation special for factory racing. There is simply nothing BMW has made since that is as tossable or light. E24's (as much as I love them) are heavy highway crusiers. Anyone who thinks an M6 is comparable to an E30 M3 on a track, has never spent much time on one. Given equal drivers, there is no road course excepting an interstate highway where an E30 M3 will not best an M6. The mechanicals on both cars are very expensive and both run close to 15k to rebuild an engine, so it's important to get a good one whichever way you go. As for me, if it ever comes down to it, the E30 M3 would be the last of my cars to go.

link? I havent been able to find it.

Yes it was in the paperback autotrader, make sure you check the custom/sports/classic trader, if i remember correctly it was in there, im pretty sure it was a 1987 with 80k miles for around 14. but im not positive, i saw it real quick last week while i was reading through it waiting for my food at sheetz.

sounds tempting although I don't really want a us car. The interiors sure can be nice though. But no euro bumpers.... hmmm

I have an 02, I have an M6. If I had the chance, I might want a crack at the E30 M3. I said for a long time that I wanted one of those bad boys. Now that I have the 6er, I wouldn't trade it.

But .... maybe I shouldn't try the M3 ... hmmmm.:confused

Jose