BMW 6 Series E24 Buyer's Checklist: What to Inspect Before You Buy a 1976–1989 Shark

The E24 is BMW's original 6 Series: a 2-door coupe only, built January 1976 to April 1989, with 86,216 cars produced. It was designed by Paul Bracq, and it gained a B-pillar over its E9 predecessor for US rollover and side-impact rules. The US cars were the 630CSi (1977–78), 633CSi (1978–84), 635CSi (1985–89), the L6 luxury edition (1987), and the M6 (1987–89). The guide's E24 data reduces the buying decision to a short list of inspections. Rust and originality come first; everything else is a budget line.

1. Front wings, sills, and rear axle mounts — the dealbreakers

The guide's buyer's checklist leads with bodywork, and three areas are marked dealbreakers. Front wings bubble above the bumper and rot along the top edge and inner wing, starting at the reinforcing bracket spot-welded to the inner wing flange; new wings are BMW-only and scarce, at about GBP 1,300 a pair as reported in the guide. Sills rot worst at the back by the rear axle mounts, and repairs there are very expensive — check the sills, jacking points, and floor from a ramp. Around the sunroof and screens, bubbling means walk away: blocked sunroof drains can rot the roof. A damp boot usually means brittle rear lamp gaskets, and clearing the sunroof and door-bottom drain holes (they clog with dirt) is part of the fix. Corrosion at the number-plate recess, rear quarters, rear arches, and damper top mounts is repairable, but price it in. One more warning from the checklist: fresh underseal can hide repairs, so if hidden rot is suspected, get the car on a ramp before any offer.

2. Which car is it? The 1982 facelift split matters

The 1982 Series 2 facelift (Europe spring 1982, US as 1983 model year) is the biggest dividing line in the run. Facelift cars are E28-based: twin-pivot front suspension, revised rear geometry, solid rear discs (the ventilated rears were dropped), much-improved rust protection, wider-arch front wings, E28-style door handles, a new sunroof mechanism, and the M30B34 engine. Post-facelift cars have different doors with revised inner shells and a different sunroof mechanism, while the bonnet, bootlid, screens, and lights carry over. Karmann built the bodies until August 1977, when assembly moved to BMW Dingolfing; Karmann cars are identifiable by the Karmann plate in the left door frame, and the checklist says to look for it on pre-August 1977 cars. From June 1987, ellipsoid headlamps arrived with a single worldwide bumper design, replacing the larger US-only bumpers.

3. Engines: the M30's spray bar, the M88's timing chain

Every E24 engine is an inline six, and the range runs from the carburetted 630CS (M30B30V, 185 PS) and the 628CSi (M30B28, 184 PS) through the 633CSi (M30B32, 200 PS in 1976–79, 197 PS after; US cars 181 hp falling to 174 hp, then 181 hp in 1982–84) to the 635CSi — the M90 car at 218 PS and 304 Nm, then the M30B34 at 218 PS and 310 Nm, good for 0–62 mph in 7.4 s and a 142 mph top speed. The US catalysed 635CSi of 1985–87 makes 182 hp and 214 lb-ft, and the late Euro M30B35 makes 220 PS (US catalysed cars 208 hp). At the top sit the M635CSi (M88/3, 286 PS, 340 Nm; 5,855 M635CSi/M6 cars built, 1,767 for North America) and the US M6 (S38B35, 256 hp, 329 Nm).

On any M30, cold-start the car and listen for tappety noise over 100,000 miles: that points at the oil spray bar, and the fix is to check or replace broken banjo bolts and a loose spray bar before cam damage sets in. Uneven running from a cold start is usually the sticking idle control valve — remove and clean it first — and original-spec Bosch spark plugs are a good maintenance tell. Overheating is the serious failure mode: a blocked or aged radiator can warp the cylinder head, so an overheating history is a dealbreaker. On an M car, the timing chain is the one major engine concern: replace it every 100,000 miles or 10 years, and no service-history evidence means budgeting the job — the checklist marks that a dealbreaker if there is no evidence.

4. Gearbox and driveline: the 4HP22 rules and the 50 mph shimmy

Transmissions are the Getrag 262 4-speed manual, the Getrag 265 5-speed, the ZF 3HP22 3-speed automatic, and the ZF 4HP22 4-speed automatic from 1983. Manuals are rare and desirable; most 635CSis are automatics. On a manual, check shift quality and listen for layshaft rattle. On an automatic, test kickdown, sport mode, and EH behaviour, and never buy on a slipping box. The 4HP22 has two hard rules in the guide data: never rev in N/P and never idle for long periods — both ruin the front drive clutch, so leave it in D in traffic. The 3-speed 3HP22 is described as tough; the 4-speed is less forgiving, and on EH cars the gearbox wiring plug differs from 5/7 Series units.

The classic E24 front-end shimmy shows up at about 50–55 mph, with wheel wobble and vibration under braking. The fix is worn control-arm and thrust-arm bushes, plus the prop centre bearing and guibo (doughnut) — the guide notes most cars need a prop centre bearing and doughnut by now. The steering box, not a rack, can be adjusted for vagueness. The differentials are described as massively strong — you won't break one — with a very tall 3.07 final drive on pre-Highline cars and 3.64 on Highline cars for a livelier feel. An LSD is identified by a white "S" painted on the housing and a spin test: both output flanges turn the same direction on an LSD, opposite on an open diff, with the ratio on the tag on a cover bolt. E28 5 Series differentials interchange (ratios 2.93, 3.25, and 3.91), but check for leaks at all three flanges and for bearing play.

5. TRX metric wheels: budget a wheel and tyre set

Most E24s sit on metric TRX 390 mm rims (415 mm on most M635CSi cars), and no inch-size tyre fits a metric rim. TRX tyres are scarce and pricey — owners report about GBP 400 per TRX tyre, as listed in the guide — and old TRX rubber is a safety issue regardless of tread. The guide's advice is to keep the TRX wheels stored and fit conventional 15, 16, or 17-inch wheels for driving; Michelin Classic still lists TRX sizes. The checklist says to check tyre age, not just tread, and to budget a conventional wheel and tyre set if the car is on TRX. E24s are sensitive to wheel and tyre choice, so avoid very low-profile tyres — the chassis was not designed for minimal sidewall. Also check the spare: on well-optioned cars it is a full-size unit in the boot, but a 40-year-old original is not a usable spare.

6. Electrics, trim, and the small stuff

Test every window, the sunroof, the on-board computer, central locking, relays, headlamp wipers, and the air conditioning. Sticky electric windows are usually lack of use, not motor failure — regrease the window runners and check relays and wiring first. Weak air conditioning is a known E24 trait: Florida owners report it struggles at 90F-plus in high humidity, and converting to modern hardware and R134a can become an expensive quagmire, so the guide advises servicing it as-is. Suspension bushes are an age item on every car now: vague handling, clunks, and shimmy mean a full bush refresh, and cars that stood unused deteriorate fast once driven again — budget it on any barn-find E24. Trim completeness matters because replacements are scarce and pricey: grilles, chrome strips, bumpers, and badges. On history, prefer cars with service history and matching numbers, and prefer sport-seat cars — cloth and comfort seats are less wanted. And remember the brakes: the 635CSi runs 300 mm ventilated front discs, the M635CSi has cross-vented discs with ATE four-pot calipers and standard ABS (optional from 1979 on other cars), and rear discs went from ventilated to solid at the 1982 facelift.

Open the full interactive BMW 6 Series E24 guide for the complete buyer's checklist, common fixes with costs, stock specs for every model from the 630CS to the M6, and current for-sale listings.

Compiled from the Cerch Garage BMW 6 Series E24 guide (Buyer's Checklist, Common Fixes, Stock Specs, Year Differences, Engine Maintenance, Brakes, Tires and Wheels, and Differentials tabs), which draws on Wikipedia, Hagerty UK, Drive-My, Classics World, PistonHeads, and owner-community sources as cited in the guide. Prices are as listed in the guide (tabs dated Oct 27, 2026) and change; verify before buying anything.