dvsmith.net

In mid-2003, I had reached the end of my rope: after six years of living in and around the District, relying on Metro and cabs, I came to a realization -- I needed a car. Searching long and hard for a safe, reliable, affordable car, I came across the BMW E24 6 series, which, as it turns out, met all three of my criteria... and just happens to be drop-dead gorgeous.

The 6 series was a difficult car for BMW to sell -- retailing for upwards of $46,000 in the 1980's, it was inaccesible to many outside the upper-middle class and weighing upwards of 3,800lbs it was hardly a true sports car. As a result, BMW manufactured only 86,216 E24 chassis between 1976 and 1989, of which around 46,000 628CS, 633CSi, 635CSi and M6 models made their way to U.S. shores. Due to the typical buyers' preference for luxury over performance, relatively few of these Bavarian ‘bahn-stormers were equipped with the Getrag-built five-speed transmission.

I was lucky to find my sharknose coupe through the National Capital Chapter of the BMWCCA after only a couple of weeks of looking. An ’87 model, it had only 138,000 miles under two owners and had meticulously looked-after, including a complete set of service records and receipts dating back to 1990.

After a few small repairs, including wipers that worked intermittently (which usually didn't coincide with rain), a faulty starter and a flaky alarm system, the addiction took hold.

The car handles magnificently and pulls hard in the turns. According to the corner workers at my first few BMWCCA driving schools, it's gorgeous in the turns.

Now that I've fed the addiction and bought an E30 coupe for track days, the E24 has been retired to Sunday driver status.

Modifications:

- Engine and Drivetrain -
Jim Conforti chip
K&N panel filter
Blonde Motorsport short shift kit
Momo Super Anatomic leather shift knob
3.73 limited slip differential from an E30 (originally equipped with a 3.46 LSD)
Metric Mechanic maximum cooling package

- Suspension and Brakes -
M6/Suspension Techniques springs and adjustable swaybars
Ireland Engineering front strut brace (via Turbocharging Dynamics)
Bilstein Sport struts
Machined E32 750 control arm bushings
ACT/Ronal LS 16x8.5 gold/silver polished wheels
Yokohama AVS ES100 225/50WR16 (TRX wheels and tires were included with the car)
E32 750i front discs and calipers
E34 535i rear discs and calipers
BMP Design stainless steel brake lines

- Interior and Electrical -
Recaro LSM black cloth seats w/adjustable lumbar support
Alpine CDA-9835 (with XM and iPod connections installed)
Precision Power amps for MB Quart front speakers and ADS subwoofers
Hella E-Code H1 & H4 headlight upgrade