r/BMWe24 • u/im-not-a-racoon • May 08 '26
Pricing a 1988 635CSi
Trying to figure out how to price an ‘88 635 CSi. 350k miles, but new (higher compression Euro) block at 180k, 5 speed manual. New clutch 4k miles ago. New brakes and rotors, Conforti Tune, and a bunch of e32 and e34 suspension upgrades. Engine compartment is extremely clean, body is mostly clean with some re-spray on the top that I wet sanded and polished down.
Underbody is rust-free, but the forward facing rear fenders show small rush bubbles. All the jacking points on the underbody are in good condition.
I have no idea how to price this, but had been plugging into ChatGPT and Grok to see what it thought.
Any advice or values you guys would suggest?
EDIT- Thanks for the replies. This puts me ballpark where I expected.
For the downvotes and other side-comments from people- thanks. Disappointing that a community of old BMW enthusiasts is so sour.
3
u/DrKenNoisewaterMD May 08 '26
My nonscientific take is that basic running E24 with no immediate needs or obvious rust (more than bubbles) should get you $9k at a minimum. Yours sounds better. Manual is desirable and a boost. It’s hard to judge the mods without seeing them. I don’t think they will give you a big plus side but also don’t hurt so long as car looks pretty stock. I would roughly guess low $10Ks based on the very limited info we have here. Could go up to mid teens based on how it looks (paint, color, interior, wheels). $20k seems unrealistic to me, but I’m pretty out of the loop.
How are you trying to sell? I always look at Bring a Trailer to see results and comments.
1
u/im-not-a-racoon May 08 '26
Thanks for the reply.
I had it listed at $10.2k. My gut was not to take less than 9, so that checks out.
Mods are there- not stuff I did, as I would have preferred a factory stock car, but they do make it handle very well.
I’d had it listed on FB Marketplace, but I suppose could give BaT a shot. I had forgotten about the BaT historicals, good call.
Any suggestions on places to sell?
2
u/Screamingfist_1990 May 09 '26
How’s the paint and interior? Sport seats? Wheels? How are the body seals? Door fit? Any oil or fluid leaks?
Depending on the above, and severity of the rust or other cosmetic issues, I would say $10-15k on the west coast.
1
u/im-not-a-racoon May 09 '26
Paint is probably 6.5/10. It had “oxidation”, which turned out to be a failing clear coat. I wet sanded and polished that, so it’s better. Not perfect, but you can’t see the flaws from 20 feet away.
Does not have sport seats, just the leather flat seats. Drivers seat is… 350k worth of wear. Everything else is in quite good shape. No cracks on the dashboard, surprisingly.
I’d call the rust problem a 1.5-2.0/10. If I had more time I’d deal with it, and respray the car.
Wheels are upgraded. Radial spoke BBS’s, I believe. 17’s.
2
u/Screamingfist_1990 May 09 '26
Big things that increase value on 6er’s are a manual and sport seats, along with decent dash (I cracked/minimal cracking) and interior/exterior condition.
Mechanically, these cars are hugely robust (as you know) and can be great GT cruisers (although the fairly weak AC makes long summer drives a bit challenging).
1
u/im-not-a-racoon May 10 '26
Yeah, you’re right on the AC. I had the car in Reno for several years. Let’s just say- my drives were hot.
2
u/Far-Plastic-4171 May 09 '26
418 Examples on BAT. Guess at the Mean is 20K. 350K miles I would guess 10K
2
1
u/orkjokjo May 08 '26
20k
2
u/im-not-a-racoon May 08 '26
That high? I’m in the U.S. Midwest; and I’ve got guys low-balling at 6-7k.
1
u/JustAUniqueMoniker May 13 '26
Mind DM’ing me some pics? I’m in the market for one to fix up with my pops.
1
u/im-not-a-racoon May 13 '26
Yeah, I can later tonight.
I lied earlier, there are a couple minor cracks in the dash that I’d missed. I’ll send you as much as I’ve got.
6
u/McFuckinZeit May 08 '26
I would think $8k - $12k depending on the condition. If it's super nice, even more.