1988 BMW M6

After restoring my 1988 BMW 635CSi my enthusiasm for BMW M cars whetted my appetite for the original M6. This beautiful Cinnabar red 1988 M6 scratched that itch wonderfully.

Enthusiasts of BMW automobiles appreciate the classic "BMW" look of the original 6 series, and the M6 has the impressive Motorsport S38 engine derived from the famous M1 sports car of 1978. This 3.5l 4 valve per cylinder engine is a powerful jewel. To an enthusiast the "M Power" valve cover says this is an engine. No plastic "designer" covers on this engine! The M cars of this era were hand assembled by the Motorsports division. With my previous 635CSi I came to appreciate driving the 6 series, and like all M cars, the M6 is a more engaging drivers car in all ways.

 

 

THE BASICS

The car is a 1988 model year M6. It is the last version of the model line so it has the smaller bumpers with body colored side valences. The color is Cinnabar red, and the leather interior is Lotus white.

Mechanically the car drives like new. The engine runs strong and idles smoothly. It passes the California smog test easily and it doesn't use any oil. The 5-speed transmission shifts smoothly. The original paint is in excellent condition and inside the leather is excellent. The electric seats, radio, heater, cruise control, and sunroof all work.

THE HISTORY

The records show that I am the 3rd long term owner of the car. The car was delivered Feb 1989 to the original owner in the San Diego area. The stack of receipts show regular servicing at Cunningham BMW in El Cajon, including the transmission being replaced under warranty at 57K miles. It is obvious that any work needed was done. The second owner bought the car in August 1998 with 164K miles on it. Receipts again show regular maintenance at independent BMW repair shops, including a valve job at 174K and the front seats reupholstered in 2001. I bought the car in December 2006 at 196K miles. Aside from the impressive condition of the car, the regular maintenance history by only two long term owners and the recent valve job were key in making the purchase decision. It was also important that although the car has 95% of the appearance of a "garage queen" it always been a drivers car - a car to be driven and enjoyed.

MAINTENANCE

I have continued the to the upkeep and maintenance of the car. The engine received a new oil pump and the cooling system was renewed. A new motormount was installed, new transmission and rear differential bushings, and halfshafts. The suspension received new control arms and rear subframe bushings. New wheels and tires were installed. New fluids and filters were used throughout.

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

In the process of regular maintenance, many upgrades and perfromance improvements have been installed. Bilstein shocks and H&R springs replaced the orginal SLS system. The brakes were completely renewed and upgraded with larger rotors, calipers and master cylinder from other BMW models. The steering box mount was reinforced. I developed a MAF conversion to replace the original restrictive airflow meter and improve driveability and performance. The euro spec intake cam and exhaust cam sprocket were installed. A euro header was installed. Magnacor spark plug wires were installed.

INTERIOR RESTORATION

Since the color of the re-uphostered front seats was slightly off, the all of the pieces were re-dyed Lotus white with dye from Colorplus. Anything needing attention was restored or replaced with new parts. The instrument panel was replaced with a crack free one from Germany. Euro rear headrests were installed and the rear parcel tray re-upholstered. Both the instument panel and the rear shelf were treated with a UV protectant. A new door seal was installed on the drivers door.