Re: E24 vs. E9: Opinions? (archive)

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The times that I have driven E24's a 78 630CSi
a few year's back, and more recently a 635CSi,
I was struck by the extent to which the car was moving in the direction of a giant luxo-barge.

With the exception of the seating position,
the '78 630CSi felt much like my '78 530i.
Not surprising, since they share drivetrain, injection, brakes, etc. Apart from sheetmetal, they are pretty much the same car. Not a bad
car. Like my 530i, it is not a classic BMW,
just an "old" car. Styling is dated.

635CSi really didn't do much for me. Big and powerful, but too many amenities and too much
insulated from the road. Handled well. Modern
car.

My E9 CS has a lighter feel and gives more feedback and is definitely a better weekend
car for me, and far better than an E24 for automotive "fun". CS looks much better than
any E24 except for M6 or early 635 Euro.

Mechanicals on the E9/CS are easy to diagnose
and repair. Parts are easy to find and durable. Vast technical expertise is available on-line
via the Senior Six Registry and CS Coupe List.

That being said, finding a structurally sound
coupe anywhere besides SoCal, Texas, or Arizona
is a real challenge. Trim pieces and sheetmetal
cost $$$$$$$ and the construction of the cars
does not lend itself to an easy (or cheap) resto.

If you can find a rust free CS with a clean interior for $3,500, buy it (yea, right).
We'll figure out the engine and tranny issues later.

Okay guys I'm about to spill my soul here. . .
I own an '85 635 and although I love the machine, I have to admit I'm a little intimidated by it. I audit the E24 forums regularly, and I'm amazed at how many things go wrong with these cars! My car is a seldom driven, pampered "garage queen" so I don't have to deal with some of the headaches others are complaining about (electrical problems up the wazoo, mostly) but every time time I take my car out I'm almost expecting some component to fail. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I'm even afraid to accelerate hard through the gears for fear that the auto tranny (known to be not the most durable in the world) will start slipping and I'll be faced with a $2000+ repair bill.
Sooo. . .I'm beginning to feel that this car is just too luxurious and complex for me and that a nice E9 is what I'm really looking for. I'm a "gearhead" at heart and would much rather be swapping cams, carbs, etc. than tracking down electrical gremlins. I grew up with cars in the '60's and the beautiful 3.0CS/CSi has always been one of my favorites; sometimes I wonder why I didn't buy one of these instead of the 6er.
After all this, here's my question: how's the reliability of the E9, in general? Do you guys have a lot of nitpicky problems with them? Have any of you gone through the E24 experience, like me, before purchasing an E9? I'd appreciate any feedback and comparisons between the two models. Thanks!

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