Nickson Motorsport BMW E24 635csi drift/track/something different project!

[Nickson-Msport]

well i bought this car as i have always loved the look of these cars, plus they are rare and i like cars you dont see often!

it is also a solid example which is a huge bonus as a lot of these cars are rusty as you like!

i originally bought it to just spruce up and sell on. but it needs a few niggly annoying things sorted to get it mint again, and its done 148k miles so it will never be a concours car. plus im currently using it as a daily and its a great car i have got pretty attached to. i love the 6 pot noise and it drifts well even with an open diff and auto! so its a perfect base to do something fun with! i think with a few choice mods it will make for an awsome weapon!

im not sure exactly which direction im heading with it, but i know where im starting. which consists of strip the hell out of it to get rid of some of its lardy arse, put a manual box in it, lsd, cage it, bucket seats, bit more lock and fab an exhaust for it to release some noise from that awsome 3.5 straight six.

the car already has a set of bilstein shocks all round converted to coilovers and 2 1/4'' springs, so the handling is much better. will probably chuck a set of larger arbs on but thats about it!

i recently bought a 535i and nabbed all the manual bits i need for the conversion, just need a e28 or e34 solid flywheel and clutch and were away!
also took the lsd from the 535 which looks like it should swap into the e24 casing with a 3.64 final drive

anyway, this is how i bought the car



the car was running these style 32 wheels in black, and was running really low, it scraped everywhere and handled like a sack of shit pretty much running on the bumpstops. the low profile tyres coupled with the coilovers also made for a very uncomfortable ride.

i removed the style 32 (which will go on my new 330i daily! lol)
raised the suspension to a sensible height for daily use, got some dishy wheels from poland, and put some bigger tyres on the car to raise the ride height but allow the arch gap to remain the same.

the car now handles beautifully, doesnt smash the sump into the group at anything over 30mph, and rides really well with the bigger tyres acting as a secondary suspension! it also looks much better and the stance is pretty much spot on, the ride height needs adjusting a bit at the back now, as i have stripped out the rear interior which raised the height a bit

lost 80kg just from removing the rear seats/trim spare etc. the front electric seats weigh about 50kg each lol so these alone with save another 100kg alone!!

soon as the 330i arrives this whole interior will be gutted and a cage thrown in!

few pics as it is now






once the main bits are done, i really like the sound of strapping a holset to it and boosting to 350-400hp as this engine is already good for 1bar boost as it is! but we shall see!

i cant wait just to get the manual and lsd in as it will transform the car, along with loosing 2-300kg of weight it really should make it a different animal. a turbo and it will be a hooligan!

this will unforetunetly be a reasonably slow build, as im also currently building a caterham 7 thats nearing completion and a 944 turbo track car. but there isnt a huge amount to do so it will hopefully take shape in reasonable time.

thoughts?

cheers
nick

[Nickson-Msport]

just realised those pics are before i set the ride height properly, the back is much lower now!

[bessell]

Have you thought about an s38 conversion, lovely car btw.

[Nickson-Msport]

hi mate tbh i dont want it to turn this into a mega project, and engine conversions end up being hassle. tbh this engine with a turbo strapped to it will be pretty awsome. i do love an n/a throttle bodied 6 pot with 300hp. but i reckon it would be more expensive than putting a turbo on this one. and s38 are rare and hard to find if they go pop. m30 are ten a penny really.

[rob0r]

A very cool project, the car looked amazing on those black 32s.

I have a spare M30 single mass flywheel from an E28 525i or 528i which is perfect for what you want, I'd be looking for £70, PM me if you want it.

[docwra]

Got to be honest, I dont think killing a decent 635 to make a drift car is the right path to follow

[SteveC200]

Got to be honest, I dont think killing a decent 635 to make a drift car is the right path to follow

Indeed. I almost shed a tear when Bruno turned up with a 6 at Essex Arena.

[Nickson-Msport]

tbh its not a concours car, and it does need some work in a few places to get it perfect. i know where your coming from but this isnt going to be ruined. tbh im still totally undecided about the route im going down. i may turn it into a race replica of the old john player special touring car that ran in aus. it is certainly not intended to be a full on drift car that will be smashed up and ruined. i can buy a 328 or 535 etc for that.

this will be built into a car thats capable of drifting, not a drift specific car. a 635csi race replica will be extremely rare and properly built will be worth much more than an average 635 road car with 150k miles and lots of niggly bits that need sorting out. in fact i have already been approached by 2 people saying they would be interested in the car once prepped.

the car could also be used in multiple race series/hill climbs/endurance/classic race series.
i put the car on here as i thought some people may be interested in the manual conversion, and the fact its a cool rwd car that has potential. not because its going to be an out and out drift car, i know this is a drift forum but im sure we all share an interest in any cool car, and this is rwd at least!

the turbo conversion is just an idea and something that would be awsome but may reduce the interest it may generate as a race/track car. but it would be awsome.


perfect totally original cars can fetch 10k+, but this isnt a perfect low mileage example that commands those sort of premiums.

as a buisness this route makes the most financial sense and at the end of the day thats what a buisness is about!

if it were a minter with no issues and low mileage etc, i wouldnt dream of ruining it. but its not, its an average example with work that needs doing and high mileage. it is an asset of the buisness, and so the car will go the route that is most financially viable. getting the car back to mint, really isnt the viable option im afraid.

[Nickson-Msport]

heres some cool examples of some race 635csi
Welcome to Facebook

[SteveC200]

JPS replica, go on then, you have my permission.

[jap-si]

he's right. manual mint M cars fetch strong money. Auto cs cars not so much. it's not that bigger deal.

[Nickson-Msport]

yeah jps rep was what i was going for, as the gold decals are piss easy to copy, and the cars already black. simple manual, lsd, cage, buckets, exhaust and inlet and its a winner i reckon!

[Nickson-Msport]

[deevolution]

I aprove. My buddy bought a 735 manual. Turbod that (on a built engine) Fucking brilliant it is.







makes 400bhp and even more torque. Just got a paddle clutch and the rest of the tranny is stock and holding up good. Steering box is shit and gets cooked by the downpipe.

[deevolution]

Oh and it looks better on the smaller wheels. Beemers allways do.

[Nickson-Msport]

yeah only downfall is the bloody steering box! bit of a pain!

[Mike@TDSW]

I want that 735

[madoktopus]

Does anyone have a build thread on the 735T?

[docwra]

OK then, youve talked me into it, just make sure you do it nice like

[Nickson-Msport]

OK then, youve talked me into it, just make sure you do it nice like

what else would you expect lol? i dont muck about when it comes to building cars!