BMW of the Week – 1973 BMW 3.0cs – BARN FIND!

“Barn Finds” are talked about rather frequently amongst classic car collectors, no matter their preference in automobiles.  It’s a story of driving down a country road and out of the corner of your eye you see the sun reflecting off the chrome of a car just sitting half covered in a shack.  After approaching the owner you come to find that it belonged to their grandfather and has just been “sitting there” since the 70’s . . .

This RARELY happens.  With the dawn of the internet and increased popularity of classic cars, the possibility of a car like this slipping into your fingers is almost impossible.  However, this 1973 3.0cs is a true and ultimate “Barn Find.”  As I’ve said before, I’ve seen and worked on hundreds of 3.0cs cars and this, by far, is the most amazing one I’ve ever seen.

Ceylon is one of my favorite colors, but is not liked by all.  It was orginally delivered to a family in Utah where it was hardley driven and spent most of its time garaged inside a barn on their property.  The gentleman who owned the car pasted away and left it to his grand-daughter.  The current owner begged her to sell it for over 3 years until she finally agreed.  Current mileage is 22,619.  

 

Original engine break-in procedure sticker and emissions sticker still on the original glass with the right amount of fading and shrinking.

 

Trunk linings and tool kit as delivered. 

The engine bay is completely original.  I took off the air cleaner to make a few carburator adjustments and the carbs looked and adjusted as if they were installed yesterday.

The interior is very clean with the original wood and leather showing very minor wear if any at all.

The Trim and Chrome throughout the car is in immaculate condition.  Today’s chrome is not of the same quality and depth, so it is a real treat to see such exceptional chrome on this car.

If you know your 3.0cs cars, you’ll see a tiny detail in this picture that is yet another tribute to how clean and original this car really is.

I know what the customer paid for this car and I can tell you his persistence paid off.  This car is just not replaceable.  I’ve seen no other coupe in the world that can touch this one as far as its overall original condition.  It has not been restored, never been re-painted and it boasts an amazing amount of preservation.  The owner removed the cardboard engine belly pan in order to save it.  I’ve only seen one 3.0cs belly pan in the last 7 years and I’m not certain it was original!

If you want me to put a dollar figure on this car so be it.  If I owned it, there’s not a snow-ball’s change in hell that I’m letting anyone grab it for under $150,000.  This car is just too incredible.  A time-capsul of a car and I’m fortunate I was able to work on it, and meet its new owner.  It’s in very safe and appreciative hands.

Chris Keefer

 

La Jolla Independent BMW Service in San Diego

BMW of the Week – 1972 3.0csi

In my opinion, the 3.0cs/csi/csl is the most beautiful car BMW has ever built, and this 3.0csi is a really attractive example for a number of reasons.  It’s owner is a really nice guy who also owns an old 2002 and happens to live right around the corner from the shop.  Originally the car was not delivered to the US Market, but made its way to California early in life and has been very well cared for since. This car came into us for what I would call a day-spa treatment — none of the work being major surgery, but in the end you notice a big difference and it’s expensive. 

First of all, I love the color combination of the Polaris Silver and the rich red leather interior.  It really matches the spirit of the 3.0csi; smooth and beautiful to look at on the outside with a bold attitude always trying to burst out.  This car has really nice leather and the wood trim is pretty much perfect.

I’ve restored hundreds of these cars in one way or another and I’ve probably inspected more of them than most people on the planet.  What makes this particular example nice is that you can’t tell if everything is original or not.  When some restorations are complete it is pretty obvious that everything is new, which is kind of the point, but this car just looks like it was purchased from the dealer about 5 years ago and has been driven here and there since then.  The instruments, shifter, steering wheel, knobs, etc. have just the right amount of patina on them. 

For the most part, this car is very original.  It has a recent headlight upgrade and front spoiler which really pops, but most everything else is how it came from the factory.  There are a lot of performance upgrades that he’ll do in the future which include a slightly larger engine with a more modern fuel injection package, an addition of a 5-speed transmission and possibly a sportier suspension; but all in due time.   For now this is just a great example of one of the best BMWs ever built that gets driven and enjoyed on a regular basis. 

Chris Keefer

La Jolla Independent BMW Service in San Diego

BMW and the Monterey Historics

A visit to the Monterey Historics should be on the ‘list of things to see before you die’ for any fan of vintage cars.  It is just around the corner, running from 8/15-8/17, see www.montereyhistoric.com for more details.  What the website won’t tell you is just how incredible this experience can be, and that you really need to be there for a full week.  There are many events not to miss, especially the concours events that are not really part of the Rolex event, but always coincide with the weekend.  This is a bit of a snap-shot from my last visit which was two years ago.

Far left is Rug Cunningham (since deceased) of Cunningham BMW.  He was one of the great dealership owners who had an extreme passion for BMW racing and was a staple of the historics as long as BMW was allowed in the gates.  Toward the middle is Boris Said, a successful GT Driver and current NASCAR driver for NoFear.  I first met Boris at a BMW tech conference in St. Louis and see him at different events here and there.  Incredibly edgy driver and a nice guy. 

Above is BMW of North America’s 3.5CSL race car driven by Boris Said.  Below is another 3.5CSL owned by Rug Cunningham; a car that we are pretty familiar with.  Carl Nelson built the transmissions and differentials for this car throughout the years which usually meant that we’d have 5 of each apart in late March to get at least two very strong examples to run at Monterey in August.  I somewhat saved this car after the practice runs as the exhaust nuts on all of the headers had backed off without any of the crew catching it.

Aside from BMWs, there are so many cars there to race that you suffer from sensory overload!  What makes this event special is that you pretty much have full access to all of the race pits and are able to get up close and personal with cars that you never even knew existed. 

 

Vic Edelbrock and his daughter hanging out behind their fleet of beautiful American Muscle cars.

You’ll also see more Ferraris than you’ll ever see in your lifetime all in one place.  This vintage formula car really caught my attention.

I’ve got hundreds of pictures from when I was there.  I’m not sure when I’ll go again as the shop is super busy and someone needs to keep things running no matter what event is taking place.  But I will go back!  If you’ve debated about going in the past, drop your excuses and just get there.  It’s also a great family trip as the non gear-heads have plenty to keep them busy in Monterey and Carmel, both beautiful small towns on the California Coast. 

Chris Keefer

La Jolla Independent BMW Service in San Diego

Profile – BMW e30 325i – A new Classic

If you are looking for a Classic BMW, but you’re not prepared to spend upwards of $15,000, you just can’t beat the BMW e30 3-series. The ‘e30′ was delivered to the US Market between about 1984-1992, but I’d stick to the 325i versions from 1987-1992.  You can get them cheap, they are extremely reasonable to service, and they are a blast to drive.  What more can you ask for in an older BMW?  The e30 was available in various engine and interior combinations over the years, but the two that stand out are the 325ic and the 325is from about 1987-1992.

The BMW e30 325ic (1987-1992) – BMW goes topless for the Masses  

Above is a 1991 325ic, a great choice for a fun ride that will turn heads.  In San Diego, you can currently pick up a decent 325ic candidate for under $2500.  As usual, have the car checked out to make certain that you haven’t purchased a money pit.  That said, expect to spend a decent amount to bring it up to a nice level.  Buy a car that doesn’t need paint or body work.  Solid colors like red, white, and black will have considerably better paint than any of the metallic colors such as silver or beige metallic. 

On the interior, get into a car that has a dashboard with little or no cracks, carpet that is not worn (dirty is ok), and door panels intact without speaker holes or other defects.  The seats will be re-upholstered and you’ll be getting a new top.  Plan to spend anywhere from $4-8k above the purchase price of the car to transform it into a really nice daily driver that’ll get you the occasional ‘thumbs-up’.

The BMW 325is – BMW Sports Edition without the ‘M’ Price

Above is a 1987 BMW 325is, a sporty car that handles incredibly well with room for upgrades in every area. What made this car great in the 80’s was that it was much cheaper than the famous M3, but with all the fun already built in.  This Bi-Polar BMW contained a sporty little demon that begged to be thrown around on the track and a smooth finish that could be dropped at the valet at a fine restaurant.

In stock form, it came with sport seats that hug you through the corners, and a factory sport suspension.  Spend in the area of $2-3k for a car that’s ready for some interior re-freshing and some mechanical refreshing.  Once road-ready, you’ll have a great daily driver that is perfect for auto-crossing and driving schools at the track.  Follow the same rules for buying a 325ic and you’ll be on your way to owning a great classic BMW.  There are many different options for upgrades, so make sure that the car is built to suit your needs.  If you only go to one or two autocross events a year, you don’t need a roll cage and fancy seat belts.

 These two BMWs were instant classics and were the quintessential yuppie mobiles of the late ’80s. They are growing into a credible collector car and have most modern amenities such as power windows and cruise control — a great balance of performance and comfort wrapped in a classic design. Once you’ve gone through the car and had it restored, expect to own a car that is fun to drive, extremely reliable, and reasonable to maintain compared to modern day BMWs.  What more can you ask for?

Chris Keefer

La Jolla Independent BMW Serive in San Diego

BMW Restorations – Know your options ahead of time

In recent years the restoration market has gone through the roof, especially in the American Muscle car category.  Personally, aside from a 1965 Mustang fastback, I really am a die-hard BMW fan with a few old Ferrari cars mixed in.  With all the hoopla on TV, the auctions, the car shows, etc, many people get into this world of ownership without having the proper knowledge about the car, or about the restoration process in general.  If you are looking at an older BMW with the hopes of restoring it to a fine example of a car, this is what you need to know before buying that ‘candidate’ that needs everything.

 

The car pictured above is a 1973 BMW CSL, a right hand drive model.  One of the most difficult cars I have ever worked on, mostly due to the fact that it had arrived to us with very little parts to support its revival.  Many of the parts missing were the right hand drive essentials which made it twice as hard to get back together.  The total for this project, when all was said and done – $120,000.  The car is worth about $65,000 on a good day.  I know, it doesn’t make sense, and that’s the first thing you need to know about restoring a BMW – it never makes any financial sense whatsoever.  I tell my potential customers that all the time, but it is fun to have the process complete and the exact car that you want.  So here are some basic things to know about BMW Restorations:

1.  If you buy an honest car, like say a 1973 3.0cs, for about $25,000, you can pretty much bet that the car has had over $60k put into it.  As a general rule, based on current pricing, you can expect to get somewhere around 1/3 of your money back if you pay to have it restored to a certain level and then sell it.  So if you aren’t too particular about the car’s color, interior and so forth, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you purchase a car that is already complete.  But always have it checked out! 

2.  The word ‘Concours’ in the restoration world is abused as much as the word ‘Athletic’ in the on-line dating world.  There are very few Concours level BMWs out there.  True concours restorations aren’t for the faint of heart or those with shallow expense accounts.  They take years to complete and well over six figures to achieve.  Personally, while I can appreciate the efforts and detail that goes into this process, they don’t necessarily make a good driver and will spend most of their time in a heated garage, under cover, and barely driven.  Think Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with the Ferrari that gets rubbed with a diaper.  In the BMW world, I try to promote a great looking car that you can take to a local car show and also get the enjoyment of driving it a few times a week.

3. Never buy rust, never.  Let someone else decide that ‘it’s not that bad.’   If you ever see rust on a car, multiply it by three and that’s about how much rust the car actually has. Rust removal and repair is about the most expensive undertaking you can embark on and it really doesn’t get you much.  The only exception to buying rust is on cars that have extremely low production figures.  So as tempting the low price is, stay away.

4. All cars produced between 1975 and 1980 and sold in the USA are basically junk and should be crushed.  This was a dark, dark time for the automobile industry as they grappled with new emission standards and build quality and design fell by the wayside.  Most cars produced during this time, across the board, are ugly, slow, and have tons of garbage under the hood to get it to pass emissions.  Worse yet, almost all of these cars will still have a pass an annual emissions test that is almost impossible to achieve.

I’ll be going over more stories of restorations in the future, but I hope that this gets everyone on a good base for what to look for and things to consider before you buy that 1972 2002tii.  Restorations aren’t cheap, so don’t expect that your’s will; the more work you can properly do yourself, the cheaper it becomes — but know your limits!

Chris Keefer

La Jolla Independent BMW Service