Classic CSL "Barn Find"

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songzunhuang
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Part 3 of my Barnfind pictures.

Post by songzunhuang »

Here's the last of the pictures with a brief commentary.
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The moment of truth. I pull back the cover and see the rust on the decklid and the letters CS only. Oh well, it's still a nice potential restoration.
The moment of truth. I pull back the cover and see the rust on the decklid and the letters CS only. Oh well, it's still a nice potential restoration.
Not a CSL.jpg (250.69 KiB) Viewed 9263 times
Front right view. You can see that there's lots of area without paint. Odd.
Front right view. You can see that there's lots of area without paint. Odd.
Front Right.jpg (197.52 KiB) Viewed 9263 times
The paint here just gave up the ghost. It didn't look like there was any impact damage.
The paint here just gave up the ghost. It didn't look like there was any impact damage.
Passenger side.jpg (182.67 KiB) Viewed 9263 times
The rear of the car peeks out with the gas filler door in view.
The rear of the car peeks out with the gas filler door in view.
Back right.jpg (242.26 KiB) Viewed 9263 times
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Song Huang
1984 633CSi
Last 7 of VIN: 6997383
Pod
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Post by Pod »

Oh well, it was a nice dream to have. Still, the car doesn't look that bad. In my experience the main "killer" of these cars is when the top suspension mounts rust out. That necessitates major reconstruction of the front end, but this does not appear to be the case here.

Going by ebay results and offerings in other media over here, I would imagine this car would easily sell for more than £5k in the UK.
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Masked Man
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Post by Masked Man »

Ignore this post!!!

Geez,

an E9 CSL barn find? And in NorCal, where it probably hasn't rusted down to sludge? Well, here's what Hagerty says about value (average) for a resto E9 CSL: https://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1973-BMW-3.0CSL

No one else has said this so I will. A full resto on an E9 is E.X.P.E.N.S.I.V.E. It can easily run to 25 or 30K in costs. These cars rust in a hermetically sealed room w/a relative humidity of .03%. I exaggerate of course, but only slightly. Doing a resto on our beloved E24's is a cakewalk by comparison. I don't say any of this to be an alarmist but to shine the cold light of reality on the situation.

Probably the only 2 more rare BMW's you could have found would be a Batmobile or a 507. This car is plenty rare enough that any number of quality resto shops will be delighted to take your money and return you a rare and sparkling jewel.

Good luck!

Phillip
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ERCoupe

Post by ERCoupe »

Had a 2800CS for a whie years ago and it was a pretty cool car. Looks like most of the hard to find stuff is still on there like lenses, bumpers, trim, etc. Front shock towers look OK. What are they asking for it?
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Da_Hose
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Post by Da_Hose »

Resto. on this car would have to start with a complete body strip and chemical immersion stripping/rust treatment.

Jose
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Post by zinnocoupe »

This has got to be one of the more unique , interesting posts I've had the pleasure of following along with. Very cool pics, many thx for shareing Now buy that car and restore it! :D
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Post by SWE635 »

Da_Hose wrote:Resto. on this car would have to start with a complete body strip and chemical immersion stripping/rust treatment.

Jose
Doesen't mean that it still can't be worth it though...
A fully done up E9 3.0 is around $30.000 in Sweden these days (somewhat dependent on the mileage), and that's not likely to tank any time soon.
But yes. There's a bunch of work to be done!
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Post by Da_Hose »

Agreed SWE. If the shell looks solid, I would definitely consider the strip/restore. Provided I had the space. Lack of time and space to work probably kill more projects than anything else. Even if you love working on it, too small a space means setup and cleanup time can really keep you from making progress.

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Post by Ohio Jon »

The VIN 2200405 decodes as a manual trans 2800cs.
Great car to restore. At least I think so. I'm in the middle of the restoration on my 72 3.0cs with a s38 swap.

for more info in the E9 go to www.e9coupe.com.
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Post by ERCoupe »

You'd be better off finding an old Porsche to restore than a 2800 CS. 3.0CSi would bring some top dollar but not a 2800. It would have to be perfect to break even. Funny thing about collector cars. If they were not desirable to start with they still aren't. Nothing iconic about a 2800CS except the cool looking body work. Best thing IMHO is to fix it up nice and enjoy driving it and forget the profit side. My 2¢.
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by lilacocelot »

Hello- This was my father’s 1970 2800cs, it is a euro model with the velour seats. The car is for sale, so if there’s any interest I can give you more info, send more interior exterior pics, also have more detailed pics of the rust damage areas. It is not running currently, but a couple bmw e9 people have looked at it and felt like it could possibly be started.
It is def. a project car.
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by Pod »

Dead thread resurrected 😉
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by Quietlion79 »

As many pictures as you can get would be great! It is true about the tendency for these cars to rust, and that due to their construction, they are somewhat of a "rust iceberg" (Rustberg?!). Values are such that it is likely worthy of a restoration, but the location and severity of the rust will dictate if it is a parts car or not...which could still turn quite a profit for you, judging by the few photos I've seen. I have certainly seen E9's in much worse shape!!
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Masked Man
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by Masked Man »

Hey Lilacocelot!

The car IS valuable and you might also want to investigate the www.e9coupe.com classifieds on how to place an ad there. (since it IS an e9) That said, anyone/everyone who is interested in this car will want a picture or 17 of the trunk interior, specifically the shock towers, to see what sort of rust is there. I'm not sure how knowledgeable you are regarding these cars but undercarriage pictures are also important.
I'm not conversant with the good independent shops in the bay area but perhaps others could suggest a reliable source for information?
Take a look at Bring A Trailer's web site, click on (results) and search for other examples of e9 "projects" and what they sold for, so you have some idea what the market looks like.

Keep the shiny side up

Phillip
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Big Brake Upgrade
Ireland stainless exhaust
Upper & lower control arms
New tie rod kit
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by lilacocelot »

Hi,
Yes- the e9 forum was the first folks I contacted. They’ve been very helpful and one member came to ck it out in person after Monterey car week and did a report. I’ve gathered that it is better than a parts car and hoping to find a buyer that appreciates it’s original condition and has the time and money to restore it. Orig. I was going to list it on BaT as a barn find but now thinking the condition is too rough. Have not gotten under the car but pretty much seen it’s other problematic rust areas.. Mainly that back window sill area once we got the trunk open.
songzunhuang
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by songzunhuang »

Pod wrote: Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:19 am Dead thread resurrected 😉
Yay! I am glad that there's hope. I saw this car almost 5 years ago and wished I had the time, space and resources to restore it. Hopefully whoever gets it will document it so we can all follow along.
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Song Huang
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Re: Classic CSL "Barn Find"

Post by Slownrusty »

Agreed! These are such rare cars, I hope this one is saved and restored to its former glory.
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