E9 CSA - worth looking at?

TrevS

TrevS

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Hi all

I am new to the forum and have been a long time admirer of the E9 coupes but never really seriously looked at them before. Well a car has popped up that caught my attention and I wondered what the experts amongst you thought of the car and the asking price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1975-BMW-3-0-CSA-/222181782283?hash=item33bb10f30b:g:VS4AAOSwanRXgYwr

I spoke to the current owner who said that he bought it a couple of years ago. It sounds like the previous owner owned the car since the late 80's and was slowly restoring the car which he bought from a neighbour but it never quite got finished and has been off the road since 1989. The current owner says that cosmetically the car is more or less finished but as the car hasn't really run in a long time for any real distance that the mechanicals will need to be reviewed before it's ready to go back onto the road.

They say that the brakes have been overhauled and gearbox was refurbished as the car wouldn't reverse. Other than that the current owner says he had the car repainted as the body was in good condition but the paint finish was poor.

It sounds to me that it will need the suspension checking over, fuel tank, lines etc as well as belts and hoses etc. I'd be keen to hear what people on here think. Is it one to go and view or is it one I shouldn't consider?

As I said I've limited knowledge on these cars so any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

Trevor
 
I would have a close look at the pic of area where the fender meets the engine bay. I think someone is going to have to physically look at it but the pic of that area makes me nervous.
Then look at the back of the 2 glove boxes for a starter.
If it's been on here before someone will chime in.
check the vin in the registry link at the top of main forum page
 
restart said:
I would have a close look at the pic of area where the fender meets the engine bay. I think someone is going to have to physically look at it but the pic of that area makes me nervous.
Then look at the back of the 2 glove boxes for a starter.
If it's been on here before someone will chime in.
check the vin in the registry link at the top of main forum page
Click to expand...

What makes you nervous? If the bonnet doesn't line up with the wing is that a sign of damage repair and what should I be checking for?

I also found the original advert for the car when it sold a few years ago which has some more pictures http://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=87704
 
The seats are wrong for a very late car. The seat pleats should be the other way for a car from the late series.
It looks a nice car though, and the price is attractive. Well worth a closer look!
 
As you will discover with prospective purchases of any CS, they are prone to extensive hidden rust. I've seen a car (on the road, mind) that had the front body so rusted that the front suspension struts had bent the bonnet crossways... the car was slowly sinking to the road. Fortunately that particular car's engine was effed up enough that it was taken off the road. Later it was bought by an exotic dancer, who had a moderately reputable shop extensively dissasemble the entire front portion of the car and reassemble more or less correctly. The new owner paid for the work in $20 bill cash, bit by bit... I never saw the car afterwards, but heard of the story from a local mechanic who had done some work.

The point is, if body panels don't line up, it's a caution sign. It may be that the previous owner but the bonnet back on cocked, or that it won't fit due to hidden (or not so hidden) structural damage. That's why all the long-timers here know to have the car professionally inspected prior to purchase, particularly for a car with a known "history" of previous owner involvement. Capable bodywork isn't a skill possessed by many, nor are the tools commonly owned by Tom Dick and Harry the backyard wrenchbenders.

That said, if the car checks out under close inspection, the mechanicals are 1970s vintage and not complicated. They were also for the most part used in other BMWs of the era, such as the 2500, 2800 and 3 liter saloon cars.

The bit about checking the gloveboxes is that by looking in there under the dash with a flashlight, if you see rust, proceed very carefully. This is one of the hidden locations where rust can be very expensive to repair.

Hope this gives you appropriate caution. Best is that if you don't have a pro seriously inspect the car, get someone who knows the car (such as some of the members here) to check it out. I haven't looked at the link, it's hard to see from photos what you will need to get inspected. Body repair can be very expensive, mechanical repair not so bad.

You better have decent mechanical skills to go over the safety bits... an old car will need a fair bit of careful consideration of the brakes, safety gear (lights, signals, horn, electrical bits), tires, steering... and so on.
 
If you are interested in an e9, then yes... Every car is worth seeing. Look at as many as you can as they aren't common. They are great cars to drive, and of course, they are beautiful. Turkis is a great color. And while many prefer a manual box, I have an automatic and have enjoyed it for over 10 years.

As stated below, rust is always the big concern. From the small photos, it looks as though the paint was applied very liberally, and the trim on right wasn't removed perhaps. The cosmetic and mechanical stuff isn't as difficult as rust remediation.

Be sure to do lots of research, rely on help from experts here, and happy hunting.


Scott
 
Hi Trevor

Let me tell you a story. When living in new York I used to play squash at a club there. When getting changed, a guy walked in from the shower with a pained look on his face. Even more, when he turned around I notice he had a lettuce leaf between the cheeks of his backside. I let this ride for a moment but he seemed unaware of the leaf so I went over and pointed it out. His reply was "Yes, its awful isn't it, and thats just the tip of the Iceberg"

So a rather risque way of advising on buying an E9.

I would forget whatever the back story is unless there are photographs of the restoration of the bodywork or you can get someone who knows about these to inspect it. In our country these things rot from the inside out and it's rare to find one without this issue somewhere.

When I was buying I saw quite a few which looked A1 but a little bit of 'surface rust' as described is the start of a horror story.

However - if the car checks out - take the sellers arm off. Its a great price right now in the UK, even for an auto.
 
That original ad shows the strut spacers removed and the engine bay painted black. So someone has been mucking with the car at some point. It would be good to do a little detective work and find out why it was painted black. Was somebody trying to hide something?

The ad also says that it had new fenders and sills installed. This means that it was rusted bad enough to warrant that kind of expensive repair. When there is smoke there is fire so it would be very wise to investigate the other areas described here:

http://www.e9coupe.com/buyers_guide/index.htm

This being said, an original turkis car is definitely worth a very good look at. If you have the commitment to treasure it and give it the attention it is owed, it could be a real gem.
 
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