WTB - 3.0 in good condition

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Tim D

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In as stock and original condition possible. Blue or Silver, AC, Sunroof, Manual Transmission.
 
Tim, welcome to the e9coupe forum since this was your first post. thanks for putting your location ... there are several great coupe + e3 guys in the Houston area ... you should reach out to them. i presume that you are looking for a coupe and not a bavaria / 3.0s. you might want to mention what budget range you are looking for, this will also alert people as to what level of project you are interested in.

there are a few sellers that you will want to avoid - googoutgoogout (on ebay), beverly hills car club for instance.
 
Thanks for the response. I reached out to one of the other Houston members. Yes, I am looking for a coupe. I went through the process about four years ago of purchasing a different type of classic car from this era so I am aware of some of the sellers you mention. But, since I am new to E9, I thought I should ask this group for help. Hope to find a good coupe -- I am realistic about price. I do not want a major project, but if the car were totally original, I might consider. Basically, I am looking for a car that meets the preferences listed above, and is ready to drive. Hope that makes sense and is enough information. Thanks again.
 
Hi Tim -- I spent three years looking for mine; found it in Austin. I suggest you try to attend some of the gatherings frequented by e9 folks. Lots of these cars sell by word of mouth, and sometimes you bump into someone who is not actively marketing their car, but may be willing to sell it. Good luck.
 
The market seems kind of quiet now. It will be interesting to see if it is the calm before the storm. Last summer we had a coupe surplus.

As if April 2017, my take on the options are:

< $10K - projects with major issues, 80% don't run, which is the least of your problems. Need floors, rockers, paint, interior.

<$20K- projects with major issues, but very saveable. Expensive starting points as they have all the same issues as the sub $10K car, they just cost more.

$20K+ drivers with rust, paint, interior issues. Run and drive. Some issues that you should not ignore.

$30K+ nice drivers. Need many little things if you chose not to 'restore'. Can ignore and enjoy if you want. Survivor cars with paint issues. Older Restored cars that aren't executed the way you would prefer, but are nice. Some very nice member cars in this range!

$40K+ black hole for coupes

$50K-$70K Nice restored cars that still aren't perfect, but you could do nothing and enjoy life. Very nice cars, but some were placed in this bracket inappropriately (mostly dealers). If you buy a private sale car in this range, it will be amazing.

$100K Near perfection or rarity. Perhaps some poor restoration choices for the price (stereo, upholstery, etc.) that can be rectified with cash and time. Need to very careful in this range especially if looking at a dealer because a $70K member car is probably nicer...
 
I'm looking for something in your $50k range. Would be great to get a well-known car from a member. I understand this search may take a while. I'll be patient. What about the cars that are for sale by CSI Inc.?
 
lets put a few things in perspective - if you do the majority of the work, you can cut some of these costs down

paint job - 10k to 25k (depending on how much is removed / how much prep work is done ... and if you are doing engine bay / trunk - or color change. this probably does not include any rust repair or significant body work or engine removal
engine - average runs 10k to 15k depending on what you do ... yes you can do it for less if you do a lot of the work.
interior - 5k to 10k depending on if its just seats or carpet + door panels ... or a color change (everything).
mechanical systems - 5k +/- - a/c redo, brake redo, cooling redo
suspension - 1500 to 3k (change shocks / springs / bushings)
tires / wheels - 1500 to 4k (new rubber / refurbish wheels to new 16" rubber on bbs rs or real alpina)

so if you look at a rust free roller that needs everything - you are looking at spending another 45k to 55k to have a great coupe ... this is why the 50k to 70k range is what it is and the 30k to 40k range for a basic driver without major needs is what it is ... the latter takes a lot of looking and money spent on PPI to make sure that you don't get a major project. if you notice, i really didn't talk about rust ... there is no future in a rust bucket project unless you have a lot of time to wait for the cancer to be repaired ... and the money to afford the work. or unless you are working on reclaiming a CSL that has a higher upside once you are done. if you strip paint off of a coupe, you are going to find some body work to be fixed ... that is why a 10k paint budget number is probably not achievable.

so, i think your search begins. take a look at the 'professor' (do a search in the cars for sale forum for 'professor'). its a nice polaris 2800cs with tasteful mods - all done by good people
 
Markos said:
The market seems kind of quiet now. It will be interesting to see if it is the calm before the storm. Last summer we had a coupe surplus.

As if April 2017, my take on the options are:

< $10K - projects with major issues, 80% don't run, which is the least of your problems. Need floors, rockers, paint, interior.

<$20K- projects with major issues, but very saveable. Expensive starting points as they have all the same issues as the sub $10K car, they just cost more.

$20K+ drivers with rust, paint, interior issues. Run and drive. Some issues that you should not ignore.

$30K+ nice drivers. Need many little things if you chose not to 'restore'. Can ignore and enjoy if you want. Survivor cars with paint issues. Older Restored cars that aren't executed the way you would prefer, but are nice. Some very nice member cars in this range!

$40K+ black hole for coupes

$50K-$70K Nice restored cars that still aren't perfect, but you could do nothing and enjoy life. Very nice cars, but some were placed in this bracket inappropriately (mostly dealers). If you buy a private sale car in this range, it will be amazing.

$100K Near perfection or rarity. Perhaps some poor restoration choices for the price (stereo, upholstery, etc.) that can be rectified with cash and time. Need to very careful in this range especially if looking at a dealer because a $70K member car is probably nicer...
Click to expand...



So how do these numbers change (if any) for the CSI's?
 
CS / CSi ... not much difference in cost ... perhaps a bit more in desirability (and that goes both ways). some people don't want anything to do with D-jet. the same is true concerning a 2800cs vs a 3.0cs ... there are a handful of differences (higher compression 2800 engine, drum rears / solid front rotors on 2800cs vs. vented rotors all the way around ... and a few other minor differences. condition is the major determining factor in the value of any coupe (that isn't a CSL). Color is another ... original vs. restored

in the long run, i think a CSi will be worth more than a CS if all other things are equal ... but that is the variable part ... most things on coupes are rarely equal. this only makes a difference if both are numbers matching cars. a CSi with an engine transplant (and doesn't come with the original engine) is never going to be worth more than a CS in the exact same condition.
 
Interesting..."a CSI with an engine transplant (and doesnt't come with the original engine) is never going to be worth more then a CS in the exact same condition" i know thay holds true on 60's porsche's and most classics. I was under the impression performance upgrades on coupes are more acceptable in the coupes community then other cars. But i am not an expert on coupes.

Since we're on the subject of valuations of coupes, have a shot at this.
72 Polaris CSI
Disassembled for rust repair, all rust repaired, primed, 5 speed getrag, FI 3.0, all interior and exterior parts tagged and bagged.

Second scenario: same car, painted (9 out of 10, not concourse), running (8 0r better) leather interior (8 or better) rechromed as neccesssary (8 or better)
 
Rex Kapriellian said:
Interesting..."a CSI with an engine transplant (and doesnt't come with the original engine) is never going to be worth more then a CS in the exact same condition" i know thay holds true on 60's porsche's and most classics. I was under the impression performance upgrades on coupes are more acceptable in the coupes community then other cars. But i am not an expert on coupes.
Click to expand...
one thing at a time. IMHO, a CSi with an engine transplant is no longer a true CSi. why would a CSi with the same 3.5L engine as in a CS - both in the exact same condition be worth any different? because it has a badge on the back? the thing that made the CSi different WAS the engine. as i said, in the long run ... a numbers matching / true CSi will probably be worth more than the standard CS in the exact same condition and color. As i mentioned, there are a lot of caveats within that statement - all based around condition.

Rex Kapriellian said:
Since we're on the subject of valuations of coupes, have a shot at this.
72 Polaris CSI
Disassembled for rust repair, all rust repaired, primed, 5 speed getrag, FI 3.0, all interior and exterior parts tagged and bagged.

Second scenario: same car, painted (9 out of 10, not concourse), running (8 0r better) leather interior (8 or better) rechromed as neccesssary (8 or better)
Click to expand...
don't know where to begin on this one. way too many variables. there was a recent 74 CSa that was in the condition noted above ... and it sold for a bargain ... and it had a lot of NOS parts, including a new-in-the-crate getrag 265.
 
imho a csi with velour and no a/c will not be worth more than a cs with leather and a/c - at least in the US of A.
 
yes Steve, but you live in NOLA ... where it is hot, Damn Hot ... and extremely humid ... a/c is mandatory. wait until 'cca arrives in NOLA this summer for O'fest. instant sauna is going to get dem (95 degrees / 95% humidity ... coupes will rust just thinking about all of dat humidity). dose california guys dat live near dat beach ... not so mandatory.

(forgive da 'yat dialect ... Steve gets it)
 
I was thinking more in terms of aesthetics and spousal/highway comfort. And the average coupe shopper.
 
a/c + leather in a CSi are some of those 'modifications' you could make to any coupe and increase the value of the car for all of the reasons you mention. i'm sure somewhere in europe BMW sold a CSi with leather and a/c. probably not many ... but had to sell a few.
 
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