Hi.
Personally (yet probably quite representative) my E9 is sadly stuck in my garage for years due to lack of availability and price of spare parts.
Between NLAs and crazy expensive (quite often hoarded..) parts, it has been quite challenging to bring it to top notch condition.
I was super lucky to buy my E9 at 31yo 8 years ago when it was affordable, but I’m not at a situation in life where I can spend too much capital. So progress in getting it completed is slow.
On a positive note I’ll promise you some days it will come out again as pretty as it left Osnabrück
Sometimes the pace of this forum makes people feel bad about their path to completion. Don’t let it stifle your enthusiasm. You aren’t on anyone’s timeline but your own. You don’t need to restore, drive, or even own an e9 to be an enthusiast. Take comfort in the fact that your car continues to appreciate even when you casually ignore it.