1973 3.0cs/csi

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fhpete

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1973 3.0cs/csi - SOLD

I am selling my 1973 3.0CS sunroof coupe.

Fjord/Tan Leather (original colors), 62,400 original miles.

Owning this BMW has been a fantastic experience for me. I have met great people, enjoyed the car a TON and have a beautiful coupe to show at the end it all.

It all started with a fleeting drive-by many years ago – a 3.0csi drove by me and I fell in love.

Many years later, I found myself in a realistic place to own one.

In 2007, I lucked into a low mileage coupe that had been very well cared for – well preserved, dusted off from storage and up for sale. It came with 61,000 original miles, great original engine, transmission and an interior that was exactly what you would have expected of a 35 year-old car – but needed a bit of sprucing up.

I was the to be the third owner of this low-mileage coupe:

1st Owner – Stockbroker in Manhattan (1973 – 1984 : 0- 47k miles)
2nd Owner – Artist/Entrepreneur/Collector (1984 – 2008 : 47 – 61k miles)

It was all original and ready for someone to take it to the next level. It had a great body and a repaint in original Fjord Blue at some point in its history.

I drove it and enjoyed it with a local group of coupe enthusiasts when the weather of NJ cooperated.

Over the winter of 2009, Mario Langsten (Vintage Sports & Recreation, Bow NH) and I agreed on a restoration plan. He had done other coupes with fantastic results and I was confident he was the guy to work with.

During the restoration, VSR completed the following:

Mechanical:
3.5L transplant and FI conversion with an engine known to VSR
5 speed transmission
New Clutch
Suspension Upgrade
New/Rebuilt brakes
New SS Exhaust
New Alternator


Cosmetic:
New front seat leather upholstery
Dash/door wood refinished
Correct new Carpet


Other features upgraded or original:
5 original wheels
Original driving lights
Original headliner in perfect condition
Manual sunroof
AC (original option with the car and upgraded with restoration by VS)
Nardi Steering Wheel
All Gauges and clock work perfectly
Functioning climate controls in dash
Power windows and wipers work perfectly
Tool Kit intact except for one screw driver.
Newer Blaupunkt stereo and speakers installed
New Power antenna
Satellite antenna wiring run from console to trunk (for future satellite radio option)

I am picky - this is not a NE rust bucket. I wouldn’t have invested in the restoration if it had been. The reality is the two owners before me had taken great care of the car. Floor pans, shock towers, frame, fenders and spare wheel well are all solid and original. Vintage Sports welded a small patch in the front corner of the driver’s foot well during the restoration.

The paint is in great shape. No bubbles or impending doom anywhere. There is one small chip in the paint on the left front fender. The second owner was a great guy – but told me he bobbled a jumper cable once. It is noted in the photos (near the end of the album).

The previous owner knew of no accidents and I certainly haven’t had any.

The engine pulls strong, transmission shifts smoothly and it corners like a dream. It cruises beautifully like a BMW should. Vintage Sports and Racing specializes in this stuff (take a look at their web site @ vsr1.com and read the customer comments on Mario’s work). It has been driven lightly, but regularly, in good weather and stored inside my garage under cover. The car has less than 1000 miles since the work done by Vintage Sports.

As with any car – there are always opportunities to make it even better.

- cigarette lighter isn’t working
- Stereo head unit is in perfect condition but speakers need to be wired and optimized
- Tool kit case is cracked at the latch (see photo)
-
I get compliments wherever I drive this car!

I put this coupe together as a car I would keep forever – not as an investment. I have a lot more invested in the car than I am asking. Unfortunately – times change and I am compelled to make room in my garage with a growing family.

The car is located in central New Jersey.

There are relatively few fantastic coupes alive these days. The members of the e9coupe registry own them…..and some of you are still looking around for the right car.

Please contact me if you are serious about owning this one. Inspections welcome.
 
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lack of comments ??

usually I see a lot of comments about cars listed for sale on this forum, however, this listing has next to none. as one who has watched this forum from the sidelines for a long time, I am finally close to a car I could see and drive. what do you experienced long timers think of this listing??
 
I can attest to the quality of a Mario Langsten VSR restoration. Mario refuses to do thing in a haphazard manner and I think anyone would be delighted with the finished product
 
Quietly Waiting

Emerald - thanks for jumping in.

Stan - thanks for the vote of confidence.


Mario and I agreed very clearly on a plan of attack for this car.

We started with a low mileage coupe that had been enjoyed and stored well. I planned on enjoying driving the car in good weather, preserving this classic and taking pride in ownership!

I stressed a lot over the mechanical upgrades - taking a fully functioning 61k drive train out of a stock, stock, stock coupe with 61k miles was certainly a painful decision.

In the end - the goal was keep it absolutely original in every way except to "upgrade" the engine and transmission. I understand it is not everyone's choice....but I have to imagine this is a desired setup by many others....and VSR knows how to do this right!

VSR had this car for 11 months. Everything mechanical, body and cosmetic was properly dealt with. The wood needed to be re-done - so the dash had to come out - it is perfect! I'll work on getting some under-body pictures up shortly to show the quality of work that was done "under" the scenes - undercoating, exhaust.....

We agreed that a bare metal repaint was not necessary right now. Inspect the car and you would likely agree with our decision. If there were bubbles anywhere, I would have taken pictures of them.

Mario and his shop are fantastic. He and I talked regularly and any decisions were made with the idea that I would have the car long-term as a coupe that I would drive and enjoy. We went over the original budget in all the right places.

I would drive this car across the country without a single concern.

I'm quietly waiting for the right person to come and inspect the car from top to bottom before driving it away.

Peter
 
emerald1616 said:
usually I see a lot of comments about cars listed for sale on this forum, however, this listing has next to none. as one who has watched this forum from the sidelines for a long time, I am finally close to a car I could see and drive. what do you experienced long timers think of this listing??
Click to expand...

Looks very nice to me, and tough to find ones like this on the east coast. The interior looks fantastic. I am sure the drive train is done right.

My only thought is that it is a rather humdrum color, and boy would it look better with Coupe King Alpina replica wheels, to my eye.

You'll get good money for it, I am sure. Keep it if you can, though. Unlike the market, it probably won't go down in value, and with collector car insurance, it costs very little to own. At least that is what I keep telling my wife!

GLWS

Scott
 
Underside Pictures

Here is an album of pictures showing the underside of the coupe.




A few of the underside details taken care of:

- ceramic coating exhaust headers
- Old undercoat stripped and surfaces sandblasted before SKS black stone guard and anti-corrosion compound applied
- Stainless Steel brake lines
- power steering hoses replaced

notice tags still on some of the new parts...
 
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