226xxxx LHD VIN CSi coupes built as RHD

[HB Chris]

I thought I would start a new thread on this subject as there is so much interest. I combed our Registry and found many examples of Series I (pre-facelift) LHD VINs that are in fact RHD from photos, owner comments or delivery location:

No 2260000 or 2261000 series however.

2262120, 2262137, 2262138, 2262151, 2262705
2263325
2264323, 2264328, 2264554, 2264566, 2264670 (566 claimed to be an automatic)
2265057, 2265115, 2265359, 2265465, 2265479, 2265480, 2265566, 2265590, 2265605, 2265740, 2265788, 2265832, 2265835, 2265937, 2265967, 2265998 (all built May-Sep 1973)

Note: CSi were built at a rate of 270/month in 1972 and 228/month in 1973 or roughly 44% of all coupes produced in these years

Thanks to Barry.b we have discovered something that was unknown to many including me. I suppose it is possible that 22652xxx and 22653xxx coupes could have been converted in the UK but perhaps all were built by Karmann in Osnabruk. Series II facelift RHD CSi coupes have a dedicated VIN series from 4350001-4350207. It has been determined that earlier 2800CS coupes were converted in the UK by the distributor, BMW Concessionaires Ltd.

 

[day66]

In the quieter moments of yesterday I thought I'd take a look at the various threads to see if these might shed any light (or raise more queries!).

Both my car and Barry's are to the end of series 1 and to me, the firewall/bulkhead looks a proper factory pressing (with neatly formed flanges and spot welded captive nuts for the pedal box). I looked at 3 RHD CSL restoration threads and these look exactly the same. I spotted one RHD series 2 CSI restoration thread, and the bulkhead looks exactly the same as well.

Compare this to LHD CSIs - e.g. the one Markos dismantled and others threads that show the bulkhead - these cars do not have an opening on the right hand side (where the pedal box sits on a RHD car), just a slightly raised square section with rounded corners.

So, first question - I would not think it practical (or possible?) to accurately and consistently form an opening and attach captive nuts, after the shells would have been assembled, so were there different pressings for RHD and LHD cars? Do parts books shed any light on this?

Second question does this also apply to the dash support panel but in reverse? The LHD cars have a neatly finished cut out for the instruments, with neat flanges and pressed out holes and slots for the binnacle and cover - but compare this to the RHD cars. There are fewer photos, but these all appear to have the same cut outs on the LH side, but a crudely cut out rectangular section with (often) differently shaped slots for the studs that retain the binnacle cover - is that the case or am I imagining this!?

Thirdly, with the handbooks I hold, there is a supplement, printed in English in Germany for the 3.0 SI and CSI dated 0,5 IV. 72 presumably April 72? There is also a larger handbook dated 1.I.73 - it seems unlikely that these would be available in the UK unless the RHD CSI was factory sanctioned?

Lastly, and more of an observation really, it does look as if the RHD CSI are clustered in groups of chassis numbers - perhaps small batches were built to satisfy accumulated orders ?

 

[Simufly]

I no longer have my orange books but was there not a list of vins and L/RHD versions?

 

[HB Chris]

I think we have a pretty definitive answer that BMW did indeed build RHD Series I CSi coupes within the LHD VIN range. With at least 30 or so in our Registry the number must be more a 100 and probably many more. The Orange Books list the VIN ranges and also RHD CSL Town Package cars but does not mention any RHD CSi until the Series II 435xxxx coupes.

 

[sandhu]

Csi 226430x is a factory built RHD car !!!

 

[BarryMW]

Hi Chris!
Just to clear up the uncertainty in your list! Yes 2264566 is a RHD Automatic. The car was imported brand new into Malaysia and was first registered in 1973. The original engine was swapped with an M30B35 a couple of years ago.....

 

[adawil2002]

This may need to be put in the FAQ section.

 

[HB Chris]

Hi Chris!
Just to clear up the uncertainty in your list! Yes 2264566 is a RHD Automatic. The car was imported brand new into Malaysia and was first registered in 1973. The original engine was swapped with an M30B35 a couple of years ago.....

Barry, When I saw your entry I was intrigued as there are supposedly no automatic CSi coupes. Can the BMW Archive confirm how your coupe was Built? I know it’s a long shot.

 

[Barry.b]

I thought I would start a new thread on this subject as there is so much interest. I combed our Registry and found many examples of Series I (pre-facelift) LHD VINs that are in fact RHD from photos, owner comments or delivery location:

No 2260000 or 2261000 series however.

2262120, 2262137, 2262138, 2262151, 2262705
2263325
2264323, 2264328, 2264554, 2264566, 2264670 (566 claimed to be an automatic)
2265057, 2265115, 2265359, 2265465, 2265479, 2265480, 2265566, 2265590, 2265605, 2265740, 2265788, 2265832, 2265835, 2265937, 2265967, 2265998 (all built May-Sep 1973)

Note: CSi were built at a rate of 270/month in 1972 and 228/month in 1973 or roughly 44% of all coupes produced in these years

Thanks to Barry.b we have discovered something that was unknown to many including me. I suppose it is possible that 22652xxx and 22653xxx coupes could have been converted in the UK but perhaps all were built by Karmann in Osnabruk. Series II facelift RHD CSi coupes have a dedicated VIN series from 4350001-4350207. It has been determined that earlier 2800CS coupes were converted in the UK by the distributor, BMW Concessionaires Ltd.

Hi Chris, thanks again for giving this a bit more of your time and thanks for trying to resolve this 48 year old mystery
Also thanks too to everyone else for their valuable information and contributions !!!
I have attached below a couple of photos of other E9 bulkheads for reference, the Turkis green one is in there too as a reference to see a LHD bulkhead.
My own car is the last pic , Series 1 ,Fjord blue 3.0csi manual ,vin # 2265998 (Factory built RHD ).
I used screenshots from Miklos meszaros’s Facebook pages to get the photos of the bulkheads.
I did get help from Her Majesty’s Secret Service and British Intelligence, as you can see
As Sean Connery’s CSL is one of the cars in the photos

 

[BarryMW]

intrigued as there are supposedly no automatic CSi coupes. Can the BMW Archive confirm

I have not contacted BMW Archive but will give it a shot.......

 

[Wes]

My RHD 1972 3.0 CS may also be in the same boat here. It started life as a CSA. BMW have confirmed UK delivery as a CSA when new but from memory production records show no CSA's built in RHD at all and no CSiA's until until 1973. Having had the car apart there's no obvious evidence of a conversion.

 

[HB Chris]

Wes, What is your VIN?

 

[Wes]

Wes, What is your VIN?

2231 1367

 

[HB Chris]

Another mystery to solve!

 

[nosmonkey]

Mines a factory RHD CSA (4330072) and despite being factory RHD rather than a LHD converted by BMW concessionaires GB, it would appear that the RHD dash section cut outs were expertly carried out by Ray Charles with a sawzall.

 

[Barry.b]

Mines a factory RHD CSA (4330072) and despite being factory RHD rather than a LHD converted by BMW concessionaires GB, it would appear that the RHD dash section cut outs were expertly carried out by Ray Charles with a sawzall.
Ouch

 

[day66]

That’s what I thought too when I looked a mine! ! I looked at the threads of RHD cars with the dashboards out and they do, from the photos at least, all look a little different and “homemade”. Perhaps there never was a RHD pressing for the dashboard panel?

 

[Barry.b]

That’s what I thought too when I looked a mine! ! I looked at the threads of RHD cars with the dashboards out and they do, from the photos at least, all look a little different and “homemade”. Perhaps there never was a RHD pressing for the dashboard panel?

I haven’t had the dash out of my car ( yet )
But this is a pic of one in the cal garage in Budapest .
Does it look like your ones ???

 

[day66]

Yes, that looks much like mine did.

 

[nosmonkey]

Here's mine