2800CS for sale

Sun Valley auction?

Is this the car recently posted as going to auction over labor day in Sun Valley? Maybe picked up for a flip by this dealership. Looks really nice.
Chuck
 
doesn't appear to be the same - side markers, foglights, alpinas, etc.
strange coincidence though - same year, color, area.
 
I put a deposit down on the chance that it is a good buy. I really like the aesthetics, wheels, Alpina stuff, rear discs, headlight wipers, chrome., trunk, interior patina and maybe Triple Webers (in theory, not sure what life is like with them). Things like the coolant hoses looking new make me think the car was sorted at one point. Planning to go to Idaho next week and come back with a car or not. (Never been to Idaho, so that is a bonus). If it needs structural work, I will pass. Appears to be rebuilt from my untrained eye in some regards, especially when I look at what appears to be spot welds on the inner fender and trunk area and odd looking inner fender splash shield (Or rust hider)
I am throwing a little money at it as a purchase option. I have done this before and it worked out well, but I also have made a couple of bad decisions in my 33 years of hobby car buying.

If there is a local expert that can really give it the go through, that would save some travel time.
Here are some of the photos I have received. It is said to run very well .
I know this isn't a SoCal creampuff, nor is the price of admission high at all for what it looks to be. I really want a driver more than anything but not one that is close to breaking in two, or flimsy structurally. I think the floor and suspension shots look decent, but again to my untrained (on 3.0Cs) eye. If it was a Corvair I could tell a lot more.

Comments (Epecially bad) greatly appreciated by those that have made mistakes and seen sure signs of shady resto work on a CS. Keeping my fingers crossed it is decent.


Underside shots:
http://s1109.photobucket.com/albums/h427/svutoclub/?start=all

Anyone get good vibes from this? Tia.
 
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Just an opinion, a lot of parts from many coupes even the headlight wipers I have only seen before on my 1979 Euro 635CSI and those coupes were in the $90K to $100K new.
Bottom has been touch up with many different coatings as seen on the over-spray on the Bilstein shocks and rear differential and shock struts, coils, muffler are clearly rusted.

Strange flanges on top of front fender to wheel-well as mention are not OEM manufacturing design.

Well you get what you pay for and there are a lot of parts there.

Personal, I would borescope the rocker panels and check the sub-frame member in there to see if there is still one. These coupes are turning into Frankenstein cars advertised as a 2800Cs changed into a 3.0cs coupe with an Alpina induction system. Stored in a climate controlled storage facility and restored in 87 stripped to bare mental inside and out. Now shows rust in the seams, all over, WHO DID THE RESTORATION WORK?
Just an opinion after what I have seen cutting these things up. Cut two completely up once with a cutting torch about 20 years ago that were rust buckets just to see what the closed compartments looked like and sub-frame in the rocker panels, that wasn’t there.
 
The Alpina induction and headlight wipers alone are worth some serious coin. Shine a light and reach into the front wheel well box area to see what's up there and take the rocker covers off (5-6 screws) in addition ot the usual glove/fuse box areas. A real attractive car - I hope it works out for you.
 
Thanks for the cautions Bob And Steve. I guess the rocker panel is the first place to look to get a rough measure of integrity. Is the cover easy to remove, or am I looking at a big job to
get at this?
 
Rocker - depends - the ends attaching in the wheel wells usually have screws, sometimes rivets. If they are screws, no problem as it will come off in a couple minutes, if rivets then that's an issue. An alternative would be to take off the interior chrome trim piece (I thik this comes off anyway to get to the other rocker cover screws) and peel the carpet back from the rocker, inspect that and pop the plastic covers off and shine a light down in there to see anything - but it won't give you the whole picture.

IMG00314-20101016-0914.jpg
 
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Sun Valley Auto CS

This looks like an awful lot of car for not much money which always raises my suspicions but only your inspection will tell you the truth. If they won't let you do some extensive poking around (while on a lift) as suggested here, you know what to do. Another easy to check and classic rust source is under the asphalt sound mats on the inner fenders around the strut mounts - particular attention at the separation between the engine compartment and the cabin air/windshield washer compartment.

Edit: there aren't any mats on this one and the metal looks pretty decent - some rust stains. I zoomed the underside photos to the max and it does look pretty decent. Need to check the rockers and check the front fenders. Look at the CoupeKing Tips For Restoration link for what ugly rust can look like and where it hides. http://www.coupeking.com/category_id-80.html

Have you imported a car from the US before. Not especially difficult but 72 hour notice at the specific US boarder crossing is required.

Good luck -hope it is as good as it looks.

Doug
 
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Good photo “Steve” that plastic cap hole is the best place to go in with a borescope.
Here is another borescope for $77.98 you can plug into your laptop by a USB port a Flexible Inspection Camera Borescope (see link below). Check the sup-frame member inside the rocker panels “most important”. Not there or rusted bad and you would be doing high speed turns supported by the rocker panel sheet metal, doors closed and the floor sheet metal.
Best thing about those holes going into the rocker panels closed compartment area is I made a 4’ foot hose spray gun years ago to go in and do three coatings in that rocker compartments after the Phosphoric acid tank cleaning. When manufactured that’s where they really screw up.
Although there are numerous more closed compartments that long hose spray gun was used for.

Borescope
http://www.amazon.com/USB-Flexible-Inspection-Camera-Borescope/dp/tech-data/B004WY9F7E/ref=de_a_smtd

As you said Doug “If they won't let you do some extensive poking around (while on a lift) as suggested here, you know what to do.” DON"T WALK RUN......
 
Have you considered getting in touch with the BMW CCA Idaho chapter ? Maybe they can help direct you to the appropriate garage to inspect this vehicle !

Good luck,hope all goes well for you.
Always an adventure buying these cars !

Giorgio
 
Thanks all for the replies, you don't know how reassuring it is to have other brains pondering the price/value/walk away equation.
I happened to be in the North West part of the city today and usually make a point of dropping by a place called Princess Auto. If you live in Canada, you know it as a cheap place to buy industrial supplies and all kinds of cheap Chinese tools. (Sorta like a Harbour Freight/ Tractor Supply) Anyway, low and behold a tent clearance sale going on. You could fill a shopping cart for $50.00, or look at the stuff on the discount table such as an electric chain saw for $16.00. ANyway, I see a 5mm wireless borescope for half price at $125.00. So that went in the cart and then I noticed that $75.00 25ft welder's extension cords were going for $17.00 SO now my Mig/Tig/ Plasma cutter will reach anywhere in the shop as, I picked up two. (I hope this wasn't a sign!!)

Please keep the inspection ideas coming! Will look up the BMW chapter. ANy local experts, I'd be happy to pay for your expertise.


Bob.
 
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Good deal on the Borescope maybe someone could make an instructional video on how to inspect the closed compartments rocker panels, roof post, compartment behind the rear seats front frames inside and more around the corner stuff. This way you could just rent the inspection camera out they pay for the S & H, this would get real scientific then not just guessing.

Harbor Freight has their Borescope on sale right now too for $79
http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-inspection-camera-67979.html
 
My Borescope is very small at 5mm. The only problem I see is that it will not bend right at the camera and take a right angle view. Anyway, it is a neat item. Extremely cheaply built, but if it does good on one job it will be worth it.
 
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Say hi when you are here

This car is 10 miles from me. I don't know a worthy shop to inspect it and I'm not qualified but happy to take a look if you want. Call me when you are in town if you want: 208-806-1776

Plan to spend a couple of days here. It is truly gods country
 
Thanks, I'll give you a call towards the end of next week.


Bob.
 
Idaho CS

Hey Nicad, I live in New Meadows, Idaho which is south of Sandpoint on highway 95. If you need assistance or a place to crash, call me @ 208-347-3309. Good luck, Leroy
 
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