72 CSi rotisserie restoration

[paul]

AT LAST....the car is off to the spray painters.......some 650 hrs of fabrication work :eek: now we have 250 to 300 hrs of hammering/blocking/spiralling and final spray. door gaps are perfect 5mm all round bonnet 3.5 mm and all panels line up nicely. photos of spray prep to come. Have started on console upholstery as we need to fit A/c to this car during engine installation. Going to use Autronics EM System.....but that's a month away yet.

 

[Marc-M]

Outstanding work.... how did you get your cast aluminium looking so shiny??

 

[Rex Kapriellian]

Wow

 

[dang]

Next year's calendar?

 

[Gazz]

That's dedication man. This may well be one of the best E9 bodies..........in the world!

 

[paul]

thank you gents. Marc are you referring to the engine or the Console switch plates. Engine was ceramically coated....will stay like that for ever. Did my 230SL benz 4 yrs ago and still the same . see Pic. The console switch plate I had chromed.
Dang I hope to be finished maybe March next year. Gazza.............I am closing in fast on you.............might pull up outside you house one day whilst your still working on your machine

 

[Wes]

Thanks Wes....BTW did you buy that car from Nick Coetzee??? That rust in front fender....I would be taking the front fender off and see what's in behind. Also the sills did you go back to the inner sill.....you would be amazed as to what is living in there.

Yes I did.
In terms of the front fender we cut some inspection holes where the rust was and were then able to use a phone to view/record what was inside. Any rust we could see was cut out.
We also cut into the sills and did the same. Had to replace a section as it was pin holed with rust. There's pics on my build thread.

 

[JayWltrs]

I love this thread. As you toggle through the images it's like magic!

Evergreen Post.

 

[paul]

I have a question for all the learned E Nine ers out there. Under the Kharman body badge attached to LHS front inner door (see pic)........I have a number stamped there. Is that my body number??
Also the Kharman Badge has gone missing (may turn up in my parts) but that has 2 numbers on it from memory. I think one is the paint code...............can anybody clarify.
If I have lost this plate are they still available?? Thanks

 

[Gransin]

I have a question for all the learned E Nine ers out there. Under the Kharman body badge attached to LHS front inner door (see pic)........I have a number stamped there. Is that my body number??
Also the Kharman Badge has gone missing (may turn up in my parts) but that has 2 numbers on it from memory. I think one is the paint code...............can anybody clarify.
If I have lost this plate are they still available?? Thanks

As far as I know, the number stamped behind the plate is a body number put there by Karmann, don't think you can get anything out of it.
The Karmann plate has the paint code stamped on it.
This is the closest reproduction that I know of:
https://www.cs-werk.de/cs-werk-bonn...alteil-nos-bmw-e9/16_1_bmw_e9_schild_karmann/

 

[paul]

Thank you Robert.........I shall look into it.

 

[HB Chris]

The body number roughly equates sequentially to the 30,000 coupes built.

 

[paul]

I wonder how many of those survived the dreaded body cancer......hehheh

 

[paul]

Tried my BBS RS Rims (9") 245/45 R16 tires on my mates E9 today.......as my car has not been painted yet and need to know if fenders needed modifying.....seems to be plenty of clearance and I think wheels camber in under load (am I correct in saying that???) or camber can be adjusted if need be. Should be - 2* Anyway here are some pics. BTW thanks again Gazza for using you machine as a template. Fronts are 7"

 

[Gazz]

No worries Pozza. In case anyone is wondering - we tilted the garage 90 degrees to make installation of the wheels on the studs easier.
Those wheels are so shiny I think I may now have permanent eye damage.

 

[HB Chris]

What is the offset on your wheels? Most use 7” (205/55-16 et11) in front, 9” is awfully wide. You will definitely hit your fender during a turn where there is a bump like a gutter or driveway. And my fenders were rolled, even with 15” wheels it would hit the fender when turning.

 

[rsporsche]

i totally agree with Chris. i had 7" wide - 16" w/ et 11 and 205 / 55 - 16 and caught a fender lip while turning - another time when i hit a speed bump going straight. i now have rolled fenders and decamber plates from Carl Nelson.

the pic of the tire sticking out from under the fender lip looks very scary (expensive fix) to me.

 

[Gransin]

He has 7" wheels up front, with camber plates and rolled fenders it will be okay. I also think the rear will be okay with some lowering that adds negative camber + rolled fenders. At least I've seen several running the same 245/45r16 in the rear on coupes.
As stated, it's all about the ET of course, but it looks like it'll be fine.

 

[paul]

I did mention 7" on front................ET +11 rear 9" ET +8......attached pic of German car (same set up) I spoke to owner.....no problems.

 

[paul]

We are in the spray painters now doing final fit up of bumpers/Grille/headlights/tailights etc etc including doors,bonnet & trunk lid with seals fitted so everything is perfect and making sure no body misalignment etc etc. 80% of body has been splined and blocked down (photos to come next post) Whilst doing some stitch welding to reinforce rear area........panel beater noticed small stress crack (probably from heat from welding) in RHS rear wheel tub.............upon cutting open wheel tub revealed some minor corrosion. Even after the entire car had been blasted there was no sign of pinholes.............worth noting you have to be so thorough in addressing rust in these cars. We decided to open up LHS and it was the same.
FINALLY got my teak dash finished....now ready to assemble.