rblongboarder
Well-Known Member
Here's an interesting late model E3 - the famed 3.3L with the longer wheel base.. priced like an E9 in North Carolina:
'76 Bavaria E3 - 3.3L
- Thread starter rblongboarder
- Start date
looks like anthrazitgrau ... color looks great on the e3
Headlight wipers. Be still my heart.
Beautiful. What a stunning car.
rblongboarder
Well-Known Member
I believe my '85 Euro M635CSi was anthrazitgrau. I remember wishing that my '88 M5 was the same color.
Sam's Autoland in Los Angeles did a fabulous job repainting my '85 Euro.
Sam's Autoland in Los Angeles did a fabulous job repainting my '85 Euro.
Who would believe a shop named "Sam's Autoland" would do a fabulous paint job. Sounds like a used car lot with flags and lights and prices soaped on the windshield.
rblongboarder
Well-Known Member
Haha.. yeah, it does sound that way... however...
Sam's Autoland is one of the best paint shops in Los Angeles... He does school busses, firetrucks, police cars, porsche, bmw, mercedes, audi, vw, lexus, toyota and more.
The shop has painted a number of Jay Leno's show cars; the owner was affiliated with the Vasek Polak racing team, and it's one of the few shops that has a full solvent recovery spray booth that's certified for lacquer and can do thermal bakeouts at 130F.
Back in 2007, they took 6 months to do my '85 Euro... down to the metal. New primer. New paint. New clear 8-layer coat. They photographed the decals on the car and had a high-end striper paint them - since decals were not available. It cost me something like $8K at the time. Today that paint job would be $35k or more. The result was absolutely stellar.
Sam's Autoland is one of the best paint shops in Los Angeles... He does school busses, firetrucks, police cars, porsche, bmw, mercedes, audi, vw, lexus, toyota and more.
The shop has painted a number of Jay Leno's show cars; the owner was affiliated with the Vasek Polak racing team, and it's one of the few shops that has a full solvent recovery spray booth that's certified for lacquer and can do thermal bakeouts at 130F.
Back in 2007, they took 6 months to do my '85 Euro... down to the metal. New primer. New paint. New clear 8-layer coat. They photographed the decals on the car and had a high-end striper paint them - since decals were not available. It cost me something like $8K at the time. Today that paint job would be $35k or more. The result was absolutely stellar.
Unless there is a plethora of shops like Sam's in LA I would say it is one of the best in the country! Right, $35,000 and counting.
dbower
Well-Known Member
I looked at this car at The Vintage in North Carolina this year. Seemed very nice. I did not see the engine compartment or underneath. Not the seat leather I would have chosen but it was in very good condition. Probably peak E3 but that's optimistic pricing.
I agree. IMHO, the seats and door cards should match.
No AC is somewhat of a surprise with this car (but then so is the 4 speed)
Overall it is a beautiful and rare E3.
Thanks, @Gerrit. I did not know there were two different engines (different bore/stroke) with the same 3.3 "name" in an E3. I do learn something new everyday.
mkekiddoc
Well-Known Member
Gorgeous car. It would be nice to see some views from below/within. The higher-end tires typically portends elevated care of the car as a whole.
Good point.
Beautiful car, just has the wrong sunroof wind deflector 
I'm not sure if this is a new dealer that is flipping a somewhat recent purchase, or the owner of the car selling through this dealer. Both in the Charlotte, NC area. I also saw it at the Vintage, mid-May 2025, and sort of know the then-owner. He said he was thinking about selling it, for about $60K. I wished him the best of luck. I bought quite a few interior E9 parts from him (whole other story...)
I saw it previously Oct of 2023 and spent a little more time with he and the car, and took the attached pictures. I'm not a professional (Wayne Carini type that can scratch the leather with my fingernail and tell you what year the cowhide was tanned....), but the '23 pictures looked to me like beautifully-kept, original leather. The Hemmings ad pics leather looks flat, new, and honestly not as lux; so probably re-uph'd. The original steering wheel has been swapped for a pretty Nardi. The engine bay looked pretty nice...
I saw it previously Oct of 2023 and spent a little more time with he and the car, and took the attached pictures. I'm not a professional (Wayne Carini type that can scratch the leather with my fingernail and tell you what year the cowhide was tanned....), but the '23 pictures looked to me like beautifully-kept, original leather. The Hemmings ad pics leather looks flat, new, and honestly not as lux; so probably re-uph'd. The original steering wheel has been swapped for a pretty Nardi. The engine bay looked pretty nice...
Attachments
I understand Wayne can even gauge the month and the name of the Tannery.
otter74
Well-Known Member
That leather in the '23 photo is beautiful. What a shame that it was replaced - the new leather does not look very good.