Another one bites the dust

[Honolulu]

Got an email the other day that a local was losing storage for his project in a week or two, and would send the remains to the crusher, minus whatever I wanted from it. Thusly on Saturday my wife (!) and I trundled out to dissect the carcass. It's in very sad shape and although the owner stated he drove it for some time, he decided to fix some little thing, which led to the discovery of bondo, and in exposing that, more bondo, and more rust, and... that was that. He also had a Lotus Europa and was indifferent when I advised him, per Rob Siegel, that "LOTUS" means "Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious".

We've seen worse resurrected by metalworking wizards with full shop capabilities and deep pockets but this will not be one of those. The car was stored in an intensely hot sunny area that is also a flood zone, and at one time was flooded a foot or two deep. The wood came apart in shreds, the seats were beyond redemption, every panel has no shortage of rust or bondo, usually both. Back side of back seats shown in the trunk shot. I got a pair of Weber 32/36s that are very stiff but might be salvageable; certainly two bits to spend untold hours "fixing up". Engine has a cylinder head from an injected car.

I suppose some patient soul with a Sawzall could cut out bits, but that's not me.

I'll be posting ads for some of the bits retrieved, including a pair of new door skins (one crimped to a clean door shell, one separate with clean shell). There are also two fair condition Blue Books plus another blue binder I hadn't see before. Front bumper retrieved but back bumper over-riders (pictured on top of car) in bad shape and abandoned.

I retrieved a CS Registry badge and I think the owner was online here at some point, so the VIN ought to have been registered, but will check about that.

If anyone has specific needs, PM me. Know that the car will be gone soon and access is restricted. I need an escort to access the car on a military base inside a fenced storage area.

 

[sfdon]

Hood latch handle inside fuse box door. The one you pull on to open the hood.
A paint shop needs it. Trying to help them out.
They will pay!

 

[Gary Knox]

So sad Charlie - But I can't help save it (even if you put it on a barge headed to Lihue, it wouldn't fit in my checked luggage to bring it back to PA in September!). Good job of taking off valuable (maybe) stuff.

Any chance the fender grilles (at least one looks reasonable) could be salvaged - or what looks like vintage BBS wheels?). I assume the flooding would have been brown water and not the salt variety.

Aloha,

Gary Knox

 

[autokunst]

I know it looks very far gone - but it still makes me sad to see. PM sent.

 

[Markos]

I could use pieces of the parcel shelf if you are up for it. Lots of good stuff on that coupe. If it is a 3.0 somebody wants the trailing arms...

I don’t have a good list of what I sold. Here is what I kept to seed ones brain with ideas:

Administrative post as I wrap up my parts thread:

• Very Good Complete Dash

• Very Good KPH Cluster

• Very Good Door Wood

• Poor Front Seats

• Very Good Rear Seats

• Good Rear Armrests and Center

• Fair Parcel Shelf Vinyl

• Good Chrime door strips F/R

• Good Interioe Brightwork All

• Good Exterior Beltline

• Fair Exterior Window Brightwork All

• Fair Rear Bumper

• Good Underriders

• Good Tail Lights

• Good Fog Light & Panel & Switch

• Good Rear Subframe

• Good Rear Disk Calipers/Rotors/Arms

• Good Vented Front Disks & Calipers

• Good Master Cylinder & Rear Proportioning

• Good 3.25 LSD

• Good IE Adjustable Swaybars

• Fair Power Steering Rack

• Fair All Aluminum Front Kidney

• Good Brass Coolant Tank

• Fair Driver’s door

• Good Door Hinges

• Fair 173 Cylinder Head

• Good Valve Cover

• Good Jack

• Fair Lug Wrench

• Good Originals shift Knob

• Good Push Butttons

• Fair Window Swiches

• Fair Side Grilles

• Very Good Ign/Door/Trunk/Glove Locks

• Very Good Upper Steering Column

• Very Good German Heater Controls

• Good Rearview Mirror

• Good Exterior Mirror Mount

• Good Wheel Well Elephant Skins

• Good Early Plate Lights

• Good Trunk Light

• Good Fusebox Light

• Good Fusebox Door

• Good Front Windshield

• Good Rear Windshield

• Good Rear Quarter Glass

• Good Vent Windows L/R

• Fair Euro Blinker 1X

• Fair US Blinker 1X

• Fair Horns

• Good Parking Brake Handle

Sheetmetal:

• Fair Rear Fenders

• Fair Parcel Shelf

• Fair Front Arches

• Very Good Roof w/ Sunroof

• Euro Fog Template

• Rear Window Base

• Front Window Base

• Other bits

• Fair 3.0 CSI Badge

• A good Raised Roundels

Wall art:

• Good Headlight Buckets

• Fair Nose

• Fair Hood

 

[sfdon]

The wiper motor and assembly and rear bumper with underriders.

 

[dave v. in nc]

I would have interest in the wood panel below radio, (assuming its a non-aircon car) to canabalize the rubber "skids" and rubber channels on the left and right...dont really care so much about the wood, unless it is protected enough to have survived. What about the steering wheel...has some recognizable holes in picture; interested depending on what it is actually...Much thanks for posting this.

 

[autokunst]

I would have interest in the wood panel below radio, (assuming its a non-aircon car) to canabalize the rubber "skids" and rubber channels on the left and right...dont really care so much about the wood, unless it is protected enough to have survived. What about the steering wheel...has some recognizable holes in picture; interested depending on what it is actually...Much thanks for posting this.

Yep, already PM'd about the steering wheel - ha ha. Along with possible the front bumper brackets.

 

[HB Chris]

Front bumper brackets look pretty bent.

 

[Wes]

I'd be keen on the pair of chrome surrounds for the C Pillar roundels if they are in good condition.

 

[autokunst]

Front bumper brackets look pretty bent.

I'd go as far as to say very bent. But if they are solid and not flaky corroded, it is easy enough to work them into shape with a hammer and anvil/vise.

 

[Honolulu]

Ahhh the vultures gather... (just like me). I'll try respond to the posts above here, unless I get/send email otherwise. However, all must realize that the car's in a locked, fenced lot on a military base. I have to get the owner to escort me in and it has to occur before the car is sent to the crusher.

sfdon: I'll try get the inside hood latch release handle. I have a wiper motor somewhere, let's see if I can find it. If not, there isn't one on the car, so it may be in one of the bits boxes I got. I had hopes for the rear bumper underriders but they are full of holes. I'll grab the rear bumper if I can.

Gary: the exterior grilles are the black plastic variety and very well sunburned/porous surfaced. Maybe they could accept layers of paint and look presentable. I'll try get them but they may be very fragile. The basketweave wheels are likely not BBS and not worth shipping. Removal would need a jack and although not impossible I only got there with some wrenches and screwdrivers.

Markos: the dash wood, all of it, fell apart in my hands. The wood surrounding the cluster too. I got a clock, don't know if it runs. The wood trims on the door are easy enough to make, I've done that; the blue door panels are pretty poor and would only be useful for the vinyl, though no one has asked. I think only one door panel survived. Trailing arm removal is beyond my capability without flipping the car. I wondered about the differential but have no info. If the owner tells me it's LS, maybe I'll somehow go after it. The trans is an automatic, doubt anyone wants one.

Dave: I did take the rubber strips from in front of the shifter after crushing the wood in my hands.

Wes: the chrome roundel surrounds aren't on the car but may be in one of the bits boxes, I'll get back to you.

 

[Wes]

no worries.
I can see one of the C-Pillar surrounds on the car in your first pic.
Appreciate your offering to help us.

 

[Honolulu]

Correct! How did I miss that?

 

[Wes]

What are those front windscreen surrounds sticking out of the front like?
I'd be grabbing anything you can walk with such as the window glass I can see sitting inside, gauges etc. It's all valuable stuff.

 

[Strato102]

Yes, they are. Save those wheels and caps!

 

[Wes]

Do my eyes deceive me or is that also a Petri wheel @Markos.
Poor Charlie, he's going to be there all day is he the only member on the island. Would be great if somebody could chip in to help him save this important stuff.

 

[Honolulu]

Naah, I can take stuff off really quickly. After 25 years or so of ownership, it could be my only skill for working on E9s or any other car for that matter, since a couple dozen bimmers have passed my way.

I wasn't impressed by the steering wheel when I saw it, but I'll get it, the hub and horn button.

The front windshield is broken. I have the aluminum windshield trims and front hood beltline trims but how could I ship them? Even then, forum advice seems to hold that most folks "restoring" coupes want the new stuff so it compliments their new paint job.

I got the clock but the speedo is not what I have on my '72 despite saying VDO on it. Was the speedo different in '73? I have offered a complete cluster previously and no one wanted it, so I did not try too hard to get the combination gages on center and left. Maybe next time, if there is one.

I'll try remove the wheels BUT ONLY IF STRATO102 you want them and will pay for tire removal/disposal and subsequent shipping. You have to let me know, or off to the crusher they go.

 

[Markos]

Do my eyes deceive me or is that also a Petri wheel @Markos.
Poor Charlie, he's going to be there all day is he the only member on the island. Would be great if somebody could chip in to help him save this important stuff.

Perhaps a Petri 838 but not an e9 wheel...

 

[grnder95]

PM sent