BarryG,
I actually worked a swap with one of Carl's mechanics. I gave him a '74 CS I had at the time and in exchange he converted my '73 CS into the 3.5L, FI, 1.3 Motronic, and 5spd. This was in 2004 and he told me that this job would normally run into the low teens. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you how much the 1.3 swap costs alone; not because I don't want to share, but unfortunately I am in a very sandy place that ain't the beach and I don't have my records now. I can say that from the results of his work, I was very happy and feel that I did well on my end of the deal.
**I am in no way saying that others can work similar deals with Carl's shop, so please don't use my experience to think that you can horse trade with him or his guys. I have had a lot of work done with Carl and even bought coupes he recommended. They have always been friendly with me and valued my business**
Chicane,
I agree that you can go over the top with performance upgrades that overwhelm the character of a "street" e9. However, I don't agree that the ones done to this coupe go that far. Engine wise, the conversion is pretty standard and, from personal experience with this conversion, it really enhances the driving experience. I think coupes mod'd like this tend to have a higher premium than unmolested models because if done correctly and tastefully (taste is in the eye of the beholder I know) you have a more satisfying car. Unless you are talking about a CSL, I don't think there are a whole lot of buyers who value origniality over performance, reliability, and the amount of rust in a CS/CSi.
As for how much a blueprinted M30B35 goes for? I would say $5K would be on the light side for one of the better known shops (LaJolla, Metric Mechanic, Korman). But if you found a shop to rebuild an M30 for $5K, that price probably wouldn't include the fuel system (carb'd or FI), wiring, ECU, or install. My guess is that would run you an additional $5K; hence, my estimate that he has at least $10K in the engine alone. In all seriousness, if you have a found a shop to do this for less please let me know and I will check them out as I want to drop a fresh 3.5L or S38 into my '74. Dynotech in Oceanside, CA has quoted me "around" $5500 for an S38 swap or a "little less" for the 3.5L but that is a straight install with no work done on the motor.
Walt