Ok, that makes sense.......74' here. My 73' April has the brushed aluminum tail panel but it looks like that question has been sorted by now.
E3 Tail Panel Changes over time
- Thread starter JMinPDX
- Start date
dbower
Well-Known Member
Fits the model of April 71-June 72 for the painted panel.
What a special car! More pictures!!
27k actual miles?? That's awesome! When I get my Bav finished, in the next 500 years, I'd love to see yours. I'm not too far away.
dbower
Well-Known Member
Cruise on over to the Foundation Feb 11 for the Wundercar exhibit.
Cool! Where is that, exactly? I'm 3 years in Atl and still don't know my way around..LOL
At the museum in Spartanburg, I believe. I'm considering driving up there myself.
dbower
Well-Known Member
The Ultimate Driving Museum (new name); across the road from the factory: https://theultimatedrivingmuseum.org/
Nice! Only about 2.5 hours from me. I'm going to do my best to get there.
*Kid's baseball is the only tricky part..lol
*Kid's baseball is the only tricky part..lol
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
20 minutes away and wouldn't miss it! My father purchased a new Bavaria in 1972, I bought it from him in 1980 and owned it until 1994. Looking forward to hopefully seeing a bunch of E3 enthusiasts at the event.
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
Wundercars! open house event today at the CCA Foundation museum was wunderful! 
The E3s are amazing, immaculate cars. My wife and I were just taken aback over here 50+ years later the incredible better than new condition E3s. The underside of the "New Horizon" 2500 was beyond perfect (it was backed up onto large race ramps) for example. Christian was wonderful to talk to and I think a bit surprised when I showed him photos of my Bavaria from 40 years ago when I was doing yarn tuft aerodynamic testing, lol. Everyone was so thankful to him for presenting these amazing cars...
I took the opportunity to take some pictures of dbower's E3 next to our M2 in the parking lot. The 3.0S is immaculate also, simply incredible condition not to mention it's a beautiful slicktop (no sunroof).
The E3s are amazing, immaculate cars. My wife and I were just taken aback over here 50+ years later the incredible better than new condition E3s. The underside of the "New Horizon" 2500 was beyond perfect (it was backed up onto large race ramps) for example. Christian was wonderful to talk to and I think a bit surprised when I showed him photos of my Bavaria from 40 years ago when I was doing yarn tuft aerodynamic testing, lol. Everyone was so thankful to him for presenting these amazing cars...
I took the opportunity to take some pictures of dbower's E3 next to our M2 in the parking lot. The 3.0S is immaculate also, simply incredible condition not to mention it's a beautiful slicktop (no sunroof).
dbower
Well-Known Member
Christian's cars were really something. The exhibit will be there the rest of February, then off to the Peterson in CA. I asked him if BMW Classic had been any help in his restos. He kind of laughed and said they call him when they need E3 help.
Thanks for the kind words. John von Woerden (Roundel photog) was there getting lots of shots so I smell a future Roundel article.
Don
Thanks for the kind words. John von Woerden (Roundel photog) was there getting lots of shots so I smell a future Roundel article.
Don
Don--Please post some of your pics of your Baikal/Tan E3 so we can see the latest addition to your collection.--Thanks, Drew
dbower
Well-Known Member
Drew: Will do, if and when it ever stops raining. It's a clean survivor car so I'm learning to appreciate the originality and "patina."
He might be just a little more diplomatic at times. Glad you enjoyed meeting him and the cars. Quite curious what he has to tell when he will be back home.
This will really make him laugh. I had to. Christian wanted the New Horizon perfect in every respect. Liking especially the underside of that car seems funny however. To be fair, you are not the only one. When the New Horizon was at the Art Karlsruhe early in 2020 I was lying under the car with Christian and another E3-Club friend kneeling beneath. At an art fair on Sunday afternoon.
Any chance paint vs alum was a choice/option?
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
No, it wasn't as best I recall from back then.
CSBM5
Well-Known Member
Back in 2010 my wife and I toured the BMW museum in Munich, and they had a display room at the time for the largest sedans starting with the E3, then E23, E32, E38, etc. I asked an attendant if it was ok if I laid down on their floor and took pictures of the underside of the E3 since I had owned one for many years, my father bought one new, etc, and she looked at me perhaps to check if I was joking or not, and then said no problem. My wife entertained her with Bavaria and E32 stories while I took about 100 pictures of that pristine 3.3Li. My wife later put together a nicely framed montage of many of the pictures I took that day. The attendant said she had never had anyone ask to take pictures of the underside of a car prior to me.
No. Agree with @CSBM5 . The "Moulding for body-closing panel" (BMW parts catalogue) was never part of the options list. It was either painted (Apr. 1971 until late spring/early summer 1972) or brushed. An E3-Club friend has a parts catalogue from early 1971, it lists 16 mouldings, one part number for each exterior colour. After the reintroduction of the brushed part the painted ones were probably discontinued as fast as possible. Later parts catalogues list only one item called "(silver-coloured)" (BMW language), which means "unpainted and brushed". In German it is "silberfarbig matt", i.e. "coloured flat silver". This may cause some confusion but "silver-coloured" is not the same as "Polaris Met.". The silver painted part had the denomination "(Polaris Met.)".