Golf Bavaria true barn find survivor found recently

GolfBavaria

GolfBavaria

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $$
Messages
1,870
Reaction score
809
Location
Coeur d'Alene, IDAHO
Just wanted to introduce myself to everyone. I am a long time BMW owner. My first BMW was a Golf 2002 in high school (1987), however I basically grew up at the age of 2-20 years old or so in a Bavaria and a 320i. The Bavaria was bought new in 1972 in Monterey California. It was white Chamonix with a blue interior. I still remember many days and nights on car trips sleeping on the lamb skin seat covers and the baby seat in the back until I was able to sit in the front. Fast forward to today. I found an original 1973 Golf Blue Plate CA Bavaria with factory A/C, 4-spd, and Sunroof. It drove the first 20 years of its life, then until a couple weeks ago was in a barn in Southern California where it was stored since 1993. 144K verified original miles, straight as an arrow, pretty much as zero rust a car as you can find and super bonus NUMBERS MATCHING. Just a tiny tiny bit around window moldings when we took them out the other day and a tiny tiny bit here and there, but for these old cars, might as well be brand new almost. Anyhow, you could imagine how happy I am to be a proud owner of such a great car. It is the perfect marriage of the Bavaria I grew up in and my old Golf 2002. If anyone knows how many Golf 1973 Bavarias there are in the world, please chime in. I know my 2002 was rare in that color, but a Bavaria, I have never personally seen on in the flesh until this car, only in some very few pictures that I have come across them. Especially 4-spds, I have only seen Automatics in pictures. If there is a website with all that information out there, so far I haven't found it. I will be relaying more of this story as we go here. I will start posting pictures in a build thread soon, probably next week. So, stay tuned and I am excited to be here and hopefully get to know all of you in person. I live in Southern California, San Juan Capistrano and I will be looking for some parts too, so I will be posting that as well. Don't need a lot but some here and there. Thanks for reading...... Shane... Oh, even had original tool kit and tools minus a couple tools but the important ones are there, mainly the red handle screwdrivers. And thank you for the E3 thread section, that is awesome!!!!!
 
Last edited:
Hey, I live in San Juan Capistrano too!

For parts, Mesa Performance in Costa Mesa is your best "drive to" source. Many people have had good luck with online vendors Tomkinson and Penske.

Back when Cars & Coffee was at Ford in Irvine or the District in Tustin, we would have a weekly e9 - e3 gathering. Not sure what is happening now.
 
I know I know pics will be coming, I thought I would keep some of you in tortured suspense until then....no I am just waiting until the right time, like I said, should be early next week, if not Sunday. Jay, we will definitely be getting together soon I would imagine at one of the events. Until then, my main concern right now is all the rubber for windows, doors, under the trim, rear tail light rubber etc. available still? If you have a good source for all that please let me know ASAP. I will check with Mesa Performance, Tomkinson, and Penske, thanks for that. I have heard of Mesa, but not Tomkinson or Penske. I will update more of the story behind this car and a little more on my background once I start posting build thread pics. Going to ease into it here. Just came off of owning a vintage Porsche and I cannot tell you all how happy I am to be back to BMW, the cars I truly love and know. Not to take anything away from vintage 911's or 356 but I am a working class guy and the parts for those things are through the roof so it pretty much eliminates the garage mechanic, let alone the Porsche shops charge 3X more for vintage repair it seems that way anyhow as compared to a good Independent BMW shop that knows 2002's, Coupes, E9's and E3's. I won't go there right now but let's just say I'm happy to be back! Jay, love to see your Alfa's some day too! In due time maybe...
 
Congratulations. Never seen a Golf Bavaria. The closest wild colour I have seen in this body style is Luis' immaculate Taiga Bavaria.
 
Here is a link to Andrey Yurovsky's 73 Golf Bavaria that he found in a Pik-a-Part yard resale lot in the SF Bay area. He rescued the Bav and it now has a Getrag 265 5 speed, carbs have been converted to L-jet EFI, Bilsteins, aftermarket springs, SS exhaust, etc... This pic was taken IIRC at the Bay Area 02 swap and show a few years ago shortly after he rescued it. This E3 now resides in the Seattle area
http://www.seniorsix.org/photos/memberimages/andrey_yurovsky2_b.jpg

G-Man
 
That is great that Andrey was able to save that. That would have been a big shame. Nice to hear those stories, hopefully I will do this one justice too. Not going to go crazy with mods, just wheels, steering wheel, and maybe headers, we'll see. Keeping all the original parts of course in the meantime. I love seeing pics of Golf Bavarias so if anyone else has any that are not on Google images which seems to be the same automatic from Seattle (not Andrey's but another one) attach them to thread. Thanks for posting link!
 
Shane,
I just found this thread because of the one you started over at earlyS.
Would this happen to be the one that was in the BMWCCA classifieds? Good to see that it went to a good home... you B@$+@*D, I called after you!!!
Keep up the posts.
 
Ha yeah I'm usually you. The one calling when someone else beat them to the punch. I'm not sure if it was on BMWCCA THREAD because guy selling it was no enthusiast. But it was on OC Craigslist maybe???????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top