RHD csi also came with 2264XXX vin numbers ??
Is this an E9 engine
- Thread starter ABZY
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Ok thanks for the info , I wonder how many were converted and was it done by Bmw .
ABZY
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So the 3,5 marked on engine denotes factory replaced it?
day66
Well-Known Member
I think there will be a number of 226 series cars that were converted to RHD, scattered all through the chassis number range. Not sure of numbers though I’d think the numbers would be small as they were probably done to special order and I guess if you wanted an injected RHD car back in the day, you would normally be directed to a CSL?
No, it means the owner bought a replacement block through a BMW dealer.
There were 6,506 LHD CSi coupes (2260001 to 226506) from BMW, apparently a few were converted to RHD in the UK as others have stated.
I have been told ( 1 or more ?) of the 2264xxx LHD csi cars where converted to RHD by BMW GB and sold in the UK, to customers !!!
I don't know if some of the 2264xxx cars left the BMW factory as RHD cars?!
I don't know if some of the 2264xxx cars left the BMW factory as RHD cars?!
Other members here have confirmed that some 2800CS coupes were converted to RHD in the UK. It doesn’t make sense for BMW to mix LHD and RHD in a single VIN series as every coupe has a four digit configuration number assigned as well. The RHD CSi was introduced late in the e9 production line so it makes sense that some early LHD CSi were also converted to RHD in the UK.
From a post by Simufly in 2018: The early importers were based in Dover and they did do LHD to RHD conversions. They started out in Dover and then moved to Brighton in Sussex. BMW Consessionaires GB
Oldbmwcoupes
Well-Known Member
My take on that block is that it would be an m90 from a euro model 535i or 635 Csi. If you wanted to verify the actual displacement of the engine without separating the head from the block, you could take the pan off and measure the piston diameter/stroke from underneath. This is hard to do accurately without another engine as comparison but is do-able.
There are two motors pictured in this thread, I was referring to Richie’s as being a 3.0 as you can see the stamp where the VIN would have been. Yours has a casting saying 3.5, it is a 3.5 motor, can you provide a pic where the VIN is?
What are the clues you are seeing in the picture that tells you that? Curious minds want to know.
(and which engine picture are you referring to as "that block"?)
What are the clues you are seeing in the picture that tells you that? Curious minds want to know.
Most m90’s don’t look like the 3.5 pictured above. If it is an M90, it is a late production run.
I'm a rookie at this. What are you guys looking at to say it is or isn't an M90? How does the picture shown help differentiate an M90 from an M30?
The m90 had a distinct horizontal water passage up until about late 1980. A few weeks back I referred a friend to an m90 donor built in 02/81. It is a motronic m90 and doesn’t have the water passage. Hence my point about “unless it’s a late model”...
The car I’m currently wrenching on is from late 1979 and has the water passage as visible below. The Seattle motor may be for sale btw @Dick Steinkamp if you have a change of heart. The dogleg is gone however.
Hard to see in this pic but the horizontal passage protrudes a good 20mm+ from the block. It runs the length.
Here is a random forum pic of an m90, note the water passage:
Edit: Like all things with this car. I have no pioneer observations. This is all well documented within the forum or in the heads of our California experts.
Thanks, Markos!
Thanks again to everyone for all the info yesterday , I had never heard about any cars being converted before. My car has the early seats as we established , but then the fuel tank is removed up and out of the boot so perhaps that means it is a late early version if you know what I mean.
When I imported the car from the UK into Ireland six years ago I came across a problem here .
It was : in Ireland you have 30 days from the date of importation to declare your car permanently imported and you have to pay up all taxes and duties by that date too.
Otherwise you have to pay penalties/ fines and the can even seize the car from you if they want , and they are based on a % of the market value of your car per month for every month you go over the 30 days . The problem I had was : The motor department here would not issue me with an appointment to get the car cleared as because half of the engine was in the boot , they said it was not a mechanically propelled vehicle and as such I could not register it here in Ireland. I argued with them and explained how long restoration can take on classic cars and that I would be accumulating fines for months and years if they didn’t allow me to proceed with the importation. ( this was a big worry )
So I came up with a plan , I went home and took the head out of the boot and placed on top of some M10 nuts sitting on the block and put in a few of the head bolts hand tight and then put on the rocker cover, so that during inspection it would look complete.
I then ran a cable from the battery to a switch taped to the gear stick and then back out to the starter motor solenoid on the car ,
I then towed the car to the importation department, pulled up outside on the side of the public road , removed the tow pole , sat in , put her into 2nd gear hit the switch and drove her for her inspection on the starter motor the engine had no compression so it rolled smoothly in passed the inspector’s offices window no problem and then I put her into reverse and parked her in the inspection bay , just like all of the other mechanically propelled vehicles .
So I went in filled out all of the documents. , he came out popped the hood checked all the vin numbers and checked the mileage etc and all was good , we went back into his office, I paid up and hey presto no more red tape .
Thankfully it is declared properly as a petrol mechanically propelled vehicle and not an electric one , as I never mentioned how I got onto their property
That would really have messed up the blogs statistics if there was a 2265 RHD electric coupe ! ....
anyway 6 years of ownership later she still is not mechanically propelled yet , but I am getting there slowly : )
day66
Well-Known Member
Funny and ingenious!
Barry, this is another case of an Irish solution to an Irish problem, I just love it, well done.
Brilliant!