Looking at a 72 3.0 CS

[chicane]

Good score. The interior looks to be in outstanding condition. You have more than made your money aback right there.

Given the amount of rust I would suggest stripping the paint down to the bare metal to correctly evaluate where you need to make your repairs. definitely doable. Start with a reasonable budget for the body and go from there. Good luck an don't give up.

 

[Aviator]

According to a vin site, my car is a CSA. Does that just mean auto trans?

 

[Bill Riblett]

According to a vin site, my car is a CSA. Does that just mean auto trans?

Yes.

 

[chicane]

Based on the condition of the interior, you have made your money back and then some as complete very good condition interiors go for quite a bit. Like I said, if you are serious about body and paint you are going to have to strip the car to see what you've got. That clean body shell that someone had for sale was going for about $5K, plus you have to get it to where you are, more $$$$. Then you have to strip your car, then you have to mount everything on the new car. I think you get the picture. OR you could strip your car, weld some patch panels from the structural areas, put some fiberglass in the non-structural areas and you have a very nice driver.

 

[Aviator]

How hard is it to put patch panels in the structural areas like around the shock towers?

 

[jmackro]

Aviator:

$20 K to repair the amount of rust shown in your photos is proably a bargain. If that's a firm bid, and includes high-quality paint, I'd jump on it. Of course, when you are done, you will have spent at least $30K (body & paint PLUS mechanical parts, plus trim parts, plus tires/battery/belts/hoses, plus ....) and have a car worth at most $20K (there's a price penalty for automatics).

I'm not saying that the car can't be brought back - any car can be saved - but I am suggesting that given the availability of CS coupes, and given how little you currently have invested in this one, you would be WAY ahead in terms of money and time if you could find a better body. You'll never find a perfect shell, but frankly, you would be hard pressed to find one much worse than the one shown in the pictures.

But hey, don't believe me - my feelings won't be hurt. Do this instead: whatever you decide, the next step is to strip all of the exterior trim and interior out of this car, and remove all of the paint by media blasting or DA sanding. You won't know what you REALLY have until the paint is off. Assess the amount of rust and accident damage at that point, and decide how emotionally attached you are to this thing.

Hey, $350 was a GREAT buy on all those nice CS parts. All you need is a decent body, and you'll have a great car.

 

[coupeguy]

Absolutely not, stay away from CSi at costs. Use Carl Nelson at LaJolla independent or Maximillion in MD for new parts. Best option is fine a BMW dealer that will give you a genuine 20% discount and buy from them. Get a parts book or the CD and get prices from everyone by part number. Mobile Tradition has made lots of parts long NLA available again, so try them first. CSi will just charge your credit card and you will wait and wait and wait with nothing received in the long run. Carl and Max are reliable, with Carl having the most parts on hand if youre in a hurry. Good luck, that looks like a parts car to me, but at that price you can make your money back quickly by parting it out.

 

[Laldog]

$350....YES!!

For $350, you're way ahead of the game.

Welcome to the club/insanity(?). There are so many variables, it's hard to give you a clear cut yes or no on so many of your questions.

From the looks of your car, I would agree with most of the posts that unfortunately, your car is a prime candidate for parts and not a restore.

If you're into the ultimate challenge, have experience with sheet metal, welding and auto body repair, then you might consider doing it yourself. With the Internet and websites like this one, sage advice from experienced veterans is readilly available.

Advances in rustproofing and related chemicals have made restorations more possible. Again, the internet is invaluable for resources and advice.

Mig welding is alot easier than old-fashioned stick welding and makes alot more things possible.

That being said, you definitely need the space, the time, and the money to embark in what is a major endeavor.

Generally speaking, the rust on the outside (that you can see) is usually covering up about 3 times as much under the surface that you can't see.

I agree with a few of the others... spend some time getting intimate with your new obsession. Strip the exterior, find a dry safe place for the interior, and maybe even cut off the front fenders. This will all give you an idea of what you're in for and help you decide your next steps.

I haven't had the best of experiences with CSI. They are slower than slow and not what I would call responsive regarding customer service.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[Jonathan]

$350 is robbery! Heck, the tool kit clamshell if in good condition will fetch 350 on ebay. With the right tools inside, add a couple hundred. The interior seats alone are in good enough condition to go for $500 for the front pair and another $250 for the back. And the wood looks good enough to part out and sell for another $500. The euro tail light is also worth another $200 or so. Rust on this car (unless you are doing it your self) will set you back at least 30K. Part it out unless you have deep pockets. Plan on 50K or so to bring it back to a #2 condition.... In my estimation (because I parted out a car in similar condition) you should get between 3K to 5K for all the parts...

Jonathan

 

[Aviator]

Thanks for all the helpful advice guys. I'm about 90% sure I'll have to part this car out, or hopefully sell it whole. I'm about to start a new career that has me on the road three weeks a month. I'll have no time to rebuild this car. I was about to buy a new mig welder too. I'll let everyone here know when I offically plan to part it out or sell it. Maybe someday I'll have enough $ to find one that just needs a little tlc. Because I really love this lil coupe, it's too bad it has the rust.