My E9 Options

[posix]

If condition regards body rust is similar and price is same I'd lean toward the 5spd as that's a lot of work you don't need to do if you wanted a manual.
The other thing with the automatic is the condition of the mechanicals will not have improved from sitting around for 15years. You also don't know that parts are missing.

Provided the Polaris has a salvageable interior I'd go with that. Even if the timber work is poor you can get that re-finished.

This advice comes with the caveat that I'm on another continent and you are standing next to the cars

the nachtblau doesn’t have any rust as far as I can tell. The Polaris one has some surface rust in the driver rear wheel well next to the rockers and a pain chip showing some rust(?) in the hood. Polaris one has the refurbished wood from Bella already (dash wood not installed). Seat leather probably needs to be replaced completely

 

[Wes]

the nachtblau doesn’t have any rust as far as I can tell. The Polaris one has some surface rust in the driver rear wheel well next to the rockers and a pain chip showing some rust(?) in the hood. Polaris one has the refurbished wood from Bella already (dash wood not installed). Seat leather probably needs to be replaced completely

If it were me I'd go the 5spd. In terms of interior issues look at it as a chance to customise to your liking

 

[eriknetherlands]

the nachtblau doesn’t have any rust as far as I can tell. The Polaris one has some surface rust in the driver rear wheel well next to the rockers and a pain chip showing some rust(?) in the hood. Polaris one has the refurbished wood from Bella already (dash wood not installed). Seat leather probably needs to be replaced completely

Would you have a pic of the rust of the Polaris one of the driver rear wheel well?

It may be just some surface rust (treat and seal) or, when the rust is through it needs replacing shelter metal. Depending on the place replacing could be easy( a patch butt welded in) or it could be indicative of rust inside the rockers/ under rear subframe mount.

A challenge to myself : show me the rust pic and I'll show you a gestimation of your inside rockers, based on what I've seen in the various resto threads over the 10 years that I've been following them.

 

[posix]

Would you have a pic of the rust of the Polaris one of the driver rear wheel well?

It may be just some surface rust (treat and seal) or, when the rust is through it needs replacing shelter metal. Depending on the place replacing could be easy( a patch butt welded in) or it could be indicative of rust inside the rockers/ under rear subframe mount.

A challenge to myself : show me the rust pic and I'll show you a gestimation of your inside rockers, based on what I've seen in the various resto threads over the 10 years that I've been following them.

 

[JMinPDX]

View attachment 99229

I'm no restoration expert but I've always felt one should buy the best body (rust free) you can find. This picture tells me this car has had "restoration" work. I see overspray on the rocker cover. Meaning they didn't take the cover off to paint. Not a good sign.
The mechanical aspects are much easier to deal with, IMHO, and provide many more options when it comes to drive trains and suspensions. Maybe its because I can do mechanical stuff myself, I suck at body work. I bought my 74 e9 12 years ago with a blown motor and AT but no visible rust. It had been sitting in a garage for 20 years. It now has a 5speed, L-Jet fuel injection, lowering springs, etc. and still no visible rust. Did most of the mechanical work myself. I did have to have the top of the rear shock towers re-enforced as one looked likely to fail. (another area to look at when inspecting a possible purchase)

That being said I would not have a problem with buying a car, with some rust, that you can get in and drive tomorrow and tinker with as you go along.
Wait, this hobby makes no sense....

 

[eriknetherlands]

Thanks for the pic. This is rust in one of the critical area's. You could leave it, but it would grow. You could drive it for another 5 years, and your car wouldn't fold in on itself. It would just have that brown spot in the corner. Just look the other way ( I whish I could have done that...)
But it won't heal by itself, and it will only become more work the longer you wait.

The outer skin that you see isnt that bad to repair, patch panels are 120 euro's or so per side, and it would require you to slice open the rear quarter and butt weld it in.

What I expect you to find below it is more rust in the 5 (!) layers that are behind it.
The fact that some engineer did exactly that, sandwich 5 layers on top of each other, is why it's a difficult place to repair.

I have seen no car where the inside is not affected, with this outer view. Often rust here means also means rust in the layers below. It is a critical corner, as it connects the sill (rocker) end to the structural wheel arch AND it carries an attachment point of the rear subframe.

Indeed there is overspray on the rubber between the cover and the body. A serious tell tale of botchy work if you ask me. Someone only cared about how it would look from a few feet off. Not if it actually changed the rust situation.

I'd go for the rust free(-ish) automatic. Less rust will save you a lot of time (if you do it yourself) or a lot of money if you outsource. Automatic bodies are less stressed, as usually driven softer.

Bottom line, rust is more expensive compared to a bad engine.

And to be honest, i find an automatic quite fitting for the grace that the car carries.

 

[HB Chris]

The rust spot is where the wheel well is exposed and you get to it from there, it’s no big deal.

 

[eriknetherlands]

just some links with rocker fixes. First one had a quite similar appearance at the start. Look a the third post; that is a 10 to 15 K fix if you outsource it.

My rocker repair/replacement

My starting point was shiny paint and a seemingly perfect quarter panel. The cosmetic rocker cover was in excellent condition. But....there was a small fiberglass patch in front of the passenger rear wheel. Time to find out whats going on inside that rocker! I took the door off and reinforced-

e9coupe.com

E9 Rocker Repairs

www.vranedom.com

and just look what can be inside, even if the outside looks quite well;

CSL Restoration

Spectacular! Thanks for posting.

e9coupe.com

reveals this;

(now that was a really bad car before Marc-M applied his golden hands)

 

[HB Chris]

It could certainly be worse but the comment to avoid this coupe vs. the other due to this one spot would need further study, they both could have issues and this is where dirt collects behind the wheel.

 

[adawil2002]

My money would go to the Polaris 3.5. Interior and cosmetics can be done over time as the car is enjoyed.

My Csi took 5 years to complete in the off seasons . It was an economical way to restore the car’s ills. Some think all or nothing & wind up with a huge project & mounting costs, never driving the car.

 

[sfdon]

Drive the b35
when the rains come- do the interior.
drive the b35
when the rains come - fuel inject it.
drive the b35


or-
buy the automatic
stare at it in garage.
stare at it in garage.
stare at in garage.

 

[posix]

decided to purchase the polaris. and as @sfdon suggested. will drive it until rainy season then send it to my body guy to do the interior and the exterior ,

i'll update when i get it in my hands and will start maybe a restore thread on the things that are done to it

 

[HB Chris]

decided to purchase the polaris. and as @sfdon suggested. will drive it until rainy season then send it to my body guy to do the interior and the exterior ,

i'll update when i get it in my hands and will start maybe a restore thread on the things that are done to it

Congrats Bobby, enjoy the journey and the destination.

 

[eriknetherlands]

Glad you made the choice. There is not a wrong choice as it always is your choice.

For sure I showed you a few bad examples , and HbChris is right; without some more pics it is difficult to judge how good it is. (from the inside under rear seat and from the underside looking at the last bit of rocker sticking out where the rear floor rises).

I sincerely hope that it is just a minor pinhole, and that you get to drive a lot.

Erik.

 

[teahead]

Congrats! Let's see some pics wen you get it! New thread.

When you get it, I would take the rocker covers off and see how things look. It may all be good.

As they say, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

If that rust spot is localized, easy to repair. Not so easy to match the paint, but no biggie either. Better than rust showing.

 

[boonies]

Awesome...another adventure begins! Pictures please!

 

[posix]

Will definitely provide photos and planning to do videos as well during the whole process.