timt
Well-Known Member
Hello, whilst the Coupe Forum is not new to me I am new to the community so apropos some comments in a recent thread, here is my brief introduction. Although I have viewed the forum for some time over the last two years or so, I joined last year to ask a specific question – asked and answered (partially). I fall in the category of observer rather than contributor on the premis that unless you have something useful to say, don’t say it! I don’t regard myself as an expert and whilst I have owned a 3.0 CSL for some time and worked on it periodically, I don’t have significant practical experience of all it’s “nuts and bolts”.
I live in the UK some 30 miles West of London – cold at the moment by West Coast standards but probably still above average for the Mid West and North East. I own RHD 3.0 CSL 2285272 built late 1972, first registered autumn/fall 1973; ie, middle of the batch of the 500 RHD cars produced in 1972 to early 1973 as part of the 1,000 cars required for the European touring car (lightweight) homologation. I bought the car in mid 1978 and then at only (!) five+ years old it was showing signs of a relatively hard life for what was originally an expensive car in UK context at the time. Some hard driving and the UK roads had taken their toll and to add to that it became my wife’s car for a year or so, used by her to support her job as a health visitor in the South Wales valleys – not a car friendly environment!
In the early 1980s I had the car restored, focus was on the structure/body, not the mechanicals; the result was a black car, originally Taiga green, but otherwise standard and (then) in concours condition. In the late 1980s I decided I would start to sprint the car and began to move it away from the UK specification CSL towards the German more basic specification, I also wanted more power. Many years later and a job that had me living more out of suitcases than at home plus a seemingly 28 hours required out of 24 meant the car got put to one side (I almost lost it – another story!) and it’s now back with the previous restorer being brought back to life again after the more recent neglect.
The purists won’t like the car, or me, as I have done what many others have done and moved away from originality – visually it is a standard CSL plus the “Batmobile” wing kit per the last edition cars. Mechanically the engine is now 3.3 litres, still fuel injected but not the original, 5-speed CR gearbox, manual steering, and standard (non city-pack) springs plus dampers. Plus various other associated minor changes. I’m a believer in having the car for me – one can debate purism and originality but it must be in the context of a specific car and the market place, and it’s not part of this post. I have included a couple of pictures of the car in it’s present environment, unfortunately I don’t have a photographic record of the 1980s work as despite asking for it, the restorer didn’t do it – pre digital age and probably seen then as an irritating expense!
... sorry, no pictures as Ive just discovered they must be attached via a link and I don't hold any pictures on the net, all local. If not correct, can someone please advise me or could guidance be posted as a sticky somewhere?
A comment for the administrator – it seems some 100+ new joiners joined this month, 02-05 January! Most would appear to be joins from dubious sources, not sure how they join but that is someone’s technical problem to sort out and probably already being addressed … I doubt that anyone could believe they are all bona fide owners or parties interested in E9 coupes! I tripped over this whilst looking at the member list in the context of the recent thread on restricting for sale postings to members making a minimum of 100 posts – ignoring the recent new joiners this would still have restricted posters to a small minority, academic now as the subject appears closed.
I live in the UK some 30 miles West of London – cold at the moment by West Coast standards but probably still above average for the Mid West and North East. I own RHD 3.0 CSL 2285272 built late 1972, first registered autumn/fall 1973; ie, middle of the batch of the 500 RHD cars produced in 1972 to early 1973 as part of the 1,000 cars required for the European touring car (lightweight) homologation. I bought the car in mid 1978 and then at only (!) five+ years old it was showing signs of a relatively hard life for what was originally an expensive car in UK context at the time. Some hard driving and the UK roads had taken their toll and to add to that it became my wife’s car for a year or so, used by her to support her job as a health visitor in the South Wales valleys – not a car friendly environment!
In the early 1980s I had the car restored, focus was on the structure/body, not the mechanicals; the result was a black car, originally Taiga green, but otherwise standard and (then) in concours condition. In the late 1980s I decided I would start to sprint the car and began to move it away from the UK specification CSL towards the German more basic specification, I also wanted more power. Many years later and a job that had me living more out of suitcases than at home plus a seemingly 28 hours required out of 24 meant the car got put to one side (I almost lost it – another story!) and it’s now back with the previous restorer being brought back to life again after the more recent neglect.
The purists won’t like the car, or me, as I have done what many others have done and moved away from originality – visually it is a standard CSL plus the “Batmobile” wing kit per the last edition cars. Mechanically the engine is now 3.3 litres, still fuel injected but not the original, 5-speed CR gearbox, manual steering, and standard (non city-pack) springs plus dampers. Plus various other associated minor changes. I’m a believer in having the car for me – one can debate purism and originality but it must be in the context of a specific car and the market place, and it’s not part of this post. I have included a couple of pictures of the car in it’s present environment, unfortunately I don’t have a photographic record of the 1980s work as despite asking for it, the restorer didn’t do it – pre digital age and probably seen then as an irritating expense!
... sorry, no pictures as Ive just discovered they must be attached via a link and I don't hold any pictures on the net, all local. If not correct, can someone please advise me or could guidance be posted as a sticky somewhere?
A comment for the administrator – it seems some 100+ new joiners joined this month, 02-05 January! Most would appear to be joins from dubious sources, not sure how they join but that is someone’s technical problem to sort out and probably already being addressed … I doubt that anyone could believe they are all bona fide owners or parties interested in E9 coupes! I tripped over this whilst looking at the member list in the context of the recent thread on restricting for sale postings to members making a minimum of 100 posts – ignoring the recent new joiners this would still have restricted posters to a small minority, academic now as the subject appears closed.
