New owner 1976 3.0Si Arctic Blue

[E3_kiwi]

Hi everyone,
Thought I'd better introduce myself and my latest acquisition.
I've been a BMW fan for as long as I can remember, having owned quite a number of them over the past 20 years, but never an E3.
It's a car I've always hankered after, since first hearing/reading about their impressive handling and performance, as a teenager way back in the 70's.
I was recently informed of this car for sale in Australia, which came highly recommended as one of the best examples around, and shortly afterward made the decision to buy it, sight-unseen!
She was recently transported to Melbourne and is currently being prepared for shipping to me here in NZ.
The car has had significant restoration work done, including many panels replaced with new items, and a complete respray in the original Arctic Blue Metallic paint.
However, she's missing all of the chrome trim strips from the panels at the body swage line and trunk lid edge (the boot/trunk lid badge is not fitted either, but is with the car), some of which I've found are NLA from BMW.
One of the first jobs upon her arrival will be to source and install these trims, so if anyone knows of some NOS or good used chrome trims for sale, I'm interested in hearing from you.
Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to my car's arrival - hoping it will be the start of a long and beautiful relationship!
Cheers.

 

[bavbob]

Welcome, quite a looker. The trim you seek will be quite hard to find. I purchased all new trim about 4 years ago and was constantly reminded they were some of the last left in Germany. Car looks quite nice without them.

 

[E3_kiwi]

Welcome, quite a looker. The trim you seek will be quite hard to find. I purchased all new trim about 4 years ago and was constantly reminded they were some of the last left in Germany. Car looks quite nice without them.

Thanks for the welcome Bob, and thanks for the insight into the rarity of these trim pieces.
With any luck, I might have access to a parts car with all the trims intact, here in NZ - fingers crossed I can secure these.
I think the car looks quite clean, but a little 'slab-sided' without them, and as originality is my preference when it comes to these lovely old BMW's, I'll endeavour to find and install the correct chrome strips.
Meanwhile I've just heard from Melbourne that the engine was not firing or running properly, due to a bad fuel pump, faulty wiring and bad plugs.
The bill is a lot more than I'd expected for troubleshooting and rectifying these faults...ouch!! But I had no choice really, as the car has to be running properly in order for it to be driven on and off the ship (RORO is the most cost-effective service). Total cost will still be less than containerised shipping.
Now she's all sorted, I can't wait for her to get here.

All the best.

 

[bavbob]

Most parts are reasonably priced but not the fuel pump. A little mechanical thing upwards of 120 bucks. Luck on your search....the parts new were about 45 dollars for each piece.

 

[corvair kid]

This '75 3.0Si (discussed elsewhere) is being offered as a parts car for $600 US here in Northern California. The seller has sold off a number of other small parts and may be willing to remove the trim and sell it separately...

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/5249756421.html

 

[E3_kiwi]

Thanks for the referral, corvair kid......will contact the seller.

 

[E3_kiwi]

Most parts are reasonably priced but not the fuel pump. A little mechanical thing upwards of 120 bucks. Luck on your search....the parts new were about 45 dollars for each piece.

New fuel pump was $AUD200, labour to replace it $AUD201.
A job I could have done myself, but then I'm not in Melbourne.

 

[bavbob]

Well I have a close friend in Melbourne so I will yell at him for those prices on your behalf.

 

[Simufly]

Fuel pump

Most parts are reasonably priced but not the fuel pump. A little mechanical thing upwards of 120 bucks. Luck on your search....the parts new were about 45 dollars for each piece.

Though on the Si the fuel pump was electric, just by the tank?

 

[bavbob]

You are correct, my mistake. BTW found this on Ebay, seller has parted a car, his prices are way too high and as far as I can see, he has sold little to nothing. Cannot hurt to toss a number at him.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Bavaria...ash=item235ad581c6:g:KVYAAOSwl8NVXRpn&vxp=mtr

 

[GolfBavaria]

You are correct, my mistake. BTW found this on Ebay, seller has parted a car, his prices are way too high and as far as I can see, he has sold little to nothing. Cannot hurt to toss a number at him.....http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Bavaria...ash=item235ad581c6:g:KVYAAOSwl8NVXRpn&vxp=mtr

WOW!! Ad says OEM, look more like NOS. But even if they are NOS that price is crazy, but maybe in 6 months this will be a steal, I can't keep up anymore. I see it says New OEM, so I guess same as NOS right? Still.........

 

[E3_kiwi]

At those prices, the parts car here is starting to look more appealing!
I note the ebay ad doesn't even include the trunk lid trim piece, so not even a full set really.

 

[E3_kiwi]

Looks like I'll need to drill some holes in that gorgeous bodywork, to accommodate the attaching hardware for these mouldings/trims.
Does anyone have templates or dimensional info for the clip/hole locations?

My guess is the PO may have had any original holes plug welded or filled, and the new doors may have come without any clip holes at all...if that's how they are supplied.
But I guess I'll need to inspect the car first before I know what's needed - getting a little ahead of myself here!

 

[HB Chris]

The 2002faq has a list of technical service bulletins. In group 3 there are eight bulletins, the measurements are there, can't remember which one, maybe 5, 6 or 7. Lots of cool stuff there.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles....-reference/service-information-bulletins-r225

 

[GolfBavaria]

At those prices, the parts car here is starting to look more appealing!
I note the ebay ad doesn't even include the trunk lid trim piece, so not even a full set really.

It's complete for earlier E3's. No trunk lid piece pre-75 or 76 someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[E3_kiwi]

The 2002faq has a list of technical service bulletins. In group 3 there are eight bulletins, the measurements are there, can't remember which one, maybe 5, 6 or 7. Lots of cool stuff there.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles....-reference/service-information-bulletins-r225

Thank you Chris, that's a great link.
Will have a look when I get some time.
Cheers

 

[E3_kiwi]

It's complete for earlier E3's. No trunk lid piece pre-75 or 76 someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I did wonder about that, as I've seen pictures of some E3's which are minus the trunk lid moulding.
However the '73 car I'm looking at for parts, does have the full complement of mouldings, i.e. including the trunk lid section.
From what I can gather so far, the cars with trunk lid trim appear to have their rear fender trim sections extending further around the rear corners, all the way to the trunk lid.
Cars without the trunk section had slightly shorter rear trims, which wrap only partially around the rear corners.
If this is correct, then the longer rear quarter trims would most likely have a different part number to the earlier, shorter trims, but there doesn't seem to be any P/N differentiation for this in the parts catalogue.

 

[E3_kiwi]

Here's a picture of the prospective donor car - a '73 3.0S Automatic - showing the left rear quarter and trunk lid moldings.

Also a pic of another 3.0Si which I considered buying before finding my Arctic Blue '76 car - this one is a 1973 model and also has the trunk lid molding.

 

[E3_kiwi]

Thank you Chris, that's a great link.
Will have a look when I get some time.
Cheers

Found it, thanks. It's in bulletin No. 7, pages 5 & 6.

A copy of the SI is attached here, should anyone else need it (file size limit prevents upload of higher definition pdf, so I've broken it into two jpg files).

 

[HB Chris]

Glad you got it. The Si and L/Li had the longer moldings including the trunk.