Other opinions on E9 resto-mods.....

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acat2002

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It seems as though the rest of the car enthusiast world has has a healthy distaste for poorly executed resto-modified E9s.

Read the comment thread from Bring-A-Trailer on this E9.
http://bringatrailer.com/2009/07/08/1975-bmw-csi-with-a-twist/#comments

Apologies in advance if the owner is a board member, but this one seems to have crossed the fine line of tasteful resto-mod, crossing into the Pimp-My-Ride arena.

More evidence that build specifications and build cost does not equal market appeal or market value.
 
I wonder how many of the posters have seen this car, shall never know.

I saw it last year and no, I don't like it ... but someone does and it's a free world to do what one will. I doubt that the person who built it will be too phased by the comments, most such cars are created because the people who do it like doing it, if that gives them pleasure, and I don't believe the majority of the privateers are in it for the money, then so be it. The execution wasn't bad, actually quite good, but as reflected in the BaT comments not to everyones' taste.

The car is known to the BMW CC in the UK and has changed hands earlier this year ... I believe the current owner wants to move it on because he already has another V8 (original but not sure what). I posted a picture of the engine bay earlier this year and someone identified the engine very quickly (I didn't attempt it) despite the faux Alpina labels.
 
acat2002 said:
It seems as though the rest of the car enthusiast world has has a healthy distaste for poorly executed resto-modified E9s.
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Aynsley:

Well, there's "modified", and then there's "MODIFIED!!!!". I would call the car on Bring a Trailer the latter.

Most people on this list, and I suspect on Bring a Trailer, would probably endorse a 3.5L BMW swap into an E9. But a Chevy with an automatic transmission? I don't think so. The red dash and "Alpina" logo on the GM engine are pretty tacky too, at least in my opinion.
 
Too bad...I think he should have stayed with a BMW engine transmission of his choosing. But putting a GM engine....yuk. Could have been worse... a corvair air cooled engine and turned it into a dune buggy.

abe
 
Shoving a Chevy engine in a BMW is an abomination. There are plenty of BMW power-plants that could fit the bill with plenty of power and that are not terribly expensive.
 
Although I have modified my CS which I guess is not to everyones taste I agree with the comments above. There are plenty of V8s in the BMW stable and most of them undertuned so 340bhp should be attainable. And the auto thing whats up with that? In the UK and Europe and to an extent in the USA performance/enthusiasts cars are manual.
 
I think the LS1 or LS-series engines are awesome. I also think the Honda V6 Vtec engines are awesome too, but that doesn't mean I'd put one in a coupe. Would I put one in a 3-series or 5-series? Sure. Who cares. But dropping in anything other than a BMW engine into a coupe just isn't right.

I'm sure its because I own one and its more personal. Some friends have Porsches with American V8's and I think its kinda cool, but if I were a Porsche guy I'd probably hate it. 8)
 
dang said:
I think the LS1 or LS-series engines are awesome. I also think the Honda V6 Vtec engines are awesome too, but that doesn't mean I'd put one in a coupe. Would I put one in a 3-series or 5-series? Sure. Who cares. But dropping in anything other than a BMW engine into a coupe just isn't right.

I'm sure its because I own one and its more personal. Some friends have Porsches with American V8's and I think its kinda cool, but if I were a Porsche guy I'd probably hate it. 8)
Click to expand...

You can get a nice, low mileage S54 from a boneyard for about $5K (and probably mated to a six speed). And you you will have BMW powerplant generating 333HP and a far better fit than that outrageous Chevy V-8. IMHO.
 
To me the Chevy V8 / Auto in a coupe seems just about as wrong as an M30 / Getrag 265 in a in a Chevy Caprice - it just ain't right. Putting Alpina logos on a Chevy V8 is plain weird. On that note, has anyone figured out how to put dual Holleys and a Hearst Shifter on an E9? :roll: Exhaust pipes running down the rockers would also hide the rust. :twisted:

This thread kind of reminds me of an old article I read (Road & Track?) circa 1980 where some German guys put a Porsche 928 engine and drive train into a VW Rabbit. They had to slice the Rabbit down the middle and widen it about 30cm to make it fit. I think the article was titled "Killer Rabbit" and they were musing about getting behind big BMW's and Benz's on the Autobahn in a Rabbit and flashing the high beams! Now thats a tasteless automotive mod I can get behind. 8)

Does anyone else remember the Killer Rabbit article? Perhaps I was small at the time and it is a figment of my imagination. :?:

Somebody get me the Holy Hand Grenade! :shock:
 
The Rabbit was indeed just a figment of your imagination. :D

golfnordstadt104ky.jpg
 
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