Polluting the gene pool

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

BMW people are unique! One of the guys I met on Craigslist is parting with this car "very reasonably", I could not say no. 1958 Austin Champ,. 2.8 liter 4 cyl, submersible up to 6 feet in water, 5 speed in both forward and reverse. Engine originally built by Rolls Royce, then transferred to another factory using all the RR tooling. 4 wheel ind. suspension, torsion bar springs...I'm thinking a great ranch vehicle.

Anyone have any experience with these?

 

[adawil2002]

Looks very Jeep like, congrat's.

 

[gwittman]

I wouldn't try submersing it in up to 6 ft of water without a snorkel on the engine and maybe on the driver too. Nice find.

 

[Ohmess]

Way cool. I just picked up an 08 Range Rover (from the Ford era). Almost three tons and can get to 60 in 6 seconds flat.

And I am glad your thread involves acquisition and not procreation. I was worried at first.

 

[jmackro]

I wouldn't try submersing it in up to 6 ft of water without a snorkel on the engine

Yea, I wondered about the lack of a snorkel too. How did they arrive at that 6 ft specification? The air intake seems way lower than 6 ft.

Engine originally built by Rolls Royce, then transferred to another factory using all the RR tooling.

Rolls Royce tooling is probably a good start, but the quality of the materials and personnel would have a greater impact on the reliability of the resulting engine.

 

[dang]

Very cool! ... with a new paint job.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

It's freaky for sure

I'm picking it up today, this one was less than 4 miles from my warehouse! It needs lots of work and it's missing the snorkel although I understand they are still available. This will be a fun build but I'll start a drop box.

On another BMW note, is a late 70's 320is, 5 speed, sport seat BBS Mesh, bla, bla, bla, worth anything- this guy has one wasting away- no rust that I can see and looks 100% stock.

Thanks- Peter

 

[GolfBavaria]

Peter yes, they are getting very hard to find in good shape and all original parts. I saw a white one for sale the other day on BAT, see link. It will give you an idea what to offer the guy down the street. I would love to have that car. They don't come up that often so kind of ironic that there was one recently on BAT. $7,500 seems very fair for the BAT car.

http://bringatrailer.com/2016/04/05/rust-free-w-cold-ac-1980-bmw-320is/

 

[Stevehose]

Yes the 2002 crowd will want the 5 speed, wheels and seats for sure. Brakes too.

I'm picking it up today, this one was less than 4 miles from my warehouse! It needs lots of work and it's missing the snorkel although I understand they are still available. This will be a fun build but I'll start a drop box.

On another BMW note, is a late 70's 320is, 5 speed, sport seat BBS Mesh, bla, bla, bla, worth anything- this guy has one wasting away- no rust that I can see and looks 100% stock.

Thanks- Peter

 

[Ohmess]

I think that was during the time when BMW sport seats were Recaros; nice seats that are probably worth a few bucks depending on condition.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Interesting that the Recaro seats are the same as the ones I have in my e9, they are rough though due to sun but the owner always put moth balls in the car so there is no bug or rodent damage. I offered to buy the car yesterday though he said there is one guy ahead of me, if he declines I can pick it up cheap- someone here has expressed an interest so let's see if I can start
clearing the gene pool.

 

[OldToby]

I saw a bunch of these in a vehicle graveyard (cars driven there then parked, not a wrecking yard) in the desert outside Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. There were a dozen or so of these and probably a hundred Land Rovers in various sizes and configurations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bavbob]

When do you buy the accompanying ranch?

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

That's the question

I actually spend more time rebuilding that place than rebuilding the cars... of course I have not started on the "champ" yet. I'm thinking of painting it a really obnoxious lime green, but that changes daily-

BTW, forum members welcome, cost of stay is producing some form of "artwork" in the guest register. I think some of the drawings I have so far may appreciate as much as our cars!

Thanks to all who have made the pilgrimage... and to those who will!