S54 3.0CS wide body on BaT

Came here for the comments...Zender CSL Group 2-style widebody kit's are rare unless someone is repopping these? I remember when Zender had big catalogs full of stuff. What do they mean by a CSL tune when they are running an S54 motor? Also, I don't see any mention of stitch welding to compensate for the extra torque. I'm sure that will be asked.
 
You know, there was this E46 M3 CSL... Putting out 360 instead of 343 hp as the regular M3 E46. Updates were - beyond others - a carbonfiber airbox with alpha-n based maping.

Various sources for reproductions of the Zender flares, e.g. Zaprace and those French guys selling pretty much the same portfolio of parts.
 
e9Leveque said:
I suspect this one will be polarizing…

bringatrailer.com

S54-Powered, Widebody 1973 BMW 3.0CS 6-Speed

Bid for the chance to own a S54-Powered, Widebody 1973 BMW 3.0CS 6-Speed at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #263,341.
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Yes, polarizing is the word. I was gettin' into the CSL racing body kit and color/racing livery then they did the tucked 18" wheel and airbag suspension thing. An E9 coupe should never have a stance like that. :(
 
I’m with you. I can respect some of the restoMods that people have posted here of ther vehicles, and although I see the prestige and history of the CSL in the racing community, this version seems like it’s trying a bit too hard. It doesn’t seem original but rather like it’s just gathered the hallmarks of a number of different vehicles into one. I admire the workmanship but the end result feels hollow. But to each his own and clearly there are bidders who will pay for this. It’s also just the irony of a beautifully done E9 (here’s looking at the Malaga coupe) “losing out” to a CSL wanna-be. I guess if you’re going down this road, i would have opted for the equivalent of an art car - create a truly unique vehicle, sure use different engine and wide body panels but then in the painting and interior fashion something of its own.
 
Very well-stated. Spot-on insight about trying to accomplish too many things. While the workmanship might deserve positive commentary, the legendary CSL racing heritage vibe seems to collide with (instead of being complimented by) the modern elements.
 
As the guy who Built the orange widebody S54 car a few things I noticed that somewhat bother me on this one
#1 Stock Brakes , seriously you have come close to trippling the HP and leave stock brakes on this build
#2 no front sway bar
#3 hard to tell if they reinforced the diff mount No mention of it
#4 not a fan of the air bag shocks
the S54 conversion looks well done , but the lack of effort put into the rest of the package bothers me , whats the point of trippling the hp andnot making adequate chassis modifications to handle that amount of power

also hardley any pics of the under side of the car to see whats been done
 
e9Leveque said:
I’m with you. I can respect some of the restoMods that people have posted here of ther vehicles, and although I see the prestige and history of the CSL in the racing community, this version seems like it’s trying a bit too hard. It doesn’t seem original but rather like it’s just gathered the hallmarks of a number of different vehicles into one. I admire the workmanship but the end result feels hollow. But to each his own and clearly there are bidders who will pay for this. It’s also just the irony of a beautifully done E9 (here’s looking at the Malaga coupe) “losing out” to a CSL wanna-be. I guess if you’re going down this road, i would have opted for the equivalent of an art car - create a truly unique vehicle, sure use different engine and wide body panels but then in the painting and interior fashion something of its own.
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It's an odd duck - I am always grateful and appreciative of what anybody wants to do to save an E9, although this may be a case of saving a person from drowning who was just swimming badly.

I hate to be negative about anybody's car, but this looks dangerous. A coat of shiny paint and an engine do not make a restomod; it reminds me of a really bad ill fitting syrup (toupee/wig to my American friends) on a lonely old chap looking for a date.
 
Tough crowd but to be expected.

I think it looks pretty nice. Most restomodders bind their interior modernization to the S52 swap and this guy honored the original interior and left the body mostly alone.

Those definitely aren’t Gr.2 flares and BMW never sold a 3.2L widebody to the public as suggested by the seller. Also, if you can touch the wind splits by sticking your arm out the window you installed them wrong.

Agreed with @bdigel on the arguably now pathetic factory brakes. You are an engineering wizard though so it’s not fair to compare your swaps and flare work to other e9’s. I wouldnt want to drive this one fast.

I don’t hate airbags and 18’s on this era but they compliment the e3 MUCH better.

IMG_3331.jpeg
 
Markos said:
Tough crowd but to be expected.

I think it looks pretty nice. Most restomodders bind their interior modernization to the S52 swap and this guy honored the original interior and left the body mostly alone.

Those definitely aren’t Gr.2 flares and BMW never sold a 3.2L widebody to the public as suggested by the seller. Also, if you can touch the wind splits by sticking your arm out the window you installed them wrong.

Agreed with @bdigel on the arguably now pathetic factory brakes. You are an engineering wizard though so it’s not fair to compare your swaps and flare work to other e9’s. I wouldnt want to drive this one fast.

I don’t hate airbags and 18’s on this era but they compliment the e3 MUCH better.

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Markos, thanks for posting this for comparison. As you know I am a sucker for E3's. I've never seen this one before. Do you know the history? Forum members? Location? I can't read the sticker on the front windshield, probably gives a clue to who built this.
 
Agree on the E3 above, and even though the style isn't the type I would go for (dropped, large rims, etc), I think that the restoration @e30strube has documented in his restoration/project thread is an example of taking a core E3 and really making it into something different and unique - the smoothed engine bay, the attention to color and accents, etc.

E

Thread '1972 Bavaria - Full build and swap'

I've wanted to make a build thread for a looooooong time now as I started taking my car apart about 8 years ago. Full disclosure... the car is basically done already :) This will be a bit of a look back and this isn't the normal build.

Some basics... this is a 1972 Bavaria that spent most of its life in California. I bought it and brought it to Texas about 10 years ago. What I did...

Mechanical
M30B35 swap, megasquirt with wasted spark, the factory 5 speed that came with the engine (1989 735i motor), custom driveshaft, e28 rear end and LSD, individual throttle bodies, high flow pump in...
  • Like
 
I like it. Id just add some coilovers, BBS E50, scheel seats and an italvolanti ATI in my shopping cart soon as i got it home.
 
In my humble opinion, any major modifications to those beautiful body lines carry a high risk—it’s a fine line between good design and kitsch.
Engine, suspension, braking system—sure!
Bodywork modifications—yes, but subtle ones.
And the color of this BMW is just a disaster...
Nardo Grey and its derivatives look good on modern sports car bodies.
But on a car from the 70s... hmm...
 
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