(Soon to be) Sleepless in Seattle

SkiFast

It's never too late to have a happy childhood!
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Newbie to this site; last Bimmer was an 82' 635 CSI (Zender kit et al) I had for a decade in the 90's. Last resto was 35 years ago (Tiger, 59' 190SL, Datsun Roadsters). Which is to say, I'm rustier than the Karmann body I'm restoring.

I just bought a 71' CSi which has be sitting in parts inside a closed trailer for more than a decade. I get this will be a massive groud-up project. As such, I'm mapping out the process and building out my Excel table. Has anyone else has already done this....? Or put together a resource guide for parts or recommended upgrades? Here is what I'm thinking, open to constructive feedback -

Engine Upgrade: leaning towards B35 vs M88/3 (Seeking a rebuilt engine)
Transmission: Getrag 265 5 speed gearbox and Haltech m8 ECU or ? (Seeking a rebuilt Transmission)
Aspiration: Injection vs Natural (Leaning towards Injection)
Suspension: Coil Over Touring Shocks (Bilsteins?)
Frame: Reinforce Welds (anyone have a map of recommended spots to strengthen on frame, strut mounts or other?)

I plan to review past posts and cherry pick key information, unless one of you engineer types alread has?

Bryce
N. Seattle
 

dave v. in nc

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I love people with vigor!!...ambitious project, yes, but you have come to the right forum. Dont know that anyone has written a thesis on ground-up resto on an e9, but all of the archival info is here for the research. Keep us updated, and a picture or two is always appreciated. Many here with areas of expertise, and fortunately a few gurus that may not know all of it, but most of it...and are willing to share. I've got a coupe, a 2002, and for my caveman skill set, a Datsun roadster...I see you dabbled there as well. Welcome!
 

rsporsche

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good for you Bryce and welcome to the gruppe. check out the Best Sources thread

engine upgrades. there are many choices. a great source is SFDon in the bay area. the B35 is the most available and produces good power. the euro b34 is a 10:1 engine, harder to find, as is the m88 + m90. stay away from the US b34 low compression engine. if you build a strong engine, you should look in to megasquirt with the CSi intake manifold.

the 265 tranny is the smart choice, just be sure to get one with a speedo drive
either injection or sidedrafts. i like the reliability and performance of the injection ... i love the sound of the sidedrafts

cheers
scott
 

SkiFast

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Wow, that just saved me weeks or research, uber grateful!
I feel the exact same on the injection/sidedraft paradox.
I didn't know of Megasquirt, but value your input.
My guess is I have a year or two to find the best engine, I like Hp, but don't want to out-muscle the car (under 300 hp)
Any suspension advice?
 

leonine99

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@SkiFast if your coupe is truly apart, you have the opportunity to make any metal repairs to the body shell that you can, if you decide to go that route. it may involve an acid dip or at least a media blast, but the dip is more comprehensive. The caveat is you may be in for significant metal repair which means time and $$$. If you just want to shore it up and make a solid driver, that's a less painful direction. The poobahs in your neck of the woods will guide you properly, depending on your preference and budget. Listen closely and follow their direction!!
 
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SkiFast

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@rschick congrats on the purchase of a special car, and you're in great company up in the Seattle area. Get close to those guys, they're great fellows and have excellent knowledge.
@SkiFast if your coupe is truly apart, you have the opportunity to make any metal repairs to the body shell that you can, if you decide to go that route. it may involve an acid dip or at least a media blast, but the dip is more comprehensive. The caveat is you may be in for significant metal repair which means time and $$$. If you just want to shore it up and make a solid driver, that's a less painful direction. The poobahs in your neck of the woods will guide you properly, depending on your preference and budget. Listen closely and follow their direction!!
That is exactly what I indend to do! Why pay the dumb tax? lol. Interestingly, this car has a new fender and a factory hand-made quarter panel and a few other oddities. The previous owner was serious before his health failed. It does need a floor pan on the driver side, but only yesterday did I look inside the car! I've got my work cut out for sure. Thx
 

Markos

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@SkiFast - I'm trying to keep up with you. I'm merging a few of your posts from Rod's intro thread into a new post. Didn't see that you created your own thread. I botched it up a little but we are all good now. :)

@rsporsche - Dan and I moved your great post to the FAQ. You can still curate it there.
 

Markos

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@SkiFast,

Welcome aboard. Shot you a PM with my cell and some other info. There are plenty of cars in the area to provide inspiration fortunately. You are welcome to check out my beater at some point as well. As I mentioned in my PM, it can be hard to put these together without a reference car. A number of forum members have had these cars in complete pieces. Just about every part can be recognized. Hopefully your are bagged and tagged but even that can be tricky in terms of knowing where to fasten it.
 

teahead

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Show us some pics of your CSi!

Regarding frame reinforcement, this is a common update:

 
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SkiFast

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autokunst

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Welcome to the forum. It sounds like there are similarities to our paths. I trust the journey will be worthwhile. Looking forward to seeing pics of your coupe/project.
 

Markos

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@SkiFast did a socially distant check-in the other day. I saw the hoard and the car. The car needs work but there are no surprises given that it is shipped. Parts like the dash are in good shape. In some respects, I'm envious that he doesn't have to take his car apart, but I don't envy putting it back together. :D Fortunately he has lots of life lines including this forum! :)
 

SkiFast

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@SkiFast did a socially distant check-in the other day. I saw the hoard and the car. The car needs work but there are no surprises given that it is shipped. Parts like the dash are in good shape. In some respects, I'm envious that he doesn't have to take his car apart, but I don't envy putting it back together. :D Fortunately he has lots of life lines including this forum! :)
I found new fender frames, floor pans and sheet metal from BMW in the bottom of the last large box... every day has been like a birthday! Always a new gift lol! Thanks for the great advice Markos!
 
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