sorry , have to vent a bit

Belgiumbarry

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,633
Reaction score
1,147
Location
Belgium
within 3 weeks we are moving to a smaller house , as we wanted to downsize and cut maintenace, heating etc... we are getting "old " and want a easy old days.

Now my E9 is already a year for sale , asking 40k , street legal, i'm sure one of the best driving E9's around. On some occasions lowered to 34k , just to get the car sold.

But no... no interest. Is the market down ? or are most just looking for either wrecks to "restore " or high end cars to garage and brag ? i don't understand.

Seems average E9's are hobby wrenching creatures , repairing and searching parts .... who is really driving them and enjoy for what they were made ? Are most working on them in believe they create a little "fortune" worth car ? i just don't get .

OK, my car is still licensed for years in Belgium , so i can enjoy it further in regularity rallies , but must find a roof for it now.

Sorry , just had to vent... sold recent 5 cars , i always thought my E9 would be the first one to go..... no , the last one , even not yet .

PS as i sold my Morgan +4 i was looking for another cabriolet , and bought a '67 BB C2 . My next adventure :D
 
Venting to colleagues is very appropriate, we get your frustration, and we are safer than drowning things in alcohol :).
My uninformed opinion is that you are facing the idiosyncrasies of your local market, in the US or South America the car would have sold in a short time. Short of shipping the car to the US, the main option I would consider is consignment instead of selling it on your own. That may solve the storage problem and delegate the sale to a sales person in a reputable place.

Good luck!
 
I feel for you Barry- I'm surprised this car hasn't sold yet. It's a coupe you can go bang on and not risk it falling apart. Ok, so not everyone likes red and perhaps the interior isn't pristine but still, I'd rather have a paintjob and some trim work in front of me than a rusty hulk that needs both paint and lots of rust remediation and potential engine swap/rebuild
 
I don’t know what the situation is like in Belgium, but certainly here in the US, the war in Ukraine combined with the Covid pandemic and high inflation has caused the stock market to drop significantly since the beginning of the year. That affects a lot of people’s discretionary income. With most people on edge because of all of that, I’m sure few are anxious to spend money for nonessential things.

Secondly, I would guess that a racing past, even if it is just regularity rallies, would not be, for most people looking for a vintage car, a highly positive thing on its résumé. And, because of the reasons above, I’m sure that even fewer people are in the mood to buy “race“ cars these days.
 
Last edited:
Hey Barry, I also live in Belgium. I bought my 3.0CS in 2015 with the intent of driving it as much as I can. Unfortunately my car broke down very often so from 2015 to 2019 I have only put about 1500km on it. I stripped it down in march 2020 and started driving it again in july this year. 3000km in 2 months and enjoying every bit of it.

In these 2 months I have gotten so many compliments, everywhere I went. Some people even followed me to where I was going to ask about it.

What I have noticed with some 02 owners is that originality is key. People are willing to pay for our cars but they seen scared whenever modifications are done. I can somehow understand that because these modifications can be a pain if they break down and need to be repaired. Who is going to help them if they have 2 left hands?

I can check with some people in my region to see if there is any interest. Shoot me a pm.
 
Thanks guys for the replys.... i only feel dissapointed that "my" car which has proved so reliable over the years and costed so much money to build what it is now , driving so perfect... scares people because of some mods. Okay , this is a real drivers car , no static show model as a "investment" .....
Erik , rollcage is removed as are the bucket seats , all now oem interior .

And ex regularity rally car ? that just proves how well it drives, not those driven ( or trailered) to a car&coffee a few times a year . A car that is driven needs maintenance and is ready for any next adventure.

And CTD , people with 2 left hands shouldn't buy a oldtimer at all. Better a Tesla :D
 
What I have noticed with some 02 owners is that originality is key.
In my limited experience:

UK: love modifications for reliability and sporting use, but prefer original style.
US: heavy customization is popular
Germany: originality is prized because less hassles with vehicle inspection/registration and respect for the original decisions of the designers.

Personally, I like your car and think it is easily worth $50k. But I prioritized driving robustness combined with period correct modifications. Maybe it needs to be seen at big classic car and old timer BMW events —- where people can have a chance to appreciate the solid structure and ride/drive to experience the great dynamic performance.
 
within 3 weeks we are moving to a smaller house , as we wanted to downsize and cut maintenace, heating etc... we are getting "old " and want a easy old days.

Now my E9 is already a year for sale , asking 40k , street legal, i'm sure one of the best driving E9's around. On some occasions lowered to 34k , just to get the car sold.

But no... no interest. Is the market down ? or are most just looking for either wrecks to "restore " or high end cars to garage and brag ? i don't understand.

Seems average E9's are hobby wrenching creatures , repairing and searching parts .... who is really driving them and enjoy for what they were made ? Are most working on them in believe they create a little "fortune" worth car ? i just don't get .

OK, my car is still licensed for years in Belgium , so i can enjoy it further in regularity rallies , but must find a roof for it now.

Sorry , just had to vent... sold recent 5 cars , i always thought my E9 would be the first one to go..... no , the last one , even not yet .

PS as i sold my Morgan +4 i was looking for another cabriolet , and bought a '67 BB C2 . My next adventure :D
Barry,

I did see your other thread but would you mind sending me some current photos? Do you have the bumpers also? I personally think your car is cool, basically in line with what I’d want to do. Although I’m in the US and I’m aware of complications importing a car with an unoriginal engine.
 
Barry,

I’d love to see some current pics and details of the less than perfect parts of your car. I have other street race cars and your car has always been interesting to me. Thanks, mark
 
Hello fellow bird of a feather.

As someone who has evolved stock E9s to 'Sporting' E9s, I appreciate your car and build a great deal as i am along a similar path. Your E9 is "sorted+", and likely to show tail lights to most of its brethren.

If I was in the market, I would consider your offering heavily as the heavy lifting is done and only need to address personal taste.
A new steward could enjoy as is and tell tall tales of its contemporary competition adventures (Euro log book) before they lay a stamp of its athelitism as they leave the lot.

Color and wheels changes are easy compared big resto projects.

Your example is turn the key and 'go like hell'. Time is short and gas isn't gettin any cheaper as I wait for my new 'sport' motor from the builder. (yes, off schedule a bit now). Turn around times and costs on parts and services are NOT what they were (had mine for 20+yrs). Take heed folks.

If you were in California, I'd invite ya to a play date. I'm sure it would be smile provoking ;)

GLWS
 
Hi guys , had some PM's but it seems one cannot see my Belgian ad from the US because of registration stuff etc... i will post the pics here of the good and bad things .....
 
I start with some description , '70 2800CS

New M30 3.5l engine ! now i estimate around 6000 km. ( was a gift from BMW in '86 to a tech school for display )
Triple Webers with airbox and KMS ignition with coilpack
Schnitzer headers , custom stainless exhaust
Dog leg 5 box
LSD
Intrax suspension with coilovers all four corners
Tilton pedal box , Wilwood brakes front , rear oem
Decent body , was done in 2013 when i bought the car in Germany.
We flared the fenders just a little bit to accept 245 tires
Missing : bumpers, glovebox , under steering column panels and door keys
Damage to the roof liner from the ex roll cage
225 tires on 16" wheels , 245 tires on 17" wheels
New radio , new 3 points harnesses
Battery in trunk
Electric fuel pump
new rally suede steering wheel

and no need to say , the car drives fantastic with it's short gearing. Real fun car for the little country roads....
On "our" dyno we see 225 HP and 320 NM

I have no missing oem parts anymore , throwed it all away in 2013..... :(
 
Last edited:
275503213_10225059561929992_3437678683810152439_n - kopie.jpg

275601890_10225059565250075_4926227869237283125_n.jpg
 
Back
Top