Trying to get my "73 Bavaria Survivor on the road...very Expensive quotes for repairs...advise needed

My take if you don't want to wrench yourself: Drive it over to SFDon, discuss with him what makes most sense fitting your budget, and get him to do it. As DeQ noted you are about 120 miles/200 km's north of SF, that's next door in US terms, right?

Benefits:
- you are sure that the work is done correctly.
- You are sure that no unnecessary work is done & billed.
- You are sure it will solve issues, instead of generating new issues.
- You are sure the money spend is invested in the car; expect to see a lot of it back either in joy & confidence while driving, or in sales price should you ever want to sell it.

Con's? Don seems to be quite busy, but isn't that a sign of good workmanship?
 
After The Quail and Legends…

The smart thing to do is Get a Leakdown Test before you do anything else.
You can do that locally. Cheap, fast, easy.

Share the results here.
 

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Yep, lots of good advice..I just want to see myself repeat it all...LOL. I agree that if you're close to SFDon, go that way. If you aren't able to do the work yourself, you really need to be able to trust someone. Good people on here. I learned my way around 2002s and other cars for the past 25 years, but that 'expert' sound horrendous. I hate to think that people are out there getting ripped off by idiots like that. Ugh. Keep everyone in the loop and you'll get sorted, I'm sure..:)
 
Hey Steve, I’m in the Oroville area and I have a 69 E3 that is a work in progress. I don’t have a great place to work on cars but I’d be happy to meet up with you and see if I can help at all. Or commiserate. Send me a PM if you want to get together.

I think I know the shop you speak of, I understand the situation well. As all the fine experts here have indicated, there are alternatives that are less costly and possibly a straighter line to your goal.
John
 
Thanks every one for the helpful comments.

The update:
i went to pick up the bav today after the front seal was replaced and the guy told me they had finished with the carburetors. Started it up and had a constant backfire. The guy called the owner who said it would cost me 6hrs to get the carbs right (I’ve already paid to have one zenith rebuilt with a rebuild kit I believe). I suppose the second carb needs a lot of attention?..

i figure I’ll bring it home and start tinkering and keep folks posted. Oh, the original owner found a stack of the maintenance and repair receipts, so I’ll start going thru those for fun. Again, thanks for yer help
 
this forum is a great example of the value of knowledge, John Galt sort. If I were you, I would send it to Don tomorrow. Nothing is more satisfying than having someone solve your problem who does so every day, unless you know how to do so yourself. Weigh the dollar against the angst.
 
‘73 Bav said:
Thanks every one for the helpful comments.

The update:
i went to pick up the bav today after the front seal was replaced and the guy told me they had finished with the carburetors. Started it up and had a constant backfire. The guy called the owner who said it would cost me 6hrs to get the carbs right (I’ve already paid to have one zenith rebuilt with a rebuild kit I believe). I suppose the second carb needs a lot of attention?..

i figure I’ll bring it home and start tinkering and keep folks posted. Oh, the original owner found a stack of the maintenance and repair receipts, so I’ll start going thru those for fun. Again, thanks for yer help
Click to expand...

My 2800CS has an occasional backfire and cleaning and rebuilding the carbs had no effect on that. My original non-running issues were due to the points being all out of adjustment. I got it running by installing a Pertronix but the backfire remains. Using a timing light I could see that the timing was all over the map. The distributor has much more wrong with it than the points. I've got a rebuilt replacement waiting to go in when I can get back to working on the car.
I'm not saying you don't have carb issues, but I'd check the timing as well. That's not fun as you have to spot the mark on the flywheel looking down through a port in the transmission. Assuming you have timing light of course. My timing is so erratic that most of the time the ball is nowhere near the window making that task impossible.

There are some reference files on Zenith carbs in the reference section. I also have the E3 Service manuals, aka 'the blue books' and could provide some more relevant detail if needed.
 
coupedegrace said:
Forum member @alprada70 makes PS pressure hoses that are very well regarded by the members who have purchased them. If it turns out you do need to replace yours, I'd start with him.

Here's his website: http://www.oilsdesigngroup.com/

Also take a look at the FAQ sections here, super helpful, especially the list of parts vendors.

After that, the DIY section is also really helpful.

Hopefully these resources will help you get it running again at a reasonable outlay.

-Dan
Click to expand...
Thanks for all of the links! Very helpful
 
mulberryworks said:
My 2800CS has an occasional backfire and cleaning and rebuilding the carbs had no effect on that. My original non-running issues were due to the points being all out of adjustment. I got it running by installing a Pertronix but the backfire remains. Using a timing light I could see that the timing was all over the map. The distributor has much more wrong with it than the points. I've got a rebuilt replacement waiting to go in when I can get back to working on the car.
I'm not saying you don't have carb issues, but I'd check the timing as well. That's not fun as you have to spot the mark on the flywheel looking down through a port in the transmission. Assuming you have timing light of course. My timing is so erratic that most of the time the ball is nowhere near the window making that task impossible.

There are some reference files on Zenith carbs in the reference section. I also have the E3 Service manuals, aka 'the blue books' and could provide some more relevant detail if needed.
Click to expand...
Helpful info, thanks!
 
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