What to do?

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<50miles

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Hello All,

Well, it appears I might finally have the stars lined up so that a very capable bodyman can undertake a full restoration of my 72 3.0 cs. The problem is that while most everything is going to be brought back to factory spec (Polaris with Red Leather Interior, LSD, radio, AC, etc.) I am still agonizing over the transmission. On my other cars I have always stayed stock whenever possible. And since my mechanic is a jaguar man and knows the type of automatic transmission that is used in this car (since it was very commonly used on XJ6 and XJ12) his ability to get the best out of it is not in question. Nevertheless, it appears that most everybody on this site loves a manual, especially the 5 speed, and loathes the automatic. I am very perplexed. I like the idea of a manual (most of my cars are automatic), but I don't like the idea of losing originality and possibility affecting its future collectability.

Help.

I need to decide in a couple of months. I would like both the rational and emotional reasons.

Andrew
 
Five speed manual with tan leather interior is my guidance. Will increase value and enjoyment. Do not let the Jaguar mechanic do anything electrical, he is stuck on 5 volt with positive to chassis cars probably.
 
Dispite being the odd one out on the posts so far, I would advocate keeping the authenticity and provenance intact.

There are many buyers out there who would only ever buy a car with origionality. Left to right conversions and transmission changes always put off the purists when it comes to sell. I also know some auction houses and premium dealers who won't sell such 'converted', modified cars.

I agree the CS tranny is not one of BMW's finest moments, but the look of the giant 70's shifter is a thing of beauty in a CS interior.

Anyway just wanted to add my POV to this issue. Let us know what you decide in the end.
 
An auto to manual conversion is completely reversible you do not need to make any permanent modifications.

That said do what you want since it can be reverted back to auto.
 
Hello All,

Great responses so far. Please keep them coming. And from the purely asthetic point of view the automatic wooden shift knob looks great, and so does the 'automatic' script on the trunk lip.

Andrew
 
Last year I did a road trip with a friend in a magnificent/concours Jag with the BW 3-spd. The car drove very well and had a surprising amount of get up and go. There was never a feeling of wanting more acceleration or the need to row the gears.

I'd say the right decision depends on what you will do with the car and whether or not you have a crystal ball into the future market for E9's. If you have another classic car to satisfy your need for sport, and intend to use the car for casual touring and sharing with a significant other that doesn't revel in the experience of manual shifting (eg usage typical of a Mercedes 'pagoda' SL owner), an auto-box mated to an engine with increased torque might be a very nice combination. If your goal is to quiet criticism from the majority of E9/BMW enthusiasts a CR 5 spd and 3.25LSD is better. If you believe that future E9 buyers will become more like typical Jag E-type buyers then just remember you will spend twice taking it back to an auto of when you sell (or just keep it authentic and original). Personally, I hope the majority of the E9 market continues to value usability and sport over originality (mine was a 4-spd converted to a 5-spd, and I continue to modify it to suit my personal preferences). .
 
All my mods are reversible as I believe the ability to go back to original is a selling point, but I only went from 4 to 5 speed tranny-wise. Not that I plan on selling. But as I get older I am in the "not save my supermodel for the next guy" camp so I do to it what gives me the most driving pleasure within reason and budget. Like Bfeng says, depends on how you want to enjoy the car. If keeping the tranny original is what floats your boat then nothing but respect.
 
I'd go with whatever makes you the happiest when you're driving it. My coupe is transmission swapped, and I'm glad. I would not have purchased an automatic.

Per the resale value, you can always unwind the swap and go back to stock. Historically though, certain mods in E9's haven't hurt the values. Sell a M30B35 swapped car with a later transmission, and you'll actually open the car up to a greater pool of buyers.
 
I've owned one of each (auto, 4-sp, 5-sp). In addition to what others have shared above, I would only add that the old BW's seem to sap a lot of power.

Don
 
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