Re: new coupe owner with lots of questions :) (archive)

I recently purchased a 1974 3.0CS in bad need of restoration. My goal is to end up with a clean, running, daily driver. My coupe is currently none of these. I started to write all of the questions I have in a post, but the post became obscenely long, so I decided to make a web-page instead. I put all of the questions I currently have, and my email address on the web page. If / when I get answers to my questions, I will put them there as well. The URL is
http://lowe.cx/Auto/BMW/1974_3.0CS/QandA.html
If you think you could answer some of my questions, I would be very appreciative, and at worst I suspect some of you will find my ignorance hurmorous :) Also you can visit this url: http://lowe.cx/Auto/BMW/1974_3.0CS/
to see some pictures of my coupe. I would post them, but they are very large, and I don't think that would be polite. For those of you who are going to tell me that I bought a rust bucket which will never be worth what I put in it . . ., I know :). I wanted a coupe, and this is the one I could afford. It has brought me it's price in happiness already.
Sincerely,
Andy Lowe

-------------------------------------------------
Andy,

I sent you a seperate email, but I wanted to touch base with you here in case the email doesn't make it to you.

As the others have mentioned, it looks like to make a really decent "driver" out of your car you have an enormous amount of work ahead of you.

Most cars have one area where they "shine," being a great body, mechanicals, interior, etc., but other areas where they need help. On the face of it, yours needs considerable work in almost all areas.

You have to decide if you want to invest well over $10,000 in a project that if you paid others to do the work, you would probably not recover even a fraction of your money.

For instance, one can buy a very decent car for $10,000 complete, but spending $6000 just on an engine and tranny for your car might only increase the value of yours by $2000 above that it would have if it had a running original engine. That's $4000 possibly "gone" immediately. Rust repair and paint could easily cost another $8000-12,000 (depending upon the degree of rust based on teh pictures). The replacement of all the rubber components would be another $2000 w/ labor, and a nice interior $1500-3000.

That's $20,000+ already, and we haven't factored in the cost of teh car itself. For that price you can buy one of the nicer coupes on the market.

If that's what you want to do, and money of no object, then I understand, but I sense a financial sensitivity that would tell me that money IS an issue, in which case you might reconsider just HOW NICE a car you want to build from your chassis.

I'm not trying to be a "downer," BUT you need to go into this project with your eyes wide open.

There are too many unhappy people out there who are selling 50-75% finished project cars for which they have $20,000 in receipts and who are hoping to get only $7000 or so from the sale.

Best regards,
Bob

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ CS (E9) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.