1973 BMW 3.0 CS

[Tom74]

Hi,

I have my eye on one of the above which is up in a local auction, looks clean but needs a bit of TLC, apparently a "good runner".

Does anyone have any idea what they are worth? I have tried to look online but am not getting anywhere with price guides.

Any help much appreciated!

Tom

[E31Shrew]

Hi Tom

Have a gander at this thread if you havent seen it!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... 72 BMW CS

[Tom74]

Great thread and partly what sparked my interest!

[E31Shrew]

I too would love one but they all seem to be way overpriced or dogs. If only I had taken the plunge a few years back when you could've picked one up for a song!

Did you see the 3.0CSL at £65000?

[Tom74]

No, didn't see that one. The one I'm looking at seems keenly priced at circa £3-5k, except we have no MOT equivalent here which could be a problem. Equally it could be an utter dog!

[Gruber]

Impossible to hazzard a guess at value without a very careful inspection. I thought carefully about one of these before buying my 635.

There are three or four for sale on a couple of the classic car sites for between £7k (for one described as good but requiring a little TLC) and £12k (described as excellent). My guess is that a really good one with low mileage and a recent full restoration could be worth as much as £20k. A rusty MoT-fail car with high miles is probably worth no more than £2.5k.

The terms "good runner" and "needs tlc" could mean anything from "bodywork is rotten but the engine's good" through to "full MOT but a little tatty round the edges".

Have you viewed it? How bad is it?

[Tom74]

Not viewed it yet, will be on Thursday. Description is 'excellent running order' although it goes on to say it comes with a new set of seals, doesn't say which ones though.

Looks ok in the pictures I have seen but they aren't great resolution so really waiting until I can see it. As it's in an auction and I won't be able to attend I wanted to leave a reasonable bid if the car looks ok but had no idea what reasonble might be as in the past this auctioneers estimates have been variable!

Looks like Any bid should be on the low side though, thanks.

[belleair302]

Rust and fire damage are the two biggest problems these beautiful cars suffer from. Look closely at the chassis, front wings, bootlid, windscreen surrounds and under the bonnet. If stored over the winter owners who start them have watched in horror come spring as they burst into flames within seconds of the starter motor turning. The fuel lines are major weak points even when replaced.

Getting such a car restored is not a problem, but finding a good car to start from is way more difficult.

[Tom74]

Went to see this today, lots of filler and rust in all the wrong places which was dissapointing. There was a nice Riley Brooklands though, bit rich for my pocket!

If any one is curious the catalogue is at: http://www.antiquemann.im/downloads/20101001.pdf

[neutral 3]

I have a CSL on the go at the moment, 73 in Polaris, i have lusted after one since 1982, but allways been just out of reach. So its a long held ambition fullfilled...
Overhaul is going slowly due to lack of funds, a rear quarter is an eye watering £1,100 , but i cant wait to get her finished.

Re the body, They even made the fuel filler flap from alloy !! And the Shell is thinner gauge than the CSI/CS.
Check every where for rot, inc the boot floor, but i dont beleive they are a complicated shell to restore and a 3 Litre Capri, rots far worse than a CS Shell.