08-07-2019, 08:42 AM | #1 |
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My E9 2800cs restoration journal
I'm not sure if this is the right place for this post, or if any one is interested but I'm bored at work so why not.
A few months ago one of my dreams cars popped up on a local facebook page, a 1971 BMW E9. Its a 2800cs to be specific, not quite the 3.0csi of my dreams but pretty damn close!!! The photos in the ad looked promising, especially for the price. ![]() ![]() I found myself looking at what appeared to a pretty straight and complete E9, and in budget. I immediately messaged the seller and asked for pics of the curious looking spot on the passenger front... The seller sent a few more photos and it was clear it was going to need some love. ![]() ![]() We chatted some more, and I got some pics of the interior which had the dash pulled apart and the ac and heater box removed. ![]() I was assured all the parts were there and the seats and door cards actually looked pretty decent. ![]() ![]() We exchanged a few more messages and photos, and the engine looked dirty but complete. ![]() ![]() I tried to find a good time to make the hour drive up to look at it but sadly life got in the way and I wasn't going to be able to make it for a week or so. I thanked the seller, and said I was sure I was going to miss out on it but I said I would try to make it up. About a week or so later, I happened to check the facebook ad and to my surprise it was still up and available. I made the arraignments to go take a look. When my dad and I arrived I had some mixed feelings. It had a lot more dings and dents than what was visible in the photos and the rats nest of interior wiring from the AC removal looked to be a mess. We inspected the car and found very little rust, and a trunk full of parts. It was all there except for a bumper. I hoped in the drivers seat, turned on the key, and the temp gauge showed cold. I always check that to make sure they didn't warm it up before our arrival. I floored the gas pedal to set the choke, turned the key, and it roared to life. It actually sounded pretty good. I made arraignments to purchase the car. Sadly I had a trip planned the next weekend so my dad had to go pick it up that weekend alone. ![]() ![]() My dad and I partner on cars, and split a lot of the work and expense, we agreed the car would sit until our J-10 and Xj Wagoneer Jeeps were sold. Well I guess he got a little excited, while I was on my trip I received this photo of the E9 off the trailer and in the shop. The 02 was on the lift being prepped for the vintage trip and he couldn't resist the photo. ![]() It was supposed to go to our hanger to be stored until we were ready to start but when I showed up that following Monday, it was still there. I guess I couldn't resist the photo opportunity either. ![]() We decided that with the vintage coming up, we would need to put together a list of parts we were looking for so rather than wait, we started on the car. I took it for a very short drive as seen in the video here. ![]() Then we put it on the lift. ![]() ![]() ![]() A little oily but very little rust, which in these cars can be a killer. The front bushings were pretty bad, so we made a note to order them. The fresh Bilstein HD's were a pleasant surprise. We then turned our attention to putting the A/C, heat box, and dash back together. This may sound like an odd starting point but these parts take up a large hole in the firewall, with out them you can almost see the engine. My dad, a former A/C technician in the 80's tested the heater core and AC condenser, and they appeared to be ok. Then his attention turned to the blower motor for the AC and reassembly. Using our trusty 77 Jeep Wagoneer, we tested the Air con blower motor in the video below. ![]() The heater box fan sadly was dead, so we started searching for that. Since the suspension bushings arrived, I gave the under side of the car a good degreasing.... its going to need a lot more but this made the suspension work less miserable. ![]() We dug into the suspension. ![]() With the new poly bushings(I couldn't find another color) installed we buttoned everything up. ![]() While we did end up with a killer deal on a front bumper at the Vintage, that's all we found. We may have found a source for most of the other missing parts, but we didnt want to wait any longer on the heater fan so I dug through my 02 spares. I have several 02 heater boxes and fans, and while its a different part, they actually are close to the same size. I found one that was free spinning and my dad tested it. The 02 heater box. ![]() We had to change the fan and modify the mounting a little, but the motor worked in the E9's box, which we resealed and is ready to install. ![]() While the car was on the lift we inspected the accident damage on the front corner, and it doesn't look too bad. My parent's neighbor owns a body shop and hes fairly certain we can pull it out. ![]() The next step is to pull the driveshaft and trans, reseal the trans and diff, new guibo and csb on the shaft, and put in a new clutch and bearings. |
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08-07-2019, 08:46 AM | #2 |
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Removed the exhaust and driveshaft.
![]() Out came the shifter. ![]() I believe this is the source of the speedo issues. If you watched the video I posted earlier it was doing "90" in a 20, haha. ![]() And out came the trans. ![]() Up next..... clutch removal. ![]() I love having a lift... haha. ![]() This is a little further than I thought we were going to go. ![]() We installed a new clutch. ![]() ![]() And put the trans back in. The top bolts were interesting to get hand started but a few extensions and swivels we were in business. ![]() As my grandfather used to say, "I could tighten it from in the truck." He was a weird guy. ![]() And installed and mostly buttoned back up. We also ran new wires to the reverse light sensor. ![]() Anyway, we had some parts on order and they finally came in. We buttoned up the exhaust, driveshaft, and shifter and put it back on its wheels. ![]() It sat there for about 15 minutes before the interior started coming out. The seats look pretty good, not sure if we are going to redye them or just clean them for now. ![]() I also paid way too much for these AC hardlines, but I had to have them. ![]() Anyway, back to the interior. We pulled the door cards and removed some of the wood trim. ![]() ![]() It looks like I am going to learn how to lay a veneer. We may change the color and grain, so we have some samples coming. ![]() We also sent the power steering pump out to be rebuild. At the price it was a bargain. It looks like its ready to ship back to us. ![]() ![]() ![]() So as of now, we are waiting on the pump and veneer samples. We also need to pick a carpet color and order that kit while the interior is out and then start putting it all back together. |
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08-07-2019, 08:50 AM | #4 |
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Not a huge update but we finished pulling the door cards, thankfully the doors weren't full of rust.
![]() We also got the rest of the interior out, as you can see the carpet is not saveable. Again, I was happy to not see the shop floor while in the car. One of the writers for Bmw Roundel magazine Rob Siegel just did a big write up where to look for rust on these cars, one of the best quotes in the article is. "they will start oxidizing if you even think a moist thought within 20 feet of them." I have been happy with the little rust we have found. ![]() Then, out came the back seats which are in amazing shape. ![]() I picked up the passenger seat from the e9 the other night and brought it home. It fit nicely in the wagon. ![]() It needed a good cleaning badly. ![]() I used a mixture of steam and leather cleaner with a horse hair brush. The steam pulled up a lot of gunk on its own. ![]() ![]() After the steam I went over it with leather cleaner. ![]() After I finished the seat, I continued the same process on the head rest. Before. ![]() After. ![]() Once the seat and the head rest dried out a little I gave them both a thick coat of conditioner. ![]() And the finished product. It was still soaking up conditioner in this pic but after buffing with a microfiber it now has a less glossy finish. ![]() It didn't come out perfect but I love the patina on it.. its like an old baseball glove. We wanted to fix the wood trim so we pulled the dash. ![]() Since we had the dash out, we shipped it out to be refinished. We hope to see it before Christmas. Since we now had access to all the wood trim, we got to work on it. The dash trim wasn't terrible but it did need some attention. ![]() And the gauge cluster trim has seen better days. ![]() We have most of the trim re-veneered as of now although the gauge cluster is a pain in the ass. Now we just need to decide on a stain color. ![]() And the finished cluster bezel. ![]() The next projects will be staining the wood, replacing the carpets, and cleaning the seats, while the dash is out for repair. We are also going to start on some of the body work repairs while we wait on the dash. The dates have been announced for the 2020 Vintage and I have my sights set on driving it up. That pretty much brings this up to date, sorry if it reads a little weird I copied it from another forum. |
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08-07-2019, 08:59 AM | #7 |
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I post over there every now and then but I mostly use it to source parts. Do you have a 2000cs? I honestly was trying to find one of those rather than a 2800 or 3.0. I think they are cooler looking cars than the later E9's.
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08-07-2019, 09:05 AM | #8 | |
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In the repaint, the prior owner painted the lower portion Anthracite (gray metallic) I believe, and the top jet black (starting at the bottom of the a-pillar, not the trim or other lines). This gave it a pretty cool look - I’ve never seen another with this combination. However it wasn’t original and that would be a big no-no today. |
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08-07-2019, 09:09 AM | #9 | |
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08-07-2019, 10:48 AM | #10 |
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very cool! looking forward to seeing the progress in this thread!
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08-07-2019, 12:28 PM | #11 |
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great project.. one of the cars of my dream garage..
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08-07-2019, 03:12 PM | #14 |
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Coolest thing I've ever seen with regard to an E9. I had two sold out from under me about 3 or 4 years ago so I gave up. I'm glad you and your dad are doing this project...it must be very cool to work with him!!
The hanger is amazing and I'm mixed with an odd cornucopia of feelings including jealousy, admiration, and outright hatred!! J/K...you guys have a great setup and it's really something to be emulated! Thanks for sharing and good luck in the future! Really looking forward to more shots! Cheers-MK
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08-07-2019, 03:47 PM | #16 | |
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08-07-2019, 04:54 PM | #17 |
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Love love love this whole thread. Thank you for going to the effort to make these posts!!
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08-08-2019, 01:47 AM | #19 |
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Amazing story, sub'd
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08-08-2019, 08:28 AM | #20 |
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Have you seen the one that Brendan and Tony just recently finished?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater |
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08-08-2019, 08:43 AM | #21 | |
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08-12-2019, 08:29 AM | #22 |
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great story!!!
cant wait til its finished! |
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