Classic E9 Coupe w/Tasteful Upgrades

This striking 1973 3.0 Coupe was restored about a dozen years ago by well known E9 restorer Don Lawrence of San Francisco, with select upgrades designed to enhance safety & drivability.

After purchasing the car in Beaverton OR, the previous owner commissioned an upgrade to the car's suspension & drivetrain. Don sourced and updated a 1990 3.5 litre M30 B35 engine from a 1990 735 and transplanted an E39 5-speed with new mounts and short shifter. A 3.65:1 LSD was also added along with modifications to the speedometer's worm gear so relatively accurate speed is indicated. Having owned this car for the past nine years, we can accurately state the speedometer reads approx. 4-5 mph slow. The VDO clock was rebuilt by Palo Alto Speedometer with a quartz movement & keeps perfect time.

While the drivetrain was removed, the awkward US-required reflectors and markers were removed and the body was then filled and painted. As expected, some rust was found in both front fenders, rocker panels and the lower portion of the front nose. All rust was removed, the front fenders were replaced and the entire car was repainted below the chrome belt line. There are typical chips and nicks here and there after a dozen years of driving, and the body could certainly stand a repaint if one wanted to bring it to concours standard. The windshield gasket shows signs of shrinkage and some wind noise is noticeable when driving at highway speeds. The electric sunroof functions properly and does not leak.

The car's stance is ideal and it sits on 16” BBS rims w/Goodyear Eagle GTs and plenty of tread remaining, although they wear 2011 & 2012 date codes and should be replaced prior to any serious driving. There is a 5th BBS rim for use as a spare. The suspension was completely revamped and polyurethane bushings were substituted for the original rubber. The adjustable rear sway bar assists the Bilstein dampers and the car rides, handles and stops splendidly.

Inside, new front door cards were sourced and installed incorporating no speaker holes. The leather was redone in its original blue by a previous owner, so just the dashboard was recovered in correct material with new wood veneer also installed. There is an upgraded, period-correct Blaupunkt Tucson AM/FM Cassette unit that plays through the original dash-mounted speaker and speakers mounted on the rear parcel shelf. The OE Hirschman power antenna extends automatically when the radio is turned on.

Other modifications and updates include H1 & H4 European headlights, period-correct Hella halogen driving lights, CSL-style air dam, new front calipers, brake pads and SS-braided brake lines. The A/C system was upgraded to R134a and blows ice cold.

The car comes with a 3-inch binder containing receipts for all work down by the previous two owners totaling well over $30k. Also included are two original volumes of BMW's parts catalog for the 2800-3.0 CS.

This is a well documented, fully updated and useable classic that is fun to drive, turns heads and generates appreciative comments wherever it goes.