1972 Bavaria

[73E3]

Hey guys and dolls, I know this is a 2002 forum but I hope you don't mind me chatting about my car (got no where else to post it). When I first started looking for a replacement for my Italian Stallion, 86 Alfa Romeo GTV6, I started hunting for a 2002. I found the search frustrating, pricing for decent cars was above what I was able to handle. Those in my price range needed too much rust repair. Since I'm both monetarily and mechanically challenged, I knew a 2002 was out of my reach.

Since I was unable to find my beloved 2002 in the type of condition I wanted, one with manageable rust, I went hunting for something a bit different, for a Bavaria. For those who don't know what a Bavaria is, its the forerunner of the 5 Series. The first E3's came out in 1968 and the last one came alone in 1976 right on the heals of the 530i's arrival.

I figured I'd find one for way less than a 2002, but with lots more power, a fantastic ride, and stellar turn-in and handling with room for 4 to boot. Found an 1972 Agave / Brown, sunroof, roll-up windows, dual Zenith carbs, 3 liter M30 engine, and a 4 speed.

Drove her home from Conn. down the Saw Mill and she handled like a .. like a well 2002 on steroids. Smooth engine, sweet snickerly 4 speed, and a tight well controlled ride with a light feelsome steering through its huge bus like rim. I still would love to have a 2002 one of these days, but in the meantime I'm enjoying my Bavarian Beauty. I'd love to post some pics of her but can't I'm still a Newbie.

[Long6]

Seems like a nice ride.
You can just upload the to photobucket and give us the link

[2many02s]

Kinda funny how things happen. I was going to build a Super Bav a couple of years ago and every one I found was too far gone. Built an M5 clone instead. I still like em.

[Febi Guibo]

Hi... did you write a similar article to your post above for the NY BMW CCA newsletter? I loved your article... all I could think was, "Man, I wanna hang out with this guy!"

Congrats on getting what sounds like your dream car... just say no to 'Bangle Butt' people!

[HarryPR]

Congrats on your new ride!

I have wanted a Bavaria ever since I had a chance to drive one many years ago owned by a friend's dad. Unfortunately they are almost non-existent here.

Please post pics of it as soon as you can!

[73E3]

Long6 - I can't post pictures still too new on this site but, read on. (BTW, 6 ain't that long .. LOL) Febi_Guibo - guilty as charged, I did write Bangle Butt my A** took the pics too, for the NY Chapter's newsletter, I put a link to it in my signature. Definitely love the 72 Bavaria, its really a neat car that is in such original condition I couldn't believe it when I saw it. I had to have it. HarryPR - looks like you have a neat collection of BMW's in PR. Next time I hit the island I'll have to look you up maybe catch a ride in the 2002 to see what I'm missing. 2Many02s - yeah there are not many Bavaria's still around, and you're right, most are really rusty. I've traveled all over the Northeast looking for one, went to Pennsylvania to see a 1976 3.0si that was very very solid, but the automatic, suspension, and brakes were shot .. but I still wanted it, leveler heads prevailed. I would have had to get the tranny and brakes fixed in PA and didn't like losing control of who's working on my car so I passed on that one.

[bam2002]

If you own a Bavaria you need to get with http://www.seniorsix.org/
It a great group of guys. I had a Bav 9 years ago and it was rear ended by a work van and totaled. I just got another one about 6 months ago and rejoined the group. Actually there was a big car show at the BMW factory . Eurofest.. And about 10 Bavarias showed up.. It was great.
They also have a Email forum at gopostal@seniorsix.org

I also have a few round tail light 02s around. I was lucky enough to get a Baur convertible 1600 a while back. It been at a restoration shop for a year now. So hopefully Ill get it back soon..

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery....9&gid=17803167
Some photos of the cars. The Classic Blue and white RHD mini is my GFs..

B

[76duece]

Very cool, I read that just last week. I'm up in Peekskill, where are you in NY? The saw mill is a cool road but the lights on the lower end are no fun.
Larry

[bigdog68]

Very cool when the budget is right a Bavaria is on the list! Congrats on the car!

[73E3]

bam2002 - B, Love the seniorsix website I used the information there to select the Bavaria and knew I'd found a good one after reading it. I wanted to go to Eurofest sent messages to the email address at the seniorsix website got no responses. Oh well.

long6 - I can't even post a link until I pass some minimum posting threshold. Booo hooo.

76deuce - I'm in NYC, Brooklyn to be exact. The lights at the end of the Saw Mill caught me while I was rushing round one of those sweeping turns and got to feel the power of the brake system on the Bavaria, surprised and happy they were up to snuff.

[bam2002]

Great article.. You found a nice car. Mine was a $500 ebay find. A FL car with very little rust, but had the transmission welded in 4th gear. ( Something that happens when you run with no gear lube) . Clear coat is going, its needed a Master and Slave clutch cyl. But has AC, runs great with the Weber upgrade. I put another 4 speed in it, but I am getting the rest of the parts for the 5 pseed conversion.
As far as the Sr six web site, its not really watched. You need to get on the gopostal list if you want to get ahold of the group.

For those that are interested..
http://www.nybmwcca.org/newsletters/...7BMW.final.pdf

Barry

[CSBM5]

Wow, nice find! I would have bought that car in a heartbeat as one in that condition is extremely rare. My dad purchased a 72 Bav new back when I was 13 years old, and I bought the car from him in 1980. I had the car for 14 years before I stupidly sold it in 1994. I had a quasi-M5 before the E28 M5 even existed with help from Korman Autoworks (Korman built stage 2 motor with triple Webers, headers, cam, etc.; suspension -- springs, Bilsteins, huge 28/22 sway bars, 8x16 wheels, Alpina bushings). The car was a blast, and I used to win CCA autocrosses and track events (we used to run time trials at track events back in the mid-80's at Summit Point) with it all the time. My wife and I drove it up to Albany NY for the 1982 BMW CCA Oktoberfest, and it won the inaugural "Best Bavaria" award. I did most all of the on-going work/maintenance on the car myself including rebuilding the whole front suspension, doing all calipers, etc. I knew every inch of that car.

I sold it to a "supposed' enthusiast who freaked out over the car. He apparently let it rot in a field for years as I recently had someone find the car and send me some pictures. I gave up on the thought of repurchasing the car given what he let happen to it. (I quit counting at $20,000 on what it would cost to fully restore the car). I'll post some before and after pics below. I sure wish I could have it back -- good luck with yours! I look forward to seeing some nice pictures and hearing more about the car. These pictures below were taken in 1988, but the car looked essentially identical when I sold it in 1994.

Chuck

Sorry for the thread hijack with my pics below, but I am a 1972 Bavaria fanatic (got my license in one in 1974) who has always owned BMWs ever since (usually two or three at a time, lol).












Here's what the guy I sold it to allowed to happen:



Check out my nice Recaro seats!

[sublimefan187]

Thats a damn shame...

[CSBM5]

Found an 1972 Agave / Brown, sunroof, roll-up windows, dual Zenith carbs, 3 liter M30 engine, and a 4 speed.

Drove her home from Conn. down the Saw Mill and she handled like a .. like a well 2002 on steroids. Smooth engine, sweet snickerly 4 speed, and a tight well controlled ride with a light feelsome steering through its huge bus like rim. I still would love to have a 2002 one of these days, but in the meantime I'm enjoying my Bavarian Beauty. I'd love to post some pics of her but can't I'm still a Newbie.

73E3,

Any updates on the car? How about some pictures?

Regards,
Chuck

[nick2002]

Hey guys, I figured this would be a good place to start trying to sell my e3. It is a 1973 3.0s, I have too many projects currently and hate to give this up but time and money say otherwise. I've put so much into this car and just dont have enough to finish it. Cream exterior on brown interior, all factory and complete, pretty much rust free, crack free dash, fully rebuilt transmission by Jack Fahuna in Los Angeles, new cooling system, rebuilt webers. looking to get around $2000 for it, but i'm in it way more than this. very clean car, just needs a little more TLC to make a great daily driver. Would like to sell asap, PM me or email me ntolosa12@yahoo.com. Car has been parked at my work parking structure for the past few weeks so it is always under a roof.

[73E3]

Hello all, finally able to post some pictures. Here are some pics of a couple of my cars; the 72 Bavaria is the one I wrote about in the NY Chapter's newsletter. The 71 2800 CS is a recent acquisition that I'm very excited about. It has the most beautiful sounding exhaust note coupled with that "ripping slik" sound of the straight six reving makes it a lot of fun to drive around town. It has a shorter wheelbase than the Bavaria so its ride is sporty but in no way harsh, but the benefits were super sharp handling, even quicker turn-in than the Bavaria, and looks that KILL! Check em out.

[CSBM5]

Hello all, finally able to post some pictures. Here are some pics of a couple of my cars; the 72 Bavaria is the one I wrote about in the NY Chapter's newsletter. The 71 2800 CS is a recent acquisition that I'm very excited about. It has the most beautiful sounding exhaust note coupled with that "ripping slik" sound of the straight six reving makes it a lot of fun to drive around town. It has a shorter wheelbase than the Bavaria so its ride is sporty but in no way harsh, but the benefits were super sharp handling, even quicker turn-in than the Bavaria, and looks that KILL! Check em out.

Wow, the CS looks beautiful!

My old Bav that I posted pictures of above handled wonderfully with a still very comfortable ride. I used Korman springs, HD Bilsteins, 28mm (huge!) front sway bar and 22mm rear sway bar, Alpina subframe bushings (probably can't find those now), and 8x16 wheels with 225/50-16 tires all around. It was a blast to drive, track and autocross back in the 80's. If nothing else, you may want to check out the front and rear sway bars (I think Korman still sells them) as they will make a HUGE difference in how the car drives.

Good luck with the two beautiful cars and post back with updates in the future!

Chuck

[73E3]

Hey thanks for your comments. I've had bad experiences with Korman don't want to have any dealings with them. I went to the Vintage at the Vineyard down in NC for 1983 and older BMW's last year. Had some brake problems, locking front driver's side wheel. Ray Korman and his crew charged me $900 bucks to replace 2 brake lines and a hose. I just had the brakes overhauled before my trip with new master cylinder, new pads, hoses and fluid. I was furious, asked to speak to Ray and he gave me some bullshit story about "unique problem with your car that took time to diagnosis". I'm driving back to my Aunt's home and oil begins pouring out of the rear main seal, smoking all over the place. Had to take it back to them to get that work done, wasted two days of my vacation and THOUSANDS of dollars at a rip off shop.

Please excuse my rant, Korman is a sore spot for me, regardless of his reputation. So don't think I'll be buying any suspension pieces from Korman. The Bavaria has Koni shocks, poly bushings, and 215/60 14" BF Goodrich Traction TA tires, and I'm really happy with it.

[CSBM5]

Hey thanks for your comments. I've had bad experiences with Korman don't want to have any dealings with them. I went to the Vintage at the Vineyard down in NC for 1983 and older BMW's last year. Had some brake problems, locking front driver's side wheel. Ray Korman and his crew charged me $900 bucks to replace 2 brake lines and a hose. I just had the brakes overhauled before my trip with new master cylinder, new pads, hoses and fluid. I was furious, asked to speak to Ray and he gave me some bullshit story about "unique problem with your car that took time to diagnosis". I'm driving back to my Aunt's home and oil begins pouring out of the rear main seal, smoking all over the place. Had to take it back to them to get that work done, wasted two days of my vacation and THOUSANDS of dollars at a rip off shop.

Please excuse my rant, Korman is a sore spot for me, regardless of his reputation. So don't think I'll be buying any suspension pieces from Korman. The Bavaria has Koni shocks, poly bushings, and 215/60 14" BF Goodrich Traction TA tires, and I'm really happy with it.

Wow, sorry to hear about your experience! It's been 27 years since Ray built the motor for my Bav, so my experiences are ancient I guess; however, I am surprised. There are a lot of other BMW specialty shops in this area too that would have been an option to explore also.

The sway bars were made by Suspension Techniques, but I don't know if they still stock bars for the Bav. I think they might be the same bars that fit the E12, but I just can't recall. I would really like to have my Bavaria back, but the odds of finding one in decent condition are so low that I've given up. Thinking about trading the E90 330i for an E90 M3 however...

[HarryPR]

Wow, sorry to hear about your experience! It's been 27 years since Ray built the motor for my Bav, so my experiences are ancient I guess; however, I am surprised. There are a lot of other BMW specialty shops in this area too that would have been an option to explore also.

The sway bars were made by Suspension Techniques, but I don't know if they still stock bars for the Bav. I think they might be the same bars that fit the E12, but I just can't recall. I would really like to have my Bavaria back, but the odds of finding one in decent condition are so low that I've given up. Thinking about trading the E90 330i for an E90 M3 however...

Here's an E3 that seems to be in good condition and the price is right. Unfortunately, it's in CA...

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/...opic/t,300404/

[Le Nitro]

good stuff! Thats ashame what happend to the other bavaria

[xatlas0]

Wow, the CS looks beautiful!

My old Bav that I posted pictures of above handled wonderfully with a still very comfortable ride. I used Korman springs, HD Bilsteins, 28mm (huge!) front sway bar and 22mm rear sway bar, Alpina subframe bushings (probably can't find those now), and 8x16 wheels with 225/50-16 tires all around. It was a blast to drive, track and autocross back in the 80's. If nothing else, you may want to check out the front and rear sway bars (I think Korman still sells them) as they will make a HUGE difference in how the car drives.

Good luck with the two beautiful cars and post back with updates in the future!

Chuck

Carl Nelson sells a set of beefier sways for the E3/E9. Guys on the E9 board swear by them, as well as his spring set.

[LemuelGulliver]

Wow, nice find! I would have bought that car in a heartbeat as one in that condition is extremely rare. My dad purchased a 72 Bav new back when I was 13 years old, and I bought the car from him in 1980. I had the car for 14 years before I stupidly sold it in 1994. I had a quasi-M5 before the E28 M5 even existed with help from Korman Autoworks (Korman built stage 2 motor with triple Webers, headers, cam, etc.; suspension -- springs, Bilsteins, huge 28/22 sway bars, 8x16 wheels, Alpina bushings). The car was a blast, and I used to win CCA autocrosses and track events (we used to run time trials at track events back in the mid-80's at Summit Point) with it all the time. My wife and I drove it up to Albany NY for the 1982 BMW CCA Oktoberfest, and it won the inaugural "Best Bavaria" award. I did most all of the on-going work/maintenance on the car myself including rebuilding the whole front suspension, doing all calipers, etc. I knew every inch of that car.

I sold it to a "supposed' enthusiast who freaked out over the car. He apparently let it rot in a field for years as I recently had someone find the car and send me some pictures. I gave up on the thought of repurchasing the car given what he let happen to it. (I quit counting at $20,000 on what it would cost to fully restore the car). I'll post some before and after pics below. I sure wish I could have it back -- good luck with yours! I look forward to seeing some nice pictures and hearing more about the car. These pictures below were taken in 1988, but the car looked essentially identical when I sold it in 1994.

Chuck

Sorry for the thread hijack with my pics below, but I am a 1972 Bavaria fanatic (got my license in one in 1974) who has always owned BMWs ever since (usually two or three at a time, lol).












Here's what the guy I sold it to allowed to happen:



Check out my nice Recaro seats!

We actually purchased this car along with another Bavaria for $600. We have a Vintage BMW Restoration shop in Knoxville, Tn called Kadunza. We plan on doing a full restoration on your blue car, and I am personally restoring a silver Bavaria. Here are some photos of your car as it sits now:



Hopefully we will have this thing in the same shape as when you had it on the race track. You wouldn't happen to know where the valance went do you?

[CSBM5]

WOW! So sad to see the condition of the car now such as those Recaros that I loved so much. I see someone swiped my Alpina shift knob off of it too. The Rial wheels don't look too bad however. I see my MSD6A ignition unit is gone for some reason (one of the best things I ever did for that engine was getting that MSD6A unit).

Second WOW is that you guys are going to do a full restoration on the car! That's wonderful news, and I really look forward to its progress.

My father purchased the Bavaria new in April 1972, and I bought it from him in 1980 and then sold it in 1994. During that whole time it was cared for greatly and many normally unseen parts were replaced in the 1980s such as things like the plastic donuts that are part of the door lock mechanisms, etc, when everything was easily available from BMWNA still.

When the car was new, like all 1972 Bavarias, it had an ignition retard vacuum control such that it would retard the ignition at low revs/light throttle (emission purposes). That resulted in a distinct change, surge, at about 2400rpms (or something around that) which was very annoying on the Interstate. Dad wrote a personal letter to Max Hoffman about the issue describing the problem in great detail and his displeasure. Fun times back then.

Thanks for posting the pictures and reaching out to communicate. I'm looking forward to its progress.

Regards,
Chuck

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry, forget to respond to the question about the valance. Jeff should have that front airdam as it was on it when I sold him the car. I recall buying it from a place called Two Thousand and Two products in King of Prussia PA sometime around 1983...pretty sure that is where it came from.

Here's a link to a write up I did 11 years ago about the Bavaria and looking back on it then.

Cheers,
Chuck

[visionaut]

cool echo-post. so where's the car today? - post about the resto is 8 yrs old...

pics today or it didn't happen <jk>