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1973 BMW 3.0 CS / E9 Coupe
360HP / 273Lb Ft Tq / S54 E46 M3 Drivetrain
6-Speed Manual / Modern Air Conditioning
Bare Metal Complete Restoration
Petrolicious and Stanceworks Features
Bimmer Magazine Feature
VIN #2224xxxx
10,100 Miles on Full Build/Restoration
Chamonix White on CSL Black Corduroy Interior
6-Speed Manual Transmission
Clean and Clear California Title
BMWCCA Member Owner
$174,990
BMW’s CS/E9 line was produced from the late 60’s to the mid 70’s. Production numbers were limited and prices were very high. These were exclusive cars to own. However, time has generally not been kind to these cars. The bodies were built at the Karmann factory and prone to rust. If that didn’t destroy them, expensive and limited parts in the earlier years made them prohibitive to maintain properly. Plus, the U.S. only received a small number of those produced. The restoration costs are expensive when done right. However, the stock models were generally less inspiring to drive with less than adequate gearboxes and generally underpowered.
This E9 lived the majority of its life in Northern California. It was originally delivered new as an Agave Green 3.0CS with tan leather. The first owner kept the car for 8-years and used it as a daily driver. It was sold to a Mr. Jack Meltesen of Mill Valley, California on October 6th, 1981 with 94k-miles. Meltesen kept this BMW for 30-years. Most of the service was with Bill Arnold BMW Repair in San Rafael, California. The current owner found this BMW in 2011. He had been looking for a decent straight and dry survivor for many years. He felt that this would be a good start for a special project.
This example was the brainchild of a long time BMW enthusiast who wanted to build a high quality example in the vein of what Singer does with 911s. He wanted all the beautiful looks of the original design, but with modern performance, capabilities and comfort. The goal was to build something that could easily be driven daily as well as on long distance vintage touring events while preserving the classic original design. He employed some of the most talented specialists in the industry to help him achieve this dream.
The current owner flew up to Northern California, jump started the car, paid for it, and drove it back to Southern California to begin the build. He delivered it to Jeff Tighe, a long time SoCal vintage BMW specialist who trained under the expert eye of Carl Nelson at La Jolla Independent. Tighe began work on this restoration and managed the project. Towards the end, Chris Castro came on board to help with the final bits and sorting. Highlights of the build include:
Disassemble and catalog parts
Paint and body by John Esposito
Strip to bare metal
Repair any rust areas
Make the gaps uniform with proper shut lines
Prep body for paint
Glasurit paint
Drivetrain preparation by Jeff Tighe
Sourced from 2001 BMW M3 with 94k-miles
Drivetrain removed and fully inspected by Bullet Performance and Tighe
S54 3.2L straight engine
Replaced rod bearings
Vanos rebuilt
Cam bolts
Valves adjusted and shimmed
High pressure oil system
Routine inspections and preventative maintenance
Getrag 6-speed transmission
Custom fit to chassis
Reprogram S54 DME to Euro E46 CSL specifications by RK Tunes
Dyno results 360 (DIN) HP @ 7,900 rpm / 273 lb-ft of torque @ 4,300 rpm
Rebuilt S54 driveshaft
S54 headers and custom stainless exhaust system by Castro Motorsport
Engine wiring harness from Euto M Coupe
Reinforcements for differential mounts
High performance aluminum radiator
Castro Motorsport custom intake system
Interior upholstery by Juan Ortiz
Refinished factory wood trim using real Italian walnut in satin finish
Woodwork done by old Italian cabinet maker
Rebuild CSL Scheel-style sport bucket seats using leather and corduroy
911 hood shocks for tilting seat mechanism
CSL center console
CSL steering wheel
New black headliner and visors
Refinished door panels using CSL parts
Square weave carpet
Custom Cocomats
Side inlet grills customized as rear speaker grilles
CSL package tray
Other Interior details
Restore all gauges
Custom speedometer to work off of GPS
Custom tachometer to work off of digital signal
New electric window motors
Rewired hidden “M-Mode” button and light
Bluetooth stereo
Custom fabricated air conditioning unit mounted in trunk (rear blowing)
New heater core and rebuilt heater system
Exterior details
Custom fit E34 Ellipsoid headlights
Custom CSL vinyl graphics
All new rubber and seals
Factory badging
All trim and glass replaced or restored
Custom/rare WEDS Bavaria 3-piece 16” wheels
Suspension/Chassis
Custom Bilstein coil over suspension system
CSL sport springs
Modified Ireland Engineering sway bars
Custom Brembo big brake kit from E46 CSL
Powdercoated all suspension parts
All new suspension parts and bushings
Camber plates
For the last 5-years/10k-miles, the owner enjoyed driving this BMW on various vintage touring events as well as around the Los Angeles area. Fine tuning and service support was provided by both Tighe and Castro. Highlights of routine services include:
Regular oil services and fluid flushes
Replaced fuel injectors
New fuel pump, filter, and pressure regulator
New Starter
Fresh Hankook Vetus tires (225/50-16)
Fresh clutch
Rebuilt Vanos system and valve adjustment
Shortly after finishing this build, some of the top automotive media outlets approached the owner to feature his CSL. Sure there have been plenty of modern engine swapped builds that have happened over the years. In fact, Alpina based their business on this philosophy. So why this build? The elegant restraint used to capture the essence of the design while giving it a cohesive upgrade that works was the inspiration for this project. The execution subtly showcases the classic Italian designed body while cleanly integrated the upgrades in a very minimalistic approach. Once completed, features included Bimmer Magazine and Petrolicious. However, the best article came from Mike Burroughs of Stanceworks. He really captured the essence of this idea:
https://stanceworks.com/2015/09/csl-...1973-e9-3-0cs/
The exterior of the car is exquisite. It doesn’t scream, “look at me,” but rather just looks confidently classy. When the project started, I wasn’t quite onboard with the choice of Chamonix for the exterior. However, I really get it now. It fits the gentleman sleeper style. The paint looks fantastic and shows very light wear. There are a few minor chips on the front from use. However, they are barely noticeable as they’ve been expertly touched up. The gaps and shut lines are insanely good. These cars never had body panels that fit this well. The glass fits nicely and all the rubber is new. All the exterior lights work properly. The wheels have no curb rash or other blemishes and are wearing near new/full tread tires. An extra set of Alpina wheels (for a different look – see photos) are available for an additional fee. The ride height/stance is spot on as it has an aggressive look, but not too low. The simple and clean bumpers fit nicely and all the chrome work sparkles.
The interior is equally as nice and looks barely used. The owner secured a complete rare factory CSL interior to help create a blend of old and new inside the cabin. Juan Ortiz is the upholstery maestro and worked his magic to make the interior look original and correct. The factory CSL Scheel buckets are wrapped in leather with corduroy inserts. They show no signs of use. The rear seats have the same finish and also look fresh. Hood grills were incorporated on the parcel shelf to hide what looks like speaker grills, but is actually the A/C vents. The squareweave Porsche 356 carpet is one of the best Germany vintage carpets around and looks perfect with the rest of the interior. The CSL door panels fit nicely and show no wear. The dash has no cracks or warping. All of the gauges work properly. All of the power windows also work. The “M” button is hidden with an activation light behind the speaker grill. The satin finish on the Italian Walnut wood trim provides a warm accent to the monochromatic interior. There is a hidden Bluetooth system that plays off of any media player. The A/C system switch is also hidden under the dash and quickly cools off this very open greenhouse. The interior is such a nice place to be for hours on end.
Of course, the driving experience is insane. When you crank the key and the engine barks to life, there’s no smoking and the car purrs at an even idle. As you depress the throttle, it’s almost like Clark Kent is ripping his clothes off and transforming into the man of steel. The car lurches to life with cat-like speed. The power makes you giggle uncontrollably. It gobbles pavement and the scenery quickly becomes a blur. Fortunately, the massive calipers easily harness this power and scrub speed at an alarming rate. The transmission shifts like butter with a confidence inspiring “click” as each gear is selected. There is no slipping, hesitation, or grinding. Thankfully, the CSL upgraded suspension makes this E9 feel considerably smaller than it is. The handling is nicely balanced to the power with just the right amount of power steering boost in tight spaces, while providing some steering weight as speed is applied. There is tons of grip when you need it, or simply mash the throttle and you can have your own drift party.
I can usually find fault with everything, but this E9 is perfect as-is to me. It’s sorted, serviced, and ready for any adventure.
California registration is current to July of 2020 and it is exempt from California’s smog test.
This BMW comes with original owner’s manuals, original tool kit, jack, spare tire, documentation of build, magazine feature copy, records going back to 1981,
*Available for an additional fee are set of Alpina wheels
**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud. All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or paul@autokennel.com
For tons of pictures, either cut and paste the following URL into your browser, or click here: www.AutoKennel.com
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