Golf Yellow CSi on BAT - NMNA

[JBMW]

Hello @teahead ,
Unfortunately at 75 this didn't even cover my costs of the car and importing process. Once you factor in the exchange rate, and import costs, it makes a fair priced car, not so fair anymore, and this is the reality with bringing over any car really. Margins are smaller than you'd think. It was my first go around so I'll allow myself to break even because it taught me something, but the high bidder couldn't meet me at that price. It wasn't far off but he was maxed. He is overseas apparently which factored in, honestly If this car went back overseas that would feel really pointless to me, so I am fine with not closing a deal with him. And again at the end of the day, I love these cars, I enjoy them, and I would rather enjoy it than lose money on it. My overall mentality( sort of) with any BMWs I own except a few long time sentimental cars is if someone really wants it and I might make a few bucks on it, sure Ill sell, otherwise Im keeping. Space allowing obviously.

 

[GolfBavaria]

@JBMW - well, it's not the first time, or the last time that someone on here buys an E9 and takes a loss on it (or RNM's on BaT). So, don't feel bad, and you actually haven't taken a loss yet so you are still good to go. I read through the comments. I really like this one from you, "Yes the car went RNM because at that price it wasn't worth my efforts, and that is completely fine because now I get to enjoy it, learn from it, and be a part of the community."

That is huge...a lot of us on here have grown up in these cars, owning them since kids, folks owned them, E3's, 2002's, etc. and have made a lot of friends through this community, just like you have with the E34's. I love those as well and owned a nice manual.

The "Golf" color is VERY hard to capture. I'm not the best to comment as I am colorblind (still see color) but I guess different than others. It's not for everyone, I of course love it, but maybe see it differently, it's a really weird thing being color blind. I literally was standing next to a couple at a BMW dealership that walked by my old '73 Golf Bavaria car and said, "that is the worst BMW color I have ever seen." Something along those lines. Not knowing it was mine (or maybe they did), whatever, I just laughed. To each their own, yours does seem to have a bit more yellow but it is a very hard color to match and photograph. It's a little like grey, it all depends on the light, indoors/outdoors, clouds, blue sky, etc. It can look totally different depending on all those factors.

I think you have the right idea, drive it for a while, fix some stuff as you drive it, enjoy it, then when the time is right, maybe relist. People on here mean well, it can be a tough crowd at times if you are not a part of the community (which you found out). But I would still say everyone that commented meant to help others that were thinking of purchasing sight unseen. I'm still looking for my E9 one day. Pricing is getting to the point where I may be able to jump in.

Golf on an E3 vs. E9 I really loved because it took the heavier "looking" 4-door and made it look like a lighter race car like the Golf CSL's. Golf is it's own color, not green, not yellow, just Golf. One other thing to keep in mind, I know the CA market is very difficult for many with a Grey market 70's vehicle. Others can chime in but I heard it is getting very difficult to register as a CA car (no smog needed but they came up with some Federal Sticker or something), but there is always the MT LLC. option (as far as I know people are still allowed to do that, like it or not). That is a big market for these cars that is becoming harder to crack with a CSi.

Have fun with it, keep us posted on any progress or meet up pics, this may have been a blessing in disguise and maybe it was really meant to be your personal car! Good luck, nice to have you on here!

 

[CSteve]

Just finished reading the entire auction(every word, every photo, every video) hundreds, no thousands of words filling three screens.

My conclusion: when it comes to automobile sites, no where on the internet is there a place where I would find this level of generous, caring, civil, well-mannered discussion. Add the depth and knowledge and experience of the members and you have Perfection.

As for the originality of the Golf color, BMW Archives will tell us.

Finally, Josh, fess up, sure you are 23, but you are actually shilling, at no charge, for your great grandfather, the long lost twin brother of Art Wegweiser.

Look him on here under CSRegister/ry. I called him the Curmudgeon-in-Chief.

Steve

PS: Take a look at GolfBavaria's Golf Bavaria he sold on BaT.

 

[John-T]

@JBMW - well, it's not the first time, or the last time that someone on here buys an E9 and takes a loss on it (or RNM's on BaT). So, don't feel bad, and you actually haven't taken a loss yet so you are still good to go. I read through the comments. I really like this one from you, "Yes the car went RNM because at that price it wasn't worth my efforts, and that is completely fine because now I get to enjoy it, learn from it, and be a part of the community."

That is huge...a lot of us on here have grown up in these cars, owning them since kids, folks owned them, E3's, 2002's, etc. and have made a lot of friends through this community, just like you have with the E34's. I love those as well and owned a nice manual.

The "Golf" color is VERY hard to capture. I'm not the best to comment as I am colorblind (still see color) but I guess different than others. It's not for everyone, I of course love it, but maybe see it differently, it's a really weird thing being color blind. I literally was standing next to a couple at a BMW dealership that walked by my old '73 Golf Bavaria car and said, "that is the worst BMW color I have ever seen." Something along those lines. Not knowing it was mine (or maybe they did), whatever, I just laughed. To each their own, yours does seem to have a bit more yellow but it is a very hard color to match and photograph. It's a little like grey, it all depends on the light, indoors/outdoors, clouds, blue sky, etc. It can look totally different depending on all those factors.

I think you have the right idea, drive it for a while, fix some stuff as you drive it, enjoy it, then when the time is right, maybe relist. People on here mean well, it can be a tough crowd at times if you are not a part of the community (which you found out). But I would still say everyone that commented meant to help others that were thinking of purchasing sight unseen. I'm still looking for my E9 one day. Pricing is getting to the point where I may be able to jump in.

Golf on an E3 vs. E9 I really loved because it took the heavier "looking" 4-door and made it look like a lighter race car like the Golf CSL's. Golf is it's own color, not green, not yellow, just Golf. One other thing to keep in mind, I know the CA market is very difficult for many with a Grey market 70's vehicle. Others can chime in but I heard it is getting very difficult to register as a CA car (no smog needed but they came up with some Federal Sticker or something), but there is always the MT LLC. option (as far as I know people are still allowed to do that, like it or not). That is a big market for these cars that is becoming harder to crack with a CSi.

Have fun with it, keep us posted on any progress or meet up pics, this may have been a blessing in disguise and maybe it was really meant to be your personal car! Good luck, nice to have you on here!

@GolfBavaria - I agree, California is a big market for these type of cars and its getting harder and harder to register grey market cars here. I made a call to my local AAA office in Los Angeles inquiring about titling this car and they referred me to DMV and mentioned although this car is exempt from smog test it must meet US EPA
requirement and testing, this quickly deterred me from bidding.

 

[JBMW]

@GolfBavaria I am already enjoying being a member here. You guys are all great, and I have thoroughly enjoyed communicating both in this thread as well as in private messages with a few members. I find members of groups such as this, E12, E34, etc to be much more respectable than the post 2000 era cars.
I am with you on Golf, truth be told, I love it. I think it absolutely flatters these 70's chassis. I would happily take golf over many many other colors. I wouldn't have taken interest in purchasing this car or importing had I not liked the color.

@CSteve I agree with you, as I said earlier in this comment, you guys are without a doubt a class act compared to the cesspool of communities based around newer age BMWs. I must say however the shilling for great grandfather statement has gone over my head. Can you further explain? LOL. I looked up Art Wegweiser, a forum member who has since passed it looks like?

@John-T Gotta love California Shame how difficult it is to register cars like these.

 

[JBMW]

Oh and also as I promised, here is a picture of the Golf, side by side my dakar yellow M3. I think this helps show the green.

 

[rsporsche]

yes, that looks more like golf ... thanks for posting. much different than the pix on BaT

 

[ablank135]

@Luis A. Funny story, When I had my Golf purchased already and was back in the US waiting for it, I was driving up to Wisconsin, on 90/94? Cant quite remember, but to my complete and utter disbelief I saw a Golf E9 cruising down the opposite way. It was like seeing a unicorn, I was yelling to my buddies to look, startling everyone in the car. And then I thought man, only once you own something do you start to see other ones just like it. Well given your location I am guessing that was you! Small world. I would love to get the Golf's together, maybe then we can finalize the color discrepancy! haha

Josh, to second Luis's suggestion, definitely join the Fuelfed group locally and bring the E9 out to an event when we start back up in the spring. I organize the Coffee & Classics in Hinsdale three times a year, and live close to you. So if you ever want to get together IRL, PM me here. I can offer some, uh, personal experience from BaT and other selling options from the past two years of trying to find the best market for my (now former) E9.

 

[BMW Pete]

Josh - welcome, as others have mentioned you will find this a very helpful group on E9s, none of us are perfect, certainly not me, but in general most are polite on things outside this forum, like BAT, as you saw on your car.. A little more honest on this page, but isn't that is what it is supposed to be? although still kinder than any other single marque or model forum I have seen.

Picture above next to your Dakar yellow car, I am sure you now know, is something that would have been very helpful on BAT. Respectfully, I still struggle to see enough green, but eh might just be me and my old eyes, or the quality of the photo, so don't worry about me. Hopefully you can get together with the other Golf car mentioned above when weather permits and in turn get confirmation from BMW it's how it left the factory.

Good luck

 

[Arde]

I love the color, it is similar to my Fulvia Giallo Maya color. Me and the police are attracted to that car, once the sheriff followed me for a couple of blocks at low speed trying to see if something was off, and then drove past me. A magnet.
Enjoy the car and make it better, incrementally.

 

[GolfBavaria]

Just finished reading the entire auction(every word, every photo, every video) hundreds, no thousands of words filling three screens.

My conclusion: when it comes to automobile sites, no where on the internet is there a place where I would find this level of generous, caring, civil, well-mannered discussion. Add the depth and knowledge and experience of the members and you have Perfection.

As for the originality of the Golf color, BMW Archives will tell us.

Finally, Josh, fess up, sure you are 23, but you are actually shilling, at no charge, for your great grandfather, the long lost twin brother of Art Wegweiser.

Look him on here under CSRegister/ry. I called him the Curmudgeon-in-Chief.

Steve

PS: Take a look at GolfBavaria's Golf Bavaria he sold on BaT.

Thanks Steve for the props on my old Golf Bavaira - here is the link for @JMMW if you are interested. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-bmw-bavaria-10/

The new caretaker is a great guy and on this board...

@John-T - I wouldn't let the EPA thing in CA totally discourage you until you look into the MT LLC titling. In my opinion, CA is taking this WAY TOO FAR. It used to be a no-brainer for a '75 or older vehicle (as it should be). Before that '75 smog rule, I think it just needed to be 20-years old. They keep moving the BAR (pun intended).

But look into it, I also think you get some tax benefits out of it somehow. I am no expert as I never went through the process but I know there are a few people on here that have. I don't want to hijack this thread with all that, politics will come into it at some point so if anyone knows maybe just PM John-T.

 

[CSteve]

Thanks, Sean. Just clicked through your entire BaT ad. So lovely. In this case, "the color makes the car." At least for me. And reenforces my decision to make my 12th and probably last classic BMW a Bavaria.

 

[John-T]

Thanks Steve for the props on my old Golf Bavaira - here is the link for @JMMW if you are interested. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1973-bmw-bavaria-10/

The new caretaker is a great guy and on this board...

@John-T - I wouldn't let the EPA thing in CA totally discourage you until you look into the MT LLC titling. In my opinion, CA is taking this WAY TOO FAR. It used to be a no-brainer for a '75 or older vehicle (as it should be). Before that '75 smog rule, I think it just needed to be 20-years old. They keep moving the BAR (pun intended).

But look into it, I also think you get some tax benefits out of it somehow. I am no expert as I never went through the process but I know there are a few people on here that have. I don't want to hijack this thread with all that, politics will come into it at some point so if anyone knows maybe just PM John-T.

@GolfBavaria

Thanks for the info. Talked to a couple friends about the Montana LLC, and realized it has its good and its bad.
The good is the tax benefit and by-passing the whole EPA DOT nonsense, the bad is a lot of people here in CA (specially in the LA area) are doing this and the police is aware of it and are on the lookout for cars with MT plates. Recently a friend got pulled over for no reason and got a citation and had to go in front of the judge and do a song and dance to show that the car is here temporarily. Not sure if its worthwhile if you want to drive around town comfortably and not constantly worrying if you're going to get pulled over. This might work for a garage queen car.

If anyone has any other ideas PLEASE PLEASE let me know.

 

[JBMW]

@BMW Pete Honest is good! Im happy to learn new things no matter how harsh. I am hoping to get it next to Luis's car to really confirm colors!

@Arde I found this car to be quite the magnet during my time driving it! The color is exotic!

@GolfBavaria WOW That color looks FANTASTIC on the Bavaria. I actually think that is the best looking Bavaria I've ever seen, the color really does wonders for it! I noticed it seems like a good amount of people like to go to 911R for selling their cars on BaT. Brings good results it looks like!

 

[lip277]

I have a good friend who has sold a fair number of his cars with 911R on BaT. While they do charge a decent commission - the results usually are worth it in terms of hammer price. If I were to sell the E23, Mustang or (god forbid!) my E9 - I would consider him. They are in Portland and now also Scottsdale AZ.