It’s not as simple as picking pics of the net where both versions are to be found. Your observation implies that all carb cars with CSL on the trunk have been modified after the fact, like the current example for sale which looks otherwise perfectly unmodified?
I agree, it is never that simple. I’m certainly no expert nor have I claimed to be. I will continue to throw out any observations that I find, 99% of which is off the backs of people who actually are experts. Deferring as you did is a better option, but the point of a forum is to discuss. If my observations are wrong, please continue to call it out.
My updated observations show that the generation 2 brochure has a carb CSL with a CSL badge. That would certainly indicate that the factory did use the CSL badge. I speculated that the cars came with a CS badge, but the brochure certainly contradicts that.
I am observing pictures of known carb CSL’s on the internet. If alternatively we leave the decision up to say - the elusive
@Yannick, what will his opinion or stated fact be based on? I’ve only seen 3 carb CSL’s in person ever. He’s probably seen half of them. Given that he likely won’t reply, I can only assume that his info will be equally based on observational “research”. Cars that he saw in person, perhaps he snapped photos. Maybe he was in touch with some factor resource? I don’t know, but he himself would say that factory documentation is extremely sparse. The one difference however is that in person one can tell if a trunk is aluminum, and if the carb CSL is real. I pulled all of these photos from 221 cars on Lezebre. I know the site is far from perfect work in progress but there is a section devoted to carb CSL’s, many of which have been for sale or on display. The info is much better than say - the motorsport section.
BTW - I first read of this phenomenon from “CSL 1973” in the thread below. I would love to know what
@Yannick had to say, but reasons unknown to me, he opted to delete
ALL of his CSL related posts. Keep the knowledge in the family I guess.
- The early carb CSLs were not badged with a CSL emblem on the trunk lid - only "3.0 CS" - No CSL stripes - Engine oil capacity 6,5 litres compared to 5,75 for the injection version - Final drive ratio 3.45 compared to 3.25 for the injection version - Basically delivered in three colors...
e9coupe.com
What I do know is this this public forum is an enthusiast site. We make do with the knowledge that we have available to us. Some enthusiasts are unable to climb mount Olympus to speak personally with the CSL gods that keep the e9 knowledge under lock and key. Perhaps we will learn something new about the carb CSL badge but I won’t hold my breath.
Everyone has their own priorities and I am thankful for what I have learned from Yannick, not excluding the excerpt from his letter written nearly 35 years ago. Here is a quote from said letter:
Yannick said:
Please I do not want you believe I am THECSL specialist because you dispose
now of all this information but if you need only fifteen minutes to read it. I needed years and a good quantity of luck plus some uncredible circumstances to reach the right person on the right place at the right time. I am always sure
that good information about CSL's are always sleeping somewhere . . . the problem is to know if somebody REALLY interested into CSL's can reach this information before its destruction. It is sad but it is so. I am sure we missed a lot of scoops in the late seventies.