Hello everyone, what a wonderful community this is and such a valuable resource.
I had 2x E9's and an E3 in early 1980's. I still think the E9 is the most beautiful car ever made.
I will be looking to buy one over the next few months. I am looking for a project, however, the few I have seen in UK over the past months have been silly expensive and look really rough.
I remember one of my E9's was a 72 car which i bought in 1982. Interior was shot, thrust bearing wined and doors never shut very well. I sold the car after a year and the buyer bought it straight back to me as his mechanic had discovered chronic rusty floors, both top mounts for front suspension rusted and one failed completely.
The car was just 11 years old at that point so I am sure the UK climate and salted roads are not terribly healthy for these cars.
I have looked at the numerous youtube records of rebuilding and E9 and there seems to be a common thread running through all of them.... strip back to bare shell, bead blast, spend $5000 on various patch panels and learn how to weld, lead load, fill, prime and paint.
My question is.... if the bare metal respray is the only reliable way to get a car that you can trust it makes sense to start with a car from a warmer climate with, hopefully less welding. How hard is a RHD conversion from a LHD shell if you have already committed to strip the car completely.
I had 2x E9's and an E3 in early 1980's. I still think the E9 is the most beautiful car ever made.
I will be looking to buy one over the next few months. I am looking for a project, however, the few I have seen in UK over the past months have been silly expensive and look really rough.
I remember one of my E9's was a 72 car which i bought in 1982. Interior was shot, thrust bearing wined and doors never shut very well. I sold the car after a year and the buyer bought it straight back to me as his mechanic had discovered chronic rusty floors, both top mounts for front suspension rusted and one failed completely.
The car was just 11 years old at that point so I am sure the UK climate and salted roads are not terribly healthy for these cars.
I have looked at the numerous youtube records of rebuilding and E9 and there seems to be a common thread running through all of them.... strip back to bare shell, bead blast, spend $5000 on various patch panels and learn how to weld, lead load, fill, prime and paint.
My question is.... if the bare metal respray is the only reliable way to get a car that you can trust it makes sense to start with a car from a warmer climate with, hopefully less welding. How hard is a RHD conversion from a LHD shell if you have already committed to strip the car completely.
Good luck. I look forward to seeing how a LHD conversion might go.
