BMW 3.0 SI - Unbeatable BMW
Discussion
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/LoVw7rGV[/url]
As found last summer in Normandy.
Finally had some time to start to get her ready for an mot. I have been told that only 5 UK cars are known to survive. This is possibly one of the most Original. Currently reasearching her History, but she was Supplied new in June 1973, by a BMW Main Agent in Devon , to her first owner in St Ives Cornwall. He must have liked her as he kept her for 12 years.
In 1991, someone spent a wallet crushing £4,000 at Stephen James BMW, inc Brakes, New Bilsteins, Cyl Head, Front and rear screens, the list is endless.
From what i have read in period road tests, for the 1974 model year, BMW Softened the 3.0Si , with diffent springs, shocks etc etc. Making it less of a drivers car.
|http://thumbsnap.com/LoVw7rGV[/url]
As found last summer in Normandy.
Finally had some time to start to get her ready for an mot. I have been told that only 5 UK cars are known to survive. This is possibly one of the most Original. Currently reasearching her History, but she was Supplied new in June 1973, by a BMW Main Agent in Devon , to her first owner in St Ives Cornwall. He must have liked her as he kept her for 12 years.
In 1991, someone spent a wallet crushing £4,000 at Stephen James BMW, inc Brakes, New Bilsteins, Cyl Head, Front and rear screens, the list is endless.
From what i have read in period road tests, for the 1974 model year, BMW Softened the 3.0Si , with diffent springs, shocks etc etc. Making it less of a drivers car.
neutral 3][url said:
|http://thumbsnap.com/LoVw7rGV[/url]
As found last summer in Normandy.
Finally had some time to start to get her ready for an mot. I have been told that only 5 UK cars are known to survive. This is possibly one of the most Original. Currently reasearching her History, but she was Supplied new in June 1973, by a BMW Main Agent in Devon , to her first owner in St Ives Cornwall. He must have liked her as he kept her for 12 years.
In 1991, someone spent a wallet crushing £4,000 at Stephen James BMW, inc Brakes, New Bilsteins, Cyl Head, Front and rear screens, the list is endless.
From what i have read in period road tests, for the 1974 model year, BMW Softened the 3.0Si , with diffent springs, shocks etc etc. Making it less of a drivers car.
Ime working on her at this very moment ! Lots of photos , but havnt a clue how to upload them from this I phone ! At the moment she's rolling around on my Alpina 7 x 14 CSL rims, which i prefer to the Mahles .
I desperately Need a new f panel as the Orig is a bit too far gone to repair. Just changed the oil and filter and she's running really well. The engine is really silky, had a new head @ 60 odd thousand and mileage now is only 83,000. Ime working /, freeing off the ( new in 1990 ) Callipers this a noon.
These cars must Really have been very special back in 73. I would love to contact her first owner a MR . Philip Allan of Chy An Brea , Penzance . He must have liked her as he had her until July 86, 13 years !'
I desperately Need a new f panel as the Orig is a bit too far gone to repair. Just changed the oil and filter and she's running really well. The engine is really silky, had a new head @ 60 odd thousand and mileage now is only 83,000. Ime working /, freeing off the ( new in 1990 ) Callipers this a noon.
These cars must Really have been very special back in 73. I would love to contact her first owner a MR . Philip Allan of Chy An Brea , Penzance . He must have liked her as he had her until July 86, 13 years !'
Re the Ceylon Gold 3.0 SI, ime looking at it next week.
Out of just 500 UK RHD CSLs, apparently 56 were painted Ceylon ( I have one of the last of the 500 in Ceylon ) it was the third most numerous CSL colour, ( Fjord blue, then Polaris and then Ceylon ). but very few SIs appear to have been painted in it. This SI , could well be the Only survivor. Can't wait to see it .
Out of just 500 UK RHD CSLs, apparently 56 were painted Ceylon ( I have one of the last of the 500 in Ceylon ) it was the third most numerous CSL colour, ( Fjord blue, then Polaris and then Ceylon ). but very few SIs appear to have been painted in it. This SI , could well be the Only survivor. Can't wait to see it .
Progress is slow, as my back is giving me grief again and its been a few years since i have used a Mig, but im delighted that i finally got the new front panel fitted early this week. These are like rocking horse manure, so a very lucky find. I had it zinc dipped @ £130.
I spent today repairing the n/side front top inner wing ledge.
She hadnt run since May and just wouldnt start, the fuel had gone off, i had a devil of a job draining the tank then finally worked out that i had connected the pump wires round the wrong way doh ! But now she runs beautifully !
I also discovered that some one in the past has fitted a 5 speed gear box, so im well chuffed ! Period road tests all said that the 3.0S / Si and the CSI / CSL needed a 5th gear.
Very fortunately the main shell is remarkably sound, the first owner ( Mr Philip Allen of Penzance, where are you now ? had it Zeibarted when new ? and this has undoubably saved her, plus the fact that he kept his Si for 13 years, so it never had a chance to become just a used BMW.
Repairs are still needed to the corners of both front foot wells ( jacking points, E3s all ways go here ) some small holes in both outer sills, ( will patch repair these as sills are not available ), the base of both rear C pillars where they join the rear quarters,( another rot prone area ) a small hole at the base of the front screen, but the biggest dilemma involves the rear wings.
She really needs both replacing, as the waist trim fixings hold the moisture and also they are both bad around the arch and lower corners. BMW Classic can supply plenty of off side rear wings @ circa £385 plus vat each, but the near side is NLA, so German e bay will have to be scoured.
Any one know what became of this Alpina tweaked Si ? I have been trying to trace this car for a long time.
4 doors, 5 seats, 150 mph is how the once great "Motor Sport" magazine described this Alpina modified Si in their May 1973 road test. It belonged to BMW concessionares with i believe John Markey having responsibility for it ( any info John ? )
Ages ago a sign writing pal made me up 2 "BMW ALPINA" wing decals and i plan to fit a few other "Period" tweaks.
She all ready has Bilsteins all round but i need 2 more CSL Alpina Alloys.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/MQ1L7pKi.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/ObgYDFZw" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/ObgYDFZw.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/7KCM5bTb" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/7KCM5bTb.jpg)
Fantastic period padock scene. Guessing its 1974, as i recall Thoroughbred And Classic Cars magazine running a race series around this time.
Note the rare Taiga colored Si in the back ground, they were very popular tow cars for the well heeled racer !
I think thats a 7 Litre Iso Griffo in the fore ground, any one know more ?
I used to have a '76 3.0si a few years ago, that was bought from a dealer at the bottom of Maidstone's Bluebell Hill, before it became a modern dual carriageway. It was a terrific car with handling and performance that belied it's size. They were pretty rare and expensive though, hence the lack of survivors today.
What happened with the Ceylon gold car? I saw it in Essex and it was pretty rough, although salvageable.
Have you sent the V888 form to DVLA for the history on yours?
What happened with the Ceylon gold car? I saw it in Essex and it was pretty rough, although salvageable.
Have you sent the V888 form to DVLA for the history on yours?
e21Mark said:
I used to have a '76 3.0si a few years ago, that was bought from a dealer at the bottom of Maidstone's Bluebell Hill, before it became a modern dual carriageway. It was a terrific car with handling and performance that belied it's size. They were pretty rare and expensive though, hence the lack of survivors today.
What happened with the Ceylon gold car? I saw it in Essex and it was pretty rough, although salvageable.
Have you sent the V888 form to DVLA for the history on yours?
I had one for over 5 years during the 1980's.They were a good quick car but over rated compared to an XJ12. Especially when the two comparisons of the realistic modifications which the it really needed in the form of a 286 bhp 24 valve M5 engine and 5 speed box were taken into account which still left the inferior,by comparison,Mc Person struts/steering box front and semi trailing arm rear which is what stopped me bothering with the conversion.Compared to the Jag's rack and pinion and wishbone front and rear set up.Realistically with hindsight the money which I put into the BM in the form of body work and mechanics would have been better spent on just buying and modifying an XJ12 with a manual box sooner rather than later.I thgink it was that type of realisation amongst the 1980's on owners that it was a very expensive car to maintain,for it's outright performance,and it's ability to rust worse than any Jag,that led to it's relatively poor survival rate.As an example of how they fell out of favour with their owners I bought mine for less than £1,000 when it was around 6 years old with 57,000 miles on it. What happened with the Ceylon gold car? I saw it in Essex and it was pretty rough, although salvageable.
Have you sent the V888 form to DVLA for the history on yours?
Edited by XJ Flyer on Monday 21st October 17:53
Edited by XJ Flyer on Monday 21st October 18:00
.......And a nice Series 1 E Type fhc, he had many a dice with other hot cars and reckons that his Si would run rings around his E Type and got him out of trouble on many occasions.
You only have to look at ( You Tube 1973 Avon Tour ) the 3 x Dealer Team Sis that Tony Lanfranchi ran during 1973 to see how quick they were.
All 3 cars were stripped and checked due to a complaint by another driver and were found to be totally within the rules.
The only car that could beat the Si was the 5.7 Litre Camaros.
Re rot, yes they did rot, but an XJ 6 / 12 would fall apart far quicker than the BMW.
And as for speed and handling, the steering on an XJ was awfull, far too light and lacking feel, the rear cradle mounts were far too soft, the Girling / Wood head dampers were cheap rubbish.
An Si would run rings around an XJ6 on a track, an XJ 12 would be faster in a straight line, but once in the twisties......
You only have to look at ( You Tube 1973 Avon Tour ) the 3 x Dealer Team Sis that Tony Lanfranchi ran during 1973 to see how quick they were.
All 3 cars were stripped and checked due to a complaint by another driver and were found to be totally within the rules.
The only car that could beat the Si was the 5.7 Litre Camaros.
Re rot, yes they did rot, but an XJ 6 / 12 would fall apart far quicker than the BMW.
And as for speed and handling, the steering on an XJ was awfull, far too light and lacking feel, the rear cradle mounts were far too soft, the Girling / Wood head dampers were cheap rubbish.
An Si would run rings around an XJ6 on a track, an XJ 12 would be faster in a straight line, but once in the twisties......
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