318 baur 78' restoration [radosc]

[radosc_BAUR]

Ok, day before yesterday my baur finally parked in my garage! It was stressful 3 months since i couldn't get any transportation due to previous owner having some problems. Then i heard that a lot of people got interested to get it and i was afraid PO would sell it to them.

Well things are straight now and it is sitting in my garage.

It is baur number 629 in original color golf (thanks Jeoren for confirmation!), one of 12 in that color. Originally it had 1.8 m10 engine but some time before 2000 it was exchanged for unknown engine witch specs are still in the German brief (2497cm3 and 142kW/5800). Now it has unknown m10 engine and i can't confirm if it is 1,8 again, probably exchanged back in Germany before sale.

Car is in need of extensive bodywork:

- boot floor rusted badly
- left rear fender (especially upper side)
- rear panel (not a disaster but they are easy to exchange)
- rear passengers floor (partly missing)
- inside wheel arches (patches of rust)
- front windscreen frame (needs fixing)

Some of the baur reinforcements has penetration but rather light so no worry there.

I also need some trims, rear window, and probably re-upholstery of the interior. Suspension and exhaust will be new or renewed to as new.

I'm torn between 2 options to start renovation. Stripping it down and sand blasting of profiles, engine bay and floor. Then bodywork would be much easier. The other option is to work on it how it is. There is one specialist who unfortunately has a problem with alcohol. He has worked on bodywork restoration for over 50 years and as he proved he can fabricate every part himself. He doesn't have a workshop so if he is not affected by his disease he can work in my garage. He is finishing my friend's 65 fiat so he can start next week or so. Fingers crossed.

Next thing i need advise on are new panels. From BMW it is quite expensive, on the other hand there are plentiful of aftermarket panels but the thing to worry is quality of steel. Heard a horror stories about it. Do you have any experience about it?

Next thing to plan is reupholstery. Do you think i should go with original black fabric or go with the leather? For convertible it could be unfortunate in sunny days. Is the original black fabric available from BMW

How about carpet? Is it moulded like in BMW e24? Or can i order it somewhere?

I was considering the other option. Buying a rust free parts car with beige upholstery and to swap whole trunk. It would be much less welding but finding a 30' years old car without some rust isn't easy and my heart for old BMW would bleed to cut such a good car.

[radosc_BAUR]

Year after careful inspection of my BAUR i decided to give it a chance. Yesterday we started late evening and today what's left of it is a shell with suspension, engine and dashboard. Wiring harness is mostly removed, just a dashboard and headless steering column screws are holding us back.

Tomorow engine and drivetrain will be removed and hopefully dashboard and all remaining wirings. Each part was catalogued and stored acording to work needed. Yesterday eveing baur top was sent for new rear window mounting. Tuesday shell with suspencion will be send for sand blasting and then at most at sundey will be transported to bodywork specialist. Apart from finding a skill ful one there is a time limit of 2 weeks to get it done. Some say it's imposinble but I don't want to miss any more of the suny weather this year.

Bodywork condition is poor:
- side lower panels to replace
- each of 4 floor panels to fabricate
- front lower vallance to replace or fix (rusted throu)
- rear wings lower panels where the bumper is side mounted to replace (w&n)
- rear lower panel to replace
- below the baur rear windows to fix and fabricate
- 3 holes in the front window frame
- lower front outer door skin to fix
- booth floor to replace or fabricate side panels.
- rear wheel arch reparatures
- baur roof connecting metal rail has some holes

I'm sure there will be more of unwanted rust there. If after sand blasting i will not find a bodywork specialist that will take it for such a short time i will only get a local wealder to replace lower side panels and will do rest of the work myself since I have a donnor e21 with kind of nice panels.

If everything will go as planned during these weeks + a week more for painting i will dismantle suspencion of the other car and get everyting front and rear rebuild + small engine overhaul and brake calipers rebuilding. I don't have much hope for finding rear disc brakes for it so i will do it like it was.

There is another option for the engine. To go m50 way. My friend will next week get a e21 with m50b25 with need to restore bodywork. If it is easy then i might give it a try.

Interior will be sent to the local upholsterer to be temporary revocered in black material, untill i'll find proper recaros.

That's about it. Yesterday this car was still standing in the garage like on first photos now it looks like this:

And i must say that after 3 years of working on e24, this e21 seams like a toy car to fix. I would took a day to dsimantle one e24 door.

[--ALPINA--]

Im getting thoughts of banannas, i cant quite understand why....


sweet car..


j

[radosc_BAUR]

It's 70' car I love it.

2 more photos:

[Mihajlo]

dashboard with no cracks!!!

[e21-Mark]

The 'POWER OF THE BAUR'!!! Look forward to seeing the finished result mate....

[Danny043]

Nice collection You should build a garage for them in your garden.
Good luck with the restoration!

[steed]

it'll be great, once you put it back together