1982 BMW 323i Baur

1982 BMW 323i Baur
Memorial Day 2010 First Drive 1982 323i BMW Baur Lapisblau M20 5 speed #4154 of 4595 made. The car was imported to California by Dietel Enterprises. I have since changed the wheels, installed the clear turn signal lenses, and I am in the process of installing a new cabriolet roof. I have to do something about those bumpers, too. :) I love this car! To see one of the reasons why, check my post "Score One For the Good Guys" on 6/26/2011.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Out With The Old, In With The New.... Bumpers, That Is

My project this afternoon, in the 92 degree heat, was to change the front brake pads (Mission Accomplished!), and start the bumper switch project. You may be aware that my Father's Day project two weeks ago, was to remove the Euro bumpers from my 323i Euro project.

 Today I removed the front bumper from the 323i Baur, in preparation for reattaching the Euro bumpers. As you can see in the pic above, the old 'diving board' US Spec bumper is off!  It resisted coming off easily because I believe it took a minor hit at some point prior to my ownership. I can see where it was a little out of alignment, and wouldn't come straight out. I had to separate the bumper shocks from the bumper and remove them separately.

 But.... They are HISTORY at last! And the Euro bumper is almost ready to go on. The Euro bumper is missing the rubber strip for now. I may have to order that from Germany if the local dealer can't get one.

Stay tuned!

Engine Rebuilds Itself

As a firm believer in Energy Conservation ------ MINE!!! ----- an engine that could disassemble and reassemble itself would sure come in handy.  While we are on the subject, I would also like a lawn that would mow itself.... but I suppose that is just asking too much!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=daVDrGsaDME


http://jalopnik.com/5922349/watch-an-engine-rebuild-itself-in-this-3000+photo-stop+motion-video

:)

OK, since my lawn refuses to mow itself, I guess I will just have to get back out there and do it myself.  It is 92 degrees here as we speak, btw, so I guess I better get out there now, before it gets HOT.

;)

Friday, June 29, 2012

Baur History: Chronological Chart


I found this page a couple of months ago.  Lots of great material here, including a chart of the Baur company history.  The site is actively interested in any information about Baurs, especially any pictures of the models listed below.  Great stuff for students of automobile history, like myself.

  http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.100jahre-baur.de/chronik.php&ei=HZ9NT8WjJ6jm0QH7vYS7Ag&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC8Q7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPorsche%2B959%2Bkarosserie%2Bbaur%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26qscrl%3D1%26nord%3D1%26rlz%3D1T4MOOI_enUS356US359%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D635%26prmd%3Dimvns

1936-37 BMW 329 2+2 Cabrio bodied by Baur 

Development history of the company body BAUR GmbH, Stuttgart

TimeDescription
1910Company Formation
1910 - 1927Production of single structures and carrying out repair work
1912first patent (276 663) "umlegbares masking for luxury cars"
1913"Record"-body combination
1927Maybach convertible
1927 - 1935first series production order for 200 convertibles brand walkers
1928BAUR begins the era of "spot welding"
1929 - 1939Development and production of convertible HORCH PULLMANN
1935Production for Wanderer, DKW and BMW (320/326)
1936Ford V8 Convertible Sedan
1936Wanderer W25K Cabriolet
1936 - 1941Development and production of the DKW F5, F7 and F8
1938Lancia Aprilia Sport Cabriolet
1938BMW 320 Sport Cabriolet
1939Opel Admiral Convertible
1939 - 1945Workshop production of cars, truck chassis, power generators, Drum Trucks, cars, car operation
1945 - 1950Reconstruction of the devastated production
1949 - 1952DKW F10 production and conversion of the pre-war models on M49 steel body
1950 - 1953Development and production "Veritas Dyna" Panhard with aggregates
1953 - 1955Development and production of the BMW 501
1954 - 1956Development and production of two-door coupe and four-and convertibles based on the BMW 501/502
1956 - 1957Development and production of complete Maico 500
1957 - 1965Development and production of the Auto Union 1000 SP
1961 - 1963Production of bodyshells of the BMW 700 Convertible
1963 - 1964Manufacture of roof construction for the DKW F12
1964 - 1965Shell of the BMW 700 LS Coupe
1967 - 1975Development and production of convertibles based on the BMW 1600/2002
1973 - 1979Development and production of complete vehicles Bitter CD
1976 - 1978Development and production of the Opel Kadett Aero
1978 - 1982Development and production of the BMW BAUR TC 1 (E21)
1978 - 1981Final assembly and completion of the BMW M1
1978 - 1987Production of the BMW 7 Series vehicle safety
1980 - 1991Production of welded assemblies for the Audi Quattro
1983 - 1991Development and production of the BMW BAUR TC 2 (E30)
1984Production of Kevlar body of the Audi Sport Quattro
1985 - 1988Production of shell bodies for the Porsche 959 !!!
1988Presentation of BAUR TC3
1988 - 1991Production and final assembly of the space frame of the BMW Z1
1992 - 1996Development and production of the BMW BAUR TC4 (E36)


Data from the website of BAUR TC2 Interest Group

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Pair of BMW 700 LS projects in Bring a Trailer

Thanks to THEPOOLEMAN for this article in Bring a Trailer!

Thanks, Ed!

UPDATE 8/28/2012:  Check out this related post:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2012/08/more-700s-including-baur.html

June 20, 2012  Cover Stories / German / Inspiration / Under $20k  37 comments 

4 Cylinders in Total: Pair of 1962 BMW 700 LS Luxus



This pair of 1962 BMW 700 LS Luxus project cars are being offered by the same seller who listed this BMW 700S ex-racer back in April. One is said to be largely complete and solid though in need of restoration, while the other is described as a rusty parts-car or major project. Although even the good one will need a tremendous amount of work, the 700 is a rarely seen model that was both an important model for BMW and a success in period motorsports. Hopefully at least one of them will receive a proper restoration. Find them here and here on eBay in Atlanta, Georgia without reserve.

The light green 700 is said to be largely complete with repairable rust. The worst of the rot is said to be in the rockers and at the base of the c-pillars, both of which will clearly require new metal. The rest of the car is stricken with surface rust, but appears to be otherwise reasonably clean. The second white 700 is said to be a probable parts car with severe rust in the rockers, around the headlights, and again the bottom of both c-pillars. The tail lights pictured also do not come with the car.
1962 BMW 700LS Green For Sale Rear
The interior of the green 700 is said to be largely complete though in need of a serious restoration. While the dash appears crack free and some trim looks useable, any soft materials appear to be beyond repair, and the rust-colored floorboards don’t inspire confidence. No mention is made about the interior condition of the white 700, so it can only be presumed to be worse.
1962 BMW 700LS Green For Sale Interior
The green 700 is said to come complete with its drivetrain, though the seller is clear that it doesn’t run and probably hasn’t in ages. The white 700 for its part is said to be have no drivetrain at all. While building one up for vintage rallies is certainly an option, it was the coupe that won most of the victory laurels, so we’d be more inclined to restore one of them to original condition and use it as a stylish micro-car grand tourer.
1962 BMW 700LS Green For Sale Motor
The BMW 700 managed to successfully bridge the gap between BMW as bubble-car maker and BMW as we know it today. Compared to the 600, the improved mechanicals and Michelotti styled body made the 700 far more substantial than its predecessor. Unfortunately, what it gained in substance it lost in bubble-car novelty, which perhaps is why it’s a BMW model that’s often fallen through the cracks. While neither of these restoration projects are for the faint of heart, we hope that at least one of them will receive proper attention and appear back on the road again.





http://bringatrailer.com/2012/06/20/4-cylinders-in-total-pair-of-1962-bmw-700-ls-luxus/

Monday, June 25, 2012

Our Cincinnati Baur on Jalopnik

Well, what do you know?  The Cincinnati Baur has gotten some notice from Jalopnik.  It appears that the author, graverobber, has taken some of his info from our "Baur TC1s in the US" thread in bimmerforums!  If you click on the ASC reference in the article, it takes you right to page 3 of that thread.

However, he apparently didn't pay close enough attention to the thread info, because he got some of it wrong.  He states that most of the jobs done by ASC went to Canada:  we only know for sure of 1 job done by ASC, and that one belongs to our own rigmaster in NC.  (If the author knows of OTHER Baurs done by ASC, I would love to hear about them.)  He appears to have confused that tidbit with a later reference in the thread to a chart of 25 US Spec Baurs that BMW imported to North America, 22 of which went to Canada.  That is Jeroen's chart, also in the bimmerforums thread.  Baurspotting has actually found that a few of those "Canada" Baurs have now made their way south, and are now located in the US.

The author also shows his confusion with this comment:    "So the car's kind of weird - it looks U.S. Spec, but is claimed to rock the 323i engine and five speed, what's up with that?"  What is 'up with that' is that this Baur is a Euro grey market import which had to be 'federalized' to get registered in the US.  Hence the US diving board bumpers, the side marker lights, and probably some emissions equipment.  There is no mystery here.  Anyone familiar with grey market cars would know that.


In addition, the author fails to take into any account the extreme rarity of the Baur.  Baurspotting has found about 80 E21 Baurs so far in the entire US.  We have unconfirmed reports of about 20 more, some of which may be duplicate sightings of Baurs we already know.  This has happened a lot.  There are undoubtedly some more that we havent found yet.  But there is a strong likelihood that we have plucked all, or almost all, of the 'low-hanging fruit', and that most of what remains to be found is secreted away in barns, garages or other storage facilities that will be exceedingly difficult to find.  Baurs are a rare bird, indeed.


I was further disappointed that the author had no sense of the historical perspective and the role that the E21 Baur played in that.  Without that historical perspective, one can completely miss the reason behind the unusual design of the Baur, as this author did.  There is a reason that the Baur has a "Top Cabriolet' design, just as there is a reason that it is called a "Top Cabriolet' and not a Targa.    The BMW Baur Top Cabriolets were built in response to the fact that most car manufacturers were expecting that convertibles were going to be outlawed for safety reasons (primarily rollover danger) in most countries.  The manufacturers therefore stopped building convertibles.  The last American convertible in that era (late 70's, early 80's) was the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado.  Try finding a late 70's or early 80's convertible.  They are very few and far between.  


Baur, a coach builder founded in 1910, had been building convertibles for BMW since the 1930's, including the 1600 convertibles, and the 2002 Targa Convertibles.  Baur built 4595 E21 Baurs between 1976 and 1982.  One of the most striking features of the E21 Baur design is the roll bar between the front 'targa' top and the rear folding soft top.  That roll bar is present in response to, and because of, the safety concerns in rollover accidents: a product of the prevailing safety sentiments of the times.  It is not there just by coincidence, or because someone thought that it would look cool!   It was there for a very definite reason.  Also, the reason it is called a "Top Cabriolet' is because Porsche owns the rights to use the term "Targa", so Baur had to come up with an alternative.


Much of the above perhaps means nothing to many readers of Jalopnik's 'Nice Price or the Crack Pipe' column.  As one of the readers commented, you can go out and buy a nice E36 'real' convertible for half the price... and I agree.  And you can also go further, and, if all you want is a convertible, buy a Chevy Cavalier or that Dodge convertible for probably half of THAT price.   


That is not the person that is going to buy this car.  This is a rare, unique and historically important automobile.  And it is a blast to drive!  Did I mention that?   The E21 also the car that gave the BMW Three Series its Name!  And, while it has not reached Collector Status yet, and although it does not rival its iconic brethren, the 2002 and the E30, in price yet, it's Day is Coming.  With the sharp design lines of the E21, the spirited drivability of the M20 engine, the historical significance of the Top Cabriolet design, the absolute scarcity of numbers..... this is the very definition of Collector status.   Sadly, graverobber from Jalopnik has no clue about any of this, and his article reflects that.  It is not his fault.  He doesn't read Baurspotting enough.       :)


The BMW Baur is destined for greatness.  You heard it here first, folks.


:)


P.S.  If graverobber had called the seller, he would have learned that this Baur also has the much-sought after 'dogleg transmission', and that it may also have been owned by a national celebrity (unproven so far).  But you smart readers of Baurspotting could have told him that, too, because Baurspotting is all over that case!  


;)


OK, now here is the Jalopnik article.