Hot'lanta Baurs: Got 'Em All!

Readers of this blog and the E21 bimmerforums may recall this bimmerforums post from way back.  We had heard that there might be as many as 5 Baurs in the greater Atlanta area.   Here are two of them: Bruce H's on the left, Wil Bryant's on the right.  Beautiful!

Here is Bruce H's original post on the 'purple' Baur in south Atlanta.  You will note that he mentions that there were 5 Baurs around Atlanta GA at one point:

12/11/2010

Originally Posted by HarryPR Yes! Will Bryant is his name. Thanks for looking it up. Can't trust my 53 year old brain cells any more..... Don't know if he is on this board, but Bruce might chime in with more details. He has a couple of pics of both cars together, proving that they are not the same car!

Yes that would be Wil Bryant. Great guy, still has the Baur which is superb. We stay in touch.


At one time there where 5 Baurs in Atlanta. The two Kastienrots, Harry's, another white one that was for sale and a purple one that needed rescuing.


My guess is that there are more Baurs out there than you think."

-------------Bruce H, in E21 Bimmerforums

Ok, we accept the challenge!!  ;)

Well today, I am pleased to announce that we have found 5 Baurs in Atlanta!  Here they are:

The two Kastienrots:

In the pic immediately above, Bruce H's Baur is on the left, Wil Bryants's Baur is on the right.

This is HarryPR's Baur, which was at one time located in Atlanta. He is noted as one of the 5 in Bruce's postings.  HarryPR moved this Baur to Puerto Rico last year.  Interestingly enough, Harry's white Baur started out as a Kastienrot, same as the two other cars in bimmerforums.  A later owner apparently changed the color to white.  Harry's Baur "Smokey" was recently featured in BMW magazine!  http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3771580164207.166488.1117837646&type=1

Here is the "purple' one that Bruce mentions (Bruce posted these pics last year but they were actually taken in 2007):
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2011/10/mystery-baur-in-atlanta-pics-frm-bruceh.html

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1735634

Ok that is four down and one to go!



OK, the final piece of the puzzle:  it was right under our nose the whole time!  The fifth Baur cited in Bruce's original message was:  "another white one that was for sale".

We have known about Ras Sweeney and his white  Baur (#2581) for some time.  All we knew about his location, however, was that he was 'in the South."  ???  The South is a big place, as you know.  Well, I am please to announce that I spoke to Ras Sweeney on Friday--- a very enjoyable conversation, btw----- and he informs me that he is located in Atlanta!   His Baur is Alpineweiss!  The missing white Baur!!

That is 5 for 5!!  

We still need two things to make this list fully complete:

1)  We do not have Wil Bryants's Baur plate number.  I have found him on Facebook, and sent him a message. I  haven't heard back from him yet. Any help on that would be greatly appreciated.

2)  We do not have the Baur plate nor the VIN on the 'purple' Baur in south Atlanta.  However, Ras Sweeney has confirmed it's existence.  It is actually blue.  He has spoken to the owner, who is asking $1300 for the car..... which sits outside in the weather unprotected.  He thinks that it has been stiing out there for perhaps as long as 10 years!!  Sitting outside just as you can see in the pics from 2007..... including an open/missing rear window.  It appears to have suffered from some vandalism or cannibalization over the years, because it is missing the rear window and some seats.  I will try to have Ras send us the address, or the Baur's owners name.  I would love to see him drop his price so that someone in here can grab it and save it!

Stay tuned for more!  Thanks, Ras!!

The good news is that we were told over a year ago  that there might be as many as 5 Baurs in the Atlanta area.... and we have found 5!!!  They appear to match the 5 Baurs mentioned.... and we are sure of at least 4 of them.... and it appears eminently plausible that the 5th Baur is indeed Ras's white Baur!  Wow!  Great job, Baurhunters!!!

Wrecked Baur at Auction! 1982 BMW 320I REPAIRABLE

1982 BMW 320I REPAIRABLE

UPDATE:  I just spoke to Copart Auctions.  They checked and found that there is NO Baur plate on the car.  So, either the plate has disappeared (perhaps from the front end hit) or perhaps this is another conversion done by American Sunroof Company, under license to Baur.  You may recall that rigmaster in NC has an example of their work, American Sunroof Company #001.   (See 'Baur TC1s in the US' thread in E21 bimmerforums, page 3.)

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1566814&page=3

Thanks to Chris M. in Facebook E21 Legion for this link:
http://www.autobidmaster.com/carfinder-online-auto-auctions/lot/20724411/COPART_1982_BMW_320I_SALVAGE_CERTIFICATE_VALLEJO_CA/


Baurspotter of the Week Award to Chris M! Thanks, Chris!

 This appears to be one of the few US Spec 320i Baurs! Baurspotting is on the case!

Chassis number	8051221
Vehicle code	1733
Series	E21
Model	320i
Body type	saloon
Catalog model	USA
Production date	1981 / 11
Engine	M10
Transmission	Manual
Steering	Left
Catalyzer	NONE

Mother's Day Tips for Car Guys

Ok, fellas, I apologize for getting this out so late today. It probably would have done a lot more good if you had this information in advance of Mother's Day, but..... I got a little tied up with the vacuuming, dust mopping, grocery shopping etc., in preparation for a Mother's Day lunch this afternoon in honor of my wife, my mother in law, my daughter in law (a brand new Mom!) and various other relatives. And yesterday it was a full day of lawn mowing, weed whacking and porch painting, again in preparation for today's lunch. So I am pretty exhausted about now, ---- thank goodness Mother's Day only comes once every year, huh!!---- but I want to try to get this post up for the sake of all my Car Guy Brethren out there who may be able to benefit from it. Since it is really too late to help today, archive it and bring it out next year. Mother's Day is your Golden Opportunity!! Don't waste it ever again!  This is Bank, fellas!

 For those readers from around the world who may be unfamiliar with American Traditional Holidays, today is Mother's Day in the US. It is a day that we set aside to honor our Mothers, the Mothers of our children, and such like. We all celebrate it each in our own way, but generally flowers, romantic dinners, and schmaltzy cards are the order of the day. I personally try to set a little Special Time aside to honor one of my favorites, the Mothers of Invention, but that's just me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ialhaxhr7iA&feature=related

 Ok, so why is this day such a Golden ---- Not To Be Missed----Opportunity?  You are all familiar, ---at least those among us who are in a relationship with a SO (Significant Other... a k a SWMBO*, in some circles) ---- to one extent or the other, with the trials and tribulations we endure as Car Guys.  Frequently, our SOs are, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about our predilection for trailering  home rusty buckets, for filling bins in the garage with spares, and for our frequent trips to the junkyard, car shows, etc.  They will never understand, or appreciate, our excitement, for example when, upon opening the trunk lid of a rusty bimmer at the pick-n-pull, we find an unmolested full tool kit!!!

Step 1:  Forget ever trying to change that.  Accept it as a given, and accept the fact that there is nothing on earth that you can do to change it.  Take a deep breath and .... let it go.  See, don't you feel better already?

Step 2:  Work with what you are given.  The Car Guys Gods looked down on what they had created and said,: "Let there be Mother's Day."  And It was Good.

Step 3:  How to Make the Most Bank out of Mother's Day!  Yeah.  You don't get this stuff anywhere else, fellas.
         1. Flowers.  Those are those colorful, smelly plant things that you see at nurseries and at the front of the grocery store.  Definitely grab a bunch of those, and find a schmaltzy card to go with it.  Don't forget to SIGN it!  Ask me how I know!
        2.  Mother's Day is the day to work only on HER car.  Change the oil, lube it up.  Let her know that this is for HER.  Forget swapping that tranny, or that tuneup on your car.  You  are thinking ONLY of HER needs!
         3.  If her car doesn't need any of the above, spend the afternoon washing and waxing it.  For extra bonus points, vacuum the interior AND clean the INSIDES of the windows!  You have just made a friend forever, and scored BIG TIME points!   Congratulations!
         4. Do NOT, under any circumstances, buy a car today!  Let her know in a subtle way that, no matter how sorely you are tempted, you are making this sacrifice for her.
         5.  If you really have a project that you MUST work on today,.... the key is to spin it properly:  Tell her that normally you wouldn't even consider this but... since it is Mother's Day, and you are thinking ONLY of her, you will allow her to assist you in the garage for this ONE time.  But she is not to get her hopes up that this will ever happen again, and she must be on her absolute BEST behavior, i.e., no mention of how yucky it is under there and and how dirty and smelly it is, etc.  She needs to do her best to enjoy it.  Steer clear of any references to things like "Brunch'.  Be careful, it is a minefield out there.
          6.  Piece de Resistance!  Take her out to a Romantic Dinner..... at a place that does NOT have a drive thru!!  She will immediately know that THIS time it is for HER!  Ok ..... now where could that be?  That's right!  I am thinking  FIVE GUYS!!

http://www.fiveguys.com/

I know, I know, it is a bit of a splurge, but think of it as an investment with a BIG payoff!  Five Guys has it all:  lighting, atmosphere, all the peanuts she can eat, a burger of her TOTAL creation... what more could a woman ask for!!!????

But don't just take MY word for it!  Go into their Men's Room when you are there.  You can read their rave reviews while standing at the urinal! These Five Guys folks have thought of everything!
Better yet, make sure SHE uses the Ladies Room.  She will know that this is Real Class when she reads about their Zagat rating while powdering her nose.  The Perfect Finale to a Perfect Mother's Day!  Can I get an Amen, brother? !!

OK, there you have it!  Pro Tips on how to make the most out of this Golden Opportunity known as Mother's Day!  Now.... don't blow it, fellas!  Take all this to heart, and believe me, you will reap the benefits of your efforts for years to come!

If all else fails, try a little tenderness, whatever that is.  I have it on good authority from Otis whats-his-name, that this works, too.  Hey, what the hell, it is worth a shot!

N.B.  These are confidential Pro Tips developed over years of experience.  Under NO circumstances should they be shared with your SO, and, God forbid, don't anyone let my wife see them!

;)

Next Up:  Father's Day!  Yeah, where all this hard work and sacrifice really starts to Pay Off!!

Bonus Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ52n9NbEkM&feature=related

*SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed, from Rumpole of the Bailey, PBS Mystery Series.

Lothar Schuettler's Garage

If there is ONE guy in the USA that Baurspotting is determined to meet one of these days.... THIS is the guy!  Meet Mr. Lothar Shuettler.

Lothar Schuettler's garage at his home in suburban MD.

For a peek inside, click on this link:
http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,351051/highlight,lothar/


http://www.sportscardigest.com/hilton-head-concours-delegance-2011-report-and-photos/

Sunday’s Concours d’Elegance top honor, “Best of Show,” was awarded to a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster owned by Lothar Schuettler of Darnestown, MD. First owned by famous German race driver Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, the original cost was $2,792 US equivalent. It is only one of only 18 painted black. With the Baron at the wheel in 1938-39, this car saw many wins at such famous tracks as the Nurburgring, Hockenheim, LeMans and the Gorssglockner Hill Climb. Lost track of during WW II, the car resurfaced in 1953 as a white car and was sold by a German national to a US GI who brought it to the US and owned it for the next 40 years.

So.... who is Lothar Schuettler, you may ask?  Here is everything you wanted to know....
http://www.bmwvccca.com/images/Article-Dec09-Lothar.pdf

Wow.  :)  Incredible.    I love that article!


Here is Lothar's business:
http://www.bmwexcluservice.com/

D I Y    A T     B M W   E X C L U S E R V I C E
Lothar Schuettler opens his shop to local BMWCCA National Chapter members. And helps out.  Because he is that kind of a guy!
http://db.nccbmwcca.org/2012/2012_0304.pdf
the link is to the local chapter's magazine.... scroll down to page 12, and you will find the article and pics.  



And here is his connection to Baurspotting:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2011/03/establishingsome-unofficial-provenance.html
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2011/03/followup-on-wide-body-baur-in-va.html
Lothar imported one of our bimmerforum member's Baurs (vev), a very special wide-body:

http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2011/08/lothar-schuettler-at-saratoga-ny-may.html

Lothar Schuettler, center, stands near his 1956 BMW 502 convertible after driving it from his home in Bethesda, Maryland to the Saratoga Automobile Museum for this weekend's Saratoga Spring Invitational auto show. Schuettler's is one of about 10 remaining of the original 54 vehicles manufactured. Powering the vehicle was a V8 engine which was highly unusual at the time in Europe because of petrol costs. "When I was growing up in Germany most of the people driving cars like this were doctors or dentists" said Schuettler who also trailered a 1937 BMW 328S Roadster to the show. (ED BURKE, eburke@saratogian.com)

Google's Self-Driving Car Passes Test

Google's robot cars pass driving test

Google's autonomous cars have passed their first driving test in Nevada, which included a trip along the famous Las Vegas Strip.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9252275/Googles-robot-cars-pass-driving-test.html

Look, no hands! Blind man is first user of Google self-driving car

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9175494/Look-no-hands-Blind-man-is-first-user-of-Google-self-driving-car.html#ooid=ZsbTNjNDqDOQ4RG1xyKRiWyKk4HlDiNZ

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Ok, this is pretty cool, and all, but...... I don't know that I am ready to give up driving my own car yet.  :)  Where is the fun in that?
  
  
  This self-driving car car makes me think of those who consider a car as just .... another appliance.And it reminds me of what Patton reportedly said, when asked by a correspondent about new push button wonder weapons of war:
  
  
  "Correspondent: General, we're told of wonder weapons the Germans were working on: Long-range rockets, push-button bombing weapons that don't need soldiers. What's your take on that?
  Patton: Wonder weapons? My God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics. Nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed. No heroes, no cowards, no troops. No generals. Only those that are left alive and those that are left... dead.".   PATTON, (1970).
  

  
  

The BMW Baur 4 Door Cabriolet Turned 75 in 2011!!!!!

A question was asked in the E30 bimmerforums today about converting a 4 door E30 into a cabriolet.  I have had this post as a draft for a long time, and I thought this might be an opportunity to put the 4 door cabriolet in a bit of an historical perspective.  Baur was one of the companies doing this work over 75 years ago!

If you thought that the 4 door E30 Baur cabriolet pictured above was a first..... you would be wrong!   BMW's first 4 door cabriolet was actually built over 75 years ago!  The BMW 326 (1936-41) was the first 4 door made by BMW.  It came as a sedan and it also came in both a 2-door and a 4-door cabriolet version.  It was customized by Baur and Reutter, and also by a number of other coach builders.

You can just see the handle on the rear door in this picture.  This may have been a police car.


http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/models/vintage/326.htm


http://www.bmwheaven.com/index.php/articles-and-reviews-mainmenu-3/bmw-history/26-38?start=2

"Cornerstone - the 326
Fritz Fiedler and chief designer Alfred Böning started work on the 326 in late 1934, designing for it a rigid platform-type chassis with box-section elements. The existing BMW front suspension was redesigned, its transverse leaf spring mounted above instead of below the frame and with torsion-bar springs for the read axle. Four-wheel hydraulic brakes became standard for the first time on a BMW and the steering was by rack and pinion.

The 326 was BMW's first four-door saloon and Peter Schimanowski's styling gave it a remarkably modern appearance. Its most striking feature was the front end, with enveloping wings and a grille which blended smoothly into the front panel. This grille, derived from earlier BMW designs, is the true ancestor of today's famous twin-kidney grille."

------------- see:   http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/history.html#326

The 326 :  the colums below refer to the build dates, engine size. # of cyl , horsepower and # built, respectively.

1936-41

1971

6

50

box section platform chassis, independent front suspension, rear axle with torsion-bar springs

113

4-door saloon, 2-door or 4-door cabriolet

15,936

It's a Small Baur World, Defined

You may have heard me mention on a number of occasions that it is a 'small Baur world'.   It is usually in reference to the fact that Baurs are so rare and infrequently seen, that oftentimes a discussion of two apparently different Baurs turns out to be one and the same car.  The most recent example is the red Baur currently for sale in WA on craigs list.  Jeroen mentioned that it bore a resemblance to a Baur last reported in Nebraska (1500 miles away) a few years ago (2008) and..... lo and behold, it turns out that they were indeed the very same car!

Today, we have yet another example of the Small Baur World phenomenon.  Bimmerforums member, and TC2 Baur owner, thepooleman, mentioned yesterday that another bimmerforums member named mbulsa had seen a red Baur up in Burlington VT recently.

Baurspotting, naturally, got right on that tip, and messaged mbulsa for more details, after explaining what we do at Baurspotting and in the Baur threads in bimmerforums.  He told me about the Burlington sighting, and then also mentioned that he had a friend in NH who had seen a white Baur there!

I was quite excited to hear this, since, you may recall, there was an E21 Baur spotted in NH last December and we haven't been able to find it!  I asked if he could get more details from his friend on this white Baur, and I sent him the link to the Baurspotting story about the sighting in NH last year.

WANTED:  E21 TC1 Baur seen in New Hampshire

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6545219794402951275#editor/target=post;postID=3436223268938140490

I just got his response:

No it is an e30 not an e21. And it is alpine white. Yes Nashua nh and ***** is a bmw dealership and it actually turns out that my friend works with the guy. It has a zender front valance and mtech rear valance with hurricane interior.

And my response to him, after a moment's pause, as I realized that this was all sounding familiar to me now.....

Ha! It is a small Baur world! That is ThePooleman himself! He just started working there (BMW dealership) recently, I believe!

Thepooleman, you see, ALSO has a white Baur in NH!  It never occurred to me, in my excitement over thinking that we finally had a lead on that elusive white E21 Baur.... that mbulsa's friend would be talking about the only OTHER known Baur in NH, which is owned by thepooleman .... who is the same guy who put me in touch with mbulsa in the first place yesterday ..... And started this whole story!  A Full Circle.

thepooleman's 1985 323i TC2 Baur #44808  in New Hampshire

Too funny, really!   This sort of thing is happening all the time lately, and I expect it will happen even MORE, as we continue to zero in on those few Baurs left out there!

:)