Baur and 2002 "M2" at Ocean Beach Cruise Night August 4, 2014

As you may know, my son, Brian, and I have been recruited as extras in a short film being shot this week in New London, CT.  My involvement started with being asked to help the film crew locates some vintage (pre-1962) cars to be part of the shoot.

So, as part of my quest for the cars, I have  been attending numerous local car shows and cruise nights for the past two weeks or so.  I found myself at the Ocean Beach Cruise Night last night, which, in good weather, usually gets a pretty good turnout of cars, ranging from the 1920's right up to brand-new models.  And you never know what you may see there!

Here is the Baurspotting Baur parked at Ocean Beach last night in front of the amusement area.  And look what is parked two cars away!

It is the first time I have seen this BMW 2002 at the show, so I made a point to introduce myself to the owner:  Greg of Wethersfield, CT.

This is a 1973 2002 with an S14 engine from an M3!   I can't believe I forgot to get a pic of the engine bay!  Mea Culpa!

Nice color! 

 Italian turn signals!  Baur at the right of the pic.  ;)

 There!  You can just see the "M Power" signifying the S14 engine under the hood!

 Colorado paint;  Borrani wheels.

As I understand it, the '02 came from Arizona, and is pretty rust-free.  The S14 came from Greg's previous '02, and was installed by Matt McGinn at Sports Car Restoration in Plainville, CT.  They also did some painting there.  Greg also told me that he has an E9, btw.

Great to meet you, Greg, and I look forward to seeing you and your beautiful car again!  I hope you will consider checking out the Nor'East '02ers Facebook page, if you haven't already!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bmw2002us/

Baurspotting is in a Short Film!

Well, not Baurspotting exactly, but ...... due to my connection with Baurspotting, and cars in general.... I am gonna make my debut in a locally shot, short film!


OK, truth be told, I have been a little pre-occupied for a couple of weeks... here is why:  Here is a pic of my son, Brian, and I in 'period costume' for our roles in a short film being shot this weekend in New London. Some folks we know from the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT recruited us as 'extras' for the film, set in 1962. Brian was initially involved, and when they said they needed some vintage cars for the shoot, he suggested that I might be able to help out. So, I made arrangements for 2 or 3 1962 (and earlier) cars to appear in the film.... and that is why I have been preoccupied for the past few weeks:  I have been attending multiple cars shows in the area to recruit potential candidates to appear in the film!  It has been a lot of fun,and I have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful folks!  Many car owners were willing to participate, but we had some restrictions:  it had to be pre-1962, but yet not too too 'pre';  the scene is being shot at night, so certain colors had to be eliminated because they would create problems with lighting for the camera crew:  no white cars, no black cars, etc.  Some owners balked at being out so late at night.... the shoot could last until 12:30-1:00am.  And it is a low budget project, so there is no remuneration, other than to be able to say that your car was in a film..  So things  got a little complicated!  I have compiled a list of cars:  the "A" team, and the "Ladies-in-Waiting", a total of 6 cars, dating from 1954-62. The shoot for the cars is now set for late Tuesday night, and we will hopefully have 2 or 3 cars on hand for it.

Well, then the writer asked me to join as an extra. It is a low-budget project, so we are unpaid, of course.
And the pic shows us on the set last night. Both Brian and I shaved our beards, and I wont be seen in those glasses in the film. It is a 7 minute film that will be shown at film festivals around the country, and perhaps beyond. There is a cast of 9, with three main actors, and 6 extras (including Brian and I). The featured actors are Peter Rini (Orange is the New Black, and many others), Sara Steele (Spanglish and The Good Wife, etc.) and our friend, Rachel Jett (who took our pic). Sara plays the 16 yo daughter of Peter and Rachel, and the story is a kind of coming of age/transition to the world of adults for her. The story is very well-written by Donna DiNovelli, with whom I went to high school. She has done other operas, musicals, and plays all over the country, but this is her first film. It's great!
The film crew is from NY, and we had a great time shooting several scenes last night from 4pm until about 12:30am. Very nice people. I shared a dressing room with Peter Rini. !!
We return Tuesday night to wrap up, and that is when the cars will be used. If all goes according to plan, these are two of the cars that will be in the shoot: 1962 Corvette, and a 1955 Ford Fairlane.
A really great experience!

Tom and Brian in costume circa 1962 on the set August 2, 2014

Two of the cars that we have arranged to appear in the film:  1962 Corvette and 1955 Ford Fairlane.

We really have had a great time, but I couldn't quite get this song out of my head!  :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHeRq6DdxHE

The movie is called "Stag".  Keep a sharp eye out but.... don't hold your breath!  :)

The Resurrection of Baur #1929!

Thanks to Twelvizm in E21 bimmerforums for these updated pics of his former Baur, now owned by Allan in the PNW.  Baur #1929.  Thank you, twelvizm, and congrats to Allan!  Nice job!

I love the E21s in white!  Beautiful, Allan!  We can't wait to see more!

Here are some pics from when Allan first purchased it last fall:

Baur 1929:  you've come a Long way, baby!  We look forward to some more pics from Allan!  :)


BTW, Allan has picked up another Baur recently:  a white TC2!  So he is going to be a busy fella!

Allan emailed me recently with this pic, and here are his comments about the TC2:
" It's Allan in Oregon with the TC1 #1929. I'm now a two Baur family!! This one is a 320i with the L-jet 2 litre M20 and 5 speed, pretty complete. Blue comfort interior, blue top. Baur # B43124-14. It comes with 1 New York and 4 (believe it or not!) Florida titles. I don't even know how that's possible! Needs a bunch of work, pretty much a basket case. Rust is not too bad. Been sitting outside for 11 years but was running before that.

   Big surprise is that the targa top has a tilt function on TC2's. Very handy!"

Thanks, Allan ,and keep us posted on what you are doing with it, please!   We love this stuff!  :)

Baurspotting actually has a fair amount of information on this particular Baur:   #1929.  We have traced it back through several previous owners:

Here is a post when we first spotted it in 2012:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2012/04/last-seen-wearing-1981-323i-chicken-saw.html

Here is when our friend, twelvizm, bought it:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2012/07/small-baur-world-strikes-again.html

Twelvizm bought it, and we have lots of pics in our files of that.  Life happens, things change, and about a year and 1/2 later..... here he is selling it:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2013/04/baur-1929-for-sale-in-pnw-1000.html


Allan is now the owner of Baur #1929, and we wish him every success!  It looks like he is off to a great start!  Kudos, Allan!

TC2 Baur in South Tyrol, Italy!

Thanks to Daniel V. for posting this pic of his Baur in South Tyrol, Italy in Facebook today!

Nice shot, and a pretty car, Daniel!

"Classic Days": Oldtimer Show at the Castle Dyck, Germany

Thanks to Marco P. for sending us pics of this Baur Cabrio that he spotted at the Oldtimer Show at the Castle Dyck called "classic days". I have done some checking and.... we know this Baur! It belongs to our friend, Arno H.!

It is a beauty! Thanks, Marco!

Here are a couple of other pics that we have in our files:

It is a Small Baur World, once again! ;)

Build Your Own Baur: Peter's Project Part V!

Build Your Own Baur: Peter's Project Part V

Peter posted the following pics today on Facebook, with his latest progress:

Peter's comments:

"Take today the back side off the baur new 323 panel."

Keep up the great work, Peter!  And please Keep those pics coming!  ;)

You can find links to the earlier posts on this project here:

http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2014/06/build-your-own-baur-peters-project-part.html

BMW Bunch: Six 700′s (Including a BAUR!) & Pre-War 321 Projects

No doubt that deeeeeep pockets are required for this sale but.... That 700 Cabrio is a BAUR!  The 700 is the car that spared BMW from bankruptcy, and worse.... from being bought out by Mercedes-Benz in 1959.  This is a historically significant car. I hope someone can save them

This collection of 6 BMW project cars range from a wartime 1940 321 to five different air-cooled 700′s built in the early 60′s. All of the cars need significant work, but at least they aren’t half sunken hulks in a field, and two of them have already been partially restored. It may not make sense to save all of them, but several appear to be realistic projects, and the remainder may yield good parts so that others may live. Either way, the seller is clear that these are being sold together, so leave the trailer at home and bring a big flatbed. Find them here on eBay in Houston Texas without reserve.

By far the oldest car in the lot is a scarce 1940 BMW 321 (Chassis 99365). The car is completely disassembled and caked in a layer of surface rust, but does however, come with its engine, seats, and many body panels.. Given its scarcity, historical significance, and restored value, there is a good chance that this 321 may receive a deep pocket restoration. Even if this is not to be, the parts themselves are no doubt of significant value to other ongoing restorations here or in Europe.

Of the 700s, by far the rarest is the 1963 BMW 700 Cabriolet (Chassis 780144). Unlike the other cars in the collection, significant work has already been done including a newly painted body, installed wiring harness, and new chrome trim. The engine is dismantled however, and the doors and glass are missing. Still, these are not overly complex cars, and with less than 3000 built there is little doubt that this one will eventually see the road again.

The 1963 700 Sport Coupe (Chassis 196751) is another desireable model that appears to be a good starting point for a project. The car currently sits in primer and is largely complete including its numbers-matching engine and a clear title. Given the motorsports history of the model, we’d take up the seller’s suggestion and built it into a period correct race or rally car, though restoring it to factory original condition would be fun, too.

The next example is a red 1963 700A LS saloon (Chassis 835535). The LS was an extended wheelbase model of the 700, and the size increase is quite evident in the group photo. The body appears to be quite solid with complete glass and trim, the drivetrain is missing however. Still, the larger size makes it bit more accommodating, and the lack of a motor leaves the door open for an interesting swap–lots of suitable air-cooled motorcycle engines come to mind.

The final two are a blue 1962 700 saloon (Chassis 703827) and a former blue but currently white version of the same year and model (717345). The blue example seems to be another solid example and the seller states that the car is complete including numbers-matching engine. The white 700 looks to be the roughest out of the 700′s, and it is showing a fair amount of surface corrosion which may run deeper. Still, the seller states that it too is complete, though with a replacement motor.

Though the BMW 321 is a major project, it’s a beautiful sporting coupe that was produced in only very limited numbers due to wartime demands. The 700 for its part was a very important and profitable post-war model for BMW, yet continues to be overshadowed by the earlier Isetta and later Neue Klasse despite its significance. Hopefully most or all of these cars will be restored, and they can do their small part to bring awareness to these largely forgotten but pivotal BMW’s.

http://bringatrailer.com/2014/08/01/bmw-bunch-six-700s-pre-war-321-projects/