It’s no secret that BMW E9 3.0 CSL is one of the most important cars this company has ever designed. It gave life to the dull 2000 CS new generation coupe that was already losing steam by the time the 3.0 CSL came about. More importantly, this car cemented BMW’s name in the world of motorsports.
Every other racing achievement of theirs was built on the back of Karmann’s “Leichtbau” coupe. These days the 3.0 CSL has become a true classic that is currently experiencing a linear increase in value. These have tripled in price in barely a decade, making them somewhat exclusive these days. But, if you were to find a fixer-upper, how much would a full restoration cost you?
More Than Just a BMW Coupe
If there’s one factor that dictates the cost of restoration, it’s the rarity of the vehicle you’re looking to restore. BMW, or should we say, Karmann, has produced 1,265 BMW 3.0 CSLs as a homologation special. Right off the bat, you’re looking at limited options in terms of finding a fixer-upper to work on, let alone a parts car.
To say that all the good ones are already taken would be an understatement 10 years ago. Today, things are even more bleak. That being said, a good E9 is worth waiting for, so let’s assume that you’ve located a car in a fairly decent shape. Now what?
In-House Restoration or a DIY Project?
Deciding how to approach your restoration project can greatly impact the time it will take to complete, the quality of the restoration, and of course, the price. You have the option of outsourcing the entire project to a well-known restoration shop such as the Coupe King out in LA. That’s what you’d call a clean hands restoration. You send them the car, let them work their magic, pay whatever they bill you, and you’re good to go.
However, if you’re like most BMW enthusiasts, your heart is probably leaning towards a long but rewarding DIY project. However, this is definitely a car that will test your mettle in the most brutal ways possible. Why? Mainly because there’s nothing ordinary about this BMW.
The BMW 3.0 CSL was built by Karmann — a prominent German coachbuilder. The build quality of the bodywork reflected the prestige and reputation this brand enjoyed back in the day. They’ve elongated the 2000 CS chassis to fit the new straight-six M30, which triggered a slew of cosmetic changes to the car. The end result is one of the best-looking BMWs ever made, but one that’s a nightmare to work on as far as body panels go.
Being a car from the ‘70s, the 3.0 CSL was prone to rust. All cars were back in those days. Finding a car that doesn’t have any signs of rust is borderline impossible these days. Even cars that appear to be in decent condition often turn out to be riddled with subsurface rust spots all over. So far, the owners of E9s and those who restore these cars for a living all came to one conclusion — full bodywork check, rust protection and repaint is the only way to go. Naturally, such an undertaking is expensive no matter the car.
Now take into consideration that these bimmers came from an era where just about every surface had at least one complicated curve to it. In other words, not everyone can do the 3.0 CSL body panels justice. In fact, those who can pull off a seamless restoration, rust protection, and repaint are a rare breed.
The Devil Is In the Details
Getting rid of rust and repainting the entire body of the car may seem like the most daunting part of the job, but that’s not usually the case. In fact, once you get the rust under control, the real adventure begins.
Back when these cars first rolled out, the entire world was captivated by chrome. It was shiny, it was en vogue, and it was built to last….or not. Finding CSL trim pieces can be a nightmare, especially if you’re starting out with a car that is missing a lot of its trim.
You’re probably wondering just how ridiculous can sourcing these bits and pieces be? Let’s put it this way, Coupe King offers E9 CS Couple sunvisor pivots for $375 per set. Mind you, these aren’t original pieces. These are new production pivots made in the USA, which were designed to eliminate a few design flaws of the originals. Now imagine how much you’d have to pay for something more substantial?
Restoring the Drivetrain
Interior and exterior trim, although important as far as any restoration goes, is not essential for the functionality of the car. However, the M30 inline-six and the gearbox it’s paired to most definitely are. There are two issues with these engines that you simply have to accept.
For one, almost all of them have been opened at some point by now. If nothing else, someone had to go in and adjust valve clearances as valve train noise was rather obvious on these. Unfortunately, many of the BMW 3.0 CSLs still around today underwent much more serious procedures.
The M30 is a SOHC engine that utilizes one of the many wonders of German automotive engineering – a central spray bar. Unlike modern engines, the camshaft in M30 engines wasn’t lubricated using the regular oil channels, which is something we’re used to seeing in a modern N52 engine. Instead, BMW has installed a single spray bar that runs on top of the camshaft. This spray bar features a bunch of little holes which are used to deliver oil to the cam.
This whole system works great so long as there are no contaminants in the oil. If there are, the spray bar can easily become clogged up, leading to oil starvation under the valve cover. As a result of this oil delivery system design, there are plenty of 3.0 CSLs out there running on a worn-out camshaft lobes.
But even that isn’t the worst thing about restoring the drivetrain on these cars. The real problem are all the seals and rubber components. Being 50 years old by now, all rubber components on M30 engines are worn out. Once you start opening the engine and disturbing the fragile seals, they will lose whatever structural integrity they had.
At the end of the day, the only real way to ensure mechanical reliability in these cars is to rebuild the whole engine and replace all the seals, piston rings, and everything else that could pose a problem down the line. This little feat will easily run you anywhere from $15,000 and up.
Damage Report
Alright, so if rebuilding the engine is at least $15,000, and sunvisor pivots go for $375, how much will a BMW 3.0 CSL restoration cost you? Throwing around cost estimates is fairly meaningless without inspecting the car, but the consensus is that $40,000 to $50,000 is a good starting point that will get your foot in the door and set you on the right path. Depending on the condition of your 3.0 CSL, this cost could be double.
But wait, is restoring a 3.0 CSL even worth it at that point? The answer is, and probably will be for the foreseeable future, a strong yes! These cars go for at least $100,000 in relatively decent condition. Full-on batmobile spec CSL can run you $500,000 easily. Best of all, these cars will only become more valuable as they age. Buying and restoring one could very well turn out to be a lucrative investment all things considered!
