1969 BMW Other

2800 Sedan

INLINE 6 CYLINDER

Manual

2420064

Clear

Gasoline

Up for bid and now @ NO RESERVE is my 1969 BMW 2800 Sports Sedan, in period correct fjord blue with navy blue interior. This ultra rare 2 owner California car is in great condition, mostly original including matching numbers engine, believed to be 120k miles, reads 20k+ currently, and the upgrades done in my opinion, done by the previous owner are extremely tasteful. I have the original shipping invoice coming out of Palo Alto Calorfornia and the gentlemen apparently kept in till the mid ‘90’s when he sold it to someone in San Francisco. I bought the car earlier this year, tuned her up and have been enjoying her ever since. The car is registered in California through November 2012. I have literally every document and service history dating back to circa 1969 to today. This is the first year of the BMW 2800 offered to the public, 1968 offered 10 cars, all being prototypes. Here is what was done from the previous owner and maybe it was simply preference and driving experience. First, the 4 speed gearbox was removed and was taken to world renowned BMW mechanic Bill Arnold's shop where he put in a brand new 5 speed transmission, which shifts very smooth. He also changed the suspension to I believe a racing style suspension, handles like a drea, this car glides literally like a new car and feels very good at high speeds 70+ all day and has the limited slip differential option, which is highly desired (see history below). At some point the original seats were removed and replaced with racaro’s, not sure why, but they were. The original 14 inch hubs were replaced with vintage 15 inch bmw wheels and tires, which look awesome. I gave her a recent tune up back in April, we cleaned the carbs, adjusted the timing along with replacing the rear brakes. Everything works great, all electrical, mechanical, etc and as I already mentioned is such a blast to drive, the handling is like no other sedan of its era. Look at the pics below, the paint is very sharp, this is a completely rust free Ca. dry car, the wheel wells, rockers, floor boards, trunk area, etc. are solid! The only thing I can think of is sometimes the rear roll-up window is a little finicky but I never thought to fix it and the weather stripping could be replaced at some point, slight delamination on the windshield, but is fine as is for now. The Hella style fog/driving lights are on the car but not hooked up, but give a great sporty look. The heater core has been bipassed as has the AC unit. The original tool box is in tact along with the spare and jack. Even the original window sticker is still legible, and I even have the original PO, service agreement and another 2 inch thick of service records dating back to October 1969 ! HISTORY ON THE BMW 2800 Almost always eclipsed by the later 3.0, history has forgotten BMW's 2800. Strange, as the 2800 looked just as great as the later models and offered capable performance from a refined power train. The E3 2800 was introduced at the same time as the E3 2500. Both models arrived in late 1968 as 1969 models, with the 2800 as the upper trim level. The 2800 used a 2.788cc straight six engine, producing a hearty 170hp at 6.000 rpm. A chain-driven single overhead camshaft ensured longevity, as did a crankshaft that rode in 7 main bearings. Carburetion was by twin dual-throat Zenith units which, though some of the car's more temperamental features, were well-matched to the motor. The E3 was BMW's first large saloon since the 502 series, the company's first real post-war car. The design of the E3 used the same principles as it's ground breaking and highly successful Neue Klasse small saloon. The suspension used the same Macpherson strut and semi-trailing arm layout to ensure class leading handling; only minor geometry changes were required. They fed the 2800's triple-hemispherical combustion chambers in a design that BMW expert Fred Larimer called 'so efficient in its original form that it met U.S. emissions standards without additional emissions controls. Power was delivered by the sophisticated engine to either a standard 4-speed manual, or an optional 3-speed automatic transmission. Both units were built by reputable transmission maker ZF, but the automatics were not particularly well suited to the cars and were less reliable than the manuals. A limited-slip differential was offered as an option to enhance traction at the rear wheels. In the US, the legendary Max Hoffman shaped the course of the E3. The E3 was a great car, but that came at a price. Hoffman ordered a US only model entitled the Bavaria; this was a stripped down 2800, and sold at a much more competitive price. All E3's used the new M30 "Big Six" engine with single overhead cam. This engine carried on until 1993 in the 735i and 535i, a testament to its advanced 1968 design. As you can see this car was meticulously maintained and open to inspection locally if desired. I honestly am really unsure about parting with this car, but I have one too many vehicles and garage space is limited here in San Francisco, thus I’m offering her now @ no reserve with what I feel is a super low price. Even with the 5 speed transmission suspension and performance upgrades it exceeds the starting no reserve price! I recently bought another car that's on its way from Wisconsin & I have another car coming out of restoration, so it's time to let her go. Please note this is a 43 year old vehicle and there is no warranty expressed or implied and is sold as is. Please bid only if you have the money, don't waste my time or yours. I recently looked for a comp on a 1969 2800 and these cars are so rare, this may be one of only a few left in California. The only other one for sale nationally is located in So Cal and for a hefty price tag of $65,000, but is a concourse car, literally!!! Ebay did not let me list the url, so I printed the ad and took a pic and listed below, you can also do a google search and simply put "BMW 2800 sedan for sale" and this is what will come up, still hard to compare... Feel free to email with any questions or would like to setup a time to view. Goodluck bidding!:)