My wife and I have just returned from an eleven day, 3600 mile tour of Colorado with the Vintage BMW Club. Our guide, a resident of Boulder, crafted a seven day jaunt starting at The Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs followed by stopovers in Crested Butte, Durango, Telluride, Gateway Canyons and finally Beaver Creek, where the BMWCCA was holding its annual O'Fest. By any measure, this was some of the most spectaculary sublime roads and scenery that we've ever experienced. The past couple of million years of ocean incursion and continental shift/drift have been tortuous to the earth's outer crust in that region, but the (current) result is, as many of you know, nothing short of awesome. Just when you think that the best has been left behind, more amazement suddenly appears in your windshield.
This was the '73 Bavaria's first lengthy road trip after a five year (planned for six months!) full power train and suspension renewal. What was a twin carbureted 3.0ltr six is now a stroked 3.2 with forged pistons/rods, slightly lumpy Dbilas cam, double valve springs, flow improvements, TWM side draft throttle bodies and programmable Electromotive ECU. The stock 1:1 4sp is now an OD 5sp, a very common upgrade with these cars, and a LSD sourced from a NorCal friend who scours bone yards for such stuff. Front and rear subframes and attachments were removed, powder coated and then all bushings replaced with new throughout suspension and steering. In essence, every wear component was replaced; bunch of stuff which is not apparent unless you get it on a lift, but which made a remarkable improvement in the car's handling and overall feel of being "planted on the road". It's also been treated to short and slightly stiffer springs, fat sway bars (adjustable rear), Bilstein HDs, and later 3.0Si ventilated rotors/calipers at both ends. It's not quite a finished project yet (are they ever?) as some details are yet to be accomplished, but I'm very pleased with the overall package. We had to make a couple of air/fuel adjustments to the ECU at altitude, but otherwise had nary a hitch. It's a great old-timer sedan for two AARP'ers who wish not to travel in somethin' overly mundane but still have a reasonable amount of space.
I received help from my friend, Early S'er and life long BMW enthusiast, Scott Z., who offered a corner of his shop, helped to source parts, offer ideas and provide the technical and fabrication talents of his shop tech, Tim, who crafted, among other bits n' pieces, the aluminum air box which is a work of art.
Cheers,
Jim
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Originally Posted by Jim Breazeale
