BMW 2000CS coupe

[savetherhinos]

I have the opportunity to buy a 1969 BMW 2000cs coupe as my first car and its for a great price, would you recommend it and if so what do i have to look out for when going to have a look at it i have VERY VERY little experience in BMW at all but i fell in love with e9 2800cs that mike Burroughs has and i like this 2000cs coupe i just don't want to buy a car and then the the parts are a fortune to buy.
p.s my dad is buying it so I need some support in persuading him to buy this
sorry about no pics cant seem to get the Photobucket thing working because as you might see this only my second post and i have SOOOO many questions

[Moose]

While definitely a cool car, that is a poor purchase for a first vehicle.

[Average_Jerk]

I would not buy this as a first car unless I had family or friends with a strong history in old BMW. Which I would assume you dont have since youre asking here

[savetherhinos]

Why??

[savetherhinos]

okay and reason being?

[Rebounder]

2000cs is much different from a 2800cs parts will be a fortune to buy and a pain in the ass to find

[savetherhinos]

i'm not retarded i know its different but its an era that is captured in those cars. i'm not looking to just mimic mike Burroughs. its just his car that sort've sparked the search for an old BMW

[Average_Jerk]

A few reasons actually

1. most teenage drivers destroy their first cars. whether its an accident or some other reason, not saying you will. but thats the way it goes
2. are you prepared for the cost of owning a 45 year old Euro car?
3. unless its in amazing condition, expect to have to do a lot of work to it. depending on where you live and the long history of the vehicle you could end up dealing with a lot of serious and structural issues.

These are usually fine for people with experience or strong support. But for a first car and basically with no BMW/Euro experience, I think that you'll be getting in over your head and get easily discouraged

[savetherhinos]

thanks that makes a lot of sense and an e12 528? this car is in AMAZING condition one owner 127k kilometers on it good price, i intent on sticking to "low 'n slow" mindset so wrecking t is not a big problem excepting some halfwit causes an accident.

[Zack01GC]

The 528 is a better choice, but still not optimal for a first car.

Buying a car that old (E12) is going to, on occasion, require certain amounts of attention... meaning, there is a chance that it leaves you high and dry for periods of time. Whether it be diagnosing a problem (as to why the car won't run, why it's running poorly, whatever), waiting on parts that are going to be hard to find and expensive (although not as bad as the 2000CS), as well as just basic upkeep. These cars are not like Hondas. They're fickle, and will give you trouble if they please.

I've been lucky with my old BMW's (E23's and E24's), very reliable. However, if you're not prepared to deal with a slight (to severe) hassle once in a while, I would go another direction for a first car. If the 70's-80's BMW you desire hasn't been maintained throughout it's life, you could be in for a world of hurt.

I would go a different direction altogether in your position. Inevitably, every kids first car gets botched one way or another. There aren't enough old BMW's out there to be trashing and thrashing on like one would a 1997 Camry.

Think this through. Chances are, you're going to look back and wish your first car was something you didn't really like. Just my two cents.

[savetherhinos]

thanks for your advice will definitely keep this in mind but i must also add that cars and the motor industry has been my life by the age of 5 i could name every car passing us make and model and my dad doesnt really care what he drives so this is he first time that i can actually give any attention to what i drive and how i treat her. funny enough he coincidentally drives a 1996 camry xD

[ratmog]

Hey - I can tell you're into cars etc by the sensible way you've handled this thread. I also guess you're into the good old lead sleds, judging by your pic. If you'd like to see a prime example of classic motoring under the age of 25 (with a car thats EASY to find parts for!) on a budget, drop me a PM.

Its hard man, hard, and like the guys above have said - stick to something a little less rare and easier to find parts for at first, and you'll be cruising in no time.

[savetherhinos]

ratmog?? like rat rod morris minor?? damn i have a morris sitting at home that i am supposed to fix up and mod but it is in pieces my plan is to do a slight roof chop and the bag it but because of the torsion bars i have no clue how to bag it and there isnt anyone who can help me ;(

[ratmog]

ratmog?? like rat rod morris minor?? damn i have a morris sitting at home that i am supposed to fix up and mod but it is in pieces my plan is to do a slight roof chop and the bag it but because of the torsion bars i have no clue how to bag it and there isnt anyone who can help me ;(

AH man are you in the UK? she's not a rat rod, I had pet rats at the time and well.. it just turned out sounding that way.
You can't really bag it - you may be able to find a specialist who can do the conversion, but probably your best bet is to find a coilover conversion kit. You can wind torsion bars down and block-lower the rear leafsprings. I can find more information for you if you like?

[savetherhinos]

nah I'm in South Africa and the motoring scene over here is flooded with a bunch of ricers but most of the time its cheaper to ship something from uk to buy it here
i have so much planned for the mog but damn its time and money