Here is my German love: Von Trapp
1970 BMW 2800CS Restomod
Of course this car needed a German name with a particularly good sound to it: Von Trapp also expresses the money-trap like qualities this Beamer was undoubtedly going to have, judging by the big plans I had for this ugly duckling...
I managed to snag a noble-looking 70s BMW e9 locally, which was a great find as these cars are getting pretty rare. Although there are a number around, many are being hoarded in garages endlessly waiting for restoration - they come up for sale very infrequently. The ones that are decent go for a lot of money and are probably not the sort of car that would get the FBD treatment!
This is a 2800CSA, built in 1970 and it was still in the original Baikal blue metallic paint. The engine and automatic transmission were missing, the bodywork on first inspection was reasonable, except for the front floors and right-hand wing. And the boot lid was a mess. But it was all fixable.
The interior? Well, let’s say it had seen better days!
The accolades…
I took her to only two car shows and she was recognised as the best car of the whole show in both.
She got some nice trophies at the Sydney German Autofest. There were more than 450 German cars at this show, including some amazing BMW, Mercedes and Porsche restorations and restomods. Von Trapp came out on top!
Top Gear magazine loved Von Trapp
In April 2021, Top Gear wrote an almost lyrical story about Von Trapp. I couldn’t have written it better, so to read this article in true Top Gear style, click on the image.
Click on the image to read the whole article - I am pretty chuffed with the story :-)
The journey
The engine
Clean sheet! Von Trapp came in the lightweight version. Not the CSL but the no engine and tranny version.
Bodywork
Karmann didn't believe in rust prevension ...... clearly!
Interior
This might be a challenge.
Reconstruction
Now we’re getting somewhere…
The reveal...
Now I've finished her, you can see Von Trapp in her gorgeous full glory.