Firstfives.org

After 5 years and 80k of faithful, thrilling service, I totalled my beloved Frau Blucher (1980 automatic) last Wednesday. My brakes locked on the 5 freeway during rush hour. I skidded right into a Jeep Wrangler. The radiator got pushed into the fan and distributor. She protected me well. I wore my seatbelt and came away without a scratch, although the steering column ended up in my lap!

Sadly, I've got to send her to the salvage yard. I don't have a place to part it out, but is there anything anyone desperately needs? Front is toasted. Rear is fine. Brazil brown with dark blue vinyl interior. Bbs mahle basketweaves (5).

Alternately, if you have an e12 around that I could buy... preferably Brazil brown and 5 speed but I've learned I can fall for almost any car!

I'm really sorry for your loss! It's amazing how a car can last so long and just keep truckin' and then suddenly, it's all over. I'm glad you're okay too!

There are a couple things I desperately need and they shouldn't take much time to remove! I need a nice glovebox, carpets on the kick panels (where the speakers go and if they're blue), the trim piece between the tail lamps and the door frame edge protection if the fuzzies are still attached.

I need the inner firewall insulation, but thats not exactly something you will want to do!

My carpet is orange. My car used to have a tan interior. Carpet never got changed. Glove box shouldn't be a problem. Not sure which trim piece near taillights you mean. I may have 1 seal still fuzzy, but it's faded to purple.

There's a piece of trim that runs between the two tail lamps, under the license plate. Held in place by the tail lamps and one clip in the middle. Mine has too much damage from being chaffed by the license plate, I think.

I guess I need that and a nice glovebox.

Oh, does your car have a passenger mirror? Is it power or manual?

That sucks, but happy you are okay!!!

WOW that sucks!!
Glad you were saved by BMW ingenuity & your seat belt.
Do you have the top of the interior door handle pulls chrome caps?
Living in Long Beach, I can p/u if it's okay.

There must be more but, I'm drawing a blank.
Oh, the fr & rr bumper shocks? Mine are collapsed, sorta.
And, maybe your front brake calipers are better than mine?
Thanx,,,,Greg

I am sorry about the car. That stinks.
Do you know what caused the brakes to lock up? Is that one of
the front callipers seized making you lose control. Is there something
we should check or do on our cars to avoid the same problem?

My brakes locked up as in these cars don't have ABS, and I stomped on the pedal. There was no malfunction. The brakes are amazing. Tires were the weak link.

Greg- vim keeping the calipers, and not particularly interested in removing the bumpers to get at the shocks. Once it goes to the Boneyard, though, I'll let you know which one. Rebuilt calipers are only $60 at AutoZone.

Also, no chrome caps. 2 already went to my 633csi.

Power mirrors, not in awesome shape. Plastic looks grey.

Thanx Dude. It would be great to know which Boneyard!

One less E12

If the car has already gone to the boneyard could you let us know which one? I need the lower panel below the steering wheel...

It is not Brazil, it's polaris.
It's not a 5-speed either. It's an automatic.

June 2008 car of the month.
Looks about the same. Paint is a little worse.
AC works.

Interested? I'm in Camarillo.

Man, I hate hearing another one bites the dust, but very glad you were not injured.

BMW makes sturdy cars, that is beyond question!

If there's any chance of saving the rear lights, plus whatever connected feed wires you can extract easily from the trunk to the lights, I surely could use them. I restore and upgrade the lights for higher output, larger visual profile and increased reliability. I am doing a pair from an Euro E12 for Adam W, WITH working rear fog lights, and am always looking to save these parts from salvage yard oblivion.

Those frog eye front turn/side markers would be good to save too, if they are still intact.

email me, we'll talk.