[b9projectcar]

Hello everyone :byebye:

I'm a new member here, from France.
I use to read M5board very often, but i decided to register.
I own an Alpina B9 3,5 E28, that i found in the south of France, lying in a very poor shape. I got it for nothing, and fortunatly, the car was running great, even if it hasn't drive for 5 years.
So happy to own an Alpina i dreamed about lovelove, i decided to restore it.

Even if it's very rusty, very high mileage (370 000 kms), completly burnt by the south sun, it was an Alpina with such an amazing driving pleasure.
The car was running as new. I didn't know a lot about the car.
First i wanted to buy it only for some parts and the beautiful wheels.
The previous owner was a garagist that died. His brother sold me the car.
But the car was originaly from belgium, and had still the red and white driving plate.
Fortunatly, the first owner of the car, was living in France, and was a friend of the garagist who died. He made the sale papers to me, 5 years after having given the car (without any sale contract).

So he told me about his first hand car: He changed the engine at 250 000 kms, and the car had a full and expensive maintenance untill he gave it at 370 000 km, under the pressure of his wife: "You can't make expenses on a 370 000 kms car no more !!" He would have driven it untill today if he would have the choice. He was completly in love with the car.

So, since last october, i did a lot of work on the car, myself or in a bodyworkshop. The restoration is not in the "rules of the art", my purpose is only to have a safe and nice car, and having a big enjoyement in the restoration.

I register now, because more than words i can offer you a lot of photos of the project, as i've just launched my web site about it.
It's an adaptation of a post-it topic in a french forum called 6enligne.net.
It's in french, but you can see the photos in the "restauration" section.
In "recit de voyage", you have all the photos when i bought the car.

Here's the link: http://sfiedos.free.fr/alpinab9/

I hope you will enjoy it :wroom:

 

[carmel]

Bonjour B9 restoration,

what is the production # and alpina vin ?

 

[b9projectcar]

Bonjour Alpina,

my B9 has the production number 348, i wrote to Alpina to be sure it's a real one with the complete serial number, and with the help of Sherlock, member here, i received the complete invoice from Alpina via jmmartin belgium.

I knew then that the car has gold stripes at the beginning, alpina seats (and not leather) and engine with number 4564.

Unfortunatly, the real Alpina engine disapeared with the motor change at 250 000 kms.
Instead the car received a brand new Bmw engine, rebuilded with Alpina parts. I've nothing to say about the engine itself, that is running pretty strong. The work was well done by Waterloo Motors Racing, the Bmw dealer that has imported the car in belgium before jmmartin became the official Alpina dealer.
But, one of my purpose in my project, is to buy a genuine Alpina 3,5 engine, if i find one. There's no hurry, i like the car like it is, and i have a lot of fun restoring it.
The journey Between Toulon where i bought it, and near Poitiers where i live, was a great souvenir !

 

[kees]

Hello Serge - welcome on the messageboard! :byebye:

 

[b9projectcar]

Hello Kees,
many thanks ! we sent some email to each other, but as i told you in one of them, i wanted to have a website showing the restoration process before going on with registering, and communicate with other country people.

But i was searching some news in m5board every two days since some months. I'm becoming a real Alpina nut i think.

Here you have two videos of my B9, in the shape it is yet.

http://sfiedos.free.fr/alpinab9/video/alpinab9-tour.AVI

a walk around the car with started engine...

http://sfiedos.free.fr/alpinab9/video/alpinab9-garage.AVI

And a return back into it's dark lair...

The exaust have some holes ( i will replace by a stainless steal one, made especially for the car by the official bmw club of France garagist based in Lyon) and is looking like a B9 skeleton. But like that it runs greats, it's even more powerfull in leight weight version like that

 

[Bart B]

Great project. And since Alpina cars are so rare, it's really worth the effort. From the pictures from your website I see you even have the original sign of Waterloo Motors on the car (WM). They used to do the 24h of Francorchamps with BMW so in Belgium they are one of the best knows BMW-dealers.

Can't wait to see the finished car. I'm a M-nut but Alpina always has a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because the boss of Alpina (Burkard Bovensiepen) and I share the same initials (BB).
Keep up the good work.:thumbsup:

 

[b9projectcar]

Hello Bart B,
Thanks for your comments. Unfortunatly, the WM sign was destroyed by trying to remove it, it was too badly damaged by the sun and rain. But you give me the idea to order one to Waterloo Motors, as the car had always this on the boot.
And as you says, with the racing past of Waterloo Motors racing, we can see the car as perhaps the only one B9 with an engine prepared by them.

The first owner of the car told me that the car was running even stronger after the swap.

About the effort, i have to say that, even if the car is rare, it will cost me a lot more (in time and money) than buying a good one directly.
The B9 doesn't provid so much attraction than B6 E21 or B6 3,5.
So the market is low for these car ..... For the moment !

By the way, i was the owner of a beautiful B6 2,8 218 HP, black color.
It was 8 years ago, i kept it only a year, i couldn't keep such a rare car, living near Paris. Now, i would have kept it strongly. I miss it a lot.
But, The B9 is providing an even more great driving pleasure, it's the reason i work a lot on it to have a beautiful one soon.

 

[alpina_b9_82]

Hello b9projectcar!

Nice work you do on your B9.
It's good to hear someone restore one of the few E28 B9 still out there.

You where more lucky then me in finding out how your car was equiped at delivery.
As my car are from 1982 Alpina didn't have any records left, covering my B9 #003, that was the answer I got from Buchloe.

/Bert-Ola
Sweden

Bonjour Alpina,

my B9 has the production number 348, i wrote to Alpina to be sure it's a real one with the complete serial number, and with the help of Sherlock, member here, i received the complete invoice from Alpina via jmmartin belgium.

 

[b9projectcar]

Hello Alpina_b9_82,

I've read your problems to receive the informations about your car.
I thought there was a mistake, but i didn't know about the cars before 1983.

It's always very interesting to have such confirmation.
For exemple, i was in doubt about my car, even if the first owner told me he's sure he have bought a real Alpina brand new

.
The reason was that the car has a normal bmw serial number, beginning by WBADA71, like the originaly 528i, and not a WAP like the most of Alpina.

It seems that all the B9 hasn't got Alpina special serial number (i know another one in france and it's the same as mine). What is about yours ?
i'm interested about that.
The engine number is important, because for the B9, the engine is completly similar to a normal 3,5 bmw, except for the black head cylinder cover. I was happy to receive the Alpina paper, but disapointed when i discover that my engine is not the 4564 no more.
It's pretty hard to read the engine number, so it's possible to buy an Alpina with normal bmw engine, or tuned by somebody else than Alpina.

 

[kees]

All E28 B9 3.5 have BMW chassis numbers.

 

[alpina_b9_82]

I've read your problems to receive the informations about your car.
I thought there was a mistake, but i didn't know about the cars before 1983.

I got this answer from Alpina:
> Unfortunately we dissolved our archive for such old vehicles.
> Perhaps you will receive further informations from the dealer to whom we sold this car:
> Fritz Staib GmbH
> Rheinstrasse 221
> 76532 Baden-Baden
> Tel.: 07221-50880
No answer yet from Fritz Staib GmgH.
That's how far I have come for now.

It seems that all the B9 hasn't got Alpina special serial number (i know another one in france and it's the same as mine). What is about yours ?
i'm interested about that.
The engine number is important, because for the B9, the engine is completly similar to a normal 3,5 bmw, except for the black head cylinder cover.

My serial number are WBADA710XC6599137
and stamped on the engine:
+6599137+
+ B9 +

 

[b9projectcar]

You still have the original engine at least

the four last digits are the same as last digits of serial number.
the first four, is engine number probably.
It's strange that your car is from year 82 and has the number 6599.

My car was built in october 83 (sold in june 84) and number of the engine was 4564.
Did you finded an Alpina number on the head cylinder ?
I'm curious about that.

My head cylinder is stamped "90" it's the year of built. I learned that Bmw normal head cylinder after 87 has the same solutions, same valve size, as Alpina used before 87. So, waterloo motors just had to put a Shrick camschaft and to reprogramm the motronic to have almost the same as an Alpina head cylinder. That will never be an Alpina one, we all agree about that.
The first owner waited 4 months before having back his car, he told me they ordered parts to Alpina, and it was long to arrive.

I would like so much to have the invoice and details about this motor change. The first owner doesn't know where he's got that, somewhere in his house in Belgium.

Kees> thanks for the confirmation about serial numbers

 

[alpina_b9_82]

the four last digits are the same as last digits of serial number.
the first four, is engine number probably.
It's strange that your car is from year 82 and has the number 6599.

The seven last digits in serial number are the identification number on all BMW,s. http://www.bmw-z1.com/VIN/VINdecode-e.cgi
On early cars engine number should be the same as these last seven digits. From about 85 engine engine numbers are eight digits and not conected to the chassis number.

 

[b9projectcar]

Oups, sorry, i didn't read well ...

So, your car has engine number strictky the same as Vin number.

But my Car was supposed to have a 4564 engraved number, and that does not correspond to my Alpina Vin number at all. So perhaps, my car did already have a spécial engine number, sooner as 1985.

 

[Ashok Arora]

Bienvenue Serge! Good luck with your project :thumbsup:

 

[b9projectcar]

Many Thanks Ashok,

No problem, the dude is going on (hasardeous translation of a famous sentence in the french version of the Big Lebowsky).

I just parted out the doors of the car to make a good preparation for painting.
It's finally quiet easy to remove all chromes and the window, but know i've got a problem with the rear electric windows that don't work anymore...
So my windows are stuck in closed position, and i can't remove the glass.

I have to search the problem, but it makes me angry a little bit, cause i tested on the B9 the electric windows of the doors that are coming from my 528i for spare parts, and two months ago it was working...

It must be the daily surprise of a restoration project.

 

[Andy G]

WOW!

That is a really thorough restoration you're doing there?
My B9 was so rusty that the shell was effectivley scrap! It was so bad that when it went of the hoist, it started to fold the floor in half so I know how rusty these can get! We had to put all the parts into a new shell, which is easier said than done.
Look forward to an update on your site.

AG

 

[b9projectcar]

Hello Andy G

Thanks for the comments. I know a little bit about your white car become red, but i didn't knew you replaced the complete shell.
In France, that is completly illegal to do that, even if the result may be the same.
I'm sorry that you had to do that on your car.

In fact, i have a friend, having restored a 320 baur bmw, that was very rusty, so i wasn't affraid at all by the rust of my B9.
All the most important and structural parts of the car are safe. I think i stopped the cancer for some years, and in 5 or 6 years, i will have a look again, and maybe i will do a better job.
If i do a new restoration on this car later, i will replace all the iron sheet by new one, like a complete boot floor, etc...
Nothing is unreaperable.
But when i look at the car today, it looks safe, no rust anywhere, and the anti-rust paint i use seems to be efficient.

There will be a big update on my website soon, as the primer coat has been done. The new paint is planed for end of september.

 

[Andy G]

It's not exactly legal here without justification, but after lengthy discussions with our motoring authorities, they have alloowed me to do this.

 

[DrSakke]

Hello Andy G

Thanks for the comments. I know a little bit about your white car become red, but i didn't knew you replaced the complete shell.
In France, that is completly illegal to do that, even if the result may be the same.
I'm sorry that you had to do that on your car.

In fact, i have a friend, having restored a 320 baur bmw, that was very rusty, so i wasn't affraid at all by the rust of my B9.
All the most important and structural parts of the car are safe. I think i stopped the cancer for some years, and in 5 or 6 years, i will have a look again, and maybe i will do a better job.
If i do a new restoration on this car later, i will replace all the iron sheet by new one, like a complete boot floor, etc...
Nothing is unreaperable.
But when i look at the car today, it looks safe, no rust anywhere, and the anti-rust paint i use seems to be efficient.

There will be a big update on my website soon, as the primer coat has been done. The new paint is planed for end of september.

Hi!!
Nice work. The 528i seemed to be in very good shape. Did you use doors/hood etc from that car as it seems that those must have been in better shape than the ones from the B9?

cherrsagai
Sakke