We were originally introduced to Tony Forbes-Marsden on the first day of the year when he showcased his exquisite 1973 BMW 2002 Touring restomod. The skilled mechanic with an exquisite taste in classic BMWs is back with another impressive project. This time around, he worked on a relatively rare E30 Baur. The 1986 example was in rough shape when he bought it, having been neglected for an extended amount of time during which rust had reared its ugly head.
Some of the body panels had to be replaced while others were repaired, with all being resprayed in Zinno Berot to maintain the OEM look as much as possible. Courtesy of ceramic coating, this right-hand-drive E30 Baur looks nothing short of amazing. It goes without saying the soft top was replaced, while an air suspension was installed to bring it closer to the road.
Having been based on the 318i with the 1.8-liter M10 engine, the car was not particularly sporty. The owner addressed this issue by purchasing a complete package for a 2.7-liter engine. However, the inline-six was dismantled, meaning he had to build it part by part. With throttle bodies, stainless steel exhaust, and other mods, the Baur now sounds as good as it looks. A dyno test showed a healthy 220 horsepower, so it certainly isn’t lacking in power anymore.
The E30 was further pampered by fully restoring the underbody and installing headlights purchased brand-new from BMW. As for the wheels, the 17-inch set was custom-made and derived from the original 14-inch “bottle cap” set of the regular second-generation 3er. Inside, the originally brown cloth was in dire condition and was replaced with a black leather interior from a 325i.
Tony Forbes-Marsden went with an ALPINA wooden gear knob and steering wheel installed in an otherwise all-black cabin. His E30 Baur also received an eight-speaker sound system with two subwoofers mounted in the trunk to nicely round off the customizations. The finishing touch? A blacked-out 327i badge to denote the enlarged engine.
Source: Hand Built Cars / YouTube
