“Jabberjaw” is the nickname of this 1973 BMW — named after the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character for its shark-like contours and color. It’s another project from Alvin Tan’s stable of BMWs. It came to us with a majority of the mechanical work completed.
“Jabberjaw” is the nickname of this 1973 BMW — named after the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character for its shark-like contours and color. It’s another project from Alvin Tan’s stable of BMWs. It came to us with a majority of the mechanical work completed. A 3.5 liter M90 engine with L-Jetronic fuel injection and dog-leg five speed conversion with Euro- 3:07 rear gear gave the car some performance numbers fit for the Autobahn. So we set out to tackle this project to increase its “curb-appeal.” BMW’s timeless, understated design coupe bodies are notorious for rust, and this car, like so many Karmann-built bodies, was no exception. All original panels were stripped to bare metal and in some cases cut away to expose areas prone to rust. Where rust was found, it was removed and patched and the the new metal treated to prevent further ravages by the “tin worm.” More than 400 hours of labor were devoted to body prep and paint. The critical edge creases and door gaps are matched perfectly. The flawless two-stage Polaris silver paint has amazing depth and brilliance. It’s the details, however, that make this CS coupe outstanding. The color-matched CSL airdam, rear spoiler and “3.5 CSL” waistline stripes along with the staggered-width Alpina wheels (7″ and 8″) provide a 1970s retro-Motorsport-look. Inside, there is all new zebra-wood veneers on the dash with restored/recalibrated factory gauges. A rear sun-shade from a 1980s E24 coupe was adapted to the rear parcel shelf . Porsche wine red leather covers the surfaces of the rare, Scheel-Mann recliners and leather-wrapped Alpina steering wheel tops off the look and feel of the earlier days of BMW performance automobiles.
