I was headed north the other day when I saw this southbound apparition pull over at a meter on the other side of Commercial Drive. Gladys provided a parking space for me without even being beseeched (“Gladys, Gladys, full of grace: grant me please a parking space”), so I took it and ducked across the street for a closer look.
It gives every appearance of being an owner-built E30 coupé utility. This trucklet’s truncation and cab closure looks neatly done, as does the upper ~75 per cent of the bed, but the absent rear bumper looks schlock.
Plus points for replacing the rear side marker lights removed with the bumper; minus points for choosing chunky truck trailer taillights without the required reflex reflector.
More plus points for splitting the taillights like that to allow for the tailgate; more minus points for turning the yellow turn signals red so they work less—unless that was done in conjunction with wiring and socket modifications to use the former turn signals as brake/tail/turn signal lights so those functions are mounted on a fixed part of the body, in accord with the applicable regulations.
But all in all, plus points for building and using it; it looks quite handy.
“Bakkie” is how South Africans call this what an Australian would categorise as a “ute”; viz this advert:
Postscript—there is a phenomenon called the Quantum Fetish Effect: the instant you think of a fetish—no matter how weird, ridiculous, or extreme—»POOF« it suddenly has always existed, complete with Usenet newsgroup and hankie colour and flag and hookup apps and fandom and cons and books and workshops and all the rest of it. I mention it here because a similar effect apparently applies to the automotive subcorners of Reddit; see for yourself.
I’ll be the first to say that I like the El Ca-Beam-o.
Looks really nicely done. Put a rear bumper on and a repaint and its good to go.
Semi-CC Effect; yesterday I saw but couldn’t photograph a home made Datsun 210 “Ute”, much cruder than this BMW but keeping up with traffic. An unusual sight here in California as that platform of Nissan utes, common in other countries, was never sold here.
Really outstanding. It’s perceived deficiencies are small, considering that which is finished is so well done. I’d bet that a rear bumper and some side extension is probably contemplated, to be finished up with a repaint?
These kits are really cool – they use a wide variety of donor models:
https://www.smythkitcars.com/new-beetle-truck-conversion
It does appear that the tailgate has hinges and folds down into the area where the bumper would occupy so I can understand why the bumper had to go, or just be cut down to bumperettes that wouldn’t do much.
I like the use and fitment of the new side marker lights, blends surprisingly well with the clunky hacked in look of the originals. I’d probably fit a matching set in orange for the front, though of course with proper reflectors.
My favourite BMW model, creatively converted to tweak its already semi-tough image. Utility, performance, attitude – very cool. Why wasn’t this a thing before? And why doesn’t BMW make pickups? 🙂
Quite tidy for a sawzall ute if it starts a trend there is plenty of raw material out there
The chrome battle ram bumpers, thin rectangular side running lamps and retroreflective markers, and sealed beam capsule headlamps dates this BMW as 1986–1987.
Turning the amber turn signal indicator lens into red colour for the wraparound taillamps, rewiring so the turn signal indicator bulbs functioned as night illumination, and sticking the 10-cent retroreflective markers to the side were common practice amongst the dodgy grey import specialists during the early 1980s. Since they couldn’t source the proper US taillamps from the manufacturers (go figure), they had to be creative one way or other.
What’s the little thing hanging under the front bumper on the left? A radar deflector dish from Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise for foiling the radar speed guns, perhaps?
I had an 84 318i coupe that had the same chrome bumpers and reflectors.
The 1983–1985 3-Series had larger rectangular side running lamps with rounded corners.
The 1986–1987 3-Series have thinner and longer rectangular ones with angular corners.
Yep mine definitely were not the thinner ones, never noticed that before. That was the longest I ever kept a car, still miss it.
My father had a silver 1968 2002, and it was one of few greatest cars we ever owned. Unfortunately, the growing family made two doors impractical.
Next was a dark grey 1984 318i with manual gearbox, and it was one of the worst cars we ever owned due to shockingly long list of technical and quality issues. The stars didn’t line up for that car…
The third one was a red 1989 325i with automatic gearbox. This one was a “saving grace” because it turned out to be very reliable and lot of fun to drive.
mine was a mixed bag. the automatic transmission and engine gave zero trouble. Everything else was not so great. For a car with crank windows, manual locks and sunroof you would think its simple enough, but there was a weird sporadic draw that would drain the battery. some days fine, some completely dead. The steering rack went out, water pump, starter, multiple idle control units, AC got where it wouldnt hold a charge. In fairness the car had been in a front end collision at some point but I don’t really think that was the source of most of its trouble. My best friend had just totalled my 86 Maxima so I thought the BMW was such a fancy replacement lol.
Looks like a small disc-type horn.
Bimmer Beeper!
Bimmer Bakkie, aka BMW Pritsche ohne herunterklappbaren Seitenwänden.
Driving through my town about ten years ago, I found myself behind a late-model Ford Econoline van with the area behind the front seats chopped off and replaced with a sheet of plywood. They cut the roof off and the rear walls halfway down along with the barn doors.
Which, predictably, were flapping back and forth in the breeze, so everything was held shut with bungee cords.
Wonder if this example was a victim of shock tower rust out common on these. Seems like an elegant way to solve a big problem if so. Nice work in progress. Would like to own one myself.
Looks really well done. I concur with Daniel on the lack of the rear bumper. I’m detail oriented, and I’d strive to make it look as finished/OEM as possible. Is that a Mach-E photobombing the third picture??
Looks really well done. I concur with Daniel on the lack of the rear bumper. I’m detail oriented, and I’d strive to make it look as finished/OEM as possible. Is that a Mach-E photobombing the third picture??
I too like the looks and presumed utility of this little trucklet .
I don’t know much about Bimmers, is the rear 1/2 still all BMW sheet metal or was some Asian tin grafted on ? .
Go back and finish the inside of the bed, figure out how to add a proper bumper and re spray it, good to go .
I remember lots and lots of old sedans and station wagons cut down into pickups, in California they were patently illegal “out of class” but many persisted for decades, when I lived in Highland park there was an elderly Hispanic guy who took a pristine ’55 Chevy two tone sedan and carefully cut the lower center portion of the body below the trunk, bent it down over the rear bumper and easily loaded is gardeners tools and mowers etc. up a wooden ramp..
Same with old late 1960’s Ford Econoline vans ~ the big passenger models about dirt cheap once they get slightly scruffy so many tradesmen buy them and gut out ,I see a few with the back 1/2 cut down for easier loading too .
I’d love a Mercedes Ponton or Peugeot 404 Bakkie ! .
-Nate