Operation: Parking Lot Hartge: Update 9/21/22, Back in the saddle

[landspeed]

Well, I've gone and bought another one. I wasn't intending on buying another one til I thinned the herd a little. Found it sitting in a parking lot in west Las Vegas a couple weeks ago, one of the last cars I expected to see. Long story short, here it is in my driveway this morning, 1984 Hartge H5S.

Doesn't look like much, and some of you may doubt it's authenticity, but it's real. I bought it from the original US owner who imported it in '85 and has all the records.













It's obviously not a complete car. The wheels were stolen when the car was sitting in that parking lot, and the owner cracked so many airdams, he didn't put one back on. It also doesn't have the original motor, it was overheated several years ago and replaced with a "performance" euro motor, that was also overheated. I have to dig into the motor and see how much, if any of the original motor was swapped over.

[wkohler]

Wow. Totally awesome. Nice work, sir. I love the wheels.

[ACHTUNG]

Neat

[cddallara]

I like it. Bummer about the motor and air dam, but still a cool car!

[BDK]

Nice find, really nice find!

[fastcrs]

Great score...

[TheE28Ranch]

Friggin' awesome! Another Hartge to add to the short list! That puts the known number of Hartge e28's in the States to something like 5, IIRC. Again, nice score. I will keep my eye on this one. And second owner, sheez! (oh, U.S. owner anyway...)

[landspeed]

Friggin' awesome! Another Hartge to add to the short list! That puts the known number of Hartge e28's in the States to something like 5, IIRC.

I was under the impression that there were something like 10-15 known H5S's in the US based on another thread. Not that I would be complaining if the number was lower.

[wkohler]

Trey's car
Trey's old car
Adrian's car
Justin's car
Your car
Some H5SP that rotted away in a field.

[shagrath]

I love it.

[TheE28Ranch]

Yeah, I mean who really keeps a tally but a tool like me, but hey it keeps things interesting, I guess. There were and are more for sure, but who knows the status. I have a contact in the SW that has (had?) one that was stalled awaiting a rebuild. I haven't heard from him in 7 years. I met a guy in CA who had one he sold that wound up in OK, where it was rear-ended and burned up. And I have an actual list of supposed other owners from the TX guy but I haven't stalked anyone lately. Haha. But until anyone else steps forward, (the more the merrier), 5 seems to be the confirmed count of H5's on the road in the contiguous 48.

So what are your plans with the car? How did you come across it? Pure chance? The current combo looks like nothing I have ever seen in an E28 setup. It has originality in that department.

Paint color Lapis? Power windows all around? Sway bars? Shocks? Close ratio? 3.07? We need more info!! Please.

[landspeed]

I actually found it just by chance, drove into a parking lot I've never been in, and it was just sitting there by itself. I left a note and the rest is history. The paint is sonderlack over pearl beige, full power windows, rear sunshade, a/c, dogleg gearbox and i think a big 3.07. It has Bilsteins, stock sway bars, not sure about the springs, though the ride height looks to be correct for Hartge springs. Brakes don't look too special either, that'll change. I don't plan on selling it any time soon, like to keep it for at least a few years.

[TheE28Ranch]

Is the Hartge oil cooler still present behind the kidney grill? Just curious, I bet it very well might be.

For comparison purposes, FYI, the one I still own came with stock brakes and stock sway bars, the CR/dogleg trans, 3.07 diff, Hartge springs/shocks, Hartge exhaust and the sport engine package that was also having problems (two detonated pistons) by the time it came to me at 103k miles or so. I believe it was a former owner using low octane fuel in the high compression motor, but I don't know for sure. It had also had head work done to it at some point. Interesting how these higher performance high compression green motors seem to have problems. There is some other stuff but that's all the cosmetic stuff like Hartge spoiler (pretty beat up by the time it came to me) and such.

Let me know if you have any Hartge questions, I'd be happy to help if I can. PM me or whatever. You might like to read up on my own Eye Candy thread about the '83 I put up a few years ago as well, for some random Hartge info.

[Adam W in MN]

This is so awesome, congrats! Excellent to see that there are still rarities sitting out there to be discovered (especially in non-rust climates!).

[landspeed]

The oil cooler is present behind the upper kidneys as well. The header's are there and in great shape too. The odometer stopped at 254k but the po thinks its close to 270k.

[landspeed]

Any ideas why my trans is stuck in gear? not sure which one, looks like it's neutral too. I can't push the clutch in either cause the clutch master fluid inlet elbow broke and dumped all the fluid on the carpet, before i bought the car. Plus the driver's carpet padding is soaked with water, not sure why. Time to pull the interior.

[unt0uchable]

That. Is. Awesome.

I can't wait to see your progress on it. Love the color too!

[landspeed]

After discovering water in the driver's carpet padding, carpet had to come out. Over the course of two nights, pulled the carpet and found this:


Pulling a euro interior was easier than I thought.

Any tips on cleaning a whole carpet?

[Jelmer538i]

Take it to the carwash and pressure wash the shit out of it! literally and figuratively

I've seen a couple of Pearl beige carpets dirtyer than yours and the where like new after this treatment.

[landspeed]

That's kinda what I was thinking.

[TheE28Ranch]

How did you manage to get the carpet out in one piece, not having to cut it - did you pull all the center console HVAC mechanicals to get it out? Are there none in the way in a Euro? I haven't been there in mine.

Water gathering in the floor pan could be from clogged water runoff weep holes, maybe a leaky windshield gasket, but it sounds like there's a lot of water getting in there. Try a search here? And I have no idea why the transmission is stuck in gear - other than there are expensive problems that could be going on within that case.

[landspeed]

The carpet was actually pretty easy, no cutting necessary. Since it has the dealer installed A/V, I just removed the evaporator/blower unit and that provided enough clearance to sneak the carpet out. The A/c was empty anyway. I'm going to clean the carpet good and the do all the dirty stuff inside the car before the carpet goes back in.

[BMWJustin]

It's great to see another H5s come out of the wood work. Congrats on the find and kudos to you for wanting to save it! Best of luck with the car, I'll keep an eye out for updates. This car is making me want to finish mine!
Best,
Justin

[davintosh]

After discovering water in the driver's carpet padding, carpet had to come out...

[/URL]

Any tips on cleaning a whole carpet?

Carpet Cleaning Advice?

Take your pick, and/or add to my list!

Awesome find, btw. Subscribed for progress updates!

[m-racer]

Cool both that you found it and are saving it!