It’s amazing to see what sellers will cling to when a car is such a basketcase it truly has no redeeming qualities. This BMW 3.0CSI here on eBay is sold as a rolling shell, but really it should be used as a teaching tool demonstrating how badly these cars can rust away. The seller says it’s a race car project that never moved forward, and he wants $3,000 OBO for this rusty carcass.

This is one of those cars where you have to ask yourself just how much of a privilege would it be to own a classic E9 BMW. Let’s say you bought it for $300 – would it be worth it, or is there so much work required that even the price of “free” would make it tough to justify? I’m not sure, personally, unless I knew I could manage some of the metal work myself. Regardless, the seller may want to consider a lower asking price given how little is left.

These early BMW coupes had a serious tendency to rust, which is why you should always buy the best example you can find. In the case of this car, I’m not sure what you do with it. The drivetrain is gone, the interior stripped and the corrosion is so bad I fear it may break in half. The seller holds out hope, however, that his suspicion the car has never been wrecked will be a compelling enough reason for someone else to take on the project.

Part of me wants to be the eternal optimist and believe that with enough time and money, it can be brought back. What other fate seems appropriate? To the non-BMW enthusiast, just scrapping the shell probably seems like the most sensible option. But for those of us who know how rare these 3.0CSI’s are, it seems downright shameful to not at least try and make this E9 presentable enough that it passes inspection. How would you play it?