Pagoda on tour trough the French Alps

[Rick007]

Did a trip recently and crossed the French Alps from Annecy to St. Maxime on the "Cote d'Azur " and back again to Holland . 3000 Km  ( only 0,5 L of Oil   Took me over the highest passes , Coll 'D Iseran , Colll du Vars throuch the Gorge du Verdon ..
Think these are the most imppresiv parts of Europe....here are some pictures i took ..hope you like . 

[Rick007]

Sorry i will try to rotate the pictures ...

[Ulf]

Wow, one of the greatest cars in one of the greatest landscapes in Europe - deeply envious of you (in a good way).
Btw, your colour combo is the same as mine :-)

Ulf

[IXLR8]

Beautiful!


Joe

[Rick007]

turned right way up ...

[GGR]

Very, very beautiful area. I try to drive through it each time I end up in the area. Pictures usually do not render the majesty and incredible perspective of the landscape. Last time I was there was last summer with my '72 BMW 3.0 CSI, the day beore the "Tour de France" was to ride through. All the supporters were already in place with all the campings cars. It took a bit of the beauty of the mountains away but the ambiance of a very popular sports event was worth experiencing it.

Below are some pictures taken some years ago, also in the area. Sorry, not with a Pagoda but I intend to go there with my Pagoda as a convertible is definitely the best way to enjoy the spectacular scenery:

[dseretakis]

I shouldn't be saying this here but the 3.0 CSI is more beautiful than the pagoda! Incredible photos and car.

[Rick007]

No you're right.... you should definitively not be saying this .

[Neil Thompson]

Very Very close though!

[treedoc]

Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't they both Paul Barcq designs?
Maybe that's why you like both?

[GGR]

Paul Braq worked for BMW later, I think he designed the 5 and 6 series. The 3.0 CSI was before he went to BMW and was designed by a BMW designer even if some see an italian inspiration. The car was built by Karmann, and has huge rusting problems.

This one is a rare "sound" car as it never left the south of France. And we still found rust in the A pillars when we restored it. We found it in a junkyard after it was flooded up to half the windows. It was then moved around the junkyard with a forklift during the one year it stayed there. It was a lot of work to bring it back.

I must say Pagodas rust also a lot. I have seen a lot of them before finding one which was sound. It seems they rust more than the W108 and W111 series.

My biggest problem in comparing the CSI and the SL is not the design. They are both beautiful in a different way. My issue is with the engine. I'm spoiled by the BMW 3.0 L6. The M130 is nice, but the M30 is just exhilirating.

On the other hand, the Pagoda beats the CSI hands own in the finsh department. The CSI is really poorely finished, even by BMW standards. My 2002 was much better finished than the CSI. I guess the reason is that Karmann did not have the industrial means for a nice finish and still be competitive pricewise. 

[Jepsen]

I envy you having such beautiful scenery in the vicinity.  This year we are 5 Pagodas going by train from Denmark to Alsace (similar trip as the Pagoda 2010 trip).

I also notice your combination of the cars you own.  - I recall from earlier correspondance in this forum that apart from Pagodas the ownership was often comprising both BMW 3.0 CSI (E9 model) and a Porsche 911, i.e. all cars from the same time era.

I myself own a Pagoda 280SL & a BMW 3.0 CSI and find the lines of the cars spectacular, even though very different. My third ownership is also a time piece, a Fiat Dino 2,4 coupe, and the Ferrari engine in that car just sounds terrific.

Best regards,
Hans, Ribe, Denmark

[GGR]

Hi, and welcome !

I like the Dino very much too (the coupe more than the convertible) and I nearly bought one some time ago. I also would like to get a pre-74 Porsche 911. But they have noe reached stratospheric prices. Good thing is that one can modify the body of a later Carrera with G50 trans to the older look: Cheaper, more reliable and better performance. A car to enjoy as long as it is not presented for what it is not.

I would be curious how you would compare the 3.0 CSI with the Pagoda (cf my comments in a previous post above).

The other car I like very much is the Citroen DS. I have two of them. It may look as a weird car to most but one of them is in the family since my grandfather bought it in 1973, and the DS is just a cultural phenomenon in France, but also in Holland. I guess one needs to be born with it to appreciate it.

[gerster]

Beautiful pictures Rick, is your car finished now?

Greetings: Ger.

Sorry, didn't notice it was an older post.