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German el camino - Der StrAbe - E46 Chassis with a pickup bed

147K views 181 replies 108 participants last post by  Patton323I 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
[imgl="150"]372414[/imgl] Check out my, what I think is one of a kind el camino, "der strabe" on an E46 coupe chassis platform. I started with a BMW 330 ZHP coupe and saved it from the scrap heap. Made a nice shop truck by grafting a Colorado bed onto the totaled cpe.

I bought the coupe totaled and was going to fix it up for the old lady. My dad came in the shop one morning and told me to look at the bed setting up a few stalls from the cpe. it looks like that will fit on pretty easy. So I stopped lookin for a rear clip and started on the thing. At first we were going to try to keep the bed separate like they are on the truck, but as we got into it it just worked out better welding it onto the cpe. Feel free to give me a call 717 222 2867

More details on the build - the coupe was hit in the right rear, and the car was cut the car behind the B pillar. The sunroof was saved but the track was shortened. the rear window area was custom build and the glass was cut by our local glass guy. The Colorado bed was shortened ( the width was good). The bed was "sleeved" to fit the vehicle. 18 gauge metal lines the inside of the bed and diamond plate was used for the floor. The entire drivetrain and chassis from the BMW. The orginal BMW gas flap has been moved to the exterior of the Colorado bed. The spare tire is in the same place, it wasn't moved.

German Shepard dog and my aryan princess
 

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#99 ·
I'd like to see some closeups of the transition lines, just cuz I'm critical like that. Props to you for the job. Did you do all the work yourself? The 50/50 has had to have changed or did you drop about 800 lbs of metal plate in the back?
 
#102 ·
I love it OP, awesome you took a wrecked car and did something different. Great work on that. I would have no problem driving that. I am an El Camino fan at heart, but this is the best of both worlds.

For others, read the story behind it first. He rescued a wasted ZHP, and did some nice work on it.
 
#154 ·
der strabe


greetings west coast
I do it because I CAN
I CAN because I live in the only place on earth I CAN- the USA
think about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I live free at the cost of ALOT of people who no longer live at all
My father was in korea- they still call a conflict
alot of my friends

were in viet nam
WE ARE EXCEPTIONAL
and there is a reason why!!
 

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#116 ·
The OP would have to chime in on this but according what he indicated in other posts the back end was pretty much destroyed in an accident so it was definately a substantial cost reduction over what a new car would have cost.
 
#114 ·
Wow...

Interesting. I must see a pic of the rear view. I'am not sure if I'am diggin' the tail lights from what little I can see...

It's a great addition to the BMW lineup... coupe, sedan, convert, touring and now, pickup. Makes sense... somehow.
 
#132 ·
I love some of you guys say "I would have done this or I would have done that or blah, blah, blah", the difference is the OP DID IT!, it's his car and his ideas. Most of the mouthers would be stressed out trying to install aftermarket taillights and have no clue what it takes to actually get some serious metal working tools in your lilly white hands and actually build something. freaking sissyboys make me wanna puke. Kudos to the OP!
 
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