1956 BMW Isetta 300 Restored Bubble, VIDEO

Description

1956 BMW Isetta 300 Bubble Window Fully Restored, Excellent, Show-Quality Freshly Rebuilt Motor & Gearbox US-Market First-Year Isetta 300 Very Desirable Early 300 “Bubble Window” VIDEO WITH LISTING VIN: 493784 Engine #: 501001 Single Cylinder 298cc Air-Cooled Engine 4spd Manual Transmission Top Speed of 53mph Over 60 Miles Per Gallon 90” in Length, 54” in Width Only Weighs 770lbs We purchased this beautiful ‘56 Bubble-Window Isetta from a gentleman in Iowa who runs a vintage moped restoration business. He had purchased the car in May of 2014, and spent the last four years... restoring, driving, and enjoying the car. He found the car in Tennessee, where it had been stored in a basement for the last 13 years. The owner in Tennessee had disassembled the car in 2001 with the intention of restoring it, then ended up just sitting on the project until selling in 2014. When restoration began, the car was a largely complete, rust-free, and original starting point that had been off the road since 1973, when it had last been road registered in Ohio. Over the last few years, the car was gone through in it’s entirety; please browse through the in-process restoration photos in the listing, and of course the photos and video of how the car sits today. The body was lifted from the chassis and both were brought down to bare metal and refinished. The body was sprayed Reseda Green, an original Isetta color. All the chrome was sent out and redone, the drivetrain gone-through (rebuilt head, valve job, rebuilt steel crank with steel connecting rod, new oversized piston), and the 4spd gearbox was replaced. As it sits now, this is a truly A+ level Bubble-Window Isetta. The previous owner did a brilliant job restoring it, and we struggle to find any flaws at all. Perfect is a word we seldom put out there, but this is surely as close to perfect as we’ve seen. The Exterior: - Please see the video along with the listing, as the car is shown in detail. - Glass and light lenses are all clear and crack-free. Glass is original, and the curved rear window even still has a 1961 Ohio Buckeyes sticker on it. Lights and signals are all functional. - Wheels and tires are both in excellent shape. Wheels have been disassembled and refinished, chrome hubcaps are new, and the radial tires with Atlas whitewall inserts are new as well. - Paint is absolutely fantastic. No specs of dust under the paint or anything like that. The restorer did a tremendous job. The color suits the car beautifully, particularly with the green plaid interior. The restorer reached out to a paint shop in Germany to have them obtain an original Isetta Reseda Green paint sample, which they were able to do. The car was painted single-stage with two coats of clear. No chips, scratches, scuffs, etc. to note. This Isetta is CLEAN. - Weatherstripping is all new. - Chrome has all been refinished by TheChromeShop in Rock Island, IL, and presents as-new. - Green-tinted sun visor is a great accessory, and there is another smaller one on the driver’s side inside. The Interior: - No blemishes to note whatsoever. Phenomenal throughout. Green plaid seat contrasts with the Reseda Green exterior very nicely. No scuffs, tears, discoloring, etc. - Little side windows pop out, just adding to the bubble-like shape of the car’s top. - Retractable soft top is new, and is opened/closed with the moving of a lever up front. - Actually surprisingly spacious for what it is. Plenty of room for two full grown adults. - Left hand drive, with the gearshift also on the left. “Dogleg” style shift pattern, with first gear towards you and back. Fun to drive and get the hang of. - Lights and signals are all functional, as is the speedometer and odometer. Speedometer actually goes counterclockwise, interestingly enough. Odometer currently reads 34,393 miles and while it does work and we think it more-than-likely indicates actual chassis mileage, we cannot be absolutely certain. Under the Hood / Under the Car: - The car runs and drives extremely well. No tendencies or noises of any concern whatsoever. This is what an Isetta is supposed to feel like. Pull the choke out a bit when cold, turn the key, and it fires right up. Idles quiet and steady, accelerates and shifts smoothly, tracks straight down the road, brakes straight and effectively, and steering is nice and direct. Truly a beautifully-sorted example. - Engine: 298cc single cylinder (#501001) has seen about 200 miles of road use since being completely rebuilt three years ago. When taken apart, the gearbox was found not to be in great shape, so a brand new one was sourced through Isettas R Us. - Frame was brought down to bare metal and resprayed a low-gloss black. Spindles were taken off the frame and the king pins and bushings were extracted and replaced. When taking apart the spindles, the aluminum bits were all vapor blasted, bushings and silent blocks were replaced, and all the original hardware was nickel-plated. Brakes are also new throughout; a complete brake cylinder kit was installed. - Body was also brought down to bare metal. The original floor was extremely nice, and was sand blasted and sealed. Please see the photo of the underside prior to paint. Very impressive. Overall, this is a phenomenal example of BMW’s beloved Isetta. It is an early “Bubble Window” 300, restored to a show-quality standard in the very-tasteful Reseda Green over green tartan, and mechanically gone-through in it’s entirety by an experienced specialist. For any additional info, requests, or to discuss purchasing, please reach out to Jake at Chicago Car Club at 773-303-6122 or .