David Woodham is something a bit different...and although I have yet to meet the fiend, I have exchanged numerous emails and posts with the lad. He is not like the rest of the E3 ilk, most of who drool and lope around U-Pulls, hoping to uncover a fjord blue plastic insert for the right rear armrest of their rust cart. Woodham prefers to throw money at the bastards, and quite a bit of it by the looks of things. Can't really say anything is wrong with this,as he surely has earned it. The chap squandered his misspent youth driving pizza delivery of all things in...guess what... his 1975 BMW 3.0si.He now practices law in the Atlanta area.

Before and after -Pie to sky! Those worthless post 74 bumpers were the first to go. That alone, helped the heap 70%! Woodham has ditched the gaudy wing on the rear roofline as well as CSi batmobile spines

Woodham has really spared nothing with his first E3. Sadly enough, it is not, in my opinion, his nicest example of vintage BMW iron, for that honor must go to the rare and beautiful European 3.3L you see in the background of the lead off shot above. But again, I am getting ahead of myself here.

Sticking to Woodham's 3.0si for now, I will just reiterate that very little of that original pie wagon does carries forth to today, surely not the engine, which is now a potent E34 M5, sacrificed from a donor vehicle, years back. And this isn't just any old M5 as it has the one and only super rare EPROM chip from the infamous, South Carolina Highway Patrol M5 given by BMW to SC for letting them plop there Z3 plant in the middle of their lowly State. In addition, Woodham decided to add a nice header from BMW Motorsport, connected to a custom stainless steel exhaust.

Did he stop there? Try taking a look at more of the drivetrain....as in a Metric Mechanic Sport 5 speed with a short shift kit mated to a lightweight flywheel and Sachs Heavy Duty clutch. At least the differential is still original! Move on to the suspension and you will find Suspension Techniques anti roll bars along with Dinan springs. Shocks? (besides the price)? Custom Bilsteins at all four corners. Last but not least are the Alpina 16" wheels at 7" front, 8" rear. Tires are Dunlop SP8000. Lord, the rear tires alone are an amazing 245/45! Talk about burning some rubber. Taking a look at the photo above, one definitely notices the aggressive wheel and tire combo, especially the ultra-low aspect ratio of the tires. This is not a vehicle to be driven on Michigan roads during the winter months, when dodging potholes is considered a good time by the local gentry.

Calling this speedship a "Secret Weapon" is not exactly my idea, nor would I think it any idea of some drumel while glancing back in his rearview mirror, akin to the opening graphic. Indeed, Woodham's custom, hand fabricated front air dam is a menacing entity in and of itself, not to mention the ultrawide wheel/tire combo. Seems to me, it would be surefire reason to move to the right, if caught lumbering down I-85.... Woodham is probably smiling while reading this.

One subtle change is the removal of the molding around the perimeter of the car. You can see it in the old shot but notice the molding AND the holes all gone in the later shots. This was no easy task, nor a cheap one.

Many people have asked me about airdams for their Bavarias and I know of no nicer unit than Woodham's piece. I do believe you can still get them..or at least he knows of the source. In the near future, I will try to make a list of all the companies that helped David get this ultra-E3 to its final destination. Then again, ole Woodham is not too fond of others duplicating his beloved "Secret Weapon" so the little details might be harder to come by. Good luck trying to secure another HP EPROM chip, though; I hear there's one in a local SC museum - bring your own tools, ski mask, and ale.

As for the airdam and other knick knacks, I don't even know if I would go there. I mean, the airdam IS functional, and according to Woodham, really helps when the car gets over 85mph or so. He said the dam (sorry) thing is pretty near mandatory when the speedo starts to hover around the 150 area. Granted, I don't know how many times ole Woodham has taken this car to its limits but I would bet he had a pretty amusing time doing so (besides the cop paranoia). Notice the nifty holes for brake cooling and extra airflow. Once again, nice to have...but I still prefer the looks of the stock front end of the pre-74 E3. It really has a unique character, and the airdam succeeds in making it a bit more "racer-X" looking. Then again, the airdam holds nothing to the aero add-ons borrowed from the CS series. Those batmobile front fender wings are frightening. I have to shield my eyes when glancing at the air foil on the rear roofline! Jesus, I do believe ole Woodham went a bit over the top here, then again, a lot of people have commented positively about these add-ons. I just think the E3 is such a classic looking sedan, filled with understated beauty that can only be slighted with add ons. Then again, this car was meant to be an all out assault on the senses. Woodham would be the first to admit as much.

Indeed, I surely would not hesitate to call this beast my own if offered. Perhaps I am being a bit overly critical here; David Woodham's 75 3.0si is surely one of the nicest E3s in the World, let alone the United States.

As for now, we'll all just have to settle for looking at the pictures. To see this machine, head down to SC for the 2001 East-Fest.Woodham will give you a joy ride you'll never forget...for a price. Just don't talk politics. Trust me.

UPDATE Just exchanged a few email with David. Seems the reason why you can't see the roof airfoil in the shot below of the SW is it was taken AFTER the airfoil was removed. My apologies for cackling like a hen about it. David explained his use of the aero aids in a succinct fashion: "I have some nice 2800 shots if you need them. No airdam. The only reason I did the airdam and airfoil on the SW (Secret Weapon)anyway is because I have two other stock appearing E3s. If I only had one, there'd probably be no airdam." Enough said. You wont believe the 3.3L and the 2800.

- Coming soon: Woodham's 3.3L - An European beauty, perhaps the nicest in the US

Note: Please see photos below - all the shots in this page can be clicked for a full view -
good for computer desktops and drooling