BMW E3/E9 parts availability and prices?

I've lusted after E9s for as long as I can remember, and E3s are growing on me as well. I also live in a relatively dry part of the country, so tin worm isn't the problem that it is elsewhere. Unfortunately I don't expect to have significant amounts of disposable income for another 5-10 years, so am trying to get a sense of whether its worth chasing down one of these soon, or play with a more familiar toy like an old Volvo or Corvair. I'm a little concerned that E9s could go the way of Porsches (crazy expensive) as well. Another strategy is to get an E3, which are much less sought after while I still have modest means, then move up to an E9 when the proverbial ship comes in.

But What's it like to fix, care and feed one? I had a brief fling with lancias a while ago until I realized that their unofficial slogan was "Alfa performance at Ferrari parts prices".

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Even in California the word is rust. The front shock towers, rocker panels, the front fender/cowl area... Most end up with a 3.5 CSI and 5 speed upgrade. Enhanced, like lots of things in the "golden state".

Well for me that's a plus because I'm better at metalwork than mechanics, so I figure that rust is a way to acquire something a bit further up the food chain than normal.

But back to the original question....

The Mechanical parts are pretty much all available. BMW parts are easier to get a hold of than most other manufacturers' parts. Use www.Realoem.com parts diagrams to get part numbers. If you get a Bavaria, make sure it has the "Bavaria" badge on the back. While I owned mine, I never did find that badge for sale. I'm told German Ebay is the best place to look for that, and rarely do they pop up.

I did a story on them years ago that may be posted around here somewhere. In short, their ability to rust is truly astonishing. Even non-metallic parts rust on these. And anyplace warm and dry enough to keep the tinworm at bay is hot enough that all the soft parts will be cooked, and they're not that easy to come by. You gotta REALLY want one.