TX02

A Better Front Strut Brace

2012-03-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

I bought a TEP Strut Brace from a member of www.bmw2002faq.com and installed it immediately. It's a big improvement over the $15 E36 strut bar that I had hastily modified to fit and was rubbing against the intake manifold. The new (used) TEP brace not only holds everything much stiffer than most bars with it's triangulated design, but it also offers the option to bolt an arm on that limits engine movement. Of course, since it was designed for an M10 and not an M42, I'll have to modify it to keep the M42 in place.

Before:

After:

Wiring Re-Wrap and Some Handles

2012-02-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

I spent a lot of free time in the last two weeks going through and sorting out a wiring harness that I bought. I followed a wiring diagram and went through five rolls of friction tape and one reel of label-maker tape. The result is a much cleaner and simpler wiring harness than the one that is currently residing in my car.

Also, I screwed in the grab handles over teh rear side windows. I was nervous to puncture teh headliner, but it actually allowed me to correct a wrinkle or two.

Headliner

2012-02-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

I replaced the headliner over the last few weeks. It's not without its flaws, but it sure beat paying someone to do it.

I used a few cable mounting tabs to secure the bows, so that they wouldn't rotate and subsequently sag the headliner. See full installation notes HERE.

I also used this great roller lockstrip tool to reinstall the windshield seals (with Dudley's help).

That's clear silicone caulk oozing out of the seal. We used it to make sure that the seals remain watertight.

Rearview Mirror

2012-02-11T00:40:00.003-05:00

The early 1600s came with an elegant, chrome, slide-in rearview mirror. In 1968, BMW switched to a breakaway style mirror that domestic and international safety standards suggested would be less likley to lodge itself in a passenger's forehead during a crash. So, throwing reflective vehicular caution to the wind, I decided to clean up the original mirror for the 1600.

With quite a bit of filing, sanding and buffing, the mirror stalk looks a lot better than it did when I unearthed it from the parts stash.

The original mirror part was degraded beyond repair, so I used a mirror from a[n] ~~7 Series~~ E21, which got a little touch-up paint. You can see the size difference between the new and old.

The headliner will cover the black plastic receiver.

EDIT: As it turns out, this is an E21 mirror. I found my 7-Series mirror, which is substantially larger, then I immediately and clumsily dropped it, breaking the mirror.

Garage!

2011-12-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

Finally, I have a garage of my own. My wife and I just closed on a house that happens to have a 2 1/2 car garage. Not only is this the first garage that I have ever had to myself, it's also the largest one in which I've been able to work on the car, if I don't count the airplane hanger that a friend let me borrow for a few days a few years back.

This is going to be fun.

Took a Drive

2011-09-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

My fiancée, Dana, and I took the relatively short drive to see the Civil War battlefield site, Antietam. Most of the trip was on the highway, but we did get to see a few twisty roads. I did the other tourists a favor by keeping it off the floor through the park.

Roof Rack Redo

2011-08-22T08:47:00.000-04:00

The roof rack that I built from used wood and some cheap brackets was starting to look a little worn. Aside from sitting a few inches too high for most tastes, the indoor-use polyurethane coating that the wood came with wasn't holding up to the wind and rain. So, I disassembled it.

After replacing two of the slats with spares, I sanded and coated the wood with Helmsman Spar Urethane to keep the UV rays at bay.

I didn't sand all the way down to remove all of the weathering. I suppose I'm trying to keep in the well-worn patina theme in which the 1600 comfortably sits.

I also came up with a hardware solution to drop the roof rack a few inches that required griding down the aluminum brackets.

So, after several coats with sanding in between, it all went back together.

Also, I replaced the set screw (bolt) in the shifter with a small, headless set screw.

Now all I need to do is install air conditioning and build a console so I can tidy up all of those wires!

Temperature Stabilized

2011-08-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

I think that I finally have the temperature stabilized where I want it.

After installing a lower temperature thermostat (I can't remember the opening temperature) and manually turning the electric fan on and off, I have the temp gauge needle in the safe zone. I just need to wire up the temperature switch on the radiator. I'll still keep a manual switch on the dash, but the radiator temperature switch should work just fine.

I still need to modify the cluster for an input button for the electronic speedometer.

Teething Issues

2011-06-07T10:48:00.001-04:00

After limping home, I continued the attacking the problem of overheating. With the stock 2002 temperature sender and gauge, the reading looks like this:

While there might be an electrical issue that makes the reading a tiny bit higher than it should be, the M42 just runs hotter than the M10. Also, the sender on the M10 is in the water neck, while the M42 has the sender in the head.

I borrowed an infrared thermometer and checked the hose temperatures after driving around with the fan on. The results are as follows:

Temperature of top radiator hose: 185F (85C)

Temperature of bottom radiator hose: 132F (55.6C)

IR gun pointing at the temp sender up under the intake: 183F (83.9C)

Looks good to me. I might buy a new sender, just to see if that changes anything, but it seems to be happy at the moment. I'm also going to try out a new thermostat with a lower temperature setting.

Vintage Fail

2011-05-29T22:51:00.000-04:00

After bleeding the coolant system for the fourth time, quickly installing a small amplifier and some speakers and retightening the exhaust, we set out for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where the Vintage would take place. Around town, the temperature seemed to stay at a steady and comfortable place on the temperature scale. We made one stop and then fought our way through the tourists to leave the city. Once on the highway, the car really showed me what a good idea the M42 was.

It hummed along for about 30 miles before I noticed the temperature slowly increasing in a way that might suggest that it was hotter outside now than it was a few minutes ago and the engine's temperature increased in turn. But it kept rising. Eventually, it was close enough to the red to demand a roadside stop. So, we stopped. After a quick cool down, we were on the road again, only to stop 5 more miles down the road, and again in another few miles. By now, I had posted a message on www.m42club.com and made a few calls to Jake, who pioneered the swap and fabricated my mounts. The consensus was that I still just didn't have all of the air out of the system.

So we located an Autozone about 10 miles away in Warrenton, VA (isn't technology grand?) and inched there, a mile or two at a time. In the parking lot, I spent the next few hours attempting to rebleed the system and swapping out the 12" electric fan for a 16" unit. After a test drive, I returned to the Autozone parking lot a broken man. I had no idea what was wrong but I knew that I wasn't going to make it to Vintage.

After a few phonecalls, the Ivy Street Red Car Gang braintrust concluded that the only thing left to do was replace the water pump and thermostat. Steve from Blunt Tech overnighted me a new water pump and thermostat to the Hampton Inn in Warrenton, where Dana and I decided to stay. That night, I tore the engine apart in the parking lot. We also blew a small hose on the way over that was conveniently located under the intake manifold and required its removal.

Here is the carnage:

Blown hose under the intake:

Working through the grille:

...I was able to remove the water pump:

I bent up the impeller while trying to remove it and I might have broken the casing, but the important thing to note here is the scorched shaft. I imagine that the impeller slipped a little at low speeds, but then began to really slip (and burn) when things warmed up, expanding the metal of the impeller.

So, after a full day of reinstallation and slow, tedious coolant bleeding, we stayed an extra night in Warrenton to make the best of things and babied the car for the 40 miles home.

Maybe next year.

Since I didn't have them loaded up for the last post, here are some shots of the exhaust manifold:

I had a rusty equal-length 2002 header welded to an M42 flange. It took an extra trip to the muffler shop to get it to fit, since I couldn't ge the car there, but Jay at the Meineke on Richmond Highway in Arlington, VA deserves any business teh locals can give him. The clamped-together section will get welded together soon and I'll probably wrap the whole thing in header wrap.

And say "Hello" to Dudley:

Like a Banshee

2011-05-26T08:55:00.001-04:00

Dudley and I bolted the exhaust up, tightened the suspension up and aligned the steering last night before easing it out of the garage for a test run at midnight. The exhaust note is decidedly different than the M10.

The 1600 howled down the Beltway, pausing only for quick-throw gear shifts.The new suspension feels wonderful.

Then, the plastic to which the top radiator hose crumbled and emptied the coolant at a stoplight. We let it cool and nursed it to a gas station, where we filled the unsealed system with water and babied the car home.

Last weekend, I put a gallon of water into the coolant system to see if a slightly bent part of the aluminum one the salvage yard radiator was leaking. A slow but steady drip told me that it was. I immediately ordered a replacement, but, not knowing if I would get it in time, we sealed the radiator with some epoxy-like radiator sealant, which worked. So, had the salvage yard radiator not leaked to begin with, I would never have ordered the new radiator, which arrived yesterday. Enjoy the irony.

Still to do:
Replace radiator
Install switch to override the fan relay
Secure ECU cabling
Readjust rear brakes
Wire and calibrate speedometer (which looks awesome, by the way)

Electronic Speedometer

2011-05-24T23:15:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons that 2002/1600 guys tend to stay away from the M42 swap is that it necessitates the use of a transmission that doesn't have an output for a mechanical speedometer. The only option with an M42 is to fit an electronic speedometer. Of course, many 02ers aren't crazy about the addition of a universal speedometer in their vintage looking cluster.

So, with some help from Tom at 02 Again, I came up with this:

I still need to test it, but it's looking good.

Otherwise, I'm just waiting on my exhaust guy to finish a header modification. After that, I can align the steering and torque down the suspension.

Details

2011-05-23T23:37:00.001-04:00

I tackled some smaller things today. First, the hall effect driveshaft sensor for the electronic speedometer, that I may or may not be finished with in time for the trip to Vintage. VDO universal electronic speedometers can operate on either hall effect sensors or variable resistance (VR) sensors. This one was cheap.

Still no exhaust until tomorrow, but I cleaned everything up. I filled the radiator with 50/50 distilled water and coolant and made a new bracket for the AFM box to hold it in place.

I also needed to plug an unused port in the rubber intake elbow. I couldn't find a bolt big enough, but I did find the perfect plug. For now, I'll just pretend that it's a super-high-tech performance measure.

Here's another gratuitous shot of the engine bay.

For more ridiculously loud engine revving, here you go:

It's ALIVE!

2011-05-22T21:47:00.001-04:00

No exhaust, but it runs!

I'm still working on the exhaust, but here is what the tailpipe looks like from the ANSA muffler.

I also added the necessary fuel filter and cleaned up the fuel pump wiring, and clearly nothing else.

Left to to:

Wire up reverse lights

Finish exhaust manifold

Torque down axle nuts

Align the front wheels

Speedometer?

Fuel Pump and Coils-On-Plug Kit

2011-05-19T22:06:00.002-04:00

I dropped an E30 318is fuel pump in the tank and wired it up. The fuel pump fits nicely, uses the same range of resistance for the fuel level gauge and was engineered to work perfectly with the M42, so it's a good choice with one disadvantage; it's just a little short. This means that it leaves a gallon or so of gas in the bottom of the tank. I will probably re-engineer a, external pump solution later, but, for now, I'm happy with this pump's simplicity.

I'll have to tidy up the wiring and mount the fuel filter back there, but it's close to being done.

I received an M42 Coil-On-Plug kit int eh mail today. The stock E30 318is uses four individual coils, one per cylinder, that are mounted in the fender. Spark plug wires originally ran from each coil to a boot on each plug. Since the replacement cost for a set of OEM wires cost around $175, some innovative soul designed a mounting plate and hardware solution that utilizes coils from another BMW, negating the need for spark plug wires. The kit costs less than a new set of wires.

First, mounting studs replace the center valve cover bolts.

Then the mounting plate goes on.

Then the coils get bolted in place. The coils are Bremi 11860 units, for anyone playing at home.

The great part about this kit is that no custom wiring was necessary; it's just plug and play.

EDIT: The above wiring is not correct. In order to ensure proper spark plug wiring, one needs to do a continuity test per the following:

Coil 1 = Pin 25 at the ECU plug

Coil 2 = Pin 52 at the ECU plug

Coil 3 = Pin 24 at the ECU plug

Coil 4 = Pin 51 at the ECU plug

Engine Wiring Done

2011-05-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

I spent quite a few hours redoing part of the electrical system and wiring up the M42's connectors. First, I replaced the battery cable with an E30 cable. It works with the M42's wiring harness and the E30s had a really cool positive power distribution block. I mounted it where it was in the E30; on the passenger's side of the firewall. If I were to guess, I'd say that BMW's engineers calculated the necessary size of cable to handle the voltage load with a healthy margin of error, and then they doubled it. It's gauge "00". I've seen lightning protection systems with smaller gauge wire.

Here it is mounted in the neat little E30 holder.

The cable has a post on the end of it, and the engine wiring harness attaches to it with a standard battery terminal. The copper eye and cable supply the chassis positive circuit. Here it is with the cover.

Tidy and protected from the random grounding through and errant wrench.

Now, on to the less than tidy wiring in the car. I installed the positive power distribution block from a fourth generation Volkswagen Jetta. This thing is pretty great for safely and easily powering to everything that you need to power and leaving you with the option for future expansion. There are even three fused outputs with a built-in waterproof connector.

It too has a neat little cover.

I did have to drill two holes in it with some spacers and bolts to mount it. Overall, it is definitely worth pulling out of a salvage yard, though I got mine on eBay.

And, lastly, I wired up the C101 connector, which neatly houses all of the connections from the M42 to the chassis. Only six or seven connections need to be made here, and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. The connectors between the chassis and engine harnesses also have a nice little firewall mount. The big round one on the right with the cap is the diagnostic port. You can also see that I connected the fuel feed and return lines to the engine.

Left to do:

Wire the electric fan

Wire and install the fuel pump

Install the fuel filter

Bleed brakes

Install and adjust emergency brake

Torque down axle nuts

Add coolant, transmission fluid and engine oil to the appropriate places

Install AFM box and air filter

Finish and install electronic speedometer

Install driveshaft speed sensor

Install Coil-On-Plug kit

Drive like the wind

One more thing: I was and am determined not to modify or grind down the steering center link, though there is an interference with the M42's transmission. I decided (on Marshall's advice) to do all the clearancing on the transmission, so Dudley grinded away a section of the transmission's ribs and I documented it in an earlier post. As it turns out, Dudley and I needed to take out a bit more once the transmission and engine were mounted properly. Here is the proper amount of clearancing that is needed. Just be careful not to grind yourself a new drain.

Driveshaft, Coolant Lines and an Electric Fan

2011-05-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

I found this 12" electric fan and mounted it on the radiator with the little plastic ties that go through the radiator core. I also spent some quality time in the back of an Advance Auto Parts store, selecting appropriate hoses to cut up and use to close the cooling system on the M42. For now, I looped the heater input and output to each other because I will soon be removing the heater box in lieu of another HVAC system. More on that later.

Dudley and I also scoured the local salvage yard for a collar nut for the driveshaft, since I misplaced the original one. After returning from that adventure, we bolted in the driveshaft, complete with a new pilot bushing.

I just have to wire up the reverse lights and fill the transmission with gear oil.

Marching Forward

2011-05-08T21:46:00.002-04:00

This week was filled with small yet important steps forward. First of all, I procured a used M42 radiator, made the parts to mount it and installed it. This, to my chagrin, required the removal of the car's "snorkel". There has been much debate about the worth and usefulness of the snorkel; BMW used it to provide cooler air from forward of the firewall to the stock intake. I had previously modified my stock air cleaner to mount atop the non-stock Weber carburetor, just so that I could utilize the original engineering. I had secretly hoped to find another use for it, but, alas, it had to be removed to make room for the massive M42 radiator.

I still have the plumbing connections to make and I'm waiting on an electric fan. Jay and I strategized on wiring, which should be done this week. I picked up this neat little power distribution box from a fourth generation VW Jetta. It will tidy up a lot of the wiring and provide three fused and watertight connections.

Here is the center support bearing (CSB) for the stock E30 driveshaft. The driveshaft has a splined section, allowing for it to bolt right up to the length that is needed for an M42 in a 1600 or 2002. For those of you playing at home, the center-to-center dimension for the mounting holes is 7-3/4".

I made the bracket for the accelerator cable at the pedal box, but, honestly, it's so ugly from trial and error that I didn't want to photograph it.

I also made this:

It's a gear shifter knob made from a 1920s ceramic door knob that I found in a pecan farm store in Georgetown, Texas. The base is a piece of plumbing pipe that has been drilled and tapped for an M6 bolt that I ground down. It feels nice and seems to fit the character of the car.

Shifter Linkage Done

2011-05-01T19:23:00.003-04:00

At some point, I realized that I may need to shift gears with the new motor and transmission. Since this swap is not a common one, no one sells a conversion kit that deals with the custom shift linkage. So, after some careful measurement and judicious research, I found a good combination of usable parts that required the least amount of fabrication.

I began with a gifted E21 shifter platform (Thanks, Jim!). I cut 12-15mm off of it and drilled new mounting holes, which should be about 97mm apart.

Then I bolted up new mounts with new hardware. It's important to note that I previously drilled and tapped the bosses for the mounts on the transmission. You can see here the finished piece. Note the mount/vibration dampener on the aft end of the platform. It's a mount from the air filter box from a 1984-85 318i.

I still had the E21 shifter in at this point, but a test fit enlightened me to the wear on the bushings that manifested itself in huge amounts of shifter play. I swapped in the E30 shifter, which has a considerably long throw. I may search for a shorter throw shifter later.

Here's everything in the car.

The shifter link is from a 1995-99 E36 M3/328i. As it turns out, the "knuckle" at the transmission end needs to be the stock E30 piece. I bought the E36 M3/328i part, but it is about 5mm shorter than the E30 part.

Here is the aft mount/vibration dampener.

It's just a piece of 3/4" bar stock with an M8 bolt through it. If I had taken more time, the hole might be centered. I guess I'll just have to live with the shame of less-than-perfect fabrication where no one will ever see it.

I also bolted up the guibo. As soon as I get another scrap of angle iron, I'll make the other bracket to relocate the center support bearing.

The shifter is about 1/4" forward of the center of the shifter hole. Now I just need to find or make a shifter knob.

Rear Subframe In

2011-04-27T13:38:00.003-04:00

I finally acquired the hardware (thanks, Grice) to bolt up the halfshafts and install the rear subframe. Dudley stopped by, as he fortunately/unfortunately does, just in time to do some heavy lifting.

The shocks are new Bilstein HDs to replace the way-too-stiff-for-urban-driving Bilstein Sports. I also filled the differential and sealed it up.

I finally measured and bolted up the transmission crossmember. I've got a little more grinder surgery to do on the transmission case to clear the steering, but everything else looks good. Believe it or not, this picture was taken after I did some scrubbing and cleaning. There is a shop near my house with an outdoor lift. I think that I might try to convince them to let me use it to powerwash my car form underneath.

More Rear Suspension Assembly

2011-04-25T21:54:00.001-04:00

Dudley and I removed the rear subframe and I spent a few hours preparing the replacement for installation. The 3.90:1 differential came from Grice Mulligan and I'll just have to see how it fairs with the new transmission's gearing.

New rear bearings went in with the bearing installation tool and some fresh pink grease should make these giant, over-engineered bearings last.

The E21 250mm drums went on as well.

I also installed the brake lines, which appear to be almost new.

The sway bar links are Moog K5252 units. The stock sway bar links cost $15-30 per corner; these cost less than $4 each. It's a little strange to have something on the car that's not in metric dimensions, but I'll get over it.

Making Tools Is More Fun Than Buying Them

2011-04-18T14:45:00.001-04:00

While in college, I had better access to a welder than disposable income. This fact surfaced when I needed a 17mm hex tool to remove and replace the drain and fill plugs in my transmission. Instead of buying a 17mm hex socket, I made this:

It's a short 17mm M10 bolt that I welded to a 17mm nut. It's simple and easy to use.

A Little Weekend Progress (but not too much)

2011-04-18T11:24:00.004-04:00

I spent most of this weekend prepping the E21 five speed and its shifter linkage for sale, since I have to at least try to cover some of my scope creep costs. I hate to think of auto parts, or even cars, as equity, but I suppose there's some value to be recovered. At any rate, the 1600 can always use a project fund.

Aside from cleaning up and photographing parts, I started to strategize the shifter linkage situation and I got the car up in preparation for removing and replacing the rear subframe.

Other than swapping in 2002 CV axles and E21 rear drums, we haven't touched anything back here yet, as should be obvious. I wonder if a local shop might have an outdoor lift that they'd let me use in combination with a power washer and a bucket of Simple Green.

I did install the throttle linkage on the engine side. I still need to make a bracket to hold the pedal box end, but the throttle body side looks good and seems to actuate easily. I cut and ground down the cable crimping pat that came with the Lokar 36" throttle cable and otherwise used the stock M42 throttle body parts.

In the tunnel, I realized after installing the engine and transmission, that the stock transmission mounts should have been cut out. I was hoping that I could leave them, but they make contact with the M42 transmission. Time to brake out the Sawzall!

Otherwise, the shifter linkage will need to be figured out soon. More on that later; I might have some salvage yard hunting to do on that front.

M42 Installation

2011-04-10T20:32:00.002-04:00

Thanks in no small part to Dudley and Jay, the M10 has been removed and the M42 has been installed.

We began on Saturday by dropping the M10 and its subframe out of the 1600. I am lucky enough to be able to use a garage in town.

With a lot of help from Dudley, the M10 came down.

So, by Saturday night, Dudley and I were very pleased with ourselves. I'll be removing the Megasquirt and EDIS wiring and hardware as well.

The M10 gazes upon its replacement.

As noted in an earlier post, I prepared another subframe with new bushings and steering components. Jay and I swapped over the steering box and struts, then we were ready to go.

Here's a novel way to install struts.

Installed!

I've still got to figure out the exhaust and wire everything up, but the heavy lifting is done.

M42 Preparation

2011-04-03T23:13:00.002-04:00

Here's how scope creep works: after researching a lot, I decide to abandon my Megasquirt EFI project in favor of an M42 engine from a 1991 318is. As it turns out, the transmission and driveshaft from the same car can be used with little to no modification, as long as one has a shortneck differential, which most 2002s have. Since my 1600 is a super early model, she has a longneck differential. The swap to the shortneck rear suspension isn't difficult, but who would do the swap without refreshing the bushings? Then, of course, one cannot refresh rear suspension components without do the same to the front. Also, the swap to an M42 requires some consideration and possible modification to the steering components, so I should replace those too.

You see how that worked? I am now doing basically the same scope of work that I did this time last year, less the interior. What's wrong with me?

Anyway, the M42 is a great choice. I realized that, noble and cool as the Megasquirt crowd is, I found it difficult to pass up the factory research and development that went into the M42. Everything from the engine, transmission and driveshaft will be from the same donor car. Also, I won't need a special bracket to hold the A/C compressor (stay tuned on that one).

Performance-wise, the M42 is a distributorless DOHC 1.8L 4 cylinder that makes 136hp. If you group it together with its nearly identical brother, the M44, it's the last 4 cylinder that BMW made until the current line of N20 engines, which have yet to see US showrooms. The M42 is reliable, light, fuel injected, digitally ignited and easily replaceable; all the things I wanted to get out of my M10.

So here it is:

I found a deal on an engine, transmission and driveshaft for not a lot of cash locally. I had to locate a complete engine wiring harness and a slew of gaskets and vacuum hoses. I also found a great thread on www.m42club.com that explained how to simplify the mess of vacuum and coolant hoses under the intake. Apparently, the US required some throttle body preheating nonsense to warm up the engine quicker, lowering the unspent fuel emissions. While noble in intent, this meant the addition of a spaghetti bowl of coolant and vacuum lines under the intake. I followed the instructions and save myself a few hundred dollars in new parts by removing all of it.

I also replaced the input, output and gear selector shaft seals. The clutch looks good and dry, so I'll leave that for now. Oil pan seals will be done soon, too. I also have a set of Jake's M42 mounts to mate the engine to the 2002 subframe.

This was before I cleaned inside the bell housing.

And after:

According to Jake, one must grind a little from the center of the steering drag link and the bottom of the transmission to clear movement for the steering. After consulting with a local 2002/E36 guy, I decided to do all of the clearancing on the transmission. So, with a little help from Dudley and his grinder, voila.

Suspension Assembly

2011-03-27T18:37:00.007-04:00

Dudley and I assembled most of the suspension this weekend. The work was mostly the installation of the new OEM rubber bushings. Here's the fruit of our labor:

New tie rods, drag link, ball joints and bushings. Everything is greased up and ready for installation. As soon as I find some bolts for the steering box, I'll bolt it up.

The differential is an E21 3.91:1 and the sway bars are stock for now. The the hard brake lines looked pretty new, so they're staying.

My DIY bearing installation/removal tool was worth its weight in gold.

And here's a short video of how to install these bushings really quickly:

When we checked the condition of the compliance bushings, I found that, though the rubber was in good shape, something was amiss. Instead of pressing the bushings in properly, the installer of the existing bushings (not Marshall) sawed them in half and sandwiched them in; not the preferred method of installation.

Suspension Parts Aquired

2011-03-16T11:50:00.004-04:00

After cleaning and painting the 1600's original subframe and working out the issue with the odd idler arm bushings, I convinced Marshall Lytle that it would be good karma to help me reinforce the driver's side motor mount, as to avoid the infamous cracking that occurs after decades of spirited driving that these cars demand. Marshall's parts car is a squarie beater that had been blessed with an S14. It also had an odd mix of new parts attached to an otherwise forlorn body that was sprayed with a purple that would only suggest that the previous owner was Burgess Meredith.

The S14 is currently being fitted into Marshall's non-beater `75 2002 and the rest of the parts had yet to find a home. After seeing that the purple car's subframe was already reinforced and the suspension bits that I needed were all present, we struck a deal and abandoned our reinforcement job in favor of removing all the necessary parts from the parts car. Before long, we had stripped the entire suspension from the car, rendering me the front subframe less steering components and the rear trailing arms less the brakes and stub axles.

Yep, that's a color befitting only the most devious of Antarctic-based Batman foes.

Amazingly, we didn't have to utilize the roof rack to get it home. I did ride a bit low on the way home, though.

The next step will be cleaning it all up, especially those trailing arms. I will also be installing the new bushings and bearings that I got from Steve at www.blunttech.com.

$100 Roof Rack

2011-03-05T19:15:00.000-05:00

I've wanted a roof rack for some time now. I didn't like the common Thule racks that look a little too modern for me. Another option is to modify a vintage Type 1 VW roof rack, but they cost a few hundred before the modification. So, I decided to take a crack at building my own. Here's what I came with.

I started with a set of Quick and Easy roof rack brackets. Though I got a set from a member of http://www.bmw2002faq.com/, they are available online for around $80 for four.

I bought two pieces of 1-1/2" aluminum angle for the crossbars. For the slats, I (ahem) recycled a wood futon. A few carriage bolts and some careful drilling resulted in a useful and sort-of-vintage looking roof rack for about $100.

New Trigger Wheel and Sensor Mount

2010-10-22T13:38:00.000-04:00

Tom Rafalski over at http://www.02again.com/ used me as something of a test mule for his new trigger wheel setup. He already sells VR Sensor Mounts, so the next logical step was to make preset trigger wheels. This one rocks.

It's a really nice piece that looks and works better than my homemade unit.

Getting Rid of the Gas Smell

2010-10-06T09:28:00.000-04:00

After the slightly colder weather forced me to roll up my windows for the first time since the car has moved on it's own, I realized that the smell of gas from the trunk was nearly coma-inducing. I temporarily fixed the issue by sealing up the speaker holes in the rear deck. To attack the actually problem, I inspected the vent tube in the trunk. As with all early 02s, the tube just runs from the filler neck to a little hole at the rear of the trunk to vent outside. As with many early 02s, the little grommet that holds the tube in place and prevents fumes from re-entering the trunk has disappeared. Not satisfied with merely fabricating a new grommet to replace the NLA one, I mimicked the later 2002 models' carbon-fume-capture system.

First I bought a bottle of fish tank filter activated charcoal, some 3/8" - 1/4" tubing, a few 1/4" brass fittings, some JB Kwik, two brackets, two 3"-5" plumbing hose clamps and a quart-sized paint can.

Next, I drilled a hole in the lid and the can.

I then glued the fittings in from the inside and filled the can with the charcoal pellets.

I snapped the lid onthe can with the above orientation.

While I was waiting on the glue to dry, I pop-riveted the brackets together. I later expanded the 90 degrees bracket to be a little more obtuse.

I bolted the bracket to the existing hardware in the trunk.

Next, I cut the vent tube off just a few inches from the filler neck.

I then ran the tubing as seen above. The bottom tube runs to the original exit hole, but sticks out a bit further.

E21 Rear Brakes and Some New Bearings

2010-10-05T20:45:00.001-04:00

After one of the orignal 1600 CV boots cracked I realized that I needed to upgrade to the much more abusable 2002 halfshafts over the weaker 1600 units. A bolt pattern difference required the swapping of the passenger side stub axle, which led to bearing replacement. Marshall Lytle (with the blinding white aura) brought over his expensive and awesome BMW bearing installation tool.

I also took the opportunity to fix and adjust my emergency brake handle. The thrust bearings really tighten up the movement in the handle.

Also, Jay managed to detain/entertain himself.

Sort of Custom Air Cleaner

2010-08-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

I never really liked that the Weber carburetor's K&N filter had a lot less filter area than a stock air filter. The stock air cleaner setup also offers use of the cold-air "snorkel". While I'm not entirely sure how much efficiency and/or power the slightly colder air gives the engine, I like utilizing the stock setup. Also, even though I'll be swapping this all out for the EFI manifold in a few months, I like the aesthetics of the stock equipment, too.

So, Jay and I cut a big hole in the underside of the stock air cleaner and cut an adapter plate form a piece of ahem found flat aluminum.

Rear Spring Pads and Some Serious Camber

2010-07-31T20:58:00.000-04:00

I noticed that my rear wheels seemed to lean in quite a bit, giving me way more camber back there than I need. Since 1600s and 2002s have no camber adjustment built into the suspension, I was informed that ride height was the only means of adjustment. Grice had a good used set of "2 dot" spring pads, so I swapped tehm to find that my existing spring pads were really thin and kind of torn up. I also found that my existing pads had no "dot" rating.

Before:

After:

No more ridiculous camber and no bottoming out when backing out of a driveway.

Trigger Wheel Blues

2010-07-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, the car started runnng horribly. Backfires and stumbling at idle pointed to a timing issue, but EDIS is known for being all but bulletproof. After rewiring the ignition system and swapping out the ignition module, coil pack, plugs and wires, I moved onto the carb. After two carb rebuilds, a few new fuel filters and a strong consideration of the use of goat's blood, chicken bones and a witch doctor, I was at my wit's end.

As a last resort, I pulled the crank pulley off to check the trigger wheel up close. To my surprise, I found that the wheel was loose.

The JB Weld had finally let go. I readjusted the wheel and added a nice, thick filet of JB Weld to resecure it.

After weeks of poor idling, the car now runs smooooothly again. On to air conditioning and EFI!

Battery Mount

2010-07-02T11:24:00.000-04:00

Tom Rafalski made this great underseat battery mount. the battery is a Miata-sized WestCo dry-cell unit. The cable is made to mount the battery on the passenger side, but I only figured that out after I already grounded the batter on the driver side. The mount is really nice stainless steel with a CNC'd hold-down and it came with all the cabling and hardware. Watch for these at http://www.02again.com/ soon.

Readying for Another Roadtrip

2010-07-01T22:06:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, the car developed a pretty serious misfire and idled like a drag car. I mean that in the worst possible way. Every symptom felt like a timing mishap, which meant that my distributorless ignition system would have to have a fault somewhere.

So, Jay and I dove in.

First, Jay rewired the entire EDIS harness. I originally wired it in another car and the harness looked like a third grader's science project. Jay did a great job replacing it and, though I'm glad that it's really solid now, the car retained it's Rain Man-esque stutter. After buying a new coil pack, we again saw no change.

Finally, we noticed that the clear fuel filter had about a teaspoon of bottom-of-the-tank rust. After some advice that a lean condition can cause a backfire, Jay pulled the top off of the carb and gave the jets a quick cleaning. Instant improvement. I ordered a rebuild kit for the carb and cleaned the whole thing out this afternoon. The result is that the car runs as it should; smooooooothly. I can only imagine how electronic fuel injection will run. Stay tuned for that.

It's good to know that the electronic distributorless ignition system (EDIS) hasn't skipped a beat in three years of operation. Even with a carburetor, it's really worth running.

UPDATE: Roadtrip Fail.

About 20 minutes into a roadtrip to Wisconsin, the car began overheating and running rough again. I cleaned the carb twice before conceding defeat and packing everything into the Toyota. I am currently working with a few local guys to root out the problem.

Vintage at the Vineyards 2010

2010-05-30T23:13:00.003-04:00

We made it! With only a few minor hiccups, the 1600 made the trek to Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, NC in fine style. This was my first V@V, and I'm hooked. Scott Sturdy really does a great job planning and executing this event. Seeing and meeting all the BMW people that I have only met online was a great experience.

You can see the 1600 right up front!

I was surprised to see that Steve Petersen (BLUNT of www.blunttech.com) drove all the way from Minnesota to join us. I feel like kind of a wimp for only driving six hours.

The 2002 brethren had a really great "2002 Ambassador" area with several very nice examples of each variety of 2002. Many volunteers were on hand to talk about 2002s, which didn't require much coaxing.

I just love this trailer.

This Voll Cabriolet 1600 was just beautiful. I need to find one of those license plate brackets for my 1600.

Later that evening, we went for a drive down to Elkin, NC. I doubt that I'll get to park next to a Turbo again any time soon.

At the vendor section, I scored this early 1600 cluster (6 volt clock?) and this set of grilles. Notice the early 1600 10-slat kidney grille. Score!

The Drive:

I was so excited to hear the car running, that I didn't mind driving sans radio.

We got about 100 miles into the trip before we realized that we forgot to run an alternator wire. There was a Wal*Mart nearby, so it took just a little time to get the necessary supplies and solder up a wire. A local BMW and Porsche enthusiast named Chance gave us a jump and we were on our way.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend. I met a bunch of really nice people and discovered that dehydration is ever so much more possible with a lot of sun and a bottle of wine (who knew?). I look forward to next year.

Lastly, Dana and I stopped at the gas station closest to the vineyard just before we began the trip home. Whilst perusing the small section of wine bottles inside (the station and the Hampton Inn franchise are both owned by the same people that own Shelton Vineyards), an older man began asking us which wines we liked. We talked with him for a few minutes about which ones we liked, which ones we bought and how much fun the even was. At some point in the conversation, he introduced himself as Charles Shelton. He was happy to hear that we had a good time at his vineyard.

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

2010-05-28T01:59:00.001-04:00

Done! Sort of.

At 1:30 AM, I drove her home. I still have some adjustments to make before making the trip, but everything looks good. Dudley, Dan and Jay followed me home through downtown DC, only to do a few more test runs down my street.

A big thanks to Dudley Williams, Cuttie Bacon, Jay Swift, Dan Shor, Grice Mulligan, Bill Williams, Jim Gerock, Marc Spicer (and his friend, Jeff), Chris, Rusty, and the women in our lives that allows us such tomfoolery (thank you Dana!).

It's Alive!

2010-05-27T06:23:00.001-04:00

After suffering through a few electrical gremlins, we finally persuaded the EDIS to begin producing spark and the engine fired to life. Champagne fell from the sky and angels rejoiced......or maybe we just had a beer.

A HUGE thanks goes to Cuttie, Dan, Dudley, Dana and Jay, who all worked tirelessly.

Cuttie either installed some seat brackets or rocked some air guitar.

The muffler didn't go on without a fight, so Dudley felt the need to immortalize our victory.

Interior Halfway Point

2010-05-24T21:40:00.002-04:00

Jim, Dudley, Bill and Cuttie showed up over the weekend to help move things along. Bill and Cuttie helped me get the door hardware in, mount the brake booster and swap the H4 headlights. Jim and I installed the front lockstrip with surprising ease (WD-40 is the key). I was also able to install the rear interior panels, the back of the rear seat and a door panel. Duplicolor's Vinyl and Fabric dye is awesome. Every square inch of the car's vinyl used to be blue.

Also, I wired in the WestCo battery. This one isn't quite as powerful as the Optima Redtop that I used to have, but fits under the back seat and holds plenty of juice. I'll soon have a battery mount bracket from 02 Again to secure it.

She's really getting close!

Left to do:
Bleed the brakes and clutch, finish up door hardware and door panel, install carpet, finish wiring up the ignition, set the forward motion limiter, install driving lights and wire the electric fuel pump. Only four more days until V@V!

On the Ground

2010-05-21T12:39:00.001-04:00

We finally got all of the tires mounted on the freshly painted E30 steelies and got the car on the ground. I haven't swapped in the 320i rear drums or 2002 halfshafts yet, but we've got the Ireland Stage 1 springs all around.

Inching Closer

2010-05-15T22:08:00.001-04:00

Jim Gerock stopped by today to help Jay, Grice, Dudley and myself with the final disassembly of the `76 and the progression of the `67 toward the finish line. By the end of the day, we had the `76 stripped of all usable parts and the `67 to within sight of the finish line. I was able to get the driveshaft in and finally seat the transmission's crossmember in it's place. I also have the hard fuel line and the rear brake line from the `76 ready to go into the `67. We accidentally mangled the MC-to-rear-"Y" line in the `67, so we're replacing it with the alternatively routed counterpart line in the `76. I decided that the hard fuel line in the `76 might be a nice addition to the `67, especially after I finish the Megasquirt EFI conversion.

The `76 will have it's roof cut off right before we ship it off to the salvage yard in the sky. We're reasonably sure that we've removed everything of value. Jim was a big help.

Jay, the Mad Scientist, is replacing all the wiring forward of the rear harness. Though Jay has conquered much more complex wiring challenges than the 1600's simple design, I am forever indebted to his skill.

I've only got two of these mounted with tires, but I'm really liking how these E30 14" steel wheels are looking on the car.

Motor & Transmission In

2010-05-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

I forgot to get a picture of the motor in the engine bay, so here it is. the new firewall insulation looks better than the image shows and everything looks really good. Next up: wiring and braking.

Touchdown

2010-05-08T21:09:00.003-04:00

After swapping in a new transmission output seal and a gear selector rod seal, the engine, transmission and front subframe were ready to go in. Dana, Grice, Marc and Jeff helped to position, shimmy and finally bolt the unit in place. What a relief. At three weeks until Vintage at the Vineyards, this was a necessary milestone for this weekend.

First, we jacked the body up with two jacks and a 4X4. The 4X4 is just aft of the shifter hole. Note the counterbalancing wheels and tires in the trunk.

We rolled it into place, then slowly lowered the body down. After a little precarious teetering on the jacks, we bolted the subframe in place and stood amazed at the ease. Considering that it took us only two hours to get it in and removal took a full day, I'd say it was a good day.

Here's my favorite picture of the day; Grice riding an invisible motorcycle.

Ready for Installation

2010-05-07T21:22:00.002-04:00

I just finished refreshing the timing chain cover, valve cover and oil pan gaskets. I took the opportunity to throw on a few parts from Tom Rafalski. The first was this cool pedal box plug. It's an O-ringed plate that fills the hole in the bottom of the pedal box that BMW put there so you can pull out the brake linkage without removing the entire box. I also used one of Tom's way-too-cool-looking fuel pump block-off plates.

When installing the timing chain covers, I used a bunch of metric studs with nuts because I'm tired of forgetting which bolts go where.

Tomorrow, installation!

It Couldn't All Go Right

2010-05-02T10:32:00.000-04:00

After a fairly painless subframe removal from the 1600 and an uncomplicated, single afternoon headliner install, we were destined to screw something up.

Embarrassing adversity, thy name is engine and subframe removal.

It only took us six hours or so to remove the drivetrain and front subframe from the `76 with all the efficiency of four monkeys doing algebra......in Chinese. Seriously, don't try this at home.

After a little blessing from the pastor of the Church of Dan, we finally got it done.

Now, time for a little cleanup and a few new gaskets before it goes into the 1600. Jay and I also made some headway on the 1600's engine bay, which has now been stripped and painted.

Midweek Throwdown

2010-04-28T21:07:00.001-04:00

In preparation for the weekend of extra help that some local FAQers are giving me, Grice, Jay, Dudley and I tackled dropping the subframe and drivetrain out of the 1600. Saturday, we'll clean up the engine bay and swap in the 2 liter M10 from the `76 2002 along with the 5 speed. We got it out in record time, or so it seemed to us. After a few hours, we slid the subframe out and Dudley made sure that we got enough pictures of him.

Window Seals and Such

2010-04-24T16:03:00.001-04:00

After removing the 250 or so binder clips I trimmed the headliner edges to fit under the new seals. I actually managed to get the rear windshield in by myself, sans lockstrip. Grice and I then did a little cleaning and prepping before pop-riveting in the rear 1/4 window and B-pillar trim. Then we carefully stuffed the new seals in. We also managed to get the front windshield in, again sans lockstrip. We'll get the door seals in later, because we first have to clean off the old adhesive.

Overall, it was quite a progressive weekend.

Today, the Headliner. Tomorrow, the World!

2010-04-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

Jay and I attacked and conquered the headliner installation today. I've always heard that this was a job only for those with the patience of the Dalai Lama and the dexterity of a brain surgeon, but it was not nearly as bad as I suspected. It does require patience and a steady hand, but it's very much an achievable goal for an afternoon with a helper....just save the beers for when it's done. This headliner is the older style that gets glued in underneath the window seals (that must be removed prior to installation), unlike modern cars that just have a fabric-covered piece of molded cardboard that is secured by plastic trim.

We glued 1/2" upholstery foam in over the QuietCoat to help with even more insulation.

Here's how to do the install:

First, install the bows across and slit the fabric loops to hang it properly. Then start from the rear and clamp 1-1/4" binder clips every 6" or so at about 3/8" depth with no glue. You'll see how it's going to fit. As you go, cut slits in the material about a centimeter apart at the curves. Cut the slits to just where the lip will meet the headliner.

Then, add more binder clips until you have all the wrinkles stretched out. I have heard of people using hair dryers to make the material more pliable, but ours seemed to work in 75F temperature. Once you have all the wrinkles out, begin with the contact cement. We worked with Jay undoing 6" of binder clips at a time while I brushed the contact cement on both the headliner and the lip. Jay would then re-stretch the material and place binder clips along the entire length.

We worked across the rear window, then the C pillars, then the tops of the rear 1/4 windows, then moved to the center of the front windshield and moved back. The whole process took us an afternoon. We left it to dry overnight. Tomorrow, I'll install the new window seals.

Not too shabby. I have to admit that I expected it so be a lot more painful. I bought 540 1-1/4" binder clips and used less than 300 of them. I suppose that I'll save them for the next person that needs to do a headliner.

Countdown

2010-04-20T08:28:00.002-04:00

By the way, I'm attempting to have this car done and driveable in time for Vintage at the Vineyards.

Sound Deadening

2010-04-18T20:51:00.001-04:00

After a bit of research, I found that I could buy two gallons of QuietCar for about the same price as Dynamat impostors. QuietCar is a liquid sound deadener that is actually lighter than the Dynamat-esque, stick-on mats. After a shameful, argon-less welding job to replace an inexplicably mangled seat mounting bracket, Jay and I began brushing on the first coat of QuietCar. We'll furnish a second coat later this week, but the fisrt is going on nice and thick.

The stuff is kind of goopy, but it's really forgiving.

Next step: Headliner and carpet from Esty.

Good Saturday

2010-04-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

I've got the car at a house of a local 02 guy, Grice Mulligan, in Arlington, VA. Between the two of us, we're trying to get my 1600 ready for Vintage at the Vineyards and his `76 2002 ready for whatever Deathrace that he plans on running it in. He and Jay Swift spent the day chipping the sound insulation out of his gutted interior. There must have been 25 pounds of the stuff in there.

The 1600 got it's headliner pulled out and I've cut and prepped some small welding projects that need to be done before the Quietcoat sound deadening stuff can go in. I'll update with pictures next time. So much to do!

Arrival!

2010-04-05T20:01:00.001-04:00

Today, I finally took delivery of a 1967 BMW 1600-2. She was manufactured on March 30, 1967 and delivered to New York on April 14th of the same year.

I certainly have my work cut out for me. The car has almost no interior but is 99% rust free and STRAIGHT. I'm going to try to have at least the interior done by Vintage at the Vineyards. I'll also be swapping the drivetrain and suspension from my totaled `76.

For now, here's what she looks like:

The seats are a pair of aftermarket Recaros from the 1970s. They're really comfortable and I kind of like the fabric upholstery rather than vinyl.

Waiting for the new car......

2010-04-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

After a few somewhat stressful few weeks of searching, I sent payment for a 1967 BMW 1600-2. It was supposed to arrive via truck last Thursday, but, ala, here we are on Sunday with no car.

For now, images that the previous owner took will have to suffice:

She lacks an interior, other than a single-crack, three=piece dash. More pictures to follow when I actually see the car in person.

D'oh!

2010-02-17T23:56:00.000-05:00

On January 23rd, 2010, I hit Maryland's two largest potholes....consecutively. The result was a dimpled hood, a broken shock, bent quarter-panel and two bent wheels. According to my insurance company's adjuster, this adds up to a total loss. Unfortunately, I will have to find a new project.

EDIS with Stock Plug Wires

2010-01-13T21:39:00.003-05:00

Years ago, I assembled a Megasquirt II EFI computer with the hopes of electronic fuel injection and ignition control. Finishing school, moving, finding a job in this economy and keeping said job all became hinderances to the speed of the conversion. Though I might get to the EFI side this summer, I have been running the Ford EDIS hardware in congress with Megasquirt for a few years now with glorious results. There are no points to wear out and the timing is smoooooooth all the way through the RPM range. Additionally, if I feel a sputter, I can usually guess that it's not in the timing.

Now, the only problem with my setup was that in using the early 1990s Ford Escort coil pack, I was forced to use early 1990s Ford Escort spark plug wires, which have a funny, angled boot on each wire. They don't fit into the deep, recessed spark plug holes very well and I was constantly worried that they would make contact with the head and melt.

After someone on the messageboard pointed me in the right direction, I found this:

This is an Accel coil pack for a 1999 1/2 to 2004 Ford Focus "...and other Ford applications with "European Contacts."" The European contacts are the real plus here; they facilitate the use of stock BMW 2002 plug wires, which have a nice, ceramic boot that stays away from all the hot stuff. The p/n is #140028 and it's sold for areound $60 new. Accel claims a 15% output increase over stock. That should do just fine for my little M10.

Of course, I couldn't leave it yellow, so I sanded the plastic a little and gave it a coat of brown spray paint for an almost-Bosch look.

Before:

After:

Yes, I realize that my engine bay looks like crap, but this is a step forward. When I can afford to strip the whole car down and put together a nice, organized engine bay, I will. For now, I'll stick with functionality.

One note: the Accel coil pack bolts into the bracket for the old-style coil pack, but the bolts need a few washers because of the height difference. I used two pop-rivet washers per bolt and it fits perfectly.

LED Lights

2009-11-12T19:46:00.004-05:00

I ordered some LED lights from Super Bright LEDs for my instrument cluster on a whim and installed them (WLED-NW6). They're less yellow and just a tinge blue, but they're nice and bright.

Before:

After:

I also got a pair of 3022-W9 bulbs for the license plate lights. On the left is the incandescent bulb and the LED is on the right.

I'm in Print!

2009-10-29T20:31:00.003-04:00

Bill Williams wrote an article in der Bayerische, the newsletter for the local chapter of the BMWCCA. Marc Caden, Dan Shor and I were featured.

Trunk Light and a New(ish) Lighter

2009-10-24T23:32:00.004-04:00

The lack of a trunk light in 1600's and 2002's has bothered me since I bought my first one almost ten years ago. Both round and square taillight models have a little window in the back of one of the taillight assemblies, but it only works when the running lights are on and it's not very bright. I've known that cheap, mercury-switched lights were available from many models, but I never got around to it. Then, I found a mercury switch on a jobsite at which I currently work. The tube is probably 20 years old, but it works just the same. I bought a $5 license plate light at Autozone and, voila! I really wish that I had done this sooner.

I also finally replaced my lighter. The original one was bent and stuck when I pushed it in to test it. The knob melted itself into sadness.

I bought a new one, but the old style was unavailable. I stuck with that one until I finally found a $5 old style lighter on eBay. Once I recieved it, I replaced its old element with the element from the new style lighter.

2 Days, 1679 Miles, 9 States & 1 Federal District

2009-10-13T16:23:00.001-04:00

After a full year of being without my car, my girlfriend and I flew back to Lubbock, TX to drive her back to DC. I gave myself a four-day weekend to do it: one day for maintenance, two days for driving and one just-in-case day. I used that extra day almost immediately when I found that the driveshaft center support bearing had dried out and failed.

Note to Self: Avoid searching for car parts on a Friday afternoon.

So, after replacing the center support bearing, the flex-disk, the rear wheel cylinders, a dried-out length of fuel line and changing the oil & filter, I was on the road.

Beginning at 6AM in Lubbock, TX in the cooooold rain.

This is what the road looked like on the way to Amarillo, TX.

....and this is what I looked like on the road to Amarillo, TX. Yes, I was really that awake.

Cheap Motel Tip: Try to get a well-lit parking spot and don't expect much from the continental breakfast.

St. Louis

And, finally, in her spot at my work. I don't know how long I'll be able to park her here, but I hope it lasts!

We took 2 days, used 67 gallons of gasoline, covered 1679 miles and saw 9 states and 1 federal district. That's an average of 25mpg. Not too bad.

Previous Information

2009-10-13T15:56:00.000-04:00

Since january of 2000, I've owned a Sahara 1969 BMW 1600-2, a Fjord(ish) 1970 BMW 2002 and currently, a Fjord 1976 BMW 2002. I previously began a blog at www.xanga.com/tx02, but have since moved on to the coolier, swankier and more user-friendly Blogspot.

Feel free to page through my old blog, but here's the short version:

I began a do-it-yourself electronic fuel injection upgrade on my `70 2002 a few years ago. That conversion was interrupted by a girl that stopped her Honda CR-V a little too late and crumpled the tail panel.

As it turned out, the car was a product of crappy bodywork and extreme previous-owner dirtbag-iness, so I was a little releaved to be on the hunt for a new daily driver.

After a few months of searching, I found this: a 1976 BMW 2002 with 108,000 miles on the odometer. It had a blown head gasket and was sitting in a warehouse in Hays, Kansas. It wasn't entirely free of rust and had a strange, black (protective?) coating in the engine bay, but she was mostly original and certainly worth the $1200 price.

I immediately transferred the engine, 320i 5 speed transmission, suspension and brakes from the totalled `70 into the new(ish) car. I sold the optional alloys and replaced them with E30 Bottlecaps, which were needed to fit over my upgraded front brakes. After pushing the bumpers in and adding Hella 500 driving lights, the `76 looked more like this:

Then, I graduated from Texas Tech University and moved to Washington, DC, leaving my car in storage in Lubbock, TX. After an economically-driven eight-month employment hiatus, I finally found work with the General Services Administration.