engine and drivetrain Why swap to the S14?.....(long)

[Guest Anonymous]

Greetings my fellow 02 fanatics!

Since there's been a bit of talk lately(ok, it was a little while ago) of some people that didn't think the S14 conversion in the 02 was a good idea, I figured i'd post this. I've been meaning to post this for some time now but haven't had the time to search for the issue of the roundel that it came out of. It's actually an exerpt from the September '98 Roundel from the article on Daniel Cooper's M-powered 02. I would have liked to have said the reasons for this myself, but Daniel put it so eloquestly in his article that I didn't think I could have said it any better. =)

Anyway, for those of you that aren't familiar with his car, Daniel Cooper has a '73 2002 Tii into which he's transplanted a highly modified 2.5L S14. In the article, there's a little section where he gives his personal views of the whole idea and this is where I got this stuff from.

He starts off saying, "A showroom condition 1973 2002 tii with 250 tractable horsepower - an 8.8:1 power-to-weight ratio, almost identical to a Dodge Viper. Hmm....a brand-new M3(E36), at 3,280 pounds and 240 horsepower, manages only 13.6:1..."

He goes on to describe his wants and what he was looking for in the planning of the car, and his meeting of the builder, Kermit Upton. He then closes with this, "Over a year later, the engine conversion is so beautiful that it almost brings tears to my eyes; the job looks like the result of 20 million dollars of Munich R&D. To me, the finished result is the purest distillation of the original 2002 concept. When it was born, it was years ahead of it's time; even today, it brings a smile to the face of the driving enthusiast. I see my car as an evolution of the original philosophy, not as a departure. It weighs the same, it's still a four-banger, it's still a machine of exceptional balance and precision. It's as though I simply rolled it into a time machine and launched it 25 years into the future, preserving it's impregnable soul while arming it for confrontation with futuristic foes. It will blow a 300 hp Corvette LT1 into the weeds, but it is still very much a 2002."

He then goes on to say, "As for the expense, many people ask whether I am completely insane: 'For that kind of money, you could have an M3, or a Porsche 911, or a (fill in the blank)!' Although I can understand the conventional mentality that guides these appaled individuals, I doubt whether most of them will ever relate to the rationale that guided me. You see, I didn't want those other cars. I wanted what I got."

Yeah, my sentiments exactly....=) Daniel, you're my idol. =) Happy 02ing all!

Alvin Caragay

BMWCCA# 156055

'72 BMW 2002

'97 Toyota Tacoma

pair of '90 Yamaha FZR400

[Guest Anonymous]

I'd rather see the 'showroom condition Tii' as factory as possible. Considering the ratio of non tii/tii, it seems to me that in the future a factory spec Tii will be more desireable than the s14 conversion. It's the collector/driver controversy again, and having spent thousands of dollars on a collecting hobby (M1 rifles), I feel compelled to think in the long term.

Having said that, one of my deepest desires is to possess the M'02. But I'll do it to a garden variety '02, most likely the '68 1600 I just came into. It's too far gone to restore to factory, but is an excellent opportunity complete all the upgrades to support the s14 engine- I'll box the rails of the standard '02 subframe I need to install the 3.91 e21 lsd and 5 speed, get rid of the early brake system to make way for a big brake upgrade, and blah, blah blah.

IMHO

Robert

but whatever it takes, drive an '02.

[Guest Anonymous]

...that's why i'm doing the conversion to a '72 2002(non tii). =) Although I don't really look at cars as an investment and am not at all worried about the resale value of this project in the future, I can appreciate the idea that good condition tii's are dwindling in #'s and may be more "desireable"(this is subject to personal opinion) in the future. To each his own...as long as it's an 02. =) Heh.

Alvin Caragay

BMWCCA# 156055

'72 BMW 2002

'97 Toyota Tacoma

pair of '90 Yamaha FZR400's

[Guest Anonymous]

In this year of 2002, the BMW community is looking back and appreciating what the '02 gave the auto industry- the first 'sports sedan' BMW AG owes its current existence to this car. Therefore, the car has historical significance. As the years go by, surviving '02's will become historical artifacts- this truth is irrefutable. As owners, we are merely caretakers of this heritage. It's hard to see this now, as we are so close to the period where the car was a $1500 transportation device. Consider that ULEV's are our future- or even a ban on private automobiles. Then my point becomes more clear.

Why do we own and drive '02's? Not because they are the quickest, best handling car on the road, they aren't. Practically any late model ricer, or SAAB, or BMW for that matter will eat your lunch just about every day. The reason is the car is WAAY cooler than those others- they'll be forgotten on the trash pile history while the '02 maintains its' position as the car that made BMW.

So, fellow '02 acolytes, drive your cars, and drive them the way they meant to be driven- hard. But maintain them, cherish them and please remember- your car is more than just a car- its a heritage.

Plus, its a chick magnet!!!! :-)

Robert

[Guest Anonymous]

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but I wouldn't wax quite so romantic. The 2002 is a great car, much more to my taste than anything recently (ummm, since about '76) produced.

But I like _some_ things about newer cars. EFI was a great leap forward, and super-high-tech engines are nice. The engines in some showroom cars have specific output of race-quality motors in the '50s and '60s, but they are much more tractable, last a lot longer, require less maintenance, etc. But what I don't like about new cars is that they are generally overweight, mostly front-wheel-drive, laden with gadgets, and too far removed from "motoring." The ridiculous expense to buy, insure and register a decent new car makes the undervalued 2002 seem even more attractive. Fun, simple, gutsy and cheap.

However much I love internal combustion engines, I look forward to building and driving my first electric car. It's a chance to rewrite the rules on DIY vehicles; where the corporate world refuses to go, the garage monkey will forge ahead. A long time ago, a 50hp motor was considered quite powerful, even the 36hp Beetle was a serious car. I think the freewheeling, unregulated designs of '60s sports cars represent a pinnacle of pure automotive design, and it's been all downhill since. Today we have cheap aluminum, strong composite materials, and better tooling available to the home fabricator than was found in advanced factories 50 years ago. The motors, controllers and transformers are becoming reasonably priced, batteries are improving. It's time for the rebirth of the small, lightweight, underpowered and dangerous sports car--an electric. The movement for clean vehicles makes it possible. People should drive SUVs, pickups, vans and other behemoths only when necessary, not for daily commuting. I'm hoping to reach the point where my beloved, smoggy 2002 will only be driven for pleasure.

Mike

[Guest Anonymous]

The chassis was rude and the body was fiberglass.

it has 9hp, a engine fro a Fiat Panda electric.

The gearbox is 4 speed. You can start moving in 4th gear, faster in 3rd and lots of wheel spinning in 2nd gear. The batts were normal truck ones(6) and the problem is the cost of the engine, variator and conversor( don´t know if this is the correct translation). I don´t have photos but I will see if can get some to show you, the whole process was kept in photos so it´s just a scanning procedure, must talk to old teacher. Oh, the car was shown in a international Expo 98 here in Portugal and was fun to pass every rented elec-typo-golf-kart car available at 50miles an hour )

[Guest Anonymous]

but in case some drunk bitch in a Mercedes S500 crosses the median, I want her and my precious 3 children in our '96 4x4 Suburban.

I forgot myself in that last post- I'm belong to a different tribe than most of you folks.

Robert

[Guest Anonymous]

I have an old Volvo (reasonably safe), a 1-ton Dodge Ram 350 van (huge, but not hugely safe anyways), my wife has an air-bag-equipped E30. Safety is a very important factor, especially if you have kids, which I don't. The safest highways are empty highways. Driving would be a much safer activity if we could manage to get rid of the cel-phone-addicted, commute-weary, intoxicated morons who don't expend the time or effort required to learn how to drive a car properly.

Personally I think our street cars should be equipped with roll cages, fire systems, and fuel cels; and we should wear helmets when we drive.

I'm only half kidding.

Mike

Mike