Saving a 1970 1602....

[Johnson]

So, I got my fancy bits in the mail, and like I promised I got some pictures today. Not quite fast, but not bad for me....

Anywho, I installed the front strut brace today. Discerning viewers will notice a less-than-correct form of hood prop. It seems my factory one finally gave up from being over stressed by the impact that eventually got me the car. Some pictures:

Of course though, nothing can go smoothly. I swear that this entire car is bent, nothing lines up right without some, err persuasion. I also ran into clearance issues with the brake reservoir bracket. Every thing was going fine, next thing I knew I`m holding a grinder trying to decide which I needed less....

I also had interference issues with the air cleaner. I "solved" these by using a 7mm spacer I got with my spare 32/36. Now the bar is centered vertically with the air filter. It still almost touches/sometimes touches, but no issues so far. I changed out my air cleaner for the spare(and much shinier) one:

Nothing gets done without some casualty it seems. The strut bar went on, but the `02 became the next in a long line of my cars that have caught my necklace and broken the chain:

[Johnson]

With the trivial stuff over, I moved on to the important work of the day. This airdam is going to be my front bumper, I was told it is a Korman reproduction of a Kamei. I don`t really care, it looks sweet. Unfortunately the very nice verona paint on it will have to covered up with some black.

I need to contact Korman and see about just how attach this thing. I was told that there were a couple little aluminum support brackets I would have to source/make for it to help stabilize it. I`m also totally guessing at the mounting height.

[Johnson]

You guys may have noticed that I also have both front turn signals now. My passenger side one even works! Thanks Michael, I owe you a drink.

Here`s the new sticker I put on after removing the old ones:

I also realized today that the car was absolutely filthy. So after I got home I sprayed it off(I did promise to give it a proper wash soon). Here`s a final picture for the day, semi-clean and resting in it`s designated parking spot at home:

-Jake

P.S.- For anyone wondering, the ricey rims on the back are 15x6.5", et40. With a 1/4" spacer they fit ok. Still a bit tight inside, but I have wide tires too.

[Johnson]

Ok, I haven`t posted much lately. I have been busy working on my `02, driving my `02, and fixing my girlfriends new car/truck(`84 Rampage). I did get a bit done, and I just keep finding more and more things that need replaced/worked on. I was frustrated the other day, tallying up all the costs for repairs, and my girlfriend told me I wasn`t allowed to give up on this car. I am still kicking myself for giving up the last car I liked this much. She knows this and doesn`t want me to do it again. It`s nice to have support! When I told her how much everything was, her response was "Good thing you have a job then!"

First, a moment of silence for all the BMWs that have given up everything to keep ours on the road.

I had a small accident a couple weeks back. It looks bad, but everything was all right. No one was injured.

Ok, serious stuff now. I got to work on the springs on my car. I thought I would be able to change out the rear springs for a spare set I had and get some height/travel back. Wrong. One side moved up a bit, and the other side moved down a bit. AH! I also decided to cut a front coil off while I had the spring compressor. I like that, but decided to just get new lowering springs for it. I also discovered that my rear shocks are about 10 years past the expiration date....

You can see the coil booster on the spring in that shot. There were three on each side.

After I drove it a bit and got home. The last shot is with our new cruck.

So, I got to looking for springs. I ended up buying the Bavarian Autoworks lowering springs(which are supposedly good for 1.25" downward), new rear Billy HD`s(I`ll grab the fronts later), new balljoints(one boot is torn, the other is almost there), and some new lug nuts(so I can have a matching set if I ever get my other wheel back). Everything should be here by next Wednesday. I should be able to have this all done by the 20th for the RGB get together.

My car also developed a miss. It only does it when it`s warm, and has set for a while at idle(like in traffic, or a drive thru). Then once you drive at speed for awhile it goes away again. I have a new set of wires on the way, I`ll see if that helps at all.

-Jake

[Johnson]

So, the BMW died on me.... I can`t get it to run, but I haven`t had time to chase everything down yet.  I ended up taking a small-ish loan and getting a newer DD(`03 GMC Sonoma).  Not to fear though, I still have the `02, and it will get fixed.  Now the question is what to do for an engine if mine needs rebuilt.  The local consensus is SBC .  I think it needs a German engine if anything changes.

Edited May 10, 2013 by Johnson

[Johnson]

Alright, I have been away from the computer for awhile, much going on in real life.  Long story short, my old engine had finally worn out.  I will be moving to Athens in August, so if I want to take the car(and I do), I have to get it done by then.  This throws out any crazy engine swap plans.  I have most of a 2L for it, working on picking up the rest.  Went to see Karl again and got a bunch of parts I needed.  And a couple I didn`t need.  Like a 4.11 differential....

 

-Jake

[dasfrogger]

Glad to hear things are still going. Were you able to drive it on the bav auuto springs enough to get a feel for them?

Glad to hear Karl still has parts to be selling/giving. I've been meaning to make a trip up that way. Let me know if there's anything you need. I may have something.

[Johnson]

I drove it for about a week on the new springs before it started really acting up.  It was night and day between having rear shocks that functioned, and springs that kept the car off the bumpstops.  I enjoyed the ride, with progressive springs it was actually quite nice, but still felt tighter in the corners.  

 

I went to see Kevin Funk, picked up most everything else I needed.  I`m down to pistons, rings, and gaskets.  The machine shop verified that my block was standard bore today, and even remarked on how good it looked.  I sold my red airdam pictured earlier in this thread, to fund the rest of these parts.  I`m having the machine shop clean up the block and head, do a quick hone of the cylinders, and resurface the head, just to be on the safe side.  I don`t want to redo this engine in a years time....

 

I also decided to see how I like the 4.11 rear end.  So I put it in the car, figuring if I don`t like it that I can always put my 3.64 back.  With the new-ish 2L, a tighter 4 speed, and the 4.11, it should drive like a whole new car.  We will see anyway.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Johnson

[Johnson]

Got her back on the road!  Basically at the last possible second I got the car together and driving.  There were other things I could/should/would have done while the engine was out, but I was on a time crunch.  She runs pretty good now, and definitely has more power.  Pretty much just been putting miles on now, and fine tweaking things.  Up to about 500 miles now on the new engine, driving 45 minutes to work this whole week did most of those.  

 

So, we moved in down here in Athens, and haven`t gotten any pictures since.  But I am still tinkering, and fixing little stuff.  I am also working on my version of a third brake light.  Athens is a scary place to drive a small car.  It is even making me consider finding a front bumper.....

 

-Jake

[Cru Jones]

So, we moved in down here in Athens, and haven`t gotten any pictures since.  But I am still tinkering, and fixing little stuff.  I am also working on my version of a third brake light.  Athens is a scary place to drive a small car.  It is even making me consider finding a front bumper.....

 

-Jake

 

You probably have one of two 2002s in Athens I'm sure. There's not a lot of small old cars there.

[KFunk]

You probably have one of two 2002s in Athens I'm sure. There's not a lot of small old cars there.

 Three!  There are rumors/sightings of others as well. 

[Cru Jones]

 Three!  There are rumors/sightings of others as well. 

That's not too unbelievable. That's cool there are others as well running around OU. Plenty of decent roads around there to have fun in one. There's a lot of parking lots that would make for cool impromptu auto cross tracks, if only the OUPD took their jobs just a little less seriously.

[KFunk]

That's not too unbelievable. That's cool there are others as well running around OU. Plenty of decent roads around there to have fun in one. There's a lot of parking lots that would make for cool impromptu auto cross tracks, if only the OUPD took their jobs just a little less seriously.

 

So I'm guessing you've been here?  There's at least one or two OUPD officers that love the old cars.  One followed me in my Datsun truck one day just so he could catch me and take a picture of it.  Another time a co-worker saw an OUPD officer in the parking lot taking pictures of the 2002. 

[Cru Jones]

So I'm guessing you've been here?  There's at least one or two OUPD officers that love the old cars.  One followed me in my Datsun truck one day just so he could catch me and take a picture of it.  Another time a co-worker saw an OUPD officer in the parking lot taking pictures of the 2002. 

 

Yeah, I'm from there. I have many memories of them chasing me on my BMX bike around campus when I was in high school. During summer when no one is in school they look for stuff to do and chasing high schoolers on BMX bikes apparently is enough. 

[Johnson]

Nice thread-jack guys!  I don`t care, not much going on here other small fixes.   Although I did change a CV axle the other night.  Outer CV joint was totally shot.  

 

I have seen some way cool cars down here, my favorite so far other than my car and Kevin`s Datsun has been a Triumph TR4 or TR250, not exactly sure which.