engine and drivetrain Hi - wanted to introduce myself

[Mark42]

Hi everyone.

 

I just got my first 2002.  It's a sweet little 1974 4-speed.  I'm planning on this being my only car and a daily driver.

 

I drove it home two weekends ago and had a blast driving along twisting, mountain back roads for several hours.

 

 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it inspected yet.  The car looks terrific and the previous owner says it's a solid daily driver, in great shape, with only a few minor things that may need attention at some point down the road.  

 

I bought it in NC, where state inspection isn't required.  I live in VA, and unless I want to put antique plates on it, I have to get it inspected.  

 

The first shop I took it to (for inspection) told me about a few things that would prevent it from passing; the floor pan had a fist-sized rust hole as well as other smaller rust holes; the rear breaks are leaking break oil onto the pads; and something about the real wheel cylinders (but didn't go into detail about that).

 

All the guys at that shop were really nice.  They even recommended that I always take it to another shop in town, which specializes in classic cars, for all repairs in the future.  They had called around to find a shop in town that could do the frame repair so it took it straight to the next shop.  

 

The collision and frame repair shop told me that the floor pans are about to bust through.  They also said that if the rocker panels are too far gone to support the rails, then the final cost may go up some.  

 

At this point, my car is sitting in the collision shop waiting in line for repairs and I'm bummed out because I can't wait to start driving it.

 

Here are a few of the other things that I already know will eventually need to be fixed:

 

 * The wipers are mostly rotten - won't pass inspection. I need to find a source for the rubber strips so that I can keep the chrome arms.

 * The speedometer is geared on the engine (according to the previous owner) with a metric gearing.  That throws off the MPH reading by some amount.  I want to get that fixed first just to avoid accidental speeding.

 * The odometer doesn't work.  It's stuck at 18,7(something). The trip meter doesn't work either.

 

I'm looking forward to being part of the community and meeting everyone.

 

Cheers,

Mark

 

[skipsfcr]

Welcome Mark! Odometer gears fail on all 2002's. The gears are available from an online vendor, aptly named "Odometer Gears." If your sure your speedo error needs to be resolved, many here have used North Hollywood Speedometer. With a little info from you, they can make the speedo dead accurate. For that matter, they can repair the odometer gears too if you want. Finally, Trico wiper blades makes a "Classic" product line, including a bright metal blade that fits '02s. HTH

[jmr_1602]

Welcome Mark. Where in VA are you? I'm in the tidewater area. Sorry to hear about the rust.

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[peterschop]

Hi Mark, nice looking car from  the picture. Sounds like extensive rust repair. I cringe every time I hear some living where the roads are salted say that their 02 will be the only car, daily driver. Once the rust is fixed, plan on doing it again in another four or five years if you daily drive it in the winter. There is no galvanized metal in these cars.

 

As far as the rear brakes, replace the wheel cylinders, they aren't expensive. The whole brake system should be flushed and bled. There is a good chance that the rubber lines may need to be replaced also. The speedometer gearing maybe wrong due to the wheel/tire selection. A GPS or speedometer app on you phone can show your speed. Odometer not working is common. It can be fixed by taking the the gauge cluster out and crimping the tube holding the gear. Instructions can be found on this site. I used to buy the rubber wiper strips from my BMW dealer. I don't know if they still do that. I put Trico 33-150 classic wiper blades on my current car. About $12.50 for the pair from Amazon.

 

Looks like a nice project but I would get another car for the winter.

[Mark42]

Welcome Mark. Where in VA are you? I'm in the tidewater area. Sorry to hear about the rust.

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I'm in the New River Valley

I added myself in the map last night.

[Mark42]

Welcome Mark! Odometer gears fail on all 2002's. The gears are available from an online vendor, aptly named "Odometer Gears." If your sure your speedo error needs to be resolved, many here have used North Hollywood Speedometer. With a little info from you, they can make the speedo dead accurate. For that matter, they can repair the odometer gears too if you want. Finally, Trico wiper blades makes a "Classic" product line, including a bright metal blade that fits '02s. HTH

Thanks for the info. I'm not certain about the gears yet; that's just the lead I got from the previous owner. I'll look for those blades tonight.

[Greg R aka Big_Lebowski]

Welcome to the madness!   

[peterschop]

Here's a couple of articles on how to repair the odometer. The images from the first link have been lost but the second one will show what needs to be done. It is not the gear but the shaft holding the gear slipping. 

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/_/technical-articles/body-and-interior/odometer-repair-r42

 

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/83423-odometer-repair/

Edited July 1, 2015 by peterschop

[Mark42]

Hi Mark, nice looking car from the picture. Sounds like extensive rust repair. I cringe every time I hear some living where the roads are salted say that their 02 will be the only car, daily driver. Once the rust is fixed, plan on doing it again in another four or five years if you daily drive it in the winter. There is no galvanized metal in these cars.

As far as the rear brakes, replace the wheel cylinders, they aren't expensive. The whole brake system should be flushed and bled. There is a good chance that the rubber lines may need to be replaced also. The speedometer gearing maybe wrong due to the wheel/tire selection. A GPS or speedometer app on you phone can show your speed. Odometer not working is common. It can be fixed by taking the the gauge cluster out and crimping the tube holding the gear. Instructions can be found on this site. I used to buy the rubber wiper strips from my BMW dealer. I don't know if they still do that. I put Trico 33-150 classic wiper blades on my current car. About $12.50 for the pair from Amazon.

Looks like a nice project but I would get another car for the winter.

I forgot to ask the repair shop if they replace with rust resistant metals. Anyone have experience with that?

If I'm doing this again in 5 years, I'll still be happy. I've wanted a classic car since 1985 and so glad to finally have one now. I could never have this car and let it sit for most of the year. .

Thanks for the tips. I'll save notes on everything for later when I finally get her back.

Mark

[Mark42]

Here's a couple of articles on how to repair the odometer. The images from the first link have been lost but the second one will show what needs to be done. It is not the gear but the shaft holding the gear slipping.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/_/technical-articles/body-and-interior/odometer-repair-r42

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/83423-odometer-repair/

Thanks. That looks like a fun fix to try.

[Mark42]

. I put Trico 33-150 classic wiper blades on my current car. About $12.50 for the pair from Amazon.

I just ordered the

Trico 43-150 Steel Blade Refill - 15". Amazon told me they would fit my car - which was pretty nice.

[e9er]

_{Great looking car.  I really like the wheels, are they 14x6 bbs RAs.  Do you know the offset?}

 

_Thanks-

Edited July 2, 2015 by e9er

[BeMyWay]

Welcome Mark 

 

That looks like a nice car.  I've always liked this car in white.  

 

There are tons of information on this site with friendly and knowledgeable people who can and will help you.

 

Take care and I hope you get this beauty on the road soon.

[Mark42]

_{Great looking car. I really like the wheels, are they 14x6 bbs RAs. Do you know the offset?}

_Thanks-

They are definitely BBS but I'll have to get my car back first to check the size.

Someone else mentioned that the wheel size might be throwing off the speedometer. I'll probably post about that later when I get it back. I'll try to find out if the previous owner remembers if the speedometer changed after he put on the new wheels and tires.

[GregJ]

Hi, Mark

Welcome to all of this. I am on the edge of the NRV, in Floyd County. I can educate you on rust and rocker panels and floors, so you know what the shop will have to do to properly repair it. I have several examples in the yard and one in my garage. Get an estimate before they start the metalwork. Quick fixes sre cheap but don't last very long, and often make it harder to do correctly later.

I have lots of parts that might keep you on the road, and if nothing else, hot coffee and cold beer to accompany long-winded 2002 conversations!

Greg J

540-285-0045