Engine S/N 1660001

[kbobwhite]

Interesting to know. It’s still a non runner Maybe hasn’t run since then. I got a good deal and it’s a project for me and my son. I’m totally new to BMW but have redone a few old cars in the past. I’m really looking forward to getting further along and seeing how things go. Engine currently has solex side drafts a stahl header and a cam with pretty much no markings. I did go through some cam identification threads and the things that were posted on there to look at are non existent. The only place I haven’t looked is on the front face of the cam as it’s still installed (I’ve only removed a valve cover at this point. Anyways there’s a lot of stuff I can type it probably needs to go in a different thread but I really am excited to find out more about this engine. And for those that are wondering I do not plan on modifying it. I’ve messed around with old stuff enough to know that when you have something special you should just leave it like it is.

[Conserv]

Let me just say that, given how early your car is, and how rare Tampico examples are, even a stock car maven such as myself could see a restoration of the original color and features with... a sort of “period hot-rod” engine. You’ve already got a 2-liter engine. And, I’m intrigued by the presence of dual sidedraft Solexes, the basic set-up used by the factory 1600ti’s and 2002ti’s. In terms of value and desirability, the presence of the first U.S.-spec 2002 engine probably offsets the absence of the original 1.6-liter engine.

 

Of course, the ease of the restoration of a May 1967 car is dependent on how much of the original fabric remains, e.g., seats, door cards, chrome-trimmed dashboard, steering wheel, rear view mirrors, etc. The early cars had lots of special parts that were phased out to (a.) reduce production costs, and (b.) comply with ever-increasing U.S. safety and emissions standards. Your car misses all that later D.O.T. and E.P.A. gobbledegook!
 

So, if you want to post some photos here, or in a build blog, or wherever, we can tell you — for better or worse — what’s original and/or rare, and what’s a later addition. Tampico cars generally came with chocolate brown interiors. There were no headrests in 1967. A ‘67 1600-2 had non-reclining, but four-way-adjustable, front seats.

 

We’re happy to get you up the curve fast, but you need to expect that lots of things have been changed on a 53-year-old car that has been in-op for at least 23 years!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Conserv

[kbobwhite]

It’s in pretty rough shape. The interior though is black and does have headrest so maybe it’s not the original interior. The dash is pretty toasted but I think I can salvage the metal chrome pieces and I’ve seen replacements for the other chrome trim. I don’t know if it will end up being period correct or not due to the availability of parts. I do know that I will end up going back with the Tampico paint when it’s done. The rear fenders have been flared and the front fenders have been replaced by fiberglass units. 

[Conserv]

Looks like a great project!

 

The generator — used on 6-volt 1600-2’s — suggests your car may retain its 6-volt electricals. I owned a 6-volt 1600-2 as my daily driver (a.k.a., only car). It was absolutely fine, except... 6 volts was not enough juice when temperatures dropped to 20 degrees — I lived in Pennsylvania. Still, many 6-volt cars have been converted to 12 volts by now.

 

You’ve got what appears to be a perfectly period-appropriate Blaupunkt. There’s some non-factory sloppiness in the way the nosepiece is attached to the inner fenders, so the nose has probably been replaced. It looks like it also might be a later square taillight nosepiece with plastic grilles.

 

The rims appear to be 13” and might be Minilites. Other forum members will be able to precisely identify the source of the Solexes, by details such as the linkage and the air horns (straight tend to be 1800ti while angled are 1600ti/2002ti). Here are three threads on Solex PHH carbs:

 

 

 

 

Lots to think about here, but it doesn’t look like a rust bucket.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Conserv

[02Les]

More info.

 

The Ebay winner in 2006 was Glenn Poe (TX). The Dallas '02ers know him & I believe he had a few '02s. Last year he was resto'ing a 1600ti.

 

Pic is from May '11ish

[kbobwhite]

PO removed some of the stuff from the car by looking at that picture. Backseat is different color mirror is gone. Wheels are different. Oh and replying to an earlier post my wheels are not minilites they are empi wheels installed by the PO. 

[jgerock]

Interesting engine bay picture! The dual Solex carbs are using the NK style accelerator linkage. I’d be interested in seeing how the firewall setup with connection to the pedal.

[BritshIron]

@kbobwhite: Anything is possible. I just finished my 1600 ti tribute car, from chassis 1560679. Two year project. Finding the bits is a scavenger hunt! Blunttech has the dash "chrome" (err, may be gold from the $$$, but it looks great installed). Best of luck with this interesting project. Aloha, Robert

[kbobwhite]

From the group archives.

 

The engine number 1660001 belongs to a BMW 2002 US which was manufactured on November 29th, 1967 and delivered on December 14th, 1967 to the BMW importer Hoffman Motors Corp. in New York City. That car war Polaris metallic (paint code 060).

We hope this information is helpful for you.

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, kbobwhite said:

From the group archives.

 

The engine number 1660001 belongs to a BMW 2002 US which was manufactured on November 29th, 1967 and delivered on December 14th, 1967 to the BMW importer Hoffman Motors Corp. in New York City. That car war Polaris metallic (paint code 060).

We hope this information is helpful for you.

Wow! That is early! The ten Euro-spec 2002’s manufactured in 1967, VIN’s 1600001 through 1600010, show December 1967 manufacturing dates as a group. So VIN 1660001 could conceivably be the first 2002 manufactured: maybe to accommodate a six+ week ride on a ship and/or an exhibition date... 

 

Knowing this, anything on your car, e.g., a differential, an instrument cluster, a taillight or front turn signal, dated before November 29, 1967, but after May 17, 1967 (your 1600-2’s manufacturing date), could well have been borrowed from the famous VIN 1660001.

 

Hmmm... although none is shown in your photos, did your car come with an instrument cluster (clusters are dated on their backs and 2002’s received a tachometer in lieu of a 1600-2’s clock — Mike S. may know if even the earliest 2002’s received the tachometers).

 

Thanks for obtaining and posting this Archives report. Your discovery of engine number 1660001 is — obviously — a highlight of my Covid-19 lockdown! Yes, that’s a bit scary! ???

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by Conserv

[Conserv]

8 hours ago, BritshIron said:

@kbobwhite: Anything is possible. I just finished my 1600 ti tribute car, from chassis 1560679. Two year project. Finding the bits is a scavenger hunt! Blunttech has the dash "chrome" (err, may be gold from the $$$, but it looks great installed). Best of luck with this interesting project. Aloha, Robert

Not too shabby, Robert. Not too shabby! ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[kbobwhite]

On 4/26/2020 at 11:03 PM, mike said:

The US spec (built specifically for the US market to meet the Federal safety and emission standards) began with VIN 1660001, so that engine is indeed from the first US spec '02 off the line.  The two cars the factory says were built in 1967 were in fact 1968 model year cars, just assembled prior to 1 January 1968.  They were built as press and exhibition cars, for car magazines to do road tests on, and to display at auto shows.  I suspect at least one of 'em was the Polaris sunroof car that is in all the road tests of the "new BMW 2002" that appeared in Road & Track, Car and Driver, Popular Science etc, in their March and April 1968 issues.  And if so, it was the car David Davis wrote his famous "Turn Your Hymnals to 2002"  story. 

 

I have most of those road tests, but the VIN plate isn't clearly visible in any of 'em.  But I'll bet an e-mail off to BMW Classic with the VIN would tell us its delivery date and original color.  Too bad you don't have the rest of the car, but that indicates it's probably long gone.  The lowest number VIN i've heard of is 1660003 (or perhaps 0009--it was awhile ago that I saw it).

 

mike 

Mike, looks like 166001 was indeed a Polaris car according to the BMW Archive. 

 

I have emailed the archive group to get the info on 002 as well. If it was not Polaris as well then we can narrow down which car was used in the road tests.

[Preyupy]

002 was the C&D road test car and it was Polaris.  It is currently painted Red and is still around.  

[kbobwhite]

42 minutes ago, Preyupy said:

002 was the C&D road test car and it was Polaris.  It is currently painted Red and is still around.  

Thanks for the info!

Any idea what happened to 001?

 

Here is the delivery info I got from archive on 002

 

The BMW 2002 US VIN 1660002 was manufactured on December 12th, 1967 and delivered on January 10th, 1968 to the BMW importer Hoffman Motors Corp. in New York City. The original colour was Polaris metallic, paint code 060.

[Mike Self]

So from the information posted both "press pool" cars were Polaris and (probably) both had sunroofs, as sunroof cars were assembled in batches since they needed extra steps in the assembly process.  They did the same for US-bound cars, for the same reason.  

 

Just a guess, but I'll bet that if 1660002 was the C/D road test car, it was based at Hoffman's East Coast facility,while 1660001 went to Hoffman's West Coast office, and was the road test car for Road & Track.  A quick look at license plates on the road test cars would prove (or disprove) that.  It was also tested by Popular Science--headquartered in NY, they probably drove 0002.

 

And AFAIK all US-bound 2002s were ordered by Hoffman with tachs--one of several "non-optional options" on Hoffman's cars.  They show in those road test stories if you look closely. 

 

Bob, if you ever wanted to donate that engine to the BMW CCA Foundation museum, I'll bet they would love to have it!

 

mike

Edited April 29, 2020 by mike