Mo's 72 Taiga tii Restomod auto conversion

[toddw]

Parker makes nice face plates. He doesn't build new consoles. You will have to send your console to him. He will then have a shop refab vinyl for $150.00 extra. It's much easier to work with Esty on the project because she can do everything in house and for less.

[bluedevils]

For a nice custom console, I suggest you look into Parker Performance. Someday, I'm going to install one to replace my stock Behr A/C console faceplate.

They are indeed very nice, but I wish Parker could reproduce white lettering.

Al, I believe possibly Keith Kreeger can offer replacement decals for the (2) console knobs. Then again, I could be wrong.

Yes, I tried Keith's decals on Parker console which I later sold to a famous FAQer who refurbish radiators. They looked good but nothing is like the OE parts you know. I didn't know Parker can now have the decals reproduced, when I ask him a while back he said he was working on that. But $150 is a little steep for my wallet.

Here are some pics of OE part I refurbished from broken pieces. I also have a console face in mint condition with no decals or letters but can't figure out where it came from, Clardy?

[tjones02]

Sorry to burst your bubble BUT the transmission tunnel in the automatic 2002 is shaped different and much larger to accommodate the larger automatic transmission. I doubt that it will fit into the Tii's standard transmission tunnel..... There is a big reason BMW made the tunnel bigger in the automatic '02s, they wouldn't go through so much trouble if it wasn't really necessary. I would suspect that it would take a transmission tunnel and front floor swap to get an auto box into a standard shift car.

I am not trying to be a hater, just helping you stand back and look at the project from my experienced point of view. There must be a good reason I nor Sean Casey have ever seen it done in our combined 40+ years of 2002 experience.

As for relocating the battery, consider placing one or two under the back seat like Zenon Holtz and a few others have. It uses no precious trunk space, and is safer than having a teenagers stuff in such close proximity to battery acid.

http://www.zeebuck.com/bimmers/tech/batteryrelocation/underseatbattery.html

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/topic_view,threads/p,479052/t,301103/

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/p,440382/highlight,/#440382

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/start,0/t,304450/topic_view,flat/

Hope This Helps.

Cheers,

[toddw]

Damn Marc, that sucks. Atleast you found out now. I guess you have to choices man

1. Teach your daughter how to drive a stick. That should be fun. Haha

2. Find a 2002 automatic with a/c already installed

What are you going to do?

[bluedevils]

Don't worry and believe everything you hear. You can put an auto in a tii, why not? It is the same engine and drive train! You don't need to replace the tunnel or any floor panels. You need to hammer the tunnel a bit to make room for the auto, it is the same process when you install a e21 5-speed to a 4-speed car. A/C units can be had at reasonable prices here at FAQ, just keep looking, a complete Behr A/C system will come to you sooner or later. Just use a new Sanded rotary compressor, and an adapter bracket which is available here from another FAQer (hobby Dave?, I am getting mine soon).

[tjones02]

You can put an auto in a tii, why not? It is the same engine and drive train! You don't need to replace the tunnel or any floor panels. You need to hammer the tunnel a bit to make room for the auto, it is the same process when you install a e21 5-speed to a 4-speed car.

It'd be a lot MORE hammer work than a 5spd conversion. Have you ever seen the tunnel of an automatic '02? Trust me when I say that it would be MUCH easier to that Tii engine into the auto '02!

If you do get it to fit I would suggest a ZF 3HP from a 320i instead of the old '02 auto. I have seen an auto '02 converted to a '85 E30 318i ZF 4HP. Now for an auto box 2002 that one was pretty cool. If I ever lost my left foot I would consider that conversion.

[bluedevils]

[ Have you ever seen the tunnel of an automatic '02? Trust me when I say that it would be MUCH easier to that Tii engine into the auto '02!

Yes, I have. Just removed one from a 76 which I am converting to a 74 tii. It is indeed WIDER than a 5-speed but not that wide needing a complete tunnel surgery. As for the trany, I believe there was a limited edition 4-speed ZF (Or Getrag) auto mentioned above for a 1984-1985 318i E30 which is very hard to find. Dave in NC has been looking for it for a long time with no success so far.

[mo's72tii]

No worries.....your are correct..I have already fabricated the tunnel to fit the auto. I bought a 74 auto for the parts and pulled the tran and measured what need to be fabricated to make the transfer. My guys are use to building race porsches so they like the challenge to do something "easy". Once it is fishised and undercoated it will look like the factory did it.

I appreaciate everyones help and comments...I have a lot to learn from everyone's experience.

Thanks

Marc

[mo's72tii]

Thanks. The guys building my car typically build porsche race cars and they were talking about using a race car battery. I have not asked about this yet. Is this the same thing that has been described with the batteries under the back seat?

[mo's72tii]

recent pixs

[mo's72tii]

Todd

I talked to these people. I am chasing down a guy that is building a small housing single wire hot rod alternator for our cars. He is having the bracket fabriacted too. Stay tuned...

Marc

[toddw]

Marc, I took a few pictures this morning of the unit I got from from Starters Alternators.

teamgri@yahoo.com people. Pictures are from my phone so they are not the best. I explained to them that I wanted a drop in unit for a tii.

Tii 80amp w/Built In Regulator : $120.00

I have never bought a rebuilt part before but didn't want an OE with out the upgraded Amp.

If you can find a better unit let me know. I will most likely be intrested in unit.

[mo's72tii]

Todd

I am going to work with gromafab.com on this one. They are manufaturing a small housing hot rod single wire alternator and bracket that will work on our tii's. I am thinking that I will want at least a 100 amps for the additonal electronics, a/c etc.

I am going to relocate the battery to the back seats with some type of dry cell/race car setup. I have seen several variations on this here and else where.

[toddw]

You are going to install the battery under the back seat?

[mo's72tii]

yeah...lots of room under there especially since I will be adding a/c and other enginespace filling components. There are several posts on here with pixs where guys have used dry cell batteries and located them under the rear seats. Seems like a good idea and improves safety.