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About this blog

This is a build blog covering the resto-mod my Wife and I are doing to her 1976 2002. We named Betty after her mother who passed away this year. So this one's for a tough gal who's been there for you through good times and bad and had seen a lot and always came through for everyone when they needed her most. Just like we hope this car will be for us.

 

In this blog I'll document what we've done so far, where we're at today and where we're going. It's been a good ride up to this point. A lot of people on the FAQ have helped whether you know it or not. This community of like minded people is great and hopefully, with this blog, I can contribute back a little of what we've learned. Maybe also learn many more things as we go! 

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Entries in this blog

restoration

Project kinda stalled and kinda not, life happens

It's been a while since I've posted about the restoration/restomod of Betty.  Work slowly progresses when I have the motivation to do it....it hasn't completely stopped! We had a couple deaths in the family. Took a trip down New Orleans for a wedding and caught Covid on the way back. Stuff. Works been very busy and life in general got a little complicated. Jo and I have also been busy with the remodel of the master bedroom/bath. All consuming. So, this project has taken
Restoration

Is falling forward progression? Then I did make progress!

I've actually been making pretty good progress on Betty. The suspension parts are off to the powder coater. It took a while for me to break down the components and do my part of the prep work. But they're out of my hands now and I hope to have them back in a week.   I've also restored both of the tail light housings and got new gaskets and lenses. They look phenominal and I'll have a blog post dedicated to that. Along the way, I also worked on the front turn signal housings.
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Restoration

1
Restoration

Plate Spinning, the struggle is real

So, as many of you know, a restoration of a car is a collection of small projects with the whole of them leading up to a greater end.  At least that's how I describe it to myself. I haven't been doing a lot of posting about the work because it's a bit tedious. That is if you only look at the one task. But when you step back and notice that that one task lead into another then another, then you really have something you can share. For example: The headlight assembily has been
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Restoration

2
Suspension

It comes out, not goes in stupid! LOL and other stuff.

It's been a little while since I updated here....lots has been going on with the car. As with any rebuild/restoration there is a TON of stuff to do.  One of those getting the suspension bits rebult.   Well, here's yet another example of me having all the right intentions and just getting it flat wrong.   I'd been holding off getting the rear trailing arm bearings out until I'd purchased the right tool for the job. In my pea sized brain, I'd got it in my head that this wa
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Suspension

1
Wiring harness

Oodles of noodles, and wiring harness, and more!

The project had been very slow going. A number of things, like so many others, tend to get in the way. But I try to at least stand in the garage and stare at it for a while, every day. It just so happens that during one of these staring contests, I actually did a thing. Several things in fact!   When I'd removed the wiring harness from the car I did the right thing and labled everything. Or I thought I'd labled everything. Also, I'd forgotten that the harness came in two par
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Wiring harness

4
Suspension

"Hardest I've ever hit anything...." or Stub Axels. Yeah.

So, I have the subframes nearly completely disassembled. The bearings and old rubber bushings are all that's between me and sweet powder coating goodness. But I have to say these things right here, holy crap!    2 days of letting them soak in PB blast and Liquid Wrench then letting my 10lb sledge whisper sweet nothings to it, those stupid things finally came out. And the rear hubs came back from machining. Did this to fit the disc brake kit. And the swa
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Suspension

1
Suspension

The suspension is killing me! A grimy affair

45 years of undercarriage gunk puts up a tough fight! But after hours or scraping, degreasing and more scraping, I have most of it clean enough to safely handle. I should have been doing most of this while the car was in for paint, but other projects too priority. You know how that goes. Anyway, here's what I'm working with:   The front subframe was bent pretty good on the passenger side. Looks like a curb or rock hit it. Nothing major and a couple hammer taps straighted it
JerryB2002

JerryB2002 in Suspension

2
Turbo body kit paint work restoration

Betty's home and tucked into the garage

With paint completed the shop put her on the trailer and brought her home.  I have a narrow driveway, on a pretty steep incline with not a ton of space at the top in front of the garage. This was fun to watch.....and scary. We couldn't get it unloaded at the bottom and roll her up, so backing in, all the way up was the only option! Carefully now......   And there she is in her new home!   That paint looks soooo good!   Up
Turbo body kit paint work

Finished body work and paint! Did I say finished? LOL

Betty's journey isn't over yet. Not by a long shot. But, we're making progress.  When last I posted, our beloved 2002 was at the painters.... Cut, weld, fit, prime, sand and stuffs. Also decided to fill in all the trim holes and did a US bumper delete. Turbo flares being test fitted below. Jo chose to change up the color from Chamonix to a vibrant Taiga!  I think its amazing!    More.... Exciting!  
Turbo body kit paint work

So, Covid and other things

Well, last I posted the world was a different place. What a difference one year makes! Keeping this car related, there was a lot of drama at the body & paint shop. Since we weren't in a big hurry to get the work done it wasn't a big deal. But now that we're all moved into the new house and things have quieted down AND I've got another garage available to work in. I want the car back asap. Summer is coming!   The drama at the shop initially had us worried the work wouldn't get

Body work and paint prep

JoAnna and I visited Car Addictions, the shop that's doing the body work and paint job for Betty. Looking at something part way through the process, whatever the process is, is always an odd event. Watching the sausage being made kind of thing.   Knowing that the professionals have your pride and joy in their care only makes it weirder. Trust.  Trust is what it's all about and knowing that you both have a shared vision for what the end state will be is important.  
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

1

Woah, time flies when you're hunting for parts!

We did tell the shop that's doing the body work and paint that we were not in any hurry. Haven't found a contractor to bid the garage yet. Oh well, there is still work to do!   I've been inventorying parts and wow. There is a lot of parts. Sadly, a lot of it really isn't going to look good going back onto the painted body unless I do some serious restoration/plating/painting etc. Lots of it. So, I've been part collecting, or trying to. And getting stuff taken apart in or
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

0

And the waiting has begun

Or what do you do while you wait?   The body is at the painter for some light body work and paint. I expect it to be there for a couple months. Maybe more. I did tell them that I wasn't in a hurry. Mainly because I haven't figured out where I'll put it once it's done or where I'll reassemble Betty. Garage space being what it is right now.   So, I have time on my hands in regards to working on the car. So, what do I do? Well, I have several parts that still need rest
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

0

Moving is not easy

A few months ago Jo and I decided that we'd like to sell our house of 21 years and buy another in town that would be our forever home. In 21 years, you collect a lot of stuff. Too much stuff as it would turn out. Since we hadn't done it in a very long time, I'd forgotten just how big a pain in the rear moving is. So, on top of all of our house stuff, I had 3 cars to move. One of which, Betty, was in parts all over the garage. Most of it was already in boxes, bagged and tagged. But a lo
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

6

The one constant

My Wife and I bought a new house. We close on it tomorrow and start moving on Wednesday. Before we bought I had a scare and I almost made a bad decision. That was to part out my project and let Betty go.   A lot of people on this site were very nice and offered good prices for the parts that I had posted for sale. And they were even nicer when I came to my senses and retracted my ad. Everyone was very understanding.   Jo and I would figure out how to make this work.
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

0

In for a penny

The whole tear down of Betty took the better part of 3 months. This included full cataloging, labeling, boxing and storage of the parts.  While we were doing this many decision points were reached and made.  I'd only ever restored one other car before this. That was Ringo our '67 Beetle. And that was just a partial restoration.  I rebuilt that motor myself and the entire interior. We did not do paint because we wanted to keep that sweet sweet patina.    For Betty though,
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

0

Not starting? Rut Row

We'd had Betty for about half a year when I started noticing she was down on power. Was having trouble starting up in the morning and gasped a bit when pushed. Just like me!   But one morning in the fall Jo said she went to start her up, it cranked, started then stopped. I went out to try my hand at starting, because I think I can turn a key better than anyone.  Sure enough, it wouldn't start. Cranked but no start.   After a quick check to make sure we're getting fu
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

0

What's in a name?

Soon after getting the 2002 home from Seattle the usual question came up about what name we should give it. Our '67 Beetle which all of my girls learned how to drive stick was named Ringo. The Beetle. My '89 911 C4 is named Heidi. German high maintenance super model.  Every cool car we've had gets a good name. So, what would be appropriate for a tough old car that's been through a lot but is still great looking and dependable? My Wife Jo, said Betty. That's her Mothers name. A ver
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

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10/19/2019 a recap of where we've been

As the crew from Car Additions loaded up Betty onto their trailer to haul her to the shop for body work and paint, I paused to think back on all of the work JoAnna and I have done to get here. It's been a slower path than I had planned, but life, as we all know, happens.    We bought a 1976 BMW 2002 from a couple in Seattle after seeing an ad in Craigslist. I flew over from Spokane, took an Uber to their address and inspected the car. I was parked on the street and looked pretty good.
JerryB2002

JerryB2002

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