Okay, so I bought this "flat black" 1974 2002 a month ago. Haven't gotten around to doing anything other than lurking yet, and I figured I'd start a blog.

What you can expect:

This won't be some concourse winning numbers-matching classic.

This won't be a full restore.

This won't be a crazy engine build/swap in detail.

This won't be a professionally photographed visually stunning photo-blog.

This won't be a 100% diy built-not-bought car.

This is will be mildly hacked together car. Not be intention, but due to constraints.

This will be a daily driver(unless I somehow get another car anytime soon)

This car will be street parked, if I had a garage I could use, I would.

I will probably abuse the carp out of this thing.

Things will be broken, and at times I may just choose to live with it.

When ever possible I will try to fix things myself. I will try to document this, but sometimes I will suck at it. (both the documenting and fixing)

At times I may call in the professionals, due to time/lack of skill constraints, but my budget is so very limited.

If any of the above bothers you, well this may not be the best blog for you....

However all are welcome, and I will take all well meaning advice to heart.

About me:

I am broke-ass student, who for some demented reason has a passion for cars (I blame watching way to much top gear in my teens). This is my second car. My last car was an e28 that I bought for $1,5000. I dumped another $1,500 into maintenance and got rear ended, insurance gave me $3600, and at this point I have spent more than that into this car. I have extremely limited mechanical experience, but hey how hard can things get....

On to the car!:

The car is an originally red 1974 2002. I am almost certain that this car has been used as a parts car stripped down and then abandoned, and then someone had the genius idea to revive it. The odo reads 44,341 (totally useless information). The engine has been replaced at some known point by an m10 from a 320i (supposedly has 70k at swap, now 80k) It sounds like it has a street cam. It has an weber 32/26 carb with a water choke, and push start ignition. (I get a big red button says engine start, and some airplane style toggle switches) The coolness of this is somewhat canceled out by the fact I can't seem to get the idle mixture screw and water choke to behave as to get a idle around 1k with a warm engine and a clean one push cold start. Oh well. There's some crazy loud exhaust system on there.

The wiring on this car is best described as a mess, I have wiring not tied down and running allover the place. Random connectors not hooked up to anything hanging from all over.

The interior is mostly non-existent. I have no front door cards, but I do have rears. The dash is cracked, but not horrible. The windshield gasket is cracked to hell and leaks when it rains. The front seats are miss-matched cloth one black, one purplish. I have no shift knob. The headliner droops and is filled with rips When I bought the car, the passenger seat handle and window crank were missing now replaced, still missing the A pillar window knob. The rears black vinyl that has at least one big rip in it.

The body has some rust(understatement) I have speed holes in the trunk in the spare tire space. The floor panels have been "repaired" at various different times by amateurs. Theres clearly visible patching done on the driver side floor panel, and the passenger side patch is riveted not welded in.... From the rip in the rear seat I can see the ground. However, the frame rails, the wheel arches, and the rear strut structure seem sound! California car FTW?

The body has been badly spray painted flat black, the diving board bumpers are missing, as is the chrome belt line and lower trim are gone. My passenger side mirror is missing( I hear these cars did not come with one in the USA, but I am drilled for one) My drivers side mirror goes out of adjustment by the wind every time I drive on the freeway.

By now, you are probably thinking wow this car has some problems, but I actually left quite a bit out. Over all I love my car. One day it will be amazing, for now its a wonder.

Done:

Replace gas tank, and filler neck

Fix brakes * not quite actually done, but drivable

Fix idle

Passenger side window crank and door handle installed.

Replaced water pump, thermostat, engine heat sensor

Todo:

Fix brakes properly ( leaks at left rear cylinder, and possibly master) Needs new brake shoes.)

Replace head gasket/valve guides/Piston Orings.

Fix cold start problem.

Replace heater blower

Fix heater core? Was working just no blower, but it stopped yesterday....

Aliment

Tire balance( seller told me that one of the front tires need balancing, I sort of can't be bothered because I hate these tires, but if I am going to keep them....)

Wishlist:

Sound system (there's holes cut for speakers in rear hat shelf, and in kicker panel)

muffler replacement( I sort of don't want to do this, but it attracts too much attention, and I feel like I am going to be going deaf on the freeway. If I do add a sound system I think I will have to do this.)

Big brake upgrade, if I have to spend money on brakes, I might as well make them bigger right? Probably won't happen due to cost.

5 speed, I wish I had the funds.

Engine swap in my dreams, but honestly, the car is fast enough to have fun right now. Any faster, and I risk killing myself, with my per-despostion for taking stupid risks, and enjoyment of WOT.