history and reference Article In December Bmw Cca Roundel/pics

[Henryn02]

Take a look at my article "the iniquities of Alpina acquisition"

About buying my Alpina A4 injection system.

Page 22, December 2013 BMW CCA Roundel.

Here is an earlier version of the article

 

 

 

      Working as a prop man for live television has taught me that the search for props, is not that different from looking for 2002 tii parts, the clock is ticking, the search becomes intense, and just as all hopes and inventories are exhausted. Victory! Or despair.  Then repeat.

     When it comes to authentic Alpina parts those issues are magnified about a hundred times.  Just as a quick reminder, Alpina is the premier factory approved tuner of BMW’s, and has been since 1962.  Alpina itself does not offer tuning parts for 2002’s anymore, so the remaining resource, for the most part, is German EBay, and the occasional whisper of someone with an old barn full of rare 02 parts.

     Word among the local BMW community was that there was a large hoard of old BMW’s and parts, some of which were new old stock Alpina parts sourced in Germany. After a couple of months of phone calls, I arrived at an old brick early industrial era building with multi-levels and a blue tarp on the roof.  Outside were a dozen various old BMW’s in disrepair. Inside the building, there were a dozen 2002’s, a very early 1600, and a few M-cars, including a very nice M635CSI European with full M-tech body work. None of the cars were running and were covered in dust.  There were tons of used parts, and some new parts that had been stashed away for a  “future project” he said.  My eyes bugged out at a new quick ratio steering box, still in the original packaging, Bauer convertible parts for an E21 3-series, and hiding in the rafters a new set of Alpina seats that had been in storage for about 25 years. With a glimmer in his eye, he said “wait until you see what I have upstairs” We went up flights of rickety stairs, stepped around holes in the floor, and he pulled a dusty cardboard box off the shelf, and there it was: an Alpina multi throttle intake with a modified kugelfischer injection pump. I looked at it carefully; I had never seen one up close.  The only part missing was the cast aluminum air box. Not a big problem, I thought, and a few days later I made an offer, pricing it in the ballpark of what a rusty but running 2002 with fading paint in an unpopular color, would cost. He said he would consider it.  A few months went by and he told me what he wanted for it. The price range jumped up to a shiny Colorado orange 2002 equivalent price, take it or leave it. I really did not ever considering spending that much and I put the decision off for a few months while I fished around on the web. I recalled there being a few sales every couple of months about 5 years before, but that was no longer the case. As with all things 2002, the new parts were slowly disappearing, and the used parts prices were rising.  I called him back and said I would take it.  He then told me that someone had asked for it a few months before me. He had to check with that person.  About 3 months later, after not hearing from him, the back and forth began anew, and he relented and said that I could have it. After a total of eighteen months of negotiations, I finally took home the injection system.   It would be the crown of my 2002 tii restoration.                 

     Unfortunately there was a catch; the crown was missing a very big jewel, the cast aluminum Alpina air box. After looking at the aftermarket slide-on air filters that came with the system, I realized that I wanted the finished look of a complete system with an air box that had big ALPINA letters cast into it. It took a while but then it became all-too-apparent that the air box was extremely hard to source, and had been on German eBay a few times in as many years. It had been out of production for about 30 years, and estimates are that less then a thousand units had been made. Meanwhile I checked regularly on all international EBay web sites, on a basis that some may define as compulsive, but I might define as being committed on a very deep level. Months and months went by and one showed up on German eBay, I made a bid for it and before the auction ended, the auction was withdrawn.  Someone must have made an offer the seller could not refuse. There were a few other ninja air box searchers out there, cleverly disguised as normal people.   Some eBay devotee’s are Zen inspired experts who have spent hours timing the response time of their bidding. They wait patiently until the last possible millisecond to place their bid.  You can lose by a dollar and a second. Complicate that by the fact the auction is in German, and it takes a bit of figuring out, more then just a few times, what seconds and minutes and days are in German. Foreign language skills not being part of my resume, I had to take Spanish in college because I failed it a few too many times in high school!  After at least a year of looking, an air box appeared on German eBay, it was nerve wracking from the very first day. Bidding began slowly for the first few days and the price was still reasonable, but I suspected the really serious bidders were waiting it out. I was trying to decide how high I might have to go, but as in predicting horse races, it is all just speculation until the auction ends.  As the minutes counted down my wife stood over my shoulder and encouraged me, and at one minute I held my finger over the mouse. Ten seconds before the end of the auction I clicked an amount a few hundred over the current price, but the figure was still climbing rapidly as the seconds were counting down, right up to within a few dollars of my highest bid, and the auction ended and I won.  Victory, and the exhilaration: entirely legal.  I barely remembered why I had purchased it. Oh yeah, the 2002 tii.

thanks

Henry

Edited December 14, 2013 by HENRYNBMW

[markmac]

Sounds interesting.  For those of us NON-CCa members, how about scanning it and posting it up?

 

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[Henryn02]

Not sure if that is legal.

 

Henry

[wyobmw]

Henry, 

That was a great article.  Congratulations on publishing a well written piece.

[jgerock]

I'm still catching up on my FAQ stuff.  Just read the article today - good stuff Henry!  Wonder if Satch will get some letters from the newer BMW owners asking "why is someone writing about an old typewriter company"? 

[markmac]

Oh, well, the entry fee to pay for "Roundel" which I find completely useless isn't worth it to me - that said, I am sure that your article was/is tremendous.  By the way I probably have 50 scans of articles on my blog, hope the cops don't come a knockin.

 

www.alpinabmw2002.com

Edited December 12, 2013 by markmac

[jerry]

Not sure if that is legal.

 

Henry

how about a synopsis, then?

 

bullet points, perhaps?

[Henryn02]

Here is an earlier version of the article     

 

 

 

 

Working as a prop man for live television has taught me that the search for props, is not that different from looking for 2002 tii parts, the clock is ticking, the search becomes intense, and just as all hopes and inventories are exhausted. Victory! Or despair.  Then repeat.

     When it comes to authentic Alpina parts those issues are magnified about a hundred times.  Just as a quick reminder, Alpina is the premier factory approved tuner of BMW’s, and has been since 1962.  Alpina itself does not offer tuning parts for 2002’s anymore, so the remaining resource, for the most part, is German EBay, and the occasional whisper of someone with an old barn full of rare 02 parts.

     Word among the local BMW community was that there was a large hoard of old BMW’s and parts, some of which were new old stock Alpina parts sourced in Germany. After a couple of months of phone calls, I arrived at an old brick early industrial era building with multi-levels and a blue tarp on the roof.  Outside were a dozen various old BMW’s in disrepair. Inside the building, there were a dozen 2002’s, a very early 1600, and a few M-cars, including a very nice M635CSI European with full M-tech body work. None of the cars were running and were covered in dust.  There were tons of used parts, and some new parts that had been stashed away for a  “future project” he said.  My eyes bugged out at a new quick ratio steering box, still in the original packaging, Bauer convertible parts for an E21 3-series, and hiding in the rafters a new set of Alpina seats that had been in storage for about 25 years. With a glimmer in his eye, he said “wait until you see what I have upstairs” We went up flights of rickety stairs, stepped around holes in the floor, and he pulled a dusty cardboard box off the shelf, and there it was: an Alpina multi throttle intake with a modified kugelfischer injection pump. I looked at it carefully; I had never seen one up close.  The only part missing was the cast aluminum air box. Not a big problem, I thought, and a few days later I made an offer, pricing it in the ballpark of what a rusty but running 2002 with fading paint in an unpopular color, would cost. He said he would consider it.  A few months went by and he told me what he wanted for it. The price range jumped up to a shiny Colorado orange 2002 equivalent price, take it or leave it. I really did not ever considering spending that much and I put the decision off for a few months while I fished around on the web. I recalled there being a few sales every couple of months about 5 years before, but that was no longer the case. As with all things 2002, the new parts were slowly disappearing, and the used parts prices were rising.  I called him back and said I would take it.  He then told me that someone had asked for it a few months before me. He had to check with that person.  About 3 months later, after not hearing from him, the back and forth began anew, and he relented and said that I could have it. After a total of eighteen months of negotiations, I finally took home the injection system.   It would be the crown of my 2002 tii restoration.                 

     Unfortunately there was a catch; the crown was missing a very big jewel, the cast aluminum Alpina air box. After looking at the aftermarket slide-on air filters that came with the system, I realized that I wanted the finished look of a complete system with an air box that had big ALPINA letters cast into it. It took a while but then it became all-too-apparent that the air box was extremely hard to source, and had been on German eBay a few times in as many years. It had been out of production for about 30 years, and estimates are that less then a thousand units had been made. Meanwhile I checked regularly on all international EBay web sites, on a basis that some may define as compulsive, but I might define as being committed on a very deep level. Months and months went by and one showed up on German eBay, I made a bid for it and before the auction ended, the auction was withdrawn.  Someone must have made an offer the seller could not refuse. There were a few other ninja air box searchers out there, cleverly disguised as normal people.   Some eBay devotee’s are Zen inspired experts who have spent hours timing the response time of their bidding. They wait patiently until the last possible millisecond to place their bid.  You can lose by a dollar and a second. Complicate that by the fact the auction is in German, and it takes a bit of figuring out, more then just a few times, what seconds and minutes and days are in German. Foreign language skills not being part of my resume, I had to take Spanish in college because I failed it a few too many times in high school!  After at least a year of looking, an air box appeared on German eBay, it was nerve wracking from the very first day. Bidding began slowly for the first few days and the price was still reasonable, but I suspected the really serious bidders were waiting it out. I was trying to decide how high I might have to go, but as in predicting horse races, it is all just speculation until the auction ends.  As the minutes counted down my wife stood over my shoulder and encouraged me, and at one minute I held my finger over the mouse. Ten seconds before the end of the auction I clicked an amount a few hundred over the current price, but the figure was still climbing rapidly as the seconds were counting down, right up to within a few dollars of my highest bid, and the auction ended and I won.  Victory, and the exhilaration: entirely legal.  I barely remembered why I had purchased it. Oh yeah, the 2002 tii.

[bob02]

Great column, Henry!  Wish there were more like it!

[Emyers]

Henry,

  Great article, read it a couple of days ago.  Since the "great purge" by Carlson and Company, the Roundel arriving does not generate the anticipation for me that is once did.  I read the couple of obligatory classic BMW articles, and pretty much put it down until I chuck it.

Earl

 

BMW CCA # 18736

74 02Lux

02 M Roadster

72 Volvo 1800ES

[jerry]

PHOTOs,.....

 

or it didn't happen!!!

 

thanks for sharing

[02Les]

Oh, well, the entry fee to pay for "Roundel" which I find completely useless isn't worth it to me - that said, I am sure that your article was/is tremendous.  By the way I probably have 50 scans of articles on my blog, hope the cops don't come a knockin.

 

www.alpinabmw2002.com

Curious. If you do not subscribe, how do you know it's useless?

Personally, I can save on parts (discount) by being a member........and, trust me, I shop.

[SamAdams]

Henry,

  Great article, read it a couple of days ago.  Since the "great purge" by Carlson and Company, the Roundel arriving does not generate the anticipation for me that is once did.  I read the couple of obligatory classic BMW articles, and pretty much put it down until I chuck it.

Earl

 

BMW CCA # 18736

74 02Lux

02 M Roadster

72 Volvo 1800ES

Henry

Got to agree 100 percent here with Earl. It was pleasant surprise to see and read your column this months edition however. And to put a face with your name since I have purchased some parts from you over the years. 

[markmac]

Curious. If you do not subscribe, how do you know it's useless?

Personally, I can save on parts (discount) by being a member........and, trust me, I shop.

 

I "was" a subscriber, for a long (long time)......early 80's to late 90's.   Virtually zero content that I found interesting (by the way, this "my" opinion only....like I said "I find it useless).  Good for you that you find it useful.  I personally (again, me personally) have no interest in modern BmW's.  The very few factory parts that I need for my car I get from Blunt or Max as their prices seem pretty good to me.  You keep on subscribin.

 

Henry, great story, I love hearing stories like that and nicely written.  Sometimes you have to be incredibly patient to end up with the prize and of course pay the price of admission, which few are willing to pay.  I think the "sniping" in Ebay.de is pretty serious when good stuff comes up.  I can't even begin to say how many pieces that have come up that I have watched that suddenly disappear.  It is a bummer, but it is what it is.

 

www.alpinabmw2002.com

Edited December 13, 2013 by markmac

[jdeitch]

Ah, the thrill of the chase. Great story. I've lived it several times. I got my ALPINA diff cover the same way.