engine and drivetrain New To '02

[FGS]

Hi All,

 

I'm Francesco from Italy. I'm going to buy a '75 2002 Tii, Chamonix, from an old man who rebuilt the engine less than 10k kms ago, because he used to push hard the car and the MFI leaked gas into the oil engine, so you could imagine the outcome...

 

I'll go to see the car next week, it's basically a preserved car, belonged for 20 years to an old woman (!!) who bought it new.

 

The car needs only a new paint 'cause it's the original one and now it's dull.

 

First, I would have some suggestions on what should I check deeply on the car, and then some specific items which need to be inspected. I'm not new with classic cars so I generally do my homeworks before purchasing a car, but every car has its secrets so...

 

Then, I would replace the original wheels with a set of 15" OZ "Alpina" rims. What is the bigger size on a stock car which would't give problems with wheel/fender clearance? Should a set of 205/60-15 fit under the car?

 

Any suggestion for lowering the car while retaining a good behaviour for normal roads?

 

Last but not least, my idea would be to replace the bulky '75 steering wheel: I've spotted a very nice Petri wheel with black spokes which would look great.

 

Thanks in advance.

F.

 

 

[dcmackintosh]

Post some pictures when you can, we're always interested to see another.

 

The best bet would be to find a local enthusiast or mechanic to go over the car with you.

 

195/50-15 is the best size tire to it under stock fenders.  205/60 would likely be too wide, and also too tall.

 

You can cut your stock springs or buy H&R or other sport springs.  Bilstien Heavy Duty shocks are a popular option for a street car.  I've got the H&R springs with Bilstien Sport shocks and it's a very stiff ride, only good on fairly smooth roads.

 

Good luck!

[Koblenz]

I run 15x7 et 25 Koning.  My tire size is 205 55 and do well with only occasional rub. 

 

The forum has a great many threads regarding all you have asked.  Some have been archived but when you search, I suspect a good many of them are still accessible. 

 

Keep asking questions, post often and throw on a pic for us to look at.

 

"Benvenuti al addicton!"

[FB73tii]

Francesco--welcome to forum and your soon-to-be 2002. As with all old cars, rust is the main area of concern. We have had a number of good posts on what to look for, and books to read about this that someone else can post. Here's an article from the FAQ to get you started:

 

Tips on buying a 2002

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/articles.html/_/technical-articles/history-and-reference/2002-buying-tips-how-to-find-a-good-one-r65

 

Tire fitment depends on many things, including front camber and how far the car is lowered. The rear will take a 205/50/15 generally without issue, though this can vary between tires manufacturers (assuming a 15x7 25mm offset wheel). On my cars the clearance has been paper thin, but no rub. As the rear of the car is lowered the camber becomes more negative, which helps keep the top of the tire away from the fender lip. Unless of course you do an adjustable rear subframe and stand the tire up a bit, but it sounds like you are not there yet.

 

The front is tighter, and a 205/50/15 will likely not work without some massaging of the fenders, even if you have offset such that the inner wall of the tire is very close to the strut. I ran 195/50/14's for years with no issues, but 14" rims are less plentifull than 15" rims these days. I think I used to run 205/60/13's, but that was years ago and I can't be sure. --Fred

Edited April 17, 2014 by FB73tii

[FGS]

Thanks guys for the kind answers. I believed that the stock body could accept tires even larger than 205, but I was wrong. I wonder if this will get worse using lowered suspensions, but in that case stiffer springs should prevent to massage the fenders. However, I'll post an update on this project asap. In the meantime, I've attached some photos of the car

Edited April 17, 2014 by FGS

[adawil2002]

Looks fairly decent in the pictures. Nice to see a true Euro '75 with real Italian turn signals. Be sure it runs properly and stops properly, before spending money on mods. Best of luck and hope it turns out to have low rust.

[roadhog0]

195/50's rub on some configurations. Trust me, cause mine do 

[Koblenz]

Mine is a 76 if that makes a difference in tire size and rubbing.

[02tom]

Rebuilding the engine may not fix the problem of gas in the oil if the fuel injectors are not looked at in the process. I don't think that pushing the car hard will cause this but there must be another reason for it like weak injectors that need flow tested for spray pattern by someone that tests diesel injectors.

Nice car, should be worth the extra effort

[FGS]

Actually the car has rust for sure, around the rear screen and on the rear edges just above the rear lights, but the owner told me that.

So far, nothing strange for a 40 years old, unrestored car. It will need not just a new paint but an accurate inspection of the whole body and then many fixes here and there. I’m not scared by rust as long as it’s superficial.

Only after having dealt with such issues I would focus on mods (easily reversible).

About the engine, I explained myself bad: the owner told me that one MFI pumper had a leak into the engine oil and, as he used to push the car very often, this accelerated the deteriorating process. He told me that he sourced a rebuilt MFI and installed it when the engine has been rebuilt, so the old MFI pump will come with the car to the new owner.

Another question: were the floors factory painted in black? Any sound proofing material on them from factory?

[76ohtwo]

My car is Chamonix too! Haha. There's a good guide on here which you can use to check the car.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/_/technical-articles/history-and-reference/2002-buying-tips-how-to-find-a-good-one-r65#