What's this? (behind left headlight)

[Shawn Piper]

I'm trying to figure what's missing or broken on my (new to me) 1969 BMW 2002. 

 

Behind the left headlight, I found a half removed bracket and some sort of clip (looks electrical).  What are these used for? Can someone send me pics of how this is supposed to look?

 

Thanks

[TobyB]

Looks like you had the uuuber- rare neon headlight package-

 

way predates the Angle Eyes that no- one can seem to get enough of....

 

t

 

[dang]

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm looking at.  Do you have a photo that's farther away?  From the other side.  That looks like a switch but I can't tell where it is.

[Shawn Piper]

The photo is looking straight down behind the left headlight. I've removed the headlight bucket and grill.  The wiring belongs to headlight. 

 

The clip thing looks like it might hold a bulb or something

[Conserv]

I’m still struggling with the context. Is the radiator to the left of the photo — we might see one radiator fastener poking through the radiator support — and the battery to the top of the photo, behind the radiator support? Is your battery still in its stock location?

 

Headlight washers or wipers?

 

I’m pretty confident I’ve never had one of those brackets... ?

 

How about a head-on photograph through the grille opening, as shown below of my ‘76?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Conserv

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

New one to me.    Is that a switch?  What does the other side look like?

[02Les]

You are stood in front of the car and looking down above and behind where the headlight would be.

That bracket, that looks like a cylinder clevis, does not belong on an '02.

Edited March 12, 2019 by 02Les

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Correct 02Les,   Belongs on a screen door.

[Shawn Piper]

42 minutes ago, 02Les said:

You are stood in front of the car and looking down above and behind where the headlight would be.

That bracket, that looks like a cylinder clevis, does not belong on an '02.

 

Yeah, that's exactly how I stood. I'm wondering if these are parts from the AC system that the previous owner removed? When I get home, I'll take better pictures and see how the "electrical" component is attached. 

[Conserv]

19 hours ago, Shawn Piper said:

 

Yeah, that's exactly how I stood. I'm wondering if these are parts from the AC system that the previous owner removed? When I get home, I'll take better pictures and see how the "electrical" component is attached. 

 

In 46 years of ‘02 ownership, I’ve not yet seen A/C brackets or wiring similar to these or in this location. Based on the routing of hoses — and available space therefor — the front right corner is generally the locale of A/C fan relays and wiring for the compressor clutch. Air horns? Headlight wipers? Headlight washers? Obviously the source of the wiring might provide evidence. And how is that mounting bracket...mounted? I don’t see screws or bolts.

 

Is this a U.S.-spec car in the U.S.? If not, LHD or RHD? Any un-explained switches on the dashboard, console, etc.?

 

Awaiting further details.

 

Just to give you a sense of how difficult it is to guess what crazy owners might do, there was a period when I had a speaker in my ‘76’s nose. It was wired to the mike of my CB radio. It was, in effect, a public address system. So, yes, you would key the mike and let your creativity run free. You could sing songs off key to pretty women you passed. Total number of women charmed by this approach = 0. At 2:00 AM, you could get particularly drunk pedestrians to raise their hands and then lay prone on the ground. Who’da thunk? I should have been jailed, or dead. I’m not proud of this.... ???

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited March 13, 2019 by Conserv

[jgerock]

What if those two items are remnants of an alarm system?   Mounting bracket for an alarm horn and wiring connection that goes from the nose to the cabin.

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, jgerock said:

What if those two items are remnants of an alarm system?   Mounting bracket for an alarm horn and wiring connection that goes from the nose to the cabin.

 

Bingo, Jim: easily the best guess — I mean informed opinion — yet!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Mike Self]

+ 1 on an old alarm system--either that or a since-removed air horn compressor...

 

mike

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

+2 on horn.  Still cant figger' that little clamp thingy though?

['76mintgrün'02]

Is the clamp thingy half of a fuse holder, for the glass style fuses?