Just bought: 1973 2002 tii RHD Polaris w/dogleg

[IanIreland]

Hey all

 

Have just bought this car ( already have a 2002) and am trying to research it as all paper history is lost. 
 

(Dry) Barn find. Has been sitting for 15 years. I do know it was used for some road racing and night navigation. For sure it’s had some bumps along the way and panels replaced. Thankfully it’s in good condition considering and no major rust issues at all. About to have it recommissioned. 
 

Am curious about the chassis, and how much of it is original ..... or not. BMW have confirmed the chassis number as March 1973 tii in Polaris silver. The nose is later model, and the front wings look they were also replaced. The rear panel between the lights looks like was done too. 
 

I am so happy with the car and the price was good so I’m not that concerned by any of this and I will get the nose back to correct and other bodywork tidied up when I have the money. 
 

What are your thoughts on what you can see? 
 

Thanks, Ian 

Edited November 19, 2020 by IanIreland

[02Les]

The licence plate is probably worth as much as some of the '02s over here.

[dlacey]

Hey Ian,

Nice find! It's looks quite solid. As you said, the front has been changed to the >73 style, that was quite common in the 90's when <73 parts were harder to find and people liked the modern look. The trunk lid is also off a later car.

There's something weird with the edge of the bulkhead, where the air plenum for the heater is...all looks a bit wonky there.

Take care with the sunroof, the plastic ends of the drive cables are getting brittle after 40+ yrs...tok much force can break them and new cables are $hocking.

[JerryC]

1 hour ago, dlacey said:

Hey Ian,

Nice find! It's looks quite solid. As you said, the front has been changed to the >73 style, that was quite common in the 90's when <73 parts were harder to find and people liked the modern look. The trunk lid is also off a later car.

There's something weird with the edge of the bulkhead, where the air plenum for the heater is...all looks a bit wonky there.

Take care with the sunroof, the plastic ends of the drive cables are getting brittle after 40+ yrs...tok much force can break them and new cables are $hocking.

Looks like a great driving project car. Good driver '02s are still out there, apparently. That one's about like mine, some original parts have been replaced along the way.

The plenum bulkhead is definitely deformed, and the hood (bonnet) spring plate is missing between the bulkhead and the base of the windshield. On the bright side, you won't need a notch in the bulkhead to set timing. ?

Jerry

Edited November 19, 2020 by JerryC

[Conserv]

15 hours ago, dlacey said:

 

....There's something weird with the edge of the bulkhead, where the air plenum for the heater is...all looks a bit wonky there...

 

Congrats. It both looks good and appears to be eminently driveable!

 

The firewall damage is odd and could conceivably be related to the front end damage that led to the nosepiece — did the hood’s center latch somehow mangle the original, now-missing, support piece? Or does it perhaps reflect repairs to the heater and blower motor — both are serviced by removing the heater from the passenger compartment. The blower motor appears to be something other than the original unit. Anyway, here, below, is what that area looked like originally.

 

Drive it. Enjoy it. Figure out what, if anything, you’d like or need to do to it.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[IanIreland]

Thanks @Conserv@dlacey@JerryC

 

Yes I think the bulkhead/firewall must have been damaged, probably along with the original nose and front wings. It's missing its bonnet latch bar, so I will try and source one of those, and see if I can either source or have made the piece that goes across the top over the blower. Am curious as to the missing 'notch'...should there be on on a tii?

 

Sunroof is not moving at all at the moment, and I am def not going to try and force it. Found some great topics on here already to open it up and see whats going on there.

 

Also need to source a tii air filter box, and start to bring her back to originality bit by bit.

 

Ian

[JerryC]

BMW added a notch to the bulkhead lip to improve visibility of the flywheel timing marks on tii's. The intake plenum obstructs viewing of the timing marks. Many owners of earlier tii's added a notch for the same purpose.

Jerry

[TobyB]

This owner removed the top of the airbox...

and beat hell out of the firewall section.

 

in your loafers, I'd be tempted to remove the rest of it, and fabricate a removable

air duct to get fresh air into the car.  

I removed it entirely on the racey car, and it makes it SO MUCH easier to work on,

and cleaner to run lines and stuff.  It's very much not structural.

You could run external bonnet latches for that vintage racey look.

 

Otherwise, nice car.  That door's not fitting right, and I'm sure you'll find various other

things, but heck, I'd drive that.

 

t

[Steve Tochi]

Nice find, sure does look clean for a sitting for 15 years barn find and rust free. Lots of switches under that dash I noticed and looks like battery was relocated to the trunk?.

I recently acquired a project car, not my current project car, but a different project car....you guys know what I mean.  Anyway, I took out the interior and found a few dollars worth of change under the front and back seats.  I cleaned up the coins to read the dates, and the newest coin is dated 1992.  Its my scientific way of determining the last time the car was at least sat in.  Wait, what if someone drove the car in 2019 and had a 1992 coin in their pocket....shoot

 

[NickVyse]

for parts and more local help here's the UK based forum in case you've not found it already.

 

http://www.02forum.co.uk/index.php

 

Very rare to get a sunroof on a RHD car, nice find.

[IanIreland]

15 minutes ago, NickVyse said:

for parts and more local help here's the UK based forum in case you've not found it already.

 

http://www.02forum.co.uk/index.php

 

Very rare to get a sunroof on a RHD car, nice find.

Thanks Nick... just signed up!

[IanIreland]

14 hours ago, TobyB said:

This owner removed the top of the airbox...

and beat hell out of the firewall section.

 

in your loafers, I'd be tempted to remove the rest of it, and fabricate a removable

air duct to get fresh air into the car.  

I removed it entirely on the racey car, and it makes it SO MUCH easier to work on,

and cleaner to run lines and stuff.  It's very much not structural.

You could run external bonnet latches for that vintage racey look.

 

Otherwise, nice car.  That door's not fitting right, and I'm sure you'll find various other

things, but heck, I'd drive that.

 

t

Thanks Toby! Any pics of the work you did with the air duct? Not sure exactly what you mean. 

[IanIreland]

7 hours ago, Steve Tochi said:

Nice find, sure does look clean for a sitting for 15 years barn find and rust free. Lots of switches under that dash I noticed and looks like battery was relocated to the trunk?.

I recently acquired a project car, not my current project car, but a different project car....you guys know what I mean.  Anyway, I took out the interior and found a few dollars worth of change under the front and back seats.  I cleaned up the coins to read the dates, and the newest coin is dated 1992.  Its my scientific way of determining the last time the car was at least sat in.  Wait, what if someone drove the car in 2019 and had a 1992 coin in their pocket....shoot

 

Yes battery is in the boot. Def was used for some kind of motor sport. Has additional hydraulic handbrake which I will take out and switches for the fuel pump etc. 

 

I’ll go fishing for coins!!!

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Hey Ian,

      Just couldn't stand it Huh?   Had to have another one.  Congrats, looks like it has plenty of potential. Give me a shout sometime, I have that piece that goes over the blower motor.

Take Care,

 Danny Quigley

[IanIreland]

16 minutes ago, coloincaalpine said:

Hey Ian,

      Just couldn't stand it Huh?   Had to have another one.  Congrats, looks like it has plenty of potential. Give me a shout sometime, I have that piece that goes over the blower motor.

Take Care,

 Danny Quigley

Thanks Danny. When I get the car home I’ll see what’s needed. Not sure the piece is going to fit over what’s there now but will try. Front nose is what I want to correct first. 
 

Hope you are keeping well,

 

Ian