Holzmichel is still alive - 1974 original owner 1802

[LarsAlpina]

Hello all,

 

some of you might still know me from the days, when I still had some more spare time to show up here on the FAQ more often. With some health problems my parents sorrowly have, I do need to help them since some period now and this turns out to be "a bit" time-consuming. With being logged in right now already, that´s a chance to post an update.

 

Spending some more time in Northern Germany, where my parents still live and I grew up, than in Frankfurt, where I was living the last 25 years, I decided to give some attention to the reason, why I became an 02 madman at all. In February 1974 my father has bought a new malaga 1802, which replaced the used chamonix 1600-2 we had before. 1802s were never officially offered in US, right in the middle of the model range between 1602 and 2002. To say it simple a 2,0 bore paired with a 1,6 crank, 90hp. We´ve kept the car for all the years, I grew up with it. More out of luck than out of reason I´ve bought my own 02, when I turned 18 and got my driving licence (and "some" more 02s since then) and with that saved the 1802 from the mods I´ve mutilated my own early cars with - but hey, I was young and I liked it. ? 

 

My father had left the BMW standing still in a garage at my grandma´s house for already some four or five years again, already happened one more time back in the 90s. Since the end of 2019 he is no longer allowed to drive a car for health reasons now. Some day in summer 2020 I couldn`t resist to try, if I couldn´t get the 1802 started with some upfront preparation. Brave as he is, of course he fired up without major problems. But brakes were stuck like hell and some other issues (incl. a bit of rust) needed attention, too. Always short of time and with all my tools in Frankfurt I´ve asked my good old 02 friend Mike - we know each other for about 30 years now and he owns a repair shop meanwhile - if he could help. He could and came with a contemporary towing vehicle:

 

 

Some time, some repairs and some money later I´ve got the car back with fresh TÜV this year´s spring and already managed to complete some drives in the nearby Harz mountains.

 

 

And I´ve visited the company the car was bought at back then;

 

 

Still mostly original except the 7x15 cross-spoke from E30, that already my father has added back in the 90s (was delivered with 5,5x13 Rial cross-spoke which are still present in storage but will need a repaint and new tyres).

 

Best regards and stay healthy,

Lars.

[zinz]

4 minutes ago, LarsAlpina said:

He could and came with a contemporary towing vehicle:

 

 

hahaha!  Awesome e12...

 

Very good to hear a wonderful update from you Lars.  Wishing you and your parents good health and a blessed Christmas!  Congratulations on getting the old 1802 back on the road; very well done!

 

Ed Z

[Conserv]

I’m so happy to hear from you, Lars! I love what you’ve done with your family’s one-owner 1802: a one-owner ‘74 is pretty darned special!

 

I suspect that more than a few of us here on the forum, including many of the longer-term ‘02 owners, are facing, or have already faced, the health issues of our parents, parents who, in many ways, got us started on the road to cars in general, and to BMW’s specifically. Thank heaven for our parents! Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

[John_in_VA]

He's a beauty in Malaga with the correct bumpers for square taillights!

[Mike Self]

Good to hear from you, and especially the saga of the 1802.  Right now, being a good son to your parents is job #1; the '02 will always be there, but hopefully your parents will also there be for some time to come.

 

Can't say that my folks got me into BMWs or even small cars.  My Dad always had Lincolns or Cadillacs (I learned to drive in a '55 Fleetwood!)--or some other large car.  My response was to get small cars; my E30 is the largest car I've ever owned.  Both my folks have been gone for over 25 years; hardly a day goes by that I don't think about 'em--and miss 'em.

 

mike

[JsnPpp]

Glad to see your post. Best wishes to you and your family. I echo the sentiments already expressed on this thread. They articulate better than I can.

 

(Truly a gorgeous car! My second 02 was malaga but it never looked like that. Malaga, like Sahara, is beautiful when fresh.)

 

~Jason

[Gordon]

Lars, Your 1802 looks great, welcome back to this great 02 community!   This 75 Sahara 1802 is the one that got me hooked on 02's.  I bought this 1802 while I was in the Air Force stationed in Germany in the early 80's.  I have great memories driving it around Europe during that time frame, so many great driving roads.  The first two pics were taken in July 1981 in Winnweiler Germany. The car still has the old US Army Europe license plates.  My first 02 was the inspiration to make my current 74 Sahara tii to look like the 1802 (Euro bumper conversion, side marker delete, Euro dash, cluster, etc....) minus the 13" wheels.

[Oldtimerfahrer]

Great Lars, stay well. Thanks also for your support on searching for fabrics for my E30....found the chess board pacific material and now its finished....

[LarsAlpina]

Thank you very much for your kind words Ed, Steve, Mike, John and Jason.

 

@Andrew: Great to see the E30 seats in like-new shape again! Any progress with choosing the correct 02 sport seats meanwhile? With some time rushing by and some deals here and there, I´d have three Recaro Idealsitz and two Recaro Idealsitz S in storage right now. But all aren´t pairs as you wanted it, all drivers.

 

@Gordon: Great to see your contemporary photos! Have you been at Sembach or Ramstein? Or were there other USAF bases in the area, that I don´t know of? I knew some 02-driving US guys at Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt before it was closed and moved to Ramstein, Spangdahlem and Wiesbaden.

[Oldtimerfahrer]

41 minutes ago, LarsAlpina said:

Any progress with choosing the correct 02 sport seats meanwhile?

Hi Lars,

Yes and no, I broke down and went the $$$ route...Cesare came through after about a year of pleading....have matching recaro-s reproductions. Thanks for thinking of me.

Andrew

[mccusername]

Welcome back, Lars, and congratulations on getting your father's 1802 back on the road. My father is a Porsche guy and I certainly wish he had kept them all. Good luck to you and your family this year!

Michael

[OriginalOwner]

Congratulations to a one-owner '74 !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

[Gordon]

On 1/8/2022 at 6:36 AM, LarsAlpina said:

@Gordon: Great to see your contemporary photos! Have you been at Sembach or Ramstein? Or were there other USAF bases in the area, that I don´t know of? I knew some 02-driving US guys at Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt before it was closed and moved to Ramstein, Spangdahlem and Wiesbaden.

I was at Sembach in the early 80's,  later at Ramstein in 2004. 

[Philipj]

Hello Lars,

 

I have not been to this forum for years (joined in 2015) but have been away involved with other cars (American pre-war) and I am now getting back to what I really, really like (BMW's from the 70's and 80's) while viewing your article about your father's 2002, I couldn't help but notice your friend Mike's "contemporary" tow vehicle, which happens to be my madness!!

 

It so happens that I found my "unicorn" after a 10 year long search (e12 M535i) in Frankfurt, (purchased in 2004) and regrettably, I had to let go for reasons I cannot discuss at the moment in 2010... I have been on a search on and off ever since with no luck, only finding what I consider in my mind a lesser replacement (e28 M535i)....

 

While viewing other articles about seat fabric for Scheel seats and BMW Recaro seats, I came across your post, and I could not help to notice you mentioning that you know one of the cars well... If memory serves me right, this car with the beautiful Motorsport seats was listed on Mobile.de maybe 8 years ago?  Could it be the same car.?..Curious if the owner would consider parting with it...:) There were actually 2 being listed, one with a sunroof and one without... The other may have had the standard Recaro seats in black, but I just don't remember well the details...

 

What I am trying to say in a very long story is that if you know any leads regarding a e12 (M535i) for sale in Germany, I would greatly appreciate it... You can email me here: p_jeanneau@hotmail.com Thank you!

 

Best regards,

Philip

[Oldtimerfahrer]

Philip, a number have been for sale on mobile.de over the last two years, of varying quality. I was looking as well, for reasons similar to yours. None for sale right now, but something always appears at some point.

Regards,

Andrew