engine and drivetrain what to do first. the ponderings of a novice

[Mattscott77]

ok so in preparation of getting my first '02 iv been thinking alot about all the things i need to do to it to get it reliable and stop all corrosion

so far my plan, in chronological order is:

replace all fluids and filters

replace belts

replace all hoses

tuneup

(should be reliable at this point, time to stop corrosion)

por15 frame, underbody, engine bay, interior, trunk

fix exterior bubbling around fender lips and the small hole in the rear quarter panel

paint engine bay

fatmat the interior and reinstall the upholstery

a few questions:

should i immediately replace spark plugs, wires, distributor, alt?

do i need to replace brake/fuel lines right off the bat?

full set of poly bushings?

battery?

engine seals/gasgets?

what is the preferred sound deadening material (fatmat, etc)?

anything iv missed?

the car im looking at right now seems to be a totally original 74 with 164k miles and almost no rust (arizona car). It runs great according to PO, but it has sat in the driveway for almost 2 years (still starts perfect though). if you bought something like that, what would you do first??

thanks

expect many more noob questions in the future

[napa02]

Change the fluids, check the brakes, lights and other safety equip. Then go drive damm thing. After you have some miles on the car, then you will have a better idea of what your car really needs.....

[Kidasters]

But here's my thoughts:

Get engine squared away - basic stuff first - make a solid runner:

plugs

plug wires

dizzy cap

electronic ignition (pertronix or MSD)

Battery if ya need one

valve adjustment

carb adjustment

belts

put some seafoam in the gas. if It's 2 years old, might want to drain the tank and have it cleaned. Seafoam will help clean the crud out of the fuel system though.

Fluids -

Oil

Transmission fluid

Rear differential (remember on both tranny and diff, remove the "fill" bolt first. That way, if you can't remove the fill bolt, you don't have to remove the "drain" bolt")

flush the radiator

Brake fluid!!! Flush and renew - needs to be done every 2 to 3 years. I like to alternate between ATE blue and ATE gold - easier to tell when the old fluid is gone.

While bleeding brakes, check pads and front rotors - make sure everything is OK.

If you have money left -

Upgrade the radiator. Some like the E21 rad. I like the radiator that Curt Ingraham (he posts here) does. triple core, bolts right in (no modifying). It is awesooome.

New alternator. 2002 have a very weak one. I upgraded to one with an internal regulator that i found on E-bay. Love it.

Suspension - Ireland Engineering swaybars, and say goodbye to body roll.

Most of all - have fun!

and Welcome!

We love pics here - so post 'em if ya got 'em.

Ken

[Jim_75Sahara]

Assume (correctly) that the brakes, shocks, hoses, belts, guibo, flex. brake lines, etc. are ancient. They may work, but they tend to be OLD. The clutch will likely be feeble, also your balljoints, tierod ends, & your shifter will have slop to it. Worry about basic operation and basic safety first. (headlights/taillights gotta work, engine's gotta run w/out overheating, it's gotta run w/out needing a battery charger each time,etc.) Check your windshield seal and rear window seal; probably rock hard and leaking, causing rust around the edges of the windows. Later make it a beauty and think of a hotter cam and a five-speed upgrade....

[Mattscott77]

my next question would be

where do most people get all of these parts

i have found a few sources: IE, 2002ad, etc

whats the best(cheapest) place for the replacement parts im gonna need for all this??

[Kidasters]

His name is Blunt. He posts here too.

E-mail him @ Steve@BluntTech.com

[Gordon]

Read the FAQ section of the 2002FAQ website, a lot of been there, done that info.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_bookmarks/Itemid,66/mode,0/catid,7/navstart,0/search,*/

Welcome to the obsession

G-Man

[sublimefan187]

I like the idea of an upgraded Bosch Starter too. With a new battery, upgraded alternator as stated earlier, and an upgraded Starter motor, you will have absolutely no problems starting and charging your monster for many moons to come! I don't, however, like the idea of the poly bushings you stated earlier. Mine was converted over from the PO, and it is a rough and unforgiving ride at times. The poly bushings for the alternator are practical though. Just my 02.

-Chris

[TobyB]

You're right on to replace hoses and fluids.

Then first fix the things that bug you the most.

Driver's side window rattle? Then fix it!

Need a passenger side wing mirror- add it!

That's a really gratifying way to learn your car.

Things to add that I learned the hard way-

engine mount on the driver's side

shifter bushings

check the rear center hub nut- you can't get it too tight.

And be critical of the brakes-

I suffered with crap brakes for a year or 3 before I

fixed them- and when they work right, they're pretty darned good.

Don't take it very far apart- one project at a time.

I've bought (and been given) too many nice cars

that got too far into a project. Budget 4 hours reassembly

for every hour of things you take apart. And that's possibly not enough...

Most of all, have fun!

And welcome.

(oh, and use the search, too. heh)

t

[eurotrash]

Knowing what condition the car is in is key. Talk to the PO(s) and/or the shops that maintained it for them. This will give you a better idea for the order of your fix it list. I just got my first (drivable) 2002 about 3 months ago and its been an experience.. But the best advice I received in a similar post, was to buy it, drive it, get to know it as stated above. Once you know the car, you become one with it and it tells you what it needs. You KNOW when somethings not right. Don't blow a wad of cash assuming that something needs done. Inspect it, drive it and then make a decision. For example: On a whim, I almost went out and bought new points/condenser,etc. last week for a GTG next weekend. After just as randomly deciding not to, I popped the distributor cap and HEEEEEllllooo, there sat Petronix! Would have wasted a trip and the cash..

Buy it, Drive it, Fix it, Repeat.

[thehackmechanic]

I was caught by the phrase "stop all corrosion." If you live in a wet climate like the Northeast (I see the NJ address), you are NEVER going to "stop all corrosion." It is a constant balance between wanting to drive the car as much as possible while not doing harm to it. It is an act of violence to buy a rust-free (or nearly so) classic car of any stripe and to live in wet climes and not garage it, or to drive it through salt and slush. My opinion.

That rant out of the way, I'm thinking of the Tom Petty song "she's gonna listen to her heart... it's gonna tell her what to do." 02s are great at transmitting their needs to their owners, as long as their owner is listening. I agree with the poster who mentioned fixing window rattles; sometimes the most satisfying thing in the entire world is identifying a window or a door rattle, fixing it, driving the car, and thinking "yep... it's gone... nailed that one."

My personal feeling is gas lines before anything. NOTHING stops you quicker than the strong smell of gas and carries more risk if you ignore it. When a line pops, it's the thing you need to deal with RIGHT FREAKING NOW. These are such easy cars to deal with gas lines on. Just look at and feel them. If they're cracked and hard, do them now.

Then do the same with the coolant hoses; just squeeze 'em all. On one hand, these are such easy and cost-effective cars to change every coolant hose on (don't talk to me about my E39), but for starters, if one is mush, just change that one, drive the car, and move on to the next layer of the onion.

Ball joints are up there as something that can mess you up. If the car has the original riveted ball joints, change them before you put too many miles on the car.

Potentially every part on a 35 year old 2002 is a "normal wear and tear" part (especially if you plan to use it as a near-daily-driver), but I think you'll get a lot of bang for the buck out of a hands-on-what-is-the-car-telling-me approach, particularly if this is your first '02, than out of ordering sets of urethane bushings.

--Rob

[SteveJ]

The nice thing about 02's is they can continue to run even when something may be marginal.

In BASIC terms, the car needs to start AND stop. In between that, you need to adjust your trajectory.

Start- battery, cables, alternator/Vreg, starter.

Stop- brakes, fluid, parking brake.

Adjust- Steering & throttle (ball joints and fuel supply)

Saftey items are never a waste of money- tires, seatbelts, windsheild.

Just be sure to keep an extra couple of hundred bucks out of the budget to go take a drivers school (BMWCCA car control clinic). Spend the money on the driver BEFORE you spend anything on go-fast parts.