First BMW... almost basket case. Help

[tkoon]

Hi all. I recently purchased a 74 BMW 2002. I honestly found it in a barn here in West Virginia. Its been sitting 10+ years but I was able to put a battery in it and drive it onto the dolly. Its a solid car with some minor cancer spots mostly superficial, however all of the lights and trim were pulled off except for the stainless attached to the rain gutters.

My issue is that all the lights and trim are in the trunk along with a bucket full of screws and bolts. I have no idea what kind of help I am asking for, but maybe some guidance or advice on where to start for figuring out what hardware goes where.

Also... does anyone know how the trim on the gutters is removed since the car will need repainted eventually. Sorry for such a long random post, but I hope I can find some good advice from you experts.

[bcthomas122279]

spread all your parts out and post pictures.

[yert315]

Also... does anyone know how the trim on the gutters is removed since the car will need repainted eventually. Sorry for such a long random post, but I hope I can find some good advice from you experts.

Are you talking about the trim just above the doors? I took mine off by carefully prying it up from the underside, then sliding it up and off.

[c.d.iesel]

the roof rain gutter 'pops' up and off

not to be reused as they will deform and crack

on removal

new trim (all of it) is available from BMW dealers,

or used, if you place a FREE ad over in the

classified section of this great site

now T H I S is a basket case

your ahead of the curve - somewhat

welcome to the club haus

[tkoon]

OUCH! Hope whoever was in that thing made it out ok

[THE1ST3]

Take it from someone who bought a basketcase 02 a few years back: resist the temptation to start pulling stuff off the car. It will be difficult, but do not do it. Get it running right by REPLACING the MECHANICAL components AS NECESSARY. Once you get it running right, THEN start thinking about re-paint, wheels, suspension and the aesthetics of the car. Focus all of your energy/time/$$$ on getting it running properly. You will have plenty of time to remove trim later.

Are those Borrani wheels??

[tkoon]

Yeah. Unfortunately it was pretty much stripped when I found it. I wish they would have at least labled stuff. It seems to run great. Could probably use a tune up and definitely an exhaust but seems pretty stout so far. Needs a brake job straight away. I'm too new to know if the wheels are borrani or not. I'll try to post better pix soon.

[JHG762002]

Here is a site that tends to be a good reference for part numbers and exploded diagrams. It may come in handy eventually.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/

[THE1ST3]

I'm too new to know if the wheels are borrani or not. I'll try to post better pix soon.

When you get a chance, take a close look at the wheels. They will most likely have 'Made in Italy' or 'OPEL' etched into the wheel face. Let us know what ya find.

[Hutton]

If the wheels are for sale I would like to buy them...As is...

Name your price....

Chris

[BarryA]

ham-fisted, it shouldn't be too difficult to start putting the critical stuff back together - pretty much all of the light units are specific to a single location (i.e. right and left sides don't interchange) & for the most part the wires going to them all have simple spade-clip attachments. Get a Haynes manual so you have a decent wiring diagram, look at each component in turn, match it to its fitment point, install, and start hooking up wires.

Having it mechanically and electrically functional to start with is a huge plus - at least you know the core mechanical and electrical systems work.

If you have a digital camera and can upload photos to attach to question posts it will help a great deal - that way it's much easier to tell what you're looking at, and makes it far easier to give you an answer that will move you forward.

Welcome aboard, and feel free to ask questions - we all started somewhere

[tkoon]

Haven't had much time to lay anything out. But here is a pic of one of the wheels. Couldn't find any stampings on it with a quick look but its pretty dirty and looks like its been spray bombed a time or two.

Theres also a picture of what scares me most about figuring this thing out. A bucket of random screws bolts washers and nuts. I figure the large ones are for the bumpers...