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Roundie Reborn

Peeling Back the Paint Plot

I've taken Phaedrus for a final test drive -- with my two semi-terrified teenage sons riding along as witnesses -- before pushing ahead to rebuild the front and rear subframes, detailing the engine bay (with the motor out) and then taking on the interior and ultimately getting the body, trim and paint done over the next year or so. The brakes are still imperfect, but I did get the clutch slave cylinder bled and the transmission shifting better.   In my post on the First Clean back in M
jackm

jackm in 2022

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1970 BMW 1600 Restoration (Nevada)

Radiator Installation

So I didn't have a stock radiator, but I did have one out of a BMW 320i that I bought on the FAQ several years before.  After reading some posts on the FAQ about how people install this radiator, I came up with a plan.  The mounting tabs/ears are slightly wider than the stock radiator.  I decided to use the top mounts and then add brackets to the bottom to hold the radiator in place.  I used the existing mounting hole on the top passenger side and drilled a single hole on the driver's side for t
Roundie Reborn

The Corvair Goodbye & Moto Mojo Rising

My adventure into this 2002 restoration traces back more than two years now. My wife's work colleague, Felipe, brought his 1965 Corvair Convertible over to store in our garage for the winter -- the ragtop seams were splitting and Felipe didn't have a garage to keep his brown beauty out of the elements.   Just weeks after the Corvair rolled into our lives, Felipe was gone, an early Covid casualty.  The 1971 2002 I've been reviving -- with a first start, first clean and most recently a f
jackm

jackm in 2022

2
1976 BMW 2002 Project

Mediablasted and Primered

Hi everyone! Just here to give an update about my car. The car was mediablasted and primered and I found a replacement passenger door which I needed! Here are some updated photos! Coming up I will be doing some metal work (new nose piece, rocker replacements, anything else we find), and then paint! Looking forward to summer in the garage 🙂
1970 BMW 1600 Restoration (Nevada)

Electrical Progress

One of my biggest fears on disassembling this car for paint was pulling out the wiring harness.  So many connectors and wires, how was I ever going to re-install it correctly.  Well, here's how I did it...   First off, this car was missing a "shit-ton" of parts (like turn signals) when it arrived on my driveway and the PO had it set up for extras (electric fan, electric fuel pump, etc.) so I spent a lot of time sorting things out.  Before I pulled the wiring harness out, I labeled most
Betty Reborn

Plate Spinning, the struggle is real

So, as many of you know, a restoration of a car is a collection of small projects with the whole of them leading up to a greater end.  At least that's how I describe it to myself. I haven't been doing a lot of posting about the work because it's a bit tedious. That is if you only look at the one task. But when you step back and notice that that one task lead into another then another, then you really have something you can share. For example: The headlight assembily has been
1970 BMW 1600 Restoration (Nevada)

MVP Rear Bumper Installation

So originally, the car came to me without bumpers.  But I wasn't worried because years before, I traded a spare LSD for a complete set of newly re-chromed bumpers for a pre-74 car.  These bumper pieces came to me in a custom-made wooden crate and although I had seen pictures, I didn't actually take them down from the rafters and out of the crate until just recently.  So after un-crating them, I realized that it was a mixed set of beautiful chrome bumpers, the front bumper was from an early car (
1970 BMW 1600 Restoration (Nevada)

MaxJax Installed, Rear Sub-frame is In!

I have been working more and posting less, so I thought I would share some progress.   I finally got my MaxJax installation finished.  I had to wait until my wife was out of town because she usually parks her Cayenne in the middle spot of our three car garage and that's where I was planning on putting the MaxJax.  So while she was out, I bolted the two lifting posts into the holes I drilled the last time she was out of town, moved her car to the far right spot, and finished installing
Tzei’s Garage

The head

So i made new valve tool that has individual rods to push valves out to fit a cam. It worked well. New Eibach double springs in. Old ones had lost about 3-4 kgs. Ti retainers. Seat pressures shimmed to 46 kg. At 11 mm lift they have about 90 kg. New KM rockers went in. Old (and earlier cast) had somewhat wear in them so it was time to change them. Also newer cast is lighter so that’s a plus. Adjusted rocker lash to 0.1 mm. Valve clearenses set to 0.25 mm. My valve press is pretty lame looking bu
tzei

tzei in The head

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'67 1600-2 BUILD

History of 1529238 as I know it.

First things first. The basics from BMW Group.    The BMW 1602 VIN 1529238 was manufactured on June 19th, 1967 and delivered on June 29th, 1967 to the BMW importer Hoffman Motors Corp. in New York City. The original colour was Polaris metallic, paint code 060.   About a year and a half of being under my ownership (4th owner) I was checking out the FB 02 group page, and noticed a post inquiring about the owner of 1529238.   I thought to myself, “That VIN sounds familiar
jmr_1602

jmr_1602 in History

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'67 1600-2 BUILD

The bodywork continues…

It’s been awhile since my last update, but I’ve been chipping away at my ‘67.   I decided repairing my original nose was beyond my skill set, so I picked up a replacement from MVP. I’m very happy with the fit and quality. There is a serial number stamped on my original nose that I plan to cut out and weld onto the repro. Other than that, I’ll keep it moving.      Next on my punch list was to repair the rear 1/4 window sills. Both sides are pretty rusty with heavy pitt
jmr_1602

jmr_1602 in Bodywork

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Betty Reborn

It comes out, not goes in stupid! LOL and other stuff.

It's been a little while since I updated here....lots has been going on with the car. As with any rebuild/restoration there is a TON of stuff to do.  One of those getting the suspension bits rebult.   Well, here's yet another example of me having all the right intentions and just getting it flat wrong.   I'd been holding off getting the rear trailing arm bearings out until I'd purchased the right tool for the job. In my pea sized brain, I'd got it in my head that this wa
Roundie Reborn

Gimme a Brake: Phaedrus Rides Again

Redoing the brakes so this long-stored '71 could retake the road was a challenge for a restoration novice like me. It was also a signal lesson in the mindset required to gain some hands-on experience and confidence. A steadfast attitude was especially essential to get past the dreaded B*tch Spring installation on the rear drums. I also discovered the virtues of yellow-can Bernzomatic torch heat to free up brake fittings and stubborn bolts, as well as the roll-the-rock-up-the hill nature of bleed
jackm

jackm in 2022

2
M3This' Roundie Restomod Build

Phase 2 - Getting the body back to factory like condition.

After the dipping was completed at Metal Works in Oregon, the car got transported down to Bart Ziegenhagen at the Resto Shop in San Martin, CA where the goal was to do the rust restoration and some minor body modifications (fill holes for rear side marker lights and rear reflectors).    The dipping revealed more issues than initially expected (If you didn't see the dipping post you can see it HERE):            As bad as this looks Bar
M3This

M3This in Body Work

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Roundie Reborn

A Clean Machine Emerges From a 20-Year Dirt Nap

With an unseasonably warm March Sunday approaching last week, I got ready to capture the first wash of the '71 roundie I've christened Phaedrus (pronounced feedrus, I had to look it up) after almost two decades in storage.  I landed on that name in homage to the narrator's alter-ego in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I revisited for the first time since college as an audiobook during the off-season, part of my research for the book project I'm working on about this restoration,
jackm

jackm in 2022

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Derby - my 1968 1600

Early heater valve setback

I ran into a snag. I was about to install the center console when I notice a drip of blue coolant on the bottom of the heater box - isolated the leak to the early version heater valve.   After about two weeks of expletives later I pulled the heater box out (halfway) to get the faulty valve out.   That was this weekend- so I’m hoping a new O-ring will do the trick.   Have some, but not the right size- need to head to the store and see if I can find the appropriate o-rin
Dionk

Dionk in Heater

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Jesse

Replicating the late 02 model console panels

I have been experimenting and researching how BMW manufactured the console panels on our beloved 02s. This all started about six months ago, when I was faced with my 76 raggedy panels and interior renovation. I first tried to find replacements that were new or nearly new ones.  That proved to be a dauntless task, as mine were actually in better condition than many of those that I was finding and or the prices were excessive. After giving up finding new replacements, I resorted to try to figure o
Ken Sears

First drive

B6FAC463-3AD7-4899-84AF-94BBF553B0D8.mov     First drive for this car in more than 20 years, about 1 mile total just to test the systems.  It ran fantastic thanks to a Metric Mechanic 3.2l m20.  
Ken

Ken in First Drive

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Tzei’s Garage

Light doors GF

So i bought DIY kit from Germany years back. Glass fibre but blown, not rowing mat or anything so not as light as could be i quess. Added some extra support to the hinge side as they felt little weak. I made molds if/when i need to make new pair. Then they will be made from woven mat gf or cf - we'll see. Some pics for those who are interested.
tzei

tzei in Light Doors

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Ken Sears

Getting very close.

This has been a long project that I have been committed to "enjoy the process" and I truly have.  I started this in 2009 it has been quite a journey and one that I have really enjoyed.  I have been fortunate to have a clean dry place to work on it and let it sit when other things took priority.  I will be driving it this spring!  Thank you to all that have helped along the way and the FAQ for all the valuable information and support! Ken 
Ken

Ken in Progress

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Learning Wrenching Rebuilding

We don't quit! We do not quit!

Obviously not Peter Sellers, but I think Steve did a pretty good job.   So I found a write up I did for July of 2020 that never got posted. It’s obviously well beyond that now. I’ll post it up after this one. I wish I kept up with posting but it is what it is. I’ve been busy.   As you can see, the car is on wheels with rebuilt suspension and primed! I went with Southern Polyurethane Epoxy Primer.  Very helpful on the phone.  I found them to be very accommodating. 
peterman

peterman in Restoration

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