Pierre

When you get them running. (Ad in Time magazine.)

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My 74 tii battery tray was a weld-on. I say "was" because it's gone now and the battery is in the trunk.

Hey Slavs, I did not go to bare metal except where I had rust. I just sanded the paint to a smooth surface. I did use plastic filler to finish up the door moulding channel, the roundel circles on the hood and trunk and the side markers, and then primered over that. The light rust came off with sandpaper. The heavier stuff needed a wire brush. I had the cut out sections on the rocker panel and weld sheet metal pieces I cut out of my E21 parts car. I used POR 15 on the rusty sections I cleaned up. I applied it with a brush. Some small section were left alone. The paint is supposed to be a rust inhibitor too. We'll see how it holds out.

Actually, it's very presentable from 5 feet. Just don't look too long. My uncle Bob does approve. Cheers.

I did not thin the paint. I have read and heard all sorts of claims from numerous sources about thinning including the claim that thinning and applying a thinner coats can reduce roller and brush marks. But it also tends to show drip marks on vertical panels. The Valspar paint can specifically mentions: No thinning. Rustoleum also discourages thinning and allow a 5% thinning if absolutely necessary. I am going to experiment with spraying. Some have claimed that I could use it full strength with an HVLP gun as long as I use the proper nozzle size. Others have said I could thin it with mineral spirits up to 30%. I do have a parts car. I may just pick a panel and experiment.

And, as usual, E12s get left out.

I will only repeat what was said to confirm the general conscensus. Buy a used welder of a known reputable brand, like Miller or Lincoln. I will also add to the 120V opinion (you do not need 240V for automotive use) if you have the luxury of choice. I bought a Lincoln Pro Mig 140 a couple of years ago for $500 off Craigslist including a large tank, some spools of wire, and a self-darkening helmet. The machine was hardly ever used. I suck at welding but I love the thing. I play and learn. I used it a lot on my E12. One more thing. Harbor freight is good for some things. Not welders. And not welding wire either. But I did get a welding cart from there. And an angle grinder, and cut off wheels, and gloves, and welding blankets and wire brushes etc. I get my welding supplies from http://www.weldingandcutting.com/Default.asp

It did. One word: rust. Phil was rusting away, mostly on the surface. The area around the sunroof was starting to look scary. The bottom of the doors were rusting through. Rust was showing up behind the moldings, around the windshield, under the roundel emblems. The rockers were also started to rust through. I had to stop the progression of rust. I have been meaning to intervene for 2 years. The longer I waited, the worse it got of course. So as soon as I got done with my previous project (an S52 swap in a 318ti) and got some garage space to tackle it, I dove in. I got in too deep of course. a simple repaint turned into removing emblems, deleting side moldings, side markers and C-pillar vents. See, I also suffer from "whileyouareintheretis."

I used Valspar Armor anti-Rust oil based enamel. It is supposed to be the same as Rustoleum except that it comes in a base stock which allows you to get it tinted the color you want. I picked up a stack of swatches and matched it to the inner fender of my car. W21 Linen thread is VERY CLOSE to Chamonix. I asked the paint guy at my local Do it Center to mix me 2 quarts. I did 3 coats and used 1 1/2 quarts of paint. At $11.99 a quart, I can't complain. I spend under $50 for EVERYTHING. (Paint, rollers, trays, sand paper, brushes and masking tape.) I also use an extra smooth sponge roller. Under certain lights and up close, you can see roller marks. On the last coat, I tried to be as consistent as possible and rolled in one direction with minimal stops. There is an obvious learning curve. I could see the results after each coat dried. I wet sanded and rolled again and the results improved. The 3rd coat was even better but not much. There was no point in a repeat. I do plan to sand it one more time and spray the car to see if I can in fact create a continous smooth surface but I am saving that project for a later date. I want to see how well this paint holds out first. Spraying needs a lot of prep.

Blasphemy??? Maybe. Cheap? You betcha. Before. After. (Euro bumpers yet to be installed.)

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How much for the pen? :-)

If plates are personalized, they can be transferred from one vehicle to another.

The YOM program applies to 1969 and older cars, and 1972 and older commercial vehicles. In the case of 2002s, only 1969 and older cars only do apply. Black and yellow plates only and they must match the year. Therefore, blue plates can not be used in the program since they were introduced in 1970. One option in California, if you have a set of black or blue plates and you want to install them on your car is to apply for personalized (vanity) plates with that number. You will receive new white plates with that number on it. Put your blue or black plate on your car and the numbers will match. There is an additional yearly fee. http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg352.pdf http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch21/ch21_36.htm Alternatively, you can have your current plate made in the original style. From what I uderstand, it's not "legal" and I will assume that most cops will recognize a "new" number on an old style plate. I suspect most of them will leave you alone but may use that reason to pull you over if they have a suspicion. You may at most be asked to put your "correct" plates back on. '>http://www.cr8-one.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_22

Funny you mention that. I am actually designing an adapter that will fit behind that opening and split into two tubes that run right behind the air dam, one on each side to which ducts can be attached for brake cooling.

That EPA study was done on stock 2002. A lowered car will show better improvements. While I knew that the Kamei spoiler improved handling by directing air away from under car, I did not know that it actually reduced drag too. And I should know, since I reproduce those darn things. Now I do.

I did not see the option of keeping my current plate number. It's either a new number or a personalized number. Paying under $80 to register my classic BMW per year, with hardly any toll roads, California is still a pretty good deal. And we all know about the weather. And in all honesty, $50 to get a set of vintage plate is pretty cheap. Yes, it makes money to the DMV, but would you rather they did not make such a product available?

Air dams do slow a car down a bit due to increased drag but they also stabilize the car at speed by diverting the air from going under the car to going around the car. This creates negative pressure under the car and hunkers it down. The air dam I make (Kamei reproduction) has shown measurable increases in downforce at 80 MPH. It does not do much going straight at 80 but the increased stabilty in turms at that speed are significant. A stock 2002 tops at 105-110 MAX. An airdam becomes mandatory if you have a turbo M10, an M20 or S14 or other high powered powerplants. These cars can hit 130+. The car gets floaty at that speed without an air dam. The rear spoiler also adds drag. But it pushes down on the the rear of the car which adds to high speed stability too. Reality: The majority of people put air dams and spoilers on their cars for cosmetic reasons. My tii has an IE front air dam. It looks good.

It's based on strong circumstancial evidence. 1. If they are the same, why do they have a different part number? 2. If two cars have the same front setup and different rears the chances that a rear drum and a rear disk would have identical pressure and volume demands are unlikely. The consistency across the board between cars that have 4 wheel discs and the same master, (E3, E9 and E12 and early E24) and the consistency between the cars that have a disc/drum set up tii, NK and early E9 does lead to that conclusion. 3. I have not dissassembled the 2 MC and compared them but looking at both on REALOEM, side to 2 side, I see several differences, the most significant being the absence of a pressure/proportioning valve on the E12 MC. The lack of a pressure valve may make the pedal feel spongy when using drum brakes since wheel cylinder can bleed down and calipers don't. The proportioning valve on the tii may restrict the volume/volume of fluid to the drums since wheel cylinders require less fluid than calipers. And both MCs are available for sale from the usual parts houses with a significant price difference. Autohauz has the E12 MC $60 cheaper than the tii MC. 4. I have spoken with mechanics dubbed " tii experts" about the topic. They will tell you that then have tried to save their customers money by installing a cheaper E12 master on their tiis. Customers have come back complaining that the brakes "don't feel right." The cars still stop fine but they "feel" there is something different and they don't like it. Replacing the MC with the proper tii master restores the correct "feel" of the brakes. I am far from a purist. I have no problem trying things, swapping things and experimenting. Sometimes the resuts are better, sometimes worse. Sometimes I can't tell the difference but someone else might. And sometimes I like it better while someone else might not.

The E12 and the tii masters are not the same. The difference is in the proportioning of the front and rear brakes since the E12 has a discs in the back and the tii has drums. The early E12s (75 and 76) have the same front calipers as the tii. )E3s and E9s too) The later E12s (77 on) have a spacer added to the two-halves of that same caliper to accommodate a vented disc. The tii master is shared with some NK cars and early E9 coupes that had rear drums. Later E9s with rear discs and E3s share the master with the E12, all of them has 4 wheel discs. I am not saying that your suggested setup does not work. I just wanted to clarify the master cylinder compatibility. +1 on the pressure bleeder. Every DIYer should have one.

The answer to your question is not as straight forward as it may seem. The E21 has a bigger master cylinder and bigger drums, so in effect, a stronger brake. But it is designed to work with the E21 master which pumps more fluid to the rear. So it's a question of proportioning the front to the rear. If you use a 2002 master, you will obviously send less brake fluid to the rear, to a "stronger" brake drum. If you have a tii, the rear wheel cylinder is bigger than a standard 2002 but still smaller that an E21. And you decide to go with an E21 master, you have a new problem. E21s have single lines to the front brakes. 2002s have 2 lines up front on each side. On its own, I don't recommend it. 2002s do not need more braking in the back. I have "heard" than an E21 rear setup works well with an E12 master and tii front brakes. An E12 has the same calipers up front as the tii but they have rear discs. It's just a rumor but I am doing it to my 69 as we speak. Tii struts, E12 vented calipers, E21 vented rotors and early E21 hubs, E12 master and E21 rear drums.

There is obviously something wrong with your brakes. Do you have a soft pedal? Are you pressing hard but the car will just not stop? (You should be able to lock the front wheels if not all 4 if you press hard enough, even with some pretty sticky tires.) Do you get apull one way or the other? A 2002 brake pedal will feel like a modern car and better. It should be firm and very easy to modulate. Maybe you have worn suspension components, maybe your choice of pads is an issue, your rebuilt calipers may be defectice, you may have a bad master, clogged lines, worn wheel bearings or even tires may be part of your problem. A competent mechanic who is familiar with 2002s should be able to diagnose your problem.