02for2

I'll be there at 12:30! Cheers!

Looks great! Press on! Cheers!

Nice job! How much did the reupolstering cost you? Why cloth over vinyl? I have a perfect set of E-21s I picked up, but they're Black and my interior is Tan, so I'll need to recover them. Almost hate to tear off the perfect black covers. Thought about selling them and picking up another set to recover, but these are so nice - all the hardware, tight seat back, etc. Cheers!

A couple points: 1.) Our LED conversion kit is not $400, it's $299 to FAQ members. Sorry for the huge type, but I get tired of people being either uninformed, or exagerating our price to emphasize a point. 2.) It is exactly because these are 35-40 y.o. electrical systems that the lights require all the protections we built into them. The car is what will usually cause the lights to fail. And, there is no reason whatever that owners cannot (or should not) maintain their car's wiring, ground points, fuse contacts etc., that's just being a good caretaker (remember, we don't really own these cars, we just care for them before turning them over to others or future generations). You don't need a light installation to do that. 3.) The importance of this system is such that it is downright irresponsible to run around in traffic with such a jerry-rigged solution. Our Brake light arrays contain 50+ LEDs. This was not a number we pulled out of the old exit orifice. After careful experimenting, for intensity, throw-angle and redundancy, this is the number. As I said, it's not about this crap vs. our kit. I realize that our kit isn't for everyone. Many cannot and many will not pay what it costs. But those who want something of lasting value will, and have - sold 2 kits today. In fact, one buyer even said they wouldn't even think about doing the mod listed in this thread. That they had too much time and effort into the car to take such a gamble. In one itineration of another, our kits have been installed in hundreds of vehicles and been run hundreds of thousands of miles over 9 years, and there has never been a failure. The only two reported issues were one customer breaking the PCB by mishandling it, and the other needing a replacement because they were hit in a parking lot. But I cannot endorse putting a car on the road with a mod so ill-thought through as this. The OP has absolutely no idea how these work or how to do it right - like giving a child a loaded gun! If you don't want our kit, keep it stock, or produce something with similar robustness and reliabilty as ours. It's true that it is their car, but it's not their street, it's all of ours and they need to respect that. People may think it's great now, but I suspect they'll change their tune once they're wearing a Buick in the back seat. That is, if they survive to tell about it. Cheers!

I had hoped another voice of reason would chime in here, but they haven't. So before this thread gets any more traction, I will. This is not innovative or creative! It is dangerous and STUPID! THESE ARE BRAKE LIGHTS PEOPLE! WHAT DON'T YOU GET ABOUT THAT? They must work reliably every time you apply your brakes. Relying on $6 Chinese LED strings from ebay is like relying on a $6 parachute made of hefty bags and string! Foolish to do, quasi-criminal to promote to others! These lights are of unknown origin, unknown wattage and Hr. rating. There is no regulated power supply, no shock protection, no heat dissapation, no over-voltage protection, no under-voltage protection, no reverse polarity protection. It's not a question of if these will fail, but when. I guarantee you they will. It's unsafe to run these on a public street. Unsafe to carry a passenger in a car using these. Unsafe to the driver trailing you. And it puts your car and you in jeopardy. I'm not selling taillights here or promoting our kit. If you don't want to buy our kit, OK. But, then learn how to do it right or just stay with the OEM incandescents. Don't be DUMB! Cheers!

There's a difference between bumps and bruises and terminal cancer! My '76 is such a solid car that; a.) It's safe to drive - uni-body cars can suffer rust in critical areas causing the car to lose it's strength. b.) It's worth investing time and money into. These cars are seeing a popular rebirth right now and this has resulted in more 2002's on the market than we've seen for a long time. Lots of cars hidden away in barns for years (for various reasons) are reappearing and showing up on the market. There's also a pretty big business in taking salvage cars or basketcases for minimal money, cheaply dressing them up and selling them at higher than deserved prices to unwary buyers (think back to all the flood damaged Katrina cars which flooded the market in '06 & '07). Some of their 'tricks' are to slap some bling wheels and fresh paint on it, do a simple tune up and then sell it at double or triple what they have into it. The OP admits he's unfamiliar with the brand and sought advice from those more knowledgable. I don't read anyone's post saying absolutely do not buy this car. Many simply say to have the car thoroughly checked by someone who knows what to look for. This is sound advice for anyone buying any used car. Cheers!

Ooops! I really do need to learn to read one of these days... a mind is a terrrible thing to waste ! Thanks for the catch! Dooooh! I have my own aircooled, though it's a flat-6 instead of a flat-4, and if I don't run it regularly, I also get a little cafe' mocha under the oil cap. It's probably sit too long between runs, or has been run on very short hops, not allowing for the water to boil off. Still, be sure to have the thing PPI'd by a knowledgable person. Cheers!

Well, the fact that you even mention it indicates you know what that white goo is - an emulsion of water and oil. This can have several causes, from perfectly normal and benign, to more serious, even walk away serious. Normal would be if the car wasn't run regularly and moisture (a combustion by-product) built up in the oil, then condensed on the oil cap and emusified with the oil present. This type of moisture will not accumulate with regular running. Other causes can be head gasket, warped head, cracked head or cylinder, carb issues (if water choked). Only way to really find out is to do a leakdown test. Have it professionally done by a mechanic of your choosing. If normal... great - nothing to worry about. Head gasket,... some negotiating ammo. Other stuff, ...heavier ammo, or walk away time. Good Luck! Cheers!

Hitting exhaust components? Cheers!

Hey guys, We tried to put this together last Fall, but for many reasons, people could not attend. Mike Gray, his son John and I were all who made it, but we did spend an enjoyable afternoon over good food getting to know each other, and that made it worthwhile at least. But, we're going to try again! The Spring driving season is just around the corner (REALLY... I'm sure of it), and it would be great to try and assemble all the area owners for a get-together to meet each other and build a local resource base for those of us crazy enough to own these wonderful cars. We are going to try and organize a local group, so if you're interested in helping form one, at the beginning, this is the place to be! So, once again, we're gathering at the Moose Country in Mendota on Saturday, March 12 at 1:00pm. We hope to see all of you there. I have already confirmed that Mike Gray and Steve Petersen (BLUNT) will be there. In addition to meeting, exchanging info., etc. we're going to discuss plans for the upcoming InterMarque Spring Kick Off Car Show being held this year on Sat. May 14 at Picnic Hill in Como Park in Saint Paul. As you can see by the attached, the 2002 is literally the Poster Child of this year's show, and we would like to see a good turnout - it is a FREE event! The Moose Country is readily accessible from anywhere in the TC, just off I-35E on Hwy. 13 (Sibley Mem. Highway) - see: Moose Country . Hope to see you all there! Cheers!

Well, it depends on the Recaros. The E-21 Sports Seats use the slider from your stock seat - you need to remove it and bolt it on the Recaro. Some other models require an adapter. So, it all starts with which Recaros you have. Cheers!

Yea, it's interesting, no profile, doesn't come up in search, 90% of what I've seen him post is contrary, off-topic and generally negative. Could possibly be those other guys incognito. I don't know what his deal is, nor do I care. I just try to ignore him rather than encourage him. A Troll of many hats I guess. Cheers!

Haters, Swatch Watches...?? Who are you guys... the Political Correctness Police...??? The OP titled the thread - OPINIONS !! He admits he's new to '02s and is seeking advice from those more knowledgeable before plunking down eight Large (Eagle Eyes I believe is how he put it). He asked for objective replies, not some Soy Milk and Pablum response. Yes... everyone has their own taste. Yes... there is great diversity amongst '02s and their owners. But, there are also lots of these cars 'dressed up pretty' designed to separate you from your Benjamins, while a basketcase lurks just below the surface. This car, for most of the reasons stated, rings all the alarm bells - 3rd party sale, modified/non-original, fresh bodywork/paint, no engine/mechanical,underside pics, priced too low. The car is heavily modded - personal taste or cover-up? That doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad car, just that it doesn't all add up and warrants further investigation before signing on the dotted line. Being all nice and correct isn't going to help the OP sort out whether this is a good car or not. Cheers!

↑↑↑↑ Can't believe it... CD missed the part about throwing it in the neighbor's pool! Cheers!

The Lotus Esprit is somewhat notorious for fuel tank rust and other issues, and these have 2 fuel tanks - one 11gal. tank on either side. The place to repair them is Moyers Tank Renu. All the Lotus guys (and I'm one of them) swear by their work! Cheers!

We'll leave the light on for you! Cheers!

I torque everything I can get a spec for or get the wrench on. All machine threaded fasteners are elastic - that's how they work. They are stretched by the proper torque and so stay secure and don't rattle loose as they would if just relying on the interlocking threads. Plus, with some multi-fastened components, such as oil pans, valve covers, waterpumps, timing covers, heads, etc. torqueing insures even tightening across the component, minimizing a potential for leaks or warpage. Undertorqueing can mean that the fastener is inadequately stretched to do it's job. Overtorqueing can stretch the fastener beyond what it was designed for and weaken it, or more likely, cause it to snap if ever removed. It's a developed habit and doesn't significantly add to the job time, once you develop it. In many instances, not necessarily critical, but definitely better. Cheers!

The Beam type are most accurate and cheapest. The click type are spendier but argueably more convenient, and to some - sexier. I have both. Use the Beam type for more critical areas. Craftsman has an assortment and I have always had good luck with them. But they certainly aren't the only game in town. If price is the decider, I recommend a beam type. Cheap click type torque wrenches can be questionable. Cheers!

+1 And, your hands will be soft for days! Cheers!

Car looks to be lowered. Wheels are not stock, steering wheel is not stock, Recaros were an option, but may be added. Chrome stripping and lower molding removed, meaning that the holes were patched – potential future rust source if not done correctly. Air Dam added, Front bumper removed, rear bumper replaced with blacked-out early or euro, possibly fiberglass, early/euro replacement front turn signals,. I thought that the Tii came standard with P-side door mirror, if so, this one is gone - possible door replacement. Looks clean enough. $7995 seems a little low for a Tii of this caliber, maybe some issues or seller motivated for quick sale. In any event, don’t even think about it without a PPI from a knowledgeable BMW independent mechanic (your friends may be good mechanics, but not model specific enough to really know what to look for, or what they’re seeing) – it’ll cost a few hundred, but potentially cheap at twice the price, especially if it saves you from an $8k mistake. Good Luck! Cheers!

It's not unusual for a 'new' motor to quickly narrow the valve lash as the valve continually seats deeper and deeper into the new seats and also why you should shorten your valve adjustment interval for the 1st 5-10k mi. This trails off over time. But, you always are opening the lash not tightening it because the seats are soft metal (to allow for a good seal), and the valve pushes deeper and deeper into them, narrowing the lash. The results of your Wet compression test are classic for piston ring/cylinder wall issues (excess wear (even on a 20k motor), broken rings, non-staggered rings). Also, possibly head gasket or head warpage. As mentioned, I would confirm with a leakdown test. The point is the tests indicate a local failure, not the entire motor. Valves are unlikely due to the consistency of the values your test have yielded. Valve issues usually result in erratic values. Cheers!

Believe me, before designing and producing our kits, I spent hours, over a period of many months, scouring the web and catalogues of everything from Marine accessories, Emergency vehicles, OTR catalogues, Aircraft catalogues, Kit car catalogues, Off-Road catalogues, Hobbyist catalogues, etc., even Model Train catalogues looking for adaptable components that might work. It was only after finding nothing that would remotely work, or that I would actually want on my car, that we decided to go ahead with our own kit. You may have better luck. But, remember, it won't take too many failed attempts before you approach or exceed the cost of our kit. We have a couple of EEs as customers who understand way more about this technology than I ever will. One of them wrote me saying that he couldn't assemble a kit like ours for the price we were charging, and he bought two of our kits. Why re-invent the wheel? Spend your time and creativity on other aspects of your car where your investment in time and materials will give you a better return and greater satisfaction. Cheers!

I can see that my attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor came off to some as mostly tongue and no cheek! Not meant to offend, apologies if I did. I realize the price of our kit is not insignificant, but it does actually represent good value, as our dozens of customers to-date confirm. We have received major endorsements, and been written up in some respected publications, all praising the quality, effectiveness and ease of installation, none complaining about price either. We extend a discount to FAQ members of $26 (making the kit $299, not $325 as often misquoted). Yet, about 25% of our sales have been non-discounted sales and these customers are just as satisfied with the kit, though maybe wish they'd have been forum members. BTW, realize that the FAQ discount comes straight from our pocket. It's not something we have to do, and I'm not aware of any other vendor here who does so. Our kit addresses some of the major issues of poor taillight quality - no splicing into the harness, no heat generated to melt your lens, bad reflectors, etc. There's no Jerry-rigging to make it fit or work. It's made for it's specific application. Install one of our kits, and your lights are fixed for life, period. And, over the life of your car, $299 isn't a bad investment at all. I know many here are price-sensitive, but some selectively so. They'll spend big $$ on some bling wheels, or thumping subwoofer, but complain about the price of a product which can actually save your car or your life. Go figure. Cheers!

As mentioned, it's your car and your $$. That equals your choice. Creativity can be a wonderful thing! Attached are some other inexpensive, creative fixes, IMHO, similar to what yours will look like. Seriously, you have to see one of our kits to appreciate the value it represents. Good Luck! Cheers!

Bleeding the brakes by having an assistant pump them can be hard on your older MC and caliper seals. As mentioned, buy a power bleeder - $50 for a motive. I bought mine a dozen yrs. ago concerned I wasn't going to use it that much. But, with bi-annual fluid swaps, and 5 different cars, it's more than paid for itself. Cheers!