02for2

I am a 'newby' here and the proud owner of an '02 for exactly 106 days! In that time, I have replaced/renewed the suspension, fuel system, incl. rebuilt carbs, ignition system, cooling system, transmission, replaced seals, rebuilt my heater box, excorcised electrical demons, and all of this with nothing more than my own experience and a haynes manual. Is this forum a valuable resource? Without a doubt. But I accomplished my work 99.9% on my own without the advice/opinions expressed here. I have not yet read a more offensive post than yours. I am a newby to the '02, but have owned many more classics in the past 40 yrs. than many of you have years. I own more tools than many independent shops and have wrenched on MGs, Lotus, Jaguars, Healeys, Alphas, Triumphs, Jesen-Healeys, Morgans, MBs, Ferraris, Minis, Z-Cars. I have to tell you that there is NOTHING exotic or mystical about the '02. In fact, it is one of the least complex cars out there to work on. By your own admission, you are not an expert, so how are you able to determine who's advice is sound and who's is not? Certainly an arguement can be made for those advising transplanting 320i or Volvo parts onto your '02 as being unsound. Not to mention that many times owners present a problem with only partial information and readers feel compelled to state opinions based solely on this incomplete information. The advice/opinions expressed here are free, and to many that is valuable. The caveat should be that free advice, especially by Keyboard Kommandos, is ALWAYS questionable. Proceed at your own risk! But, like your post, this is stating the obvious. It all boils down to an owner trusting what they read here and acting on that advice. If they do so without due diligence, it is not the fault of someone posting here - they have not laid a wrench on your car - that belongs to you. Gaining experience on cars is a process that cannot be shortcut - it takes many hours of LEARNING and that includes mistakes (possibly the best way of learning). If you're not willing to put in the time, than don't blame others for your errors. Instead, save up and take your car to a trained professional... or evaluate the advice given here - or elsewhere, before proceeding. But it is senseless to chastise those here or impede the free flow of information. Before I risk having my SoapBox appear bigger than yours, I'm done here. Cheers!

I'll go for 2 XL's. 1 - Sahara Beige 1 - Schwartz Black Thanks!

Huh? Wtf? Where I come from, ususally when someone offers to help you with your car, people accept - more hands make short work, etc. Maybe you misunderstood - I'm not interested in your $100 and I doubt the others are either. It's just car guys helping each other out. Cheers!

I got a 1st Gen (coarse spline) NOS M-Tech E28 380mm Sport Steering Wheel from my wife (don't know how she found it). It has the same arrangement as the E21 Wheel and so needs the same mods to make it work. Cheers!

I'm in... email me directions from Highland Park (I-94 or Hwy.36). I'm booked 1/30 for an Intermarque Council meeting for the Spring Kick-off, otherwise, I'm there... Cheers!

Actually, that sounds a little low to me. The Bosch alternator should put out between 13.5-14.5VDC @ 1k rpm if battery and alternator are healthy. The battery alone should produce about 2.2VDC/cell or about 13.2VDC w/o load - I would test this as you may have a bad cell or some sulphating of the plates - how old is the battery? 12.9VDC is definitely on the low side, but as long as you're above 11VDC, all the diodes s/b working. Cheers!

It is near the Christmas break of the school year. The students have turned in all their work and there is really nothing more to do. All the children are restless and the teacher decides to have an early dismissal. Teacher: "Whoever answers the questions I ask, first and correctly can leave early today." Little Johnny says to himself "Good, I want to get outta here. " Teacher: "Who said 'Four Score and Seven Years Ago'?" Before Johnny can open his mouth, Susie says, "Abraham Lincoln." Teacher: "That's right Susie, you can go home." Johnny is mad that Susie answered the question first. Teacher: "Who said 'I Have a Dream'?" Again, before Johnny can open his mouth, Mary says, "Martin Luther King." Teacher: "That's right Mary, you can go." Johnny is even madder than before. Teacher: "Who said 'Ask not, what your country can do for you'?" Once more, before Johnny can open his mouth, Nancy says, "John F. Kennedy." Teacher: "That's right Nancy, you may also leave." Johnny is boiling mad that he has not been able to answer to any of the questions. When the teacher turns her back Johnny says, "I wish these b*tches would keep their mouths shut!" The teacher turns around: "NOW WHO SAID THAT?" Johnny: "TIGER WOODS. CAN I GO NOW?" Cheers!

I don't really have any issue with Rich Griot, except that he wants to send his kid to Harvard... but he wants YOU to pay for it! The bulk of his customers are the Doctor/Lawyer/CEO types with more money than brains. His random orbital polisher and products are Da Bomb! But Sal Zaino will put most of his waxes and other finishing products to shame... and for less $$$ Cheers!

I have a spare, perfectly working speedo/odo. It reads 25k mi. (approx). If interested, shoot me an email w/ offer. Cheers!

Optimally, every year, especially if tracking the car, but at least every two. Cheers!

Buy a new relay and be done with it. Once a relay starts working intermittently, it's finished. It may work OK for now, but eventually it'll be toast! Cheers!

Don't know how long you've owned the car, or what service/repair may have been done to the heater box. Assuming nothing, it's a safe bet that ALL the foam has degraded or totally disappeared. A heater Box refurbishment is in your near future, assuming you want to fix the issue. I've seen many here post that it's a dreadfull repair - obviously, these have never owned a Lotus, a P Boxster or even a Z-Car. I have, and compared to these, the Heater Box repair on an '02 is a piece of cake by comparison. On an early Z-Car you have to literally cut the core out of the box. If you drain the coolant, removing the box and the accompanying cables is easy - maybe 20 min. max - especially if you do not have AC. Then disassemble the box - 1 Hr., clean and strip the flaps - 20 min. Install new foam - 20 min. and reinstall the box - 20 min. Add another 45 min. if you're replacing the fan and refurbishing the heater core (which you should do). This does not include a 24-HR soaking of the core in vinegar to remove any scale. Reassembly and reinstallation s/b 1 Hr. unless you're dogging it. I know - I just completed a total refurbishment last week. So, figure 3.75 Hrs. to complete the job. 3.75 Hrs. working time every 30 yrs. is not a big deal. Do it right and be done with it! Cheers!

That's a really good point! The fuller the tank, the less air there is to displace/occupy with vapors. Keeping the tank fuller will likely cutdown on the smell. Cheers!

It won't hurt to do that and if you don't like it, you can always reset. Each and every car is different (different fuels, wear, etc.) and more often than not, I find that the timing spec isn't always the best for that car, so I usually play around with it a few degrees here and there until I feel it's really dialed-in. My timing light has a variable advance built in, so I can turn the dial a few degrees either way and rotate the dizzy til the marks align. One thing to be sure of is that your dizzy does in fact advance when/where it's supposed to. This can be checked with a timing light and tach - set each up and then add throttle until you see the timing marks jump and note the RPM, again, with my light, I can even tell by how many degrees it has advanced. The dizzy may have a mechanical advance, but if the springs are old and weak, you may find that the timing advances prematurely - the fix would be new springs on the centrifugal weight(s). You can even change this to suit your taste by using different springs/weights, though sourcing them could be an issue. But there are places that will recurve your dizzy and the cost usually isn't too great. Cheers!

What kind of seats are those? Cheers!

I replaced mine with these, very nice quality: Lug Nuts Cheers!

I remained single for most of my adult life. This was mainly a matter of personal choice, but also because despite having several long-term relationships with some amazing women, I'd never met anyone I wanted to say 'Forever' to. Well 14 yrs. ago all that changed when I hired a bright young woman to run a hotel owned by the company I headed. We worked together for 2 yrs. until I left the company, no romantic entaglement at all, just co-workers. A year later, I was waiting in DFW in a bar for my plane and out of nowhere, she approached me so we sat for a drink. In catching up, she mentioned that while she enjoyed working for me, it had also been difficult - something I rarely heard from subordinates. I asked why and she replied because she had always had feelings for me. Of course, as luck would have it, at this precise moment, my flight was called. I suggested that we meet in a week when I returned home and continue over dinner. Well, she moved in 3 weeks later and we were married 18 mos. after that and have been happily married for the past 10 yrs. Anyway, while we were still courting, she learned of my passion for cars. Mostly because I spent so much time in the garage working on one of several classics I own(ed). Well, the first birthday we were together, she got me a lawn chair and a boombox. Slightly confused, I asked her why a boombox and she said that it was for the garage. OK, but that didn't explain the chair. She went on to say that the chair was so that she could come down to the garage, listen to music and read a book while I was working on the cars - that way, we would be spending time together. I believe that was the exact moment I decided to ask for her hand. When I got my '76 '02 3 mos. ago, she decided that the stock steering wheel had to go, so on Xmas morning, there's going to be an NOS coarse splined BMW M-Tech steering wheel waiting for me under the tree! In the years since, we have attended many functions of the various clubs I belong to: Lotus Club, Healey Club, Porsche Club, etc. and inevitably some of the members' wives will gather in a corner and complain about the time and money their husbands spend on their cars. Brenda, on more than one occaision, will wade through them and ask why they wouldn't want to support their husbands passion? She reminds them that many men are doing things which are much worse. Aside from gambling, drinking, womanizing, Golf, Fantasy Sports, Bowling Leaguers, etc. she'll also include those with $30k Bass Boats who, when it's all said and done, end up paying the price of a nice night out to put a couple bass filets on the table - bass that the wife usually ends up cleaning and cooking. That pretty well shuts them up. So, here's a shoutout to my lovely bride - Thanks for all your support and understanding! My one wish is that you guys are just as lucky! Cheers!

I did the Suspension Techniques swaybar from Korman Racing install a month ago and it went slick. I did grease the ID of the oem bracket to get the bushing to seat properly, maybe that's your issue. But, I did the IE SS exhaust and had several issues. First, they sent me the wrong midpipe and muffler (early vs late model), then they corrected that and it still was a b*tch to get right. Later, I added their SS downpipe and again, it did not fit, spoke with Jeff Ireland who told me it was impossible, that it was jig built and therefore HAD to fit. Long story short, they sent me another downpipe and this one did fit albeit with a significant amount of coaching and pursuation. I returned the original downpipe and never heard a thing from IE. I know Jeff is highly regarded, but my experience has been less than stellar, so it's not too surprising to hear others having fitment issues. Did you grease the inside of the bracket? I also used a vice-grips on the bracket once it was placed into the slots on the subframe to force the bushing (and bar) inside it so I could place it flush against the subframe to start the bolts. Try doing this. If no-joy, email jeff. Based on my experiences, it doesn't really surprise me that their claimed 'direct bolt-in' isn't. Cheers!

If you just got your license, the last thing you need is a faster car! Teenagers who fall into the 16 to 19 age group have the highest instances of auto collisions among any other age group. Some people attribute this trend to lack of driving experience, but research is more and more confirming that poor decision making and impulsivity among teen drivers may lead to higher risk taking while behind the wheel. The odds are that you are going to be involved in a traffic accident in the next 18 mos. A fast car increases those odds. Those are the statistics and while they don't apply to everyone, they are derived from everyone. If you have an accident, aside from possible injury or worse, your ins. rates will be so high that you probably won't be able to afford it. Take a year to learn the car and improve your skillset, using this forum as a resource. Then, once you've got the worst period behind you, think about improving the car. But, use the next year to improve you. Cheers!

If it were me, I'd get a length of heater hose and clamp each end of it to the ends coming out of the block to form a loop. You can also find hose connectors at any auto parts store and place it between both hoses (assuming they will bend that way and have the right length. Cheers!

It does not have to absolutely, positively, be looped (when your heater valve is closed, the coolant isn't circulating through it), but that's the best thing. It will allow much better circulation and cooling while preventing the buildup of rust/sludge at the capping point(s). Cheers!

Yep... sanding marks, and in the substrate. No amount of surface work will remove them. The best that would happen is that you'd reduce the thickness of the surrounding chrome until it was equal to the marks, and still you'd likely see them. Also, at that level, you'll find the chrome deposited by the plating isn't very uniform in terms of thickness, so you're likely to expose the copper or nickel underneath in several spots before you get what you want. Best thing is to live with it. If you can't, replacing the bumpers, or having them re-chromed are really the only answers. Cheers!

Now don't go scaring people... the waterpump for the GTS retails for $319, the earlier cars is about $100 and they're fairly robust - not known as a weak spot. Cheers!

VERY COOL! I have lusted over a 1600 or 2000 Datsun Roadster, having owned 4 Z-cars in the past. But, in the Midwest, the best examples here have been 60% FE0² and 40% Datsun! True SUs (Skinners Union) haven't been produced since the 1930's, but several manufacturers including Hitachi, have produced faithful reproductions. Carbs literally scare many owners born after 1962, but if yoiu take the time to learn them, they're really quite simple. Cheers!

http://www.ultimategarage.com/Parts-ClassicBMW/brake2002.html Cheers!