layers

Event Title: Swap & Show 2024

Event Location: 500 Sierra Point Pkwy, Brisbane, California, 94005-1896
Event Author: layers
Event Date: 05/04/2024 09:00 AM to 05/04/2024 03:00 PM

BayArea 02 Swap & Show, 4 May 2024, Marina at Brisbane, California. Please preregister on Motorsportreg [Preregister for Swap & Show-24] starting on 17 March.  Preregistration is $25 until 27 April (when preregistration closes) while the on-site fee on 4 May will be $30.  Graphic artist Kile Brekke designed our T-shirts and printed materials again this year and as you see they look excellent!   Please preregister early to help us plan.  We will have a named bag for each preregistrant.

Note— Swap & Show visitors are welcome!  If you do not show your car or swap parts, there is No Fee for entry.  But we encourage anyone with a BMW of our vintage (1960’s through 1975 and all 1502’s) to bring your car to display, no matter how beautiful your restoration or how mundane the dirt and rust on your daily driver (some photographers can make the rust and dirt look surprisingly attractive!).  Swap & Show does not judge your car so there will be no points for extra dirt, missing dirt, matching luggage, upside-down fog lamps or concours-ready shine.  We smile at all BMW's, and photographs or videos are welcome (but—NO drones over cars)!

Larry

Swap & Show 2024

S&S_2024_Postcard_r1-01_240219.pdf

Hi Johnny--

You correctly saw the post on Facebook, Swap & Show-2024 is this May 4, the first Saturday in May.  While this is the date on our calendar, before announcing the event we needed to confirm availability with the Brisbane Marina and to get Kile Brekke's graphics.  Now we're ready to post the event so watch for it in the FAQ calendar.

Hi everyone--

Take a look at [NT49MD-23__ Save 9 Dec general post] for a few details.  As the route, gathering and rally plans congeal I will edit the post.  Note this event is listed in the general FAQ events, not the BayArea 02 events page.

Enjoy Thanksgiving while thinking about the rally!

Larry

Event Title: Not the 49-Mile Drive-2023, 9 December, 2023-- Save the Date

Event Location: San Francisco, California
Event Author: layers
Event Date: 12/09/2023 09:30 AM

See event webpage for more details, including start in Presidio, 50 Moraga Ave parking lot [Event page with more details].

Drivers Protocol & Route Instructions now posted on event webpage (see link just above).  Also, the Photo Key is now posted in the event webpage so you can verify your photo order and locations.

If you took photos on the rally, please post them at [NT49MD-23 photo webpage].

Hey, December is coming up fast— that means Not the 49-Mile Drive on 9 December is getting close!

As you know from the BayArea 02 calendar, our rally around San Francisco is the 2^nd Saturday in December.  At this point our Rallymeister is still working on the route so we do not yet have gathering details in place. But we’re considering finishing near an Off the Grid location where you can buy from a food truck for outdoor nourishment.  American food and international food may be available.

We plan to meet at 9:30AM again so cars will be underway by 10.

While so far this year Covid19 is less prominent we still need to be careful (just ask my sister who today is quarantined along with her entire facility in Pasadena due to multiple Covid19 cases).  And flu is on the rise.  Based on recent history, we still encourage social distancing, masking if you choose and other protocol to make sure our rally is safe, friendly and fun.

Stay tuned!

Larry Ayers

Note: You can see a few photos from NT49MD-2019 at [Photos from NT49MD-2019].  Photos from 2020 are at [Some photos from NT49MD-2020] and [More photos from NT49MD-2020].  A few from last year are here [NT49MD-2022 photos]; it rained a lot last year but in the last 20 years I only recall one other very wet NT49MD so we will probably be (mostly) dry.

Driver's Protocol for NT49MD-23 now posted on webpage just below!
Not the 49-Mile Drive-2023, 9 December, 2023-- Save the Date

Just a few odd photos from today.  I was pleased to see Steve & others today, even if briefly.

Probably the best solution to faded lenses, unless you need a "new lens" look, is to swap the incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs of the proper color.  Since the colored LEDs are close to monochromatic the light will be the simply what color emanates from the LEDs themselves.

The reflectors, even for an incandescent bulb, provide just a small amount of light to the light distribution from a stop-turn-tail lamp. Most chrome-colored materials have a lot less reflectance than good white paint.

Well-used bulbs get black inside and sometimes look like a mirror (well, on the inside the evaporated tungsten now deposited on bulb really is...).  New bulbs and especially higher-output LED's can significantly increase conspicuity.

Good luck!

Hi HLB--

Also look at the BayArea 02 sponsors [BayArea 02 Sponsors].  Since you are looking preferentially at shops in San Francisco, note that Auto Dynamik is on Eddy St.

Larry

High Road Trip--

Superbright LEDs does a pretty good job in telling your options BUT they messed up on the front turn & park bulb.  This one has a double-contact base (BAY15D), not the single-contact base (BA15S) they indicate.  Look for an 1157 equivalent bulb, NOT an 1156 equivalent.

I also recommend you get their packet of silicone grease (or other silicone grease) to very lightly apply to the bulb contacts, decreasing the possibility of corrosive contact failure.  And speaking of contact failure, I encourage you to clean the wire contacts where they meet the bulb sockets and also check the ground connections, especially for the front turn lamp socket.

You may also need an LED-compatible flasher for the turn signal lamps; I simply bought a solid-state flasher at my local auto parts store although Superbright LEDs probably also has a good one.  See Chris Blumenthal's article [Solid state flasher application-- Chris B.].

Be careful if you replace wedge-based lamps in the instrument cluster.  First off, our wedge-based sockets have the contact polarity different from many more recent sockets.  Lots of wedge-based lamps have one contact on one end of the base and the other contact on the other end.  But our wedge-base sockets have one contact on one SIDE and the other contact on the other side.  That means if a lamp in your hand has one wire that wraps around the base on one end, you need to make sure the contact wire on the lamp is on exactly one side of the base end, not both sides of the base end (and wrap the wire on the other end so it is just on the opposite side from the first contact wire).  Failing to do this will blow a fuse due to the short circuit at the lamp base.  And remember, if you do this and the lamp does not light initially it probably means you need to rotate the lamp 180-degrees to reverse lamp polarity.

Another problem with wedge-based LED lamps in our instrument cluster: some are too fat to fit, particularly on the tach and speedometer.  The original glass bulbs are 1cm in diameter while most I see on Superbright LEDs are somewhat larger.  These might fit if you remove the tach and speedometer from the circuitboard so you have access to the front of the lamp tunnel (or maybe not—I have not tried it yet).  See why I call the instruments an adventure?

Finally, you should consider the Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of the white LED’s you select.  The CCT is technically the apparent warmth or coolness of the light emanating from a light source, compared to a black body radiator (think of an incandescent filament in a perfectly absorbing black box, with a peep-hole for you to look through).  CCT is expressed in “Kelvins” similar to the temperature in Degrees-Kelvin of the black body radiator.  Raise the temperature of the black body and the light looks whiter, lower the temperature and the black body looks yellower.  Our miniature incandescent lamps are probably about 2600-Kelvins but most of us prefer closer to 3000K.  Some people like a cooler CCT, such as 4000K, while others want to prove they have a non-incandescent source and select 5000K, 6500K or even what amount to blue LEDs.  The color you prefer is your choice but realize many LED lamps types are available with just a few different CCTs.  Unless you want to make a statement of some sort, keeping the CCTs for your instrument panel consistent (within about 300Kelvins) looks best.

OK, this is probably enough for now.  Are you tired yet?

Hi Road Trip--

I use Superbright LED bulbs with the same bases as the stock bulbs so they fit right in.  But verify the correct bases for your bulbs: many are BA15S (single bottom contact PS25-1, like the 7506 Osram or American 1156), but the front parking/turn bulb is a BAY15D (double bottom contact PS25-2, like the 7528 Osram or American 1157).  Superbright has this application confused in their 1970’s BMW replacement guide.

There is no need for CANbus compatibility since that computer monitoring system was developed when our cars were 20 years old, but a CANbus bulb will work fine for us.  There might be a problem with LED bulb compatibility with a turn signal flasher, though I have no problem with my solid-state flasher (but it may flash a couple of times after my signal is off).  A CANbus bulb has an extra resistor in parallel with it's LEDs to draw more current; this is the rationale for an external resistor you can install to make your CANbus computer think your signal lights are working.

I encourage you to use LED bulbs with the proper color for your lamp rather than using white everywhere; the colors are more saturated so to me they look better and seem more obvious.  Any lamp with a faded lens will look very red with an LED bulb instead of pink.  And 100 Lumens of red LED light passing through a red lens is more than the amount from a 460-Lumen PS25-1 bulb that looses most of that light being filtered by the red lens.

A final comment: LED bulbs will not operate without a minimum of voltage, depending on how the LED chips are arrayed internally.  If you have a poor ground or corroded switch contacts it’s possible an LED bulb will not get enough voltage to operate even if an incandescent will glow dimly in that socket.

I encourage you to try some LED bulbs and experiment a bit if you want.  The bulbs used for our signaling lamps all have bases with the proper polarity but if you try replacing some of your instrument panel T3¼_wedge-base lamps, getting the polarity correct for our sockets is more of an adventure.  Have fun!

Hello Gretchen1602--

I concur with the suggestion that Pirelli CN36 tires are about the best choice.  I understand they are made in Pirelli's factory in Brazil.  I replaced the stock tires on my late '73 with 185/70-13 tires and would do that again.  I think all of the 205/60-13 tires I have seen on '02's require the fenders to be rolled.  Another consideration is that any tire wider than 165mm will raise the spare tire cover if you keep it in your trunk.  I accepted this on my '73 since most of the time my 165R13 spare lay in waiting.  And the single time I had hundreds of miles to drive on the spare there was plenty of stuff in my trunk to keep the cover panel from rattling around.  By the way, 165R-13 tires are available from Pirelli in the CN36 style.

You should also consider Lucas Classic Tires [Lucastires]in Long Beach as a possible vendor.  While Longstone Tyres has outstanding reviews on this site, their shipping charges may be much higher than buying them with only about 400 miles  to ship.

Good luck!

Hi--

I like your car since it looks a lot like the '73 I owned for 36 years.

I agree with Steve, look at the FAQ wheel database to get a better idea what style you are interested in.

To help you decide your preferred size and what, if any, your speedometer will be off, I have attached an analysis the late Curt Ingaram developed.  While some good tire brands and sizes are no longer available, more of them are for 15" wheels.  And a few, like Pirelli CN36, have renewed availability even if Tire Rack and Discount Tire choose not to show them.

Good luck and have fun searching!2002 wheel-tire fit from Curt 080424.xls

Larry

Hi Everyone--

I saw many of you with clearly serious cameras, plus the ubiquitous cellphones, taking both photos for future calendars and snapshots to share. Please share them at [Photos at Swap&Show-23], a gallery Steve Kupper created for us.  It's a lot easier to find your and everyone else's photos if they are grouped together in one gallery.  Thank you-- let's see how you captured the Show by the Bay!

Larry

Hi everyone!

Thank you to all of you who participated in Swap & Show-2023 at the Brisbane Marina on 6 May.  I enjoyed the show as did all others I spoke to there.  We had about 80 cars, less than last year most likely due to predicted rain.  Although I encountered rain as I drove from the East Bay, it stopped as I-80 changed into US-101 and only appeared in Brisbane for a few brief drizzles.

I saw many of you with clearly serious cameras, plus the ubiquitous cellphones, taking both photos for future calendars and snapshots to share. Please share them at [Photos at Swap&Show-23], a gallery Steve Kupper created for us.  It's a lot easier to find your and everyone else's photos if they are grouped together in one gallery.  Thank you-- let's see how you captured the Show by the Bay!

Larry

Hi Reys02--

My AAA-Triptik says the route is 20.7 miles, but I made a slight change after I printed the Triptik to drive my DRAFT route.  While I generally like Google Maps to see a route, the turn limit on Google makes me change to Triptik for a complete route.

Did you download the final route with photos plus the photo key to share when your relatives visit and want to "see" San Francisco?

I see you added some photos to our BayArea 02 gallery--Thanks!  I will also add an image I took on my test drive, showing a view from 14th Ave on a mostly clear day when you can see the Marin headlands.  This might be a reason to follow the route again on a clear day when you can see the Golden Gate Bridge beyond Sunset Reservoir and Mt Diablo from Ocean Ave as you drive past I-280.

Hi--

I just posted the photo key in the discussion topic for anyone to try the rally on another day (it was WET this morning in San Francisco!!!) [General discussion topic including route instructions and photo key].

Also, if anyone has photos from today (or relevant to NT49MD-22),please post at [Photos of NT49MD-22 in BayArea 02 image gallery]--THANKS!

Hi Steve--

I'm sorry you can't make NT49MD this year.  I actually expect a low turnout this time due to the rain but we'll never know until tomorrow morning.  I still printed 25 copies of the route instructions although I expect about 15 or 20 cars.  And T-shirts will be FREE for drivers who complete the rally tomorrow!  The Agave-colored shirt is right in tune with our holiday season.

I'll setup a photo page in BayArea02 images for posting, making it easy to collect all photos together.  Go to [Image page for NT49MD-22].

Not the 49-Mile Drive is TOMORROW!  Please download the Driver's Protocol and Announcements, along with the route instructions and photos from the discussion topic on the BMW 2002 and others page [NT49MD-22 discussion page].  See you at Ocean Beach before 9:30 in the morning!

Hey, the route instructions and photos are now posted near the top of this discussion page.  Please download and print them for your use!

Hey, can everyone see the grey button to download the Driver's Protocol and Announcements?  If you did not notice, this button is close to the page top next to "Event Title:".  You probably need to sign-in to see this gray button.

Hi--

I would NOT use an oil pressure gauge registering less than 100PSI!  On my late '73 I used a Stewart Warner HD electric pressure gauge for a while, with a max of 100PSI.  It was common with a cold engine in Arizona to run up to the 100 PSI line.  And the electric senders would need replacing after a year or two.  I recommend a 150PSI gauge and if you do not like the 90-degree sweep of the VDO electric gauge, try the mechanical gauge (yes, I know they may drip a little but as soon as I get the backordered VDO vacuum gauge, I'll try a mechanical gauge again).  Also note that some VDO sensors cost less if you purchase one for 1/8" pipe and use an adapter to screw into the oil pressure port.

Hi Spyke--

I made a couple of crimps as you see in the top&bottom photos below.  While obviously the terminal was too large for the wires, I think you can see the pattern.  I do not recall ever having a problem with my crimps in the past, a key reason I'm careful about loaning it out.

Let me know if you want to stop by for a look (PM might get a faster response).  I'm near Heather Farms Park.

Larry

Hi Spyke--

I have a crimping tool, see photo.  The tool says it's for 22-10 Gauge wires in 3 steps.  I bought it about 40 years ago from Honeywell Computer surplus in Phoenix and at one time it was calibrated for their computer production line.  When you start the crimp and the ratchet engages, you need to finish the crimp before it will release.

I suppose it's borrowable but not for long.  And Walnut Creek is a pretty long drive from the South Bay (maybe a day drive over Mt. Hamilton then North through Livermore and over Morgan Territory Rd. to Clayton, the scenic longer route?).

If you're planning to drive NT49MD on 10 Dec. and have your wires ready I expect to be there (IF Covid-19 cooperates-- I'm planning to test negative tomorrow...).  What do you think?

Larry

Hi--

I recommend Superior Upholstery on Erickson Rd. in Concord. But I suspect that's a lot farther than you want to drive.  I found that Jose does good work at a reasonable cost.

Welcome to NT49MD-22_drivers protocol & announcements 221206.doc NT49MD-22 route & photos_Handout_221201.doc Event Title: Not the 49-Mile Drive-2022

Event Location: 
Event Author: layers
Event Date: 12/10/2022 12:00 AM

Not the

2022 on 10 December

Well, in spite of the heavy rain we had about 7 cars drive the rally route.  No one got stuck (or lost their brakes) on steep, wet hills!  I posted the photo key NT49MD-22 Photo Key explained_221201.docNT49MD-22 Photo Key explained_221201.docso if anyone wants to try the route on a different day you can check your results.  All drivers who completed the route got a T-shirt (Agave-colored with this year's graphic).  Since the food trucks aborted their visit to the Presidio and Tunnel-Tops Park today, no end-of-route lunch was available in any case.🤕

If anyone has photos of NT49MD-22,please post at [NT49MD-22 photos]!

======================================================

TOMORROW!

Please download the route instructions from the discussion page; they're now posted there (see gray buttons near "Event Title" near page top).

UPDATE on 1 December 2022:

I just added the Driver’s Protocol and Announcements for all to read (see discussion topic using the link near the bottom of this page where the Word file is posted to download).  The route is verified (I corrected just one glitch) and the photos to align in order of view are in place at the end of the route instructions (and ready to post for your download on 9 December).

======================================================

UPDATE: We will start the rally at our old location, the West (beach) side of Great Highway across from Beach Chalet in Golden Gate Park.  Meet by 9:30 AM so all cars can be off before 10:00 AM.  We’re planning for the possibility of finishing near an agglomeration of food trucks where you can buy outdoor nourishment. In any case we still encourage social distancing, masking and other protocol to make sure our rally can NOT become a spreader event (Covid-19 or the flu or even RSV if you have your family lookouts aboard).

We will also have T-shirts.

Please read and download the "Welcome to NT49MD-22 drivers protocol & announcements" which I will upload soon. 

I will run the rally within a few days to verify the route and look for more photos.  I will also post the route instructions before 9 December so you can download them to print out (note, I'm not sure how good the resolution of the photos will be on a phone so I recommend a printed version).  Saves my printer a little bit and also decreases direct personal contact (hey, I know all of you are nice people).

Watch for more details, especially the route instructions!

Hey, December 10 is coming up fast— that means start to get ready for Not the

on 10 December!

Yes, we’re planning another Not the

In any case we plan to still encourage social distancing, masking and other protocol to make sure our rally can NOT become a spreader event (Covid-19 or the flu).

Stay tuned!

Note: You can see a few photos from NT49MD-2020 at [More photos from NT49MD-2020].  There are photos from NT40MD-2021 at [Photos from NT49MD-2021].

Not the 49-Mile Drive-2022

Hi Rakearch--

Besides the smaller tire diameter for 175/70-13 compared to the stock 165/80-13, the wider tire is apt to make your trunk floor panel fail to sit flush.  As I recall when I used 185/70-13 tires, the trunk floor panel would raise about 1/2" above the panel over the gas tank if I needed the spare.  That's a key reason I'm limiting my spare tire search to a 165 tire (and NOT the XAS tire mounted on a steel rim on my mezzanine that came from my late '73 when I bought it new...).

Larry