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Djthom

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Blog Entries posted by Djthom

  1. Djthom
    What seemed like a straight forward job turned into an agonizing long process due to COVID.  First I waited too long before ordering parts.  Then the piston  manufacturer Ross took significantly longer than expected.  Finally my local machine shop was backlogged by the time I had everything.  So 6 months later it finally has come together.  I didn't take as many pics as I should have due to wanting to quickly get driving 







  2. Djthom
    With everything set to do put the head back on, I began assembly only to discover in process that the bottom left bolt in the front cover had been broken off in the block.   With no way to address that in the car, the rest of the engine had to come out.   
     
    And this is where the opportunity presented itself to drag my future plans into the present since I'm not driving anywhere these days anyway.   
     
    Rather than just drilling out the broken bolt, I decided to switch horses and rebuild the numbers matching engine block.  My original plan had been to build up the short block some winter and swap it in.  More on that in another post.  
     
    The engine bay was also a bit shabby particularly around the battery tray.   I took the opportunity to decrease everything and repaint the affected areas with POR15 after using Eastwood rust converter.   
     








  3. Djthom

    Head is Ready!

    By Djthom,

    I got my head back from the machine shop and began getting it ready.  
     
    Head has new stainless exhaust valves, all new guides and seals, new heavy duty Ireland rockers, reground and reground cam.  
     
    I know it's a driver but I bought a new fastener set and painted all the parts in dull aluminum to keep them looking bright and clean.  
     
     







  4. Djthom
    This is my third 02 in as many years.  How did I get here and why?
     
    My first 02 was a roundie tii that I completely restored and sold.  It's story was detailed here.  The sheer cost of the restoration and the fact I already have other high level restored cars resulted in a change in strategy....
    Hence my next car was to be a 3 season driver.  The concept was to get maximum usage and enjoy daily driving of a vintage classic without worrying about every raincloud or stone chip.  It's story is documented here.    I LOVED this car and it filled the garage gap exactly as I hoped.   I used the car daily and enjoyed every moment. 
     
    Which brings me to the car in question.  I had been keeping an eye out for a roundie tii with sunroof at a driver level comparable to the 74. I found this new 73 02tii which meant the 74 had to go.   
     
    So I have ended up with what I hope will be my ideal 02tii for the long haul.  Roundie with sunroof at a level I can enjoy daily for 3 seasons

  5. Djthom

    Intro to my new tii

    By Djthom,

    So here it is, the new tii.  
     
    The Good;  Roundie, tii, sunroof.  Matching number engine included.  The perfect starting point.   Original BC car that never saw salt.  Underside and rockers are solid except for a small patch in passenger floor.   Previous owner put lowering springs and Bilsteins.  
     
    The Bad:  corrosion along belt line of hood and trunk lid as well as rear quarter wheel lips.  Pops out of 2nd gear. 
     
    The Ugly:   Green cam cover and tired upholstery with some cracks.  Cracked dash as expected.  I won't mention the wheels for fear of starting a war. 
     
     





  6. Djthom

    Trouble in Paradise

    By Djthom,

    It wasn't long before there was trouble in paradise.  I began to notice more and more white smoke on startup.   And then my suspicions were confirmed by the telltale milky oil underneath the fill cap.  
     
    Leaky head gasket and/or front cover gasket?  A dreaded crack?   Driving season ended abruptly.  
     
    The engine in the car is a 74tii engine.  The original engine (tall block) was included in the sale and swapped in the past for reasons unknown.  My original plan was to build up the original engine and then swap it back in next winter.  Oh the best laid plans of mice and men...
     
    When I pulled the head off the 74tii engine in the car I was surprised and alarmed to see it had a 121 head with piano pistons!!!!  Oh oh. Based on the advise on the forum and the obvious conflict I don't know how this engine had been running as long as it did. The PO hadn't put that many miles on over his brief ownership over a couple of years.   
     
    Fortunately the E12 head on the original engine checked out with no cracks.   So the plan is for a total head overhaul and then put it back onto the 74 block for now.  I will redo the original block at a later time...
     




  7. Djthom

    The first quick fixes

    By Djthom,

    After getting the car home I set about rectifying some of the immediate concerns. 
     
    1) Falling our of 2nd.   Thanks to the wealth of info on this site I was able to fix simply by torquing the gearbox output shaft nut.  Problem solved
     
    2) Upholstery.  Before selling the 74 I swapped the rear seats.  I had put new foams and Aardvark covers in the 74.   I also scavenged the rear seat belts.   For the front seats I put new foam in the bottom with heated seat elemets.  I was able to sew in a patch of blue vinyl on the inside of the cover.  You can see  blue thread stitch lines but its passable and comfy
     
    3) Trim.  I had saved some good trim pieces from the red tii that were ok but not concourse.  I swapped any belt trim for which I had better pieces without dings. 
     
    4) blower fan.  Fortunately I just had to buy a new motor.   The electrical and switches and relays were all ok.  
     
     
    With all these adjustments the car is feeling better and better
  9. Djthom

    Project Complete!

    By Djthom,

    Finally the project is complete!  Here are some photos and description of the final product.  
     
    As you can see, I had the side markers and reflectors deleted.  I also got rid of the knee height rub strip.   I installed euro turn signals and new short stainless bumpers with the integrated euro plate lights.  I sourced earlier bumper brackets to pull them closer to the body.   
     
    I purchased new rain gutter trim, rocker trim, tail panel trim and badges.  The beltline trim is mostly new with a couple of professionally restored pieces that aren't available currently.  I used King of Trim and they did a fantastic job.
     
    The driver side grill in in great shape.  The passenger side has some corrosion.  I decided to keep it and use it.  It's the original one the car was born with and the overall finish matches the other pieces.   I will keep an eye for a better one and may look into having the original badges restored.  
     
    In the end I achieved what I had set out to achieve.  A sort of euro/backdated tribute to the original E10 design combined with the awesomeness of a tii. 
     
     
     










  10. Djthom

    Trunk

    By Djthom,

    In what could be the most boring post in this blog, here are some photos of the trunk.  New seals, white seam covers, and vinyl for the side and floor covers.    I modified the original battery bracket to reuse here.  Its sitting on rubber insulators.    I added a photo of the tank before the panel went in.  Shame that bodyshop painted top won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon.




  11. Djthom

    Bottoms Up

    By Djthom,

    With spring approaching and with just a few trim bits left to be completed, I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of the top than the bottom.  But here are some pics before it comes down off the lift for spring.  











  12. Djthom

    Jewelry

    By Djthom,

    While working today I took some pics of all the plated latches and components in their proper place.  Details are coming together and looking good












  13. Djthom

    Wheels!

    By Djthom,

    I debated long and hard about wheels since the bottlecaps that came on the car weren't in great shape and also I preferreded a vintage appearance and size.  
     
    I thought about finding a set of original wheels and hubcaps.  I tried to find a set of fps alloy wheels without success.  Minitlites look great but are too generic for my taste.  There have been some amazing steelie choices discussed and pictured on the forum and I still think that would be a sweet option.  In the end I found a set of E21 Alpina wheels and had them professionally refinished with new Toyo tires.  
     
    The question now is BMW center caps or Alpina center caps?


  14. Djthom

    Home Sweet Home

    By Djthom,

    Recently I got the car home.  I elected to postpone the final sand and polish until it's mostly assembled in case it gets a minor nick or scratch that needs to be fixed.  Everything turned out amazing.  




  15. Djthom

    Readying the Rear End

    By Djthom,

    With body nearing completion and engine complete I've been starting to assemble other major assemblies including the rear end.
     
    - new input and output seals on the differential as well as new gaskets
     
    - new brake cylinders and brake lines
     
    - new urethane bushings in suspension arms and sway bar linkages 
     
    - new suspension mounts and urethane bushings in differential mounting bracket
     
    Looks fantastic all together with the replated hardware.  Just need a body yo install it on!









  16. Djthom

    Body Progress

    By Djthom,

    Going to add some progress photos on the body.  In this set is new trunk floor, rear panel, dogleg behind door, inner/outer wheel arch, rocker and A pillar.  Zero rust now and perfectly aligned.  I'm closing in all the side marker and reflectors for a Euro look.







  17. Djthom

    Stripped Down

    By Djthom,

    Fast forwarding 2 months, the car was completely disassembled down to the shell.  The doors, hood, trunklid and fenders were taken off, and they along with the shell were media blasted down to bare metal.  We said goodbye to paint, body filler, tar mats in the interior, undercoating, and of course most importantly rust.  With nothing but solid metal remaining, epoxy primer was applied on the same day to prevent any new surface corrosion from forming.
     
    As previously noted, the trunk floor and rockers will need replacing.  in addition the lower A-Pillars, lower nose valence,  and rear wheel outer and inner wheel arches will need new metal.  The rear strut towers and rear suspension mounts are rock solid.  All new metal panels have been ordered from W-N and a few minor areas of fabrication will be required.






  18. Djthom

    Head Rebuild

    By Djthom,

    Been awhile since I posted but lots has gone on.  All of the parts have been restored and I"m waiting for the body to begin assembly.  Here i have some head shots and list of new parts from Ireland Engineering
     
    New 292 camshaft New rocker arms and eccentrics New timing chain, oil pump chain and fuel injection belt New valve guides.  New exhaust studs and nuuts  
     




  19. Djthom

    It All Starts Here

    By Djthom,

    Recently I purchased  my first 02, a 1973 Malaga tii with tobacco interior.    .  The current paint looks like it was applied with a roller and there is overspray all over the place, but under that facade the car is very solid with the exception of rockers and trunk floor.  Mechanically, it started right up when I went to pick it up, and I was able to drive it up onto the trailer and even take the kids for a ride around the block when I got it home.   With the exception of a couple of dash cracks, the tobacco interior is in fantastic condition with no rips or tears.. 
     
    My plan is to perform a complete restoration that I will document here




  20. Djthom

    Short Block

    By Djthom,

    With the body away, its time to begin rebuilding!
    Crankcase stripped, cleaned and new core plugs installed.  Painted with high temperature black from Eastwood. Cylinders deglazed, pistons checked and in good condition with proper clearance Crankshaft journals polished to a mirror finish.  No wear groove on the rear seal New piston rings, main bearings and big end bearings from Ireland Engineering With the crank installed and buttoned down, it turns easily and freely as smooth as glass.  With the pistons in, the engine can still be turned over by hand.  Everything moving nice and freely and smoothly.
     






  21. Djthom
    Nut and Bolt Restoration is an often misused phrase, but in this case that's exactly what I've been up to.   All fasteners and bracketry have been wire wheeled or glass bead blasted to bare metal and freshly replated.    Now as I enter the reassembly phase, each component will have the appearance that it would have when leaving the factory.
     
    Sure, replacement hardware is available, but it lacks the aesthetic originality.  The small thin washers, short headed bolts, original markings, shallow castle nuts and original finishes are just not available at the local hardware store.  When finished, everything should have that "just right" look to it that can't be replicated with anything but the original bits.







  23. Djthom

    Interior Refurbishment

    By Djthom,

    I've been working to get the interior all completed.  I installed a new carpet from Etsy.  I have to say it's a lot nicer than other kits I've installed in my other 02.  The new headliner from WN was not without its challenges but the end result is straight with no wrinkles.   The rear C-pillar flags were about 6 inches off from where they should have been so I had to detach carefully and reglue them.  I remade the rear shelf and covered with German vinyl and installed the original rear seat with has no tears or splits.   The door cards and rear panels were in fantastic shape.  Fortunately previous owners decided not to  cut speaker holes!    I installed my leather covered dash and it looks and smells amazing.  I had the glass put in by a professional.  I'm too nervous to massage it in on my own.  








  24. Djthom

    Body Modifications

    By Djthom,

    While I was refreshing the car, I wanted to make some changes to the body.  While at the body shop for the floor repair, I had them close the impact bumper holes and shave off the reflector lights.  I installed a chrome rear bumper,  a set of euro turn signals and some nicer belt line trim.  These were all extra/spare from my 73tii project that weren't good enough to put on that car.  I went with a pair of driving lights and mounting brackets from Kooglewerks.  I like the end result and I didn't get too carried away with paint and body to deviate from my objective.




  25. Djthom

    Interior Refurbishment

    By Djthom,

    The interior had its good points and its low points.  The good news was the door and rear interior panels and front seat covers were in excellent condition.  The dash had the usual crack, but only the one crack and otherwise good shape.  The low points were the rear seat covers, carpet and most significantly, all of the seat pads were discriminating. 
     
    I started with a new carpet kit over the freshly painted interior.  I ordered new rear seat covers from Aardvark.   I purchased polyurethane foam and restuffed all of the seats.  While i had the front seats apart, I installed seat heaters for those non-snowy winter days.
     
    The end result is a freshened and comfortable interior.





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