solo 2

Apparently I won't even have to restore mine, I'll just wait a couple of years and sell the rusted shell for 10 large.

After 6 months of a break finally started getting the 320 apart, new LSD and 5 speed for the 2002.

This has been done with many cars, just do an internet search. While keeping the BMW theme might appeal to fans of the marque you're already modifying the crap out of it. Get yourself a Hyabusa engine to start with, 180 HP and 103 lb/ft of torque at 7K rpm right out of the box. Turbo kits are available up to 400HP I believe.

What I do is roller some paint on the wall beside the tv when F1 is on, that way I can switch back and forth between the drying paint and the race, which ever is more exciting at the time...paint is ahead about 70/30 right now;) +1 on MotoGP

I did upholstery about 20 years ago, even then for some reason people seemed to assume that it took nothing to reupholster a seat, you really do get what you pay for. Material, especially rare original or proper hides are very expensive, many running into the hundreds of dollars per yard. IIRC it takes approx. 3yds to do a set of seats. Leather is especially tricky because most original automotive leathers are coated and have the grain stamped into them for uniformity and wear resistance. Regular garment hides can be used but the grain is uneven, they are more supple but unless they are top coated the dye will rub off on your clothes and it will wear much faster than original leather no matter what. The quality imitation leathers are very good and gaining popularity even in high end cars, but once again very expensive. If someone specializes in Recaros or has done them before, it should be a little cheaper as they probably already have a pattern for them, if not they have to tear them apart for a pattern, or worse, make one from the seat itself. Any foam repairs can be time consuming to get right and do properly using a high quality foam. Merely gluing standard cushion foam (or worse,rebond foam) in place without correctly backing it will result in a failure pretty quickly, they may look nice but like paint, what's underneath can be as critical as the cover. Check out the prices of a new, quality leather sport seat, there's no reason to expect a quality rebuild to be much less expensive. A good upholsterer is no less important than a painter/bodyman or mechanic. Once again you get what you pay for usually.

Go to a decent upholstery shop, preferably one that's been around for many years. There are places that stock factory materials, even back to the 40's. That particular material may not be available and if it is it will probably be wicked expensive but it's worth a shot. These guys are the largest from what I remember, I don't know if you can deal directly with them. https://www.smsautofabrics.com/

OK neither my phone or my tablet seem to be compatible though both are Android 4.2.2 and have bluetooth connectivity. I thought anything above 4.0 was compatible. My laptop is older than both with windows 7 but it will download just fine. Any ideas, I haven't actually opened my 123 yet as it won't be in use for some time.

+1 I did auto upholstery for 10 years, contact cement works really well on anything being bonded to steel, once cured it doesn't come off. most glues I've seen have to be sprayed on both surfaces and then left to set up tacky, almost dry, if you don't do this most glues will fail. Wet feeling glue is a recipe for disaster in my experience.

Maybe I've overlooked something but where do you get the app for the bluetooth 123? I have a Samsung Galaxy and can't seem to find it anywhere. TIA

That's pretty cool, I've never seen the machine that does that. Thing would be so easy to program with that type of tooling.

This is pretty complete but I'm curious about the clear you're talking about, is it a 2 part, if not I'd stick with Spraymax. Just remember to wear a proper mask when shooting, nasty stuff. If you're in Cali I'm not sure you can buy it there.

800 grit should be plenty rough for a recoat. BASF/RM makes a paint called Uno, a single stage paint but you need a gun to shoot it. I've only used it once for a new paint job, works good but it takes some getting used to as it shoots like water. Most paint jobs are base/clear.

Most paint shops can put a base coat in a spray bomb, then get a can of Spraymax 2K spot clear coat, dries very quickly and is very durable. I've used these products many times and they work excellent, I've done complete quarters this way. When you tape off the area you want, use 2" painters tape but only press down the far edge, let the leading edge stay lifted about 1/2" or so. Don't try to spray under the tape just pretend it's a solid line, this will blend the paint a bit without going too far or leaving a solid line. If you get a nice blend line, a light scuff with 1000 grit or better yet wait a couple weeks then power polish.

I think sometime it's really just a case of someone thinking they're sitting on gold, you see it all the time in the resto world. Someone sees a Challenger sell for 100K at Barrett and all of a sudden their rusty 4 door Volare' is worth 10K. 02"s seem to be pretty hot right now with prices of nice Tii's going through the roof which in turn pushes up all prices. If someone can get these prices from someone else, they should probably be doing their homework.

As you said previously the charge slows (cools) the instant it leaves the combustion chamber. Ceramic coating, internal and external, helps keep the velocity of the charge up. Keep in mind that scavenging is probably more dependent on exhaust header design and of course tube diameter also comes into play when you're talking velocity.

I'm pretty sure keeping the charge hot maintains the velocity of the charge which in turn increases the scavenging effect. Turbos use blankets and coatings to keep the velocity of the charge from decreasing and also reducing under hood temps. For any exhaust to show maximum gains everything upstream must be working to their maximum. I'm wondering if he meant a 6hp gain which I think might be possible on a large well prepared motor but 6% seems high on 100hp motor.

Rolling Stones - Bitch Bee Gees - Stayin Alive AC/DC - Girls got Rhythm Bob Marly - Jammin The Clash - London Calling Tool - Stinkfist Hmmm, turning into a mix tape. Definitely 'Bitch' if I could only pick one.

I'm no expert but I have done quite a few motorcycle restorations and I can tell you from experience that buying a rusted out 02 with everything else in good nick will save you thousands. An entire vehicle is always cheaper than the sum of it's parts. You have a good shell which is more than most start with it seems, finding a rust bucket shouldn't be a problem, I'm guessing someone on this site may have one sitting around. Good Luck.

Ordered mine on Nov.16, just arrived today. Thanks again.

Looks good. What did you attach the spoke covers with? I just finished redying a couple of sport wheels.

It's been about 20 years since I was in upholstery but I hope your person didn't stretch the headliner too tight as it can cause tearing when you install hardware. You should be able to feel the screw holes with your finger, if the material wrinkles a bit it can be steamed and it will usually go back to smooth. Even a hot summer day can cure some wrinkles. The nice thing about steam as opposed to a heat gun is you can't burn through the material, you can also use steam to soften the material to aid in finding holes.

If you are going for absolute original or want to learn something new, use lead but keep in mind that the new epoxies are just as good and easier to cut apart if needed. One of the reasons epoxies have not caught on with the general public is because of cost, it's quite expensive for some of it. Now this is only from my personal experience but I've used JB Weld quite a bit for rough bodywork, filling in weld lines etc. and I've never had an issue with it. Prep is key like everything else. If you wanted to use some of the higher tech epoxies, do your research, I'm sure they make something that will work for this very application.

New Toyos and on the car.

I just performed a CT on my 73, approx 160K, assuming stock, sat for a long time and have known service records up to 100K. I have done nothing to the engine as of yet, haven't checked valve clearances. 1-4 are 145-155-145-142. I'm planning on a 292 cam and dual 40's, daily driver. Any advice, I'm trying to keep the costs down till I can get it road worthy, may keep the 32/36 on till then. I already own 40's from other projects BTW. TIA