Schon '02

Rain and pandemic... I expect people will be hunkering down indoors this weekend and roads will be clear...

The local Alfa club is having their Green Hills tour this Sunday regardless. For anyone wanting to check out classic Italian sports cars, the staging is in Novato, at the Starbucks Vintage Oaks Shopping Center from 8:30 to 9:15. The drive finishes up in Calistoga for lunch. The drive isn’t Alfa or vintage car exclusive (especially with wet weather in the forecast), so for those interested, it may be possible to join the drive to Calistoga.

Anyway, get in your ‘02s, enjoy the hills while they’re emerald green (at least here in NorCal) and stay healthy out there!

Went to a C&C to meet up with a couple of South Bay ‘02ers... helped to install a wind deflector on Pedram’s Agave ‘02 vintage roof rack (just like the the one I had made for mine to knock down the noise).

“Low” temperature reading in the gauge could also be caused by the thermostat or temperature sender. The sender doesn’t typically go bad, but they’re inexpensive (<$10j if you want to swap it out; ditto the thermostat (~$25).

John76 makes a good point about IR gauge accuracy. I’m guessing normal operating temperature should be in the 175-180F range. If your dash gauge reads 150-165F, an IR gauge or temp stick giving you +/- 5F accuracy may be good enough to tell you if you have a dash gauge issue or not. 
 

FWIW, my gauge reads on the “low” side as well, maybe 170-175F per the TechTip. 

I’d check it with one of these for $16 before futzing with the temp gauge. 

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-774-Non-contact-Thermometer/dp/B00837ZGRY/ref=pd_cp_328_1/147-5689337-3082223?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00837ZGRY&pd_rd_r=d39c3e8d-0f62-4b6c-ae15-f4eb09ead529&pd_rd_w=moiy1&pd_rd_wg=n6rHm&pf_rd_p=4853e837-f87a-46d4-be32-dcf86bff7a7c&pf_rd_r=D6BFPXCS8Q15EDSRR1S8&psc=1&refRID=D6BFPXCS8Q15EDSRR1S8

Have you seen this?

6 hours ago, 114TYP said:

Post here anything, that you find, but don't need yet think might be useful for someone.

Starting off with a full set of 3-piece dashboard, looks like crack free in ebay classifields:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/bmw-1600-2-cabrio-1602-2002-2002ti-02-armaturentraeger-dreiteilig/1338664793-223-6978

Isn’t that what’s this is for???
https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/forum/11-parts-for-sale/

5 minutes ago, COOP said:

I think it’s frankly a bit silly to assume that, just because someone paid a high price for a car, that it is therefore destined to be a garage/trailer queen. Just because you or I can’t or wouldn’t pay a given sum for a car with the intention to regularly drive it doesn’t mean that this rationale applies to a buyer of higher financial means or appetites. 

Very true, but Parker99 already has 5 wins on BaT in 2020 alone. Hopefully he drives or uses them all the way they were intended for.

BMW OEM if you can find one. Unfortunately I sold an extra that came with my car last year. Part number is below if you want to try to reach out to a BMW dealer or other parts vendor.

Hopefully the buyer is happy and the car met all of his must have check boxes, trophies will surely be added to his shelves. The seller sure is happy.

Our cars are not new, off the factory assembly line commodities, so each sale is unique. This is certainly an outlier, and in no way changes the core '02 market IMO. My very nice '73 "driver" is still worth "only" a quarter of the Euro tii sale price; investing another quarter of that sale price to raise the quality of my '73 to "better than new" will not double its value. There are no visions of grandeur or ideas of flipping my car as a result of this sale. I made a smart purchase two years ago, and am really enjoying owning and driving my car, probably more than the collector(?) of the Euro tii ever will. That being said, I think I've got the better deal at a fraction of the sale price.

1 hour ago, BarrettN said:

That's pretty much the conclusion I'd come to as well - I don't see gravity being enough force to cause it to go up the injector tubes and out the injectors, so draining the oil is probably the next step. 

Assuming the tii injection pump is similar in design concept to an Alfa SPICA pump, those four little gasoline pistons have tight tolerance fits, but not so tight to prevent a thin solvent to pass by into the fuel injection pump crankcase, especially if the pump has some normal wear. And guess wear the FI pump crankcase gets its lubrication? From your engine oil (at least that's what happens in an Alfa w/SPICA FI). Gas in Oil is a common issue for worn SPICA pumps. Check your oil.

On 2/28/2020 at 7:40 AM, CristianGarcia said:

@Rich It’s probably a sign from the universe that I should pass up on this car. Also, I PMd the guy selling the Malaga 73.
 

Anyways, this seller said he’s firm on $18.5k and I really wasn’t looking to spend that much in the first place. So if anyone is interested in spending almost 20k for this 73 Sahara, let me know and I’ll pass along his info. 
 

The hunt continues...

 Christian, Based on your number of posts, I assume you’re pretty new to this group like me. However, I’ve been a vintage euro sports car owner for close to 30 years, and seen friends make mistakes thinking they could “save” money on cars with needs. so here’s some general purchasing advice as your hunt continues.

Enjoy the hunt. It’s a great time to gain knowledge about 2002’s and meet the great people in this community. Join your local club and attend the events. The SoCal Vintage in early November is a great place to see cars and meet their owners, lay seeds for possible buys or even find a car for sale that meets your requirements. 
 

Determine your requirements and if you’re looking for a long term buy or settling for something less in the short term. It’s a pay now or later decision... being patient, finding the right car and paying a bit more now may very well save you in the long term. If you’re considering cars in $18-20k range, another $5k will make a big difference in the quality of car you can own. 
 

Be ready for the kill. Set aside your car fund now, in case the car you’ve been searching for unexpectedly becomes available. Cash is king when it comes to making and a closing a deal. 

Good luck and hope to see you out there on PCH someday.

20 hours ago, Jim_75Sahara said:

Agree with the previous comments. I'd DEFINITELY pass on this one. I bought a '73 Sahara 2002 in June of 2017 for less than this and in much better shape. Mine had a fresh engine rebuild, a nicely redone interior, new bumpers and trim, working a/c, a quality repaint in its history, etc. I bought mine from a very knowledgeable, trustworthy owner, leading to no regrets at all on my part. I flew out to Denver on a one-way ticket and I drove it back to Ohio. Trust.

Patience and a little luck help too... It’s been two years since acquiring our ‘73. A few years earlier, a co-worker and I made a mutual promise that if either of us decided to part with our classics (mine an Alfa GTV), we would give the other the first call before going to the open market. My buddy blinked first, offering his needs nothing, fully restored (by a PO) ‘73 Malaga with sunroof, rebuilt engine (dual side draft Weber’s, 292s, Stahl header) and tranny, extra wheels (13” repro FPS alloys), seats (Recaros) and miscellaneous parts (as-new door handles, mud flaps, sunroof wind deflector). Well, the heater valve and box did need rebuilding (don’t they all?) and some minor TLC (he drove it maybe 3000 miles in 11 years of ownership). His asking was mid-$20s... my questions was, “You sure?” Other than the temperature gauge going wonky (loose ground), we’ve had 4000 trouble free miles. No regrets. 
 

keep an eye out and get the word out... you’ll find the right car when you see it.

1 hour ago, CristianGarcia said:

@Rich It’s probably a sign from the universe that I should pass up on this car. Also, I PMd the guy selling the Malaga 73.
 

Anyways, this seller said he’s firm on $18.5k and I really wasn’t looking to spend that much in the first place. So if anyone is interested in spending almost 20k for this 73 Sahara, let me know and I’ll pass along his info. 
 

The hunt continues...

Agree on taking a pass. You’d be easily in it another $15-20k, if not more to wind up with a car worth half that amount. I’ve seen others buy cars in worse shape, but they’re in it for the hobby/restoration/masochism aspect of the buy. To each his own. 

I hear these rear bumper support trim pieces are hard to come by.

My '73 has an upper dash replacement from Maximilian when it went under restoration 15-20 years ago by a previous owner. It had no labels when I purchased the car, and the car isn't 100% original.  I have no intentions of showing the car competitively (been there with another classic car, and have no desire to compete against fully restored trailer queens).   So I had the choice of labeling the dash (for originality), knobs or both. I chose (actually the wife did)  knobs for a cleaner look and easier application since the knobs are removable. The labels from Mo were top notch. The only downside is the cig lighter, which slowly rotates in its socket when driving, so the label is never straight.

1 hour ago, tech71 said:

I regret handing over Franzi, My 71 sunroof in Chamonix to my ex 20 or so years ago with the promise she would take care of it and turn it back over to me before selling.

What could I do? I was leaving the country for an extended period. (ended up being 15 years)

 She drove it until it developed a coolant leak (head gasket, cylinder head, something) and just parked it for 15 years.

She recently agreed to return it to me but has started stalling. I suspect the years have not been kind and she's afraid now of my reaction if I see it.

It was a solid, nice, well kept 02 with great paint.?

My ex threw rocks at my pristine Alfa Romeo Milano Verde and smashed the rear window and put a few dents in the trunk. I’d rather have the 15 years of neglect.

Daniel, North Bay Bavarian is right in your Santa Rosa backyard and Bill Arnold BMW is down 101 in San Rafael. Both come highly recommended in the local ‘02 community. Hope to see you at the Main CnC or one of the North Bay BMW GGC gatherings. 

Take your pick... Malaga w/tan or Chamonix in the background

Thanks Mike! I’ll take you up in the PM offer and will send you some pictures when I get a chance (hopefully tomorrow after work). 

Is there a way to adjust the rear vertical edge of the side glass to position it further outboard? The glass currently puts too much pressure on the seal in its current position making it harder to close the door with the window up. The only adjustment I see is at the front of the door where the quarter window frame can be adjusted in/outboard. This does move the window in/outboard, but I could use some more adjustment towards the rear of The side glass.

TIA,

Ken

An Alfa club member shared a Super Drive Sunday (02/02/20) rally route. The staging time is probably around 8:30 - 9:00 am in the Sea Bowl parking lot in Pacifica. The lunch stop is in Boulder Creek and returns to Pacifica. The unofficial rally is open to all with no club affiliation.

Certainly open to a Delta drive or gathering someplace in between the valley and SF. Setting up a starting/staging point on the 80 corridor would make sense for Sac, North and East Bay’ers. There are CnCs in Fairfield on 3/14 and Vacaville on 3/15 that start at 8am, so at a minimum, they could be good places to meet and show with easy access to Hwy12 for those that want to drive on. 

Regarding a rally on 02/02/2020, it is Super Bowl Sunday and the ‘9ers are playing... not sure what interest there is for that, though the roads will likely be open as kickoff time approaches. However, the Marin CnC is in play for the morning. Will Derby or Tesoro be there?

I chose not. It’s not that I don’t like them, but we wanted a period correct look and feel to the car, so we swapped out the wheels for the factory option 13” FPS alloys and the Recaros with original seats (which came with the car when we bought it a couple of years ago). 
 

Is it just a matter of styling that seems to cause the gagging and eye rolling? Or is there something else wrong with them? If it’s just the look,  I sort of get it when I think of how out of place a 5 star Campagnolo wheel from an Alfa Spider looks on a GTV, even though a similar 5 Star design Cromodora Daytona looks perfect. But what do I know? I just have a set of bottle caps w/185-70s plus a perfect unshod wheel taking up space in the garage. Trying to sell them has been pretty fruitless. 

If you’re going to go down this path, you’ve got a long way to catch up with the AlfaBB’ers... 5321 posts and counting....

https://www.alfabb.com/threads/women-alfas.55069/

IMO, we had the seller's perfect scenario of two bidders with silly money, wanting a car they perceive to be in #1 condition. VIN issues aside, it is IMO a #2 condition car that would not merit honorable mention at the national level. I thought $25-30k was more than enough for a restored salvage vehicle that someone was able to get their DMV to title with parts from a non-salvage title. It's an outlier as far as I'm concerned and I won't expect anyone to pay me this kind of money for my restored '73 in #2- condition with matching numbers.