2002kid

15 minutes ago, wheelieking said:

 

+1 My headliner was pretty moldy when I got my car, but it cleaned up nicely. 

 

(Sorry to the OP for semi-hijacking the thread.  Here is my build blog which is woefully behind, but I will be updating soon.)

 

Well here is my intake, which I'm not sure I can trust is the original on the car, but the fender did have that emissions sticker which was pretty shredded so I peeled it up before repainting the engine bay. 

 

 

 

And here are the emissions components that I removed while cleaning. Consequently I'll probably post them for sale at some point. 

 

 

And here is a sneak peek of the engine rebuild.   

No Worries! All information is good information, and your project looks like its going well! I also have the emissions system on my car and am looking to remove it to make things easier, so this information is super helpful!

Quick Question for your project, how hard was it to remove the engine in order to repaint the engine bay? Im considering doing this not only to refresh the engine, but to also "fully" repaint the car (Still the same color, Mainly to help preserve and prevent rust). Im mainly worried that once I begin to take things apart, im going to have no idea how to put things back together. Thanks! -2002kid

Hello! I've tinkered with the car a little over the past year or so and have now more recently began to tear it apart.. literally. I have the interior gutted out as the carpets were moldy and the headliner is most likely next to come out. I wanted to start a forum/topic to begin my journey towards getting this car back on the road and also for getting help with a car I don't know a lot about. Here are some photos and I will also list what has been done to the car below and what I think needs to be done... 

Car Info

1976 BMW 2002

Sienna Brown with a tan interior

54,xxx miles

has been sitting for roughly 10 years with work done on and off

NY Car

Mechanical

New radiator and fan

New distributor parts (condenser, cap, etc.)

Somewhat new coil

New battery

Cleaned out carb, having some issues with vacuum leaks

New interior fan (goes off heater core)

New brake pads, rotors, and calipers

Fluid looked good so im assuming the brakes were flushed (will probably do again)

That's all I can remember off the top of my head as of now and I will add to this list as I go!

Parts I Have

Sunroof Seals

Original "Roundy" fog lights

Timing Light

Full set of tools

Replacement trim tabs "metal and plastic"

New spark Plugs

New Wires

Trunk Seal

What needs to be done (front to back)

I am trying to right now get any mechanical work done before the car goes in for paint, im also going to strip the car before it goes in for paint and complete any work before hand so i don't scratch the new paint. 

The fog lights seem to have a switch on the dash but I don't see any harness or mounting for them so i would like to figure out how to wire and mount them

The hood seals that wrap around the hood latch mechanism are very crumbled and worn, not sure if they are 100% needed but is something I noticed

The Battery connections are awful, the car still works with how they are but i am worried about them falling off mid drive

I'm having a lot of issues with keeping the car at a good idle, I plugged one of the vacuum holes and that seemed to help, looking for a more oem solution where the car adjusts as it is supposed to rather then just plugging it(unless i should).

Wires and Spark Plugs need to be replaced, car still runs fine, I just know they are old and I have the parts.

Trim of the entire car needs to be removed and polished/corrected (pretty much anything that shouldn't be painted (for sure going to need some tips on this one)

I need to find a good air filter for the carb, currently it doesn't have one, used to have a oval shaped K&N black filter. 

Moving inside, I pretty much gutted the car, other than the dashboard and headliner since it was a bit moldy. I still have the seats, looking for a nice replacement that would match the interior and be easy to install/fit the car.

The drivers floor pan is rotted out, Looked at a few websites and found one for 150$ that seems perfect and a decent price. 

There is some surface rust on small components that I will address and paint to prevent further damage. 

The car has AC and a stereo, the AC i might just leave up to a professional, but the radio I think may just need speakers hooked up to it and it may work, Need to find speakers that fit the rear decklid. 

I want to re-wrap the rear decklid since it is very sun faded and worn. 

I also may want to do a refresh on the interior panels, headliner and seats. probably with newer materials but the same color.

Sunroof seems to leak and the seals are very loose, I have new seals, i just know working on that is going to be a big job, but it would make sense to have it removed for paint. 

Windshield front and rear seals are toast and need to be replaced/removed for paint

Pretty much all windows and seals need to be removed and possibly replaced, I want the car as prepped as possible for paint.

Gauges seem to be a bit glitchy, for instance when i use a turn signal my coolant temp goes up and down. going to try and figure out where something is maybe arcing or connected where it shouldn't be.

"BRAKE" is constantly illuminated, might be the cable on the parking brake or fluid cap

the passenger rear quarter panel has a small hole from rust about 3 inches from the wheel arch, trying to find a replacement panel/patch

I will probably add more to the list but that is all I can think of for now and I'm sorry if this is a bit out of order as I went back to add onto certain topics. 

I also know this is a lot and I'm sorry if it is too much and in no way expect all my questions to be answered, but know this is a great place to ask questions and get help from more experienced owners current and past. 

Some of these photos are before I gutted the interior, I will upload some current photos along with some of the mystery parts I have tomorrow. 

Thanks a lot ,and Ill try to keep this updated the best I can.  - 2002kid

I did!, i took apart both lights and looked at them to see if there were any differences and saw it like a sore thumb!

Turned out it was the ground that touched went from the bulb to the frame had come lose and was touching one of the positive wires for the running lights. 

3 hours ago, John76 said:

Hi 2002kid,

Fuses 7 & 8 are fairly easy...(only fuses 1 & 3 are easier!). 

Before you spend $$$ at a mechanic, check the following:

1) Left side (fuse #7). If it blows again, check the Grey/yellow wire to each bulb, especially the front lights. 

    These tend to get pinched, corroded or loose in the light fixture.

2) Check rear light harness plug (in trunk). This also gets corrosion from moisture in the trunk.

3) Ditto for the Right side, but don't forget the rear side lights and license plate lights.

Good luck!  You can do it!!!   At 18, you have a lot of lives left to experiment with electricity!

 

 

Wow! Thankyou so much! I'll go through the car tomorrow and see if I can find anything out or order according to the diagram and what you advised. Thanks -kid

1 hour ago, 2002kid said:

Yeah it seems like a short, im going to bring it to my local mechanic

i should have elaborated, im very new to cars, and i really dont want to fry or screw up any electronics on this car (im 18). i would rather bring it to my friend who is a mechanic and can help me diagnose this. I checked the grounds that i could find and cleaned them, that didnt fix the problem. i took off the connections on the front and rear lights and made sure they were on right, that did nothing. i just want to play it safe and not make an expensive mistake. 

Yeah it seems like a short, im going to bring it to my local mechanic

On 4/3/2021 at 8:32 PM, Mike Self said:

If it blows again when you turn the lights on, you have a short somewhere--but since that fuse serves only those two bulbs, it should be easy to find.

 

mike

I'm very new to electrics and the wiring on these cars, where would the ground be for the fuse?

1 hour ago, Mike Self said:

Check fuse 7 carefully (those fuses not only corrode, but actually wear out).  That fuse services only your left parking and tail light.

 

mike

Just looks, it's blown! I think I have some replacements at home, I'll let you know if that fixes it. Thanks!

Turn signals work fine but the front and rear running lights on the driver side don't illuminate, any idea why this would happen?

Thankyou everyone for your help, ill be sure to keep you guys updated on the process of the build and restoration of this car!

3 hours ago, BradInPA said:

What's the history with your dad's car? It looks like a 74 I had in PA back in the 80's. Good luck with your car. 

It was orignially from germany then imported to someone in new jersey, then my father bought it i believe. 

1 hour ago, D Seattle said:

Everything they said above.  Hard to tell from the pictures but the interior actually looks pretty serviceable; except the carpet I guess, you said that was shot.  Lots of resources for that.

 

In addition to what is said above,  a new set of tires can do a lot right away for road noise and smoothness.  Safety as well. If it has sat for a while, I suspect the tires are fairly well rotted out.  Don't let tread be your guide.  Old rubber and tread are two different things.  I have had tires with "lots" of tread, blow because they were old. And, I've replaced tires that had tread left not nearly as old but the "new" rubber made a huge difference in the ride quality and noise. Its an easy upgrade for $400.  

 

And yeah, forget about getting "the mechanical perfect."  This is a journey.  Not a destination.  Good luck.

It hadn't sat for too long but I'll definitely check them out. As for the carpet/interior (the headliner is pretty shot too) where can i get replacements for both? Also if you know, is it hard to do a "reskin" on these interiors, I really love this car in black with the chrome accents and was thinking of doing a black or darker brown interior to match(if I can, and my wallet won't hate me).  Thanks -Jaden

1 hour ago, TobyB said:

Yup-

get an air filter,

change the oil (Valvoline VR-1 if'n you can find it)

change the coolant- check the hoses

change the transmission and diff oil,

do the brakes (rebuild kits in the front, new wheel cylinders in back)

change the brake hoses whyle you're at it.

 

New tires, and drive it.

 

Might make sure things like the driver's side engine mount's ok.

 

Not much more is needed- 

you may need to clean out the carb (if you can get non- ethanol gas easily, do that)

change plug wires (you need a heat shield between them and the manifold)

and set points, but if you can avoid adjusting timing at first, it'll make other

things less confusing.  

Do buy an 'advance' timing light when you get to that point.

 

And of course, fix all the s*it that's broken or is gonna break!

 

but drive it.

 

t

 

Great advice thankyou, I was going to buy a kit of liquid moly from FCP is that ok or is VR-1 the holy grail of oil for the 2002. Definitely want to learn about the timing on this car, so much different than modern ones so I'm very interested. Otherwise everything should be good since most parts we replaced a year or two before, just might need a few adjustments/upgrades.

4 hours ago, Mike G said:

I’d get an air filter first. 

Haha, probably a good start

4 hours ago, Son of Marty said:

Do the mechanicals first concentrating on the brakes and other safety systems then paint, you'd feel like s#it if you damaged your fresh paint reassembling some of the major parts.

Good point, do you have any recommendations as to painting these cars? Is it something I can do in my driveway or should I pay a shop to do it?

5 hours ago, tech71 said:

Has it been inoperative/parked for a long time?

Get it running and driving well first, perfection is a dream.

Brakes, clutch, tires, suspension, steering, electrical, cooling system/heating system ect.

Wet carpet could mean a leaking heater core and that can cause rust on the center fire wall, check it out. Whatever is getting the carpet wet needs to be addressed before cleaning up the interior.

Car looks pretty good to start with

It's been somewhat parked, my dad did alot of work to it a year or two back before handing it over too me, I mentioned above most of the stuff he did. I'll check the  heater core out, he did say that the blower motor was replaced and I turned it on yesterday to a surprising strong gust of air so that's a good sign. I saw tape residue near the seams around the sunroof so that's my guess, going to seal it up tomorrow before it rains.

5 hours ago, lowniss37 said:

I'd personally go through all the hydraulic systems clutch and brakes. When I acquired my 76 a few years back it still had OEM 1975 dated rear flex hoses. If you have access to a bore scope camera, I stuck mine down through the pedal slots and checked to see if the clutch master was leaking. If the car is going to stay outside get a cover or make sure all the leaks are addressed.  

Will do! My father had worked on the car before passing it onto me, mechanically he said it is pretty good new brakes, master cylinder, etc. Definitely going to replace all the older looking hoses and will look into a cover. 

Hello all! This is my first post on here and I hope that you guys can help me bring this car back to life over the summer. I'm 18 and a freshman at msu, my dad has had this car for years, he did some engine work to it and it runs well but that is pretty much it. It needs a good amount of body work and interior work as there was a leak and the carpet is toast. What should I do first? I'm getting it registered soon so I can start to atleast drive it and get a feel for the car, but how should I go about restoring the exterior, it has all the trim and there isn't any rot from what I can see. Should I just strip the car now and paint it, or get it mechanically perfect first? Thanks alot, Jaden. (I also added some photos of the red 74 that my dad is fixing up)