Zak

Early 1600-2 (msot likely a 1967), possibly a driver on weekdays and racer over the weekends, with period Cosmic alloys. These cars have the 6V electrical system. VDO made an 6V tachometer for BMW as optional equipment for these cars, a rare item these days. Note the early style kidney grill , forward mounted swan neck mirror and polished aluminum interior mirror with slide in design.

There is some BMW 507 in those wheels and steering wheel. I like the white wheel, a classy touch like in a 507or an early Porsche 356.

The Winter / Ski theme from back in the day:

I still have a pair of those exact Fischer C4 racing skis. I purchased them new back in the day.

That's right. "Slavs" has a point, make them affordable, not just for the established "Collector", but also for the average home mechanic. Yes, I agree, under $1,500 would be great.

To maintain proper offset you may have to make the dish deeper as you go wider than 5x13. And, this will change the appearance of the wheels. The original 5 x 13 was designed to incorporate 165/80 x 13 or 175/70 x 13 tires. 5 x13 is not optimum for the 185/70 x 13 tires that most of us use with 13" wheels. The slightly wider 5 1/2" x 13" wheels are the optimum size for 185/70 x 13 tires. And, at 5 1/2" x 13" the optimum offset should be in the 20mm-25mm range, probably 22mm. When you get to 6 x 13, you got to be more exact with the offset as there is less clearance on the inside and outside. It's probably best to look at the offset used by some of the period manufacturers of wheels like Borrani. So, my suggestion would be to make the 5 x 13 for the purists who want the exact factory appearance. But, you should also make the slightly deeper dish 5 1/2" x 13" variant for those of us running the wider 185/70 x 13 rubber, which is the majority. And, you can also make the 6 x 13 in a smaller quantity. The dish will get pretty deep at that width, and the wheels will look different. There are clearance issues with 6 x 13, even with optimum offset.

If they're determined, they can chew trough that screen.

Ah, Barret, that brings back memories from Europe. Evidently, it's not only in Germany, but in other parts of Europe where the two letters denote a city or region, followed by numbers. And, yes, that picture seems to have been touched up quite a bit for that flying airborne effect. I like those small fog or auxiliary lights.

This is the old thread with all the cool vintage race pics:

The 320i master is nearly identical. It just has a different shaped tank. But, with the correct rubber grommets, I suppose you can switch the tanks. I never bothered. In addition to the cast steel, the 320i master also comes in the aluminum variant.

There are threads devoted to early period pics. I'm just posting a few I have saved, including Niki Lauda sitting in the 1600 race car. Alfenbeck.bmp

I did that a long time ago,but I chose the 185/65-14 tire size to get better clearance, especially between the tire and tie rod end. The E30 14" bottle caps sit a little too far in on an 02.And, I don't like using spacers. My set-up worked well, but those E30 wheels are pretty heavy, and I went back to 13". The 185/70-13 works best with 5 1/2" wheels. It is way too mushy on a stock 4 1/2" wheels where the steering starts feeling heavy and unresponsive. With 5 1/2" wheels steering is crisp and responsive. The 185/70-13 is also a lighter than the 205/60-13. And, 205/60-13 are nearly 3% smaller in diameter than the 185/70-13, which is close to the stock 165/80-13 tire diameter. So, with the 185/70-13 your gearing won't be reduced by 3% and your speedometer will read correct. There is also more compliance with the 185/70-13, resulting in a smoother ride. But, I'm still running the sportier 205/60-13s. The Federals really have some stiff sidewalls where you feel like you're on rails in turns. I also have a set of Dunlops with softer sidewalls, but they are asymetrical and feel amazingly responsive and crisp in turns while delivering a smooth ride. These are my favorite, They are fitted to 5 1/2" x 13" period Cosmic wheels which have an ideal offset for an 02 (22mm - 25mm). It's just that I don't see these Dunlops often in the US. I purchased a new set of 4 tires from a distributor in the US for about $300 back in early 2019. But, I haven't seen them sold here since. They are made in Japan. My car is lowered with H & R Springs. I've also installed -5 degree camber plates up front, which also changes the caster. The -5 degrees helps keep the tires tucked under the fenders. The camber plates are 3'8" thick, so they keep the fenders from sitting too low over the tires. I have no rubbing anywhere. At the rear I installed the 3 dot rubber spring pads vs. the stock 1 dot because the car was sitting too low at the rear. I like to keep a slightly forward rake to the car, as in the stock configuration. But, after all is said and done, I'm still fixated on the original spare Continental tire from my 69 1600. It's a very similar tread pattern to the Pirreli CN 36. But, the Continental has a more square profile.

There are some affordable touring 205/60 x 13 tires with stiff sidewalls for better performance. They were specifically designed for the Sprint Racing Series where the rules mandate racing on touring tires to keep the speeds lower. In addition to Federal,MRF also makes them. They are listed on e-bay from to time to time. You need at least 5 1/2" x 13" wheels with correct offset to run them. 2 NEW 205/60R13 MRF LEGEND 205/60/13 MRF LEGEND 205-60-13 WWW.EBAY.COM <p dir="ltr" style="margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;">This listing is for 2 brand new 205/60R13 MRF Legend All Season tires for those who demand nothing but the best on their cars it offers everything you want from a tire, Great traction on Wet or Dry Surfaces..... </p> <br> <br> <p...

I use this combination. And, there are several touring tire brands with stiff sidewalls and sticky rubber which work great. The problem with the 15" wheels & tires is that they are too heavy and a very low profile is necessary to fit them to an 02, which results in a rough ride with very little compliance. It's almost as if you took a rubber band and stretched it around a large solid wheel. There are still some brands which make a 185/70 with a stiff side wall. That is also a proven tire size for these cars.

After purchasing several rusty tanks for my 1600 I gave up and went to Ireland Engineering where they sold me a MVP remake of the early tank for $350. That was about 3 years ago. It fit pretty well, but is a hair taller by about 1/16" - 1/8" vs. the original. To compensate for this I simply reduced some of the felt padding under the trunk floor. I recommend this route as you will never have to worry about your tank again. It seems they are out of stock now, but give them a call and ask when they expect their next shipment. Gas Tank – 2002 Early – Ireland Engineering | Racing & Performance Parts for BMW & MINI WWW.IEMOTORSPORT.COM Each

It's a car designed by students. So, I don't think you can expect much more.

What is Alpina, and what is not ? For me an"Alpina"car is one that has been modified to one of the Alpina tuning categories at the Alpina facility. But, kits were also available from Alpina for the home grown mechanic. Alpina started by selling a basic bolt-on twin Weber DCOE carb kit for the stock NK1500 to bring up its performance on par with the newly introduced BMW 1800 in 1963. These twin carb kits for the stock motors were good for a 10hp gain. But, "Alpina" has become a marketing catch word such as "Euro", "Concours" etc, especially on the auction sites such as Bring A Trailer where some of the more wily salesmen aim to tap into bidders' emotions. Once you start bidding on an emotional level your mind suppresses rational thought. That's when they got you. It's the same as visiting and outdoor bazaar, where among the the veteran peddlers and melon vendors there are just average people trying to sell something. Sometimes you can get a great deal on a car with no reserve price, but on other occasions you end up with rotten melon. It's a hit & miss. You got to be careful.

I once lived across the street from Arnold's restaurant "Schatzi" on Main St. in Santa Monica, CA. At the time I was driving my Granada Red 1969 1600-2. It was always parked on the street somewhere near that restaurant.

I think its mostly related to socio-economics, where these cars have become expensive and affordable to fewer people. I went off to college in 1983 in my $500 1600-2. My best friend also purchased his first car to college, a 1962 Porsche 356 "B" model, for a mere $2,500. As that Porsche quickly appreciated in value, where parts became expensive, my friend parked it in the garage and purchased an 02, which was much more practical and affordable. The 02 and NK cars had a really long run as the affordable European classics. But, now that is no longer the case as they are also going the route of the 356. Thirty Years ago the 02s and NKs were all over the junkyards, enthusiasts were picking and building for fun, not for resale. Back then any time or money put into these cars translated to a loss, as the resale values were very low. It's a bygone era which I've been lamenting. You may want to expand your website to tap into the newer generation of folks with newer model BMW's. You can have a different section or sections for them. How about BMW motorcycles ? You can have a section for them.

At the yards I frequented they just compacted the entire car into a cube. That's how many 02s and NK cars met their demise during the 90s. By the end of that decade they became rare sites at the yards.

I used to drive regularly between Los Angeles and San Francisco in my 1600, a much simpler car than a tii. But, I never traveled without a toolbox and a good tool set with all the ratchets, wrenches, etc. I also lugged around a small hydraulic jack. As far as spare parts, I had a spare water pump, spare fuel pump or rebuild kit for one, spark plugs, a few extra plug wires, distributor cap, a few distributor rotors, spare ignition points, spare ignition switch, about 3ft of fuel line, test lamp, jets for carb, gaskets for carb, light bulbs, electrical wire, can of carb cleaner, small can of WD 40, a tire pump, tire gauge, hand cleaner, flash light and work lamp and probably some other things I didn't mention. Most of the time my trips were free of mechanical breakdowns or problems. But, on a few occasions, I ran into serious problems such as the time when my oil pump failed 50 miles from the nearest small town. After getting towed to that town I borrowed a car from a relative and drove another 50 miles to Gilroy, the Garlic Capital, where an 02 friend with a junkyard in his backyard allowed me to remove a gear type oil pump from one of the many 1600 motors he had sitting around. I spent that night installing it in 35 degree temp. That's not an easy job as you have to unbolt the engine mounts and transmission mount, remove the distributor, lift the engine and remove the pan. I finished the job at about 1:00AM. And, it was a very satisfying experiences. My oil pump failed because I was unaware I left my car in 3rd gear after getting back on the highway from a rest stop. My tachometer stopped working and I had the window rolled down slightly. There was a lot of noise , and I lost my situational awareness. My girlfriend was with me, so I was also probably distracted. I must have been driving for 50 miles at 6,000rpm when the oil lamp came on. I immediately shut down the motor and coasted to a stop. Without my tools I couldn't have done the job. But,I still needed to borrow car ramps from a relative in that small town.

Hello Mr. Commander, I'm now here as "Zak", but my my name isn't Zak. I opened this new profile using "Zak" which is short for Zakhar Artyomovich Sorokin, a WWII era Soviet fighter pilot who kept flying even after both of his feet were amputated as a result of injuries sustained during the war. In addition to being awarded the highest honor "Hero of the Soviet Union" by his own country he was also awarded the "Order of the British Empire" by Great Britain. Great Britain also had a fighter pilot, Douglas Bader, who kept flying after both of his legs were amputated. I've been driving and wrenching on 02s since 1982. And, I've been providing info relating to these cars on various forums on the Internet since its inception and well before this site was launched. I've been on this site since the beginning. But, the people who run this site don't necessarily like me . I'm not from NATO. I'm from the other side. So, I have mixed feelings about this place. There are, however, many helpful and knowledgeable people here. I'm not a tii expert, but if you have any questions about early cars, I'll be glad to answer them. Zakhar Artyomovich Sorokin standing next to his Miig-3 interceptor.

Well,your initial post is political. Now, as far as the lyrics to the song you quoted by Cosby Still and Nash, I've actually never listened to them. But, I did look at the lyrics to that song. They're pretty depressing, but very pertinent, especially today when we are closer to a nuclear holocaust than at any point during the Cold War.