Andy74tii

Seeing all the positive comments about the Porterfields... where can you buy these?

Good to know,and thanks! Significant price difference between Blunt and Ireland, interesting...

Hi folks, it's been a while since I've done a lot of driving in the tii, but now that I am, I am wondering whether the brake rotors are still NLA.  If they are available, who has them? Ireland? W&N? Autohausaz? THANKS!

Andy74tii

I've always thought it was a rare color for 74 tiis, in fact I think I've seen it written down somewhere, but don't recall. Mine is  2780675, just a bit older than the one you showed. Mine has a build date in  December '73.

irdave, yes Mark recommended going to TEP to order a set of JE Pistons with 10.5:1 compression. I also got a Cometic head gasket, which was new to me; previously I had just had the cutting ring one...

At long last my tii refresh is complete! I started the odyssey about a year ago, thinking the top end needed a rebuild at around 74K on the clock since the original rebuild back in 2000... However, it turned out the noise I was hearing was from the lower end after all, and so began the journey to rebuild the lower end after all. I had to source a crank, and my mechanic (Mark Hutto, the best vintage BMW guy in the Denver area) only uses original BMW parts mostly. I learned of a great source for original parts which is Schmiedmann in Denmark. They had original oil pumps for $514 (I looked at my invoices from 2000 and I paid $119 from Maximillian way back then!).

More to come, but I wanted to let the community know one thing I learned.... when Mark put the engine back together, he used the freeze plugs I got from Autohaus, and 3 of 4 leaked! So, back to BMW for freeze plugs and to put the engine back together again! I know the replacement parts are much more affordable, but at least in this particular case, aftermarket freeze plugs are a false economy!

Hi folks, I've been away for quite a while, and today was out in the garage where the tii has been hibernating.  I did a search, but did not seem to find anything on this, but last time I checked, tii brake rotors were NLA.  Is that still the case?  If so, would others advise to go to the 5 or 6 series solution for tiis? It seems like every time I have a project lately, there's something else that's gone NLA or crazy pricing on these things (e.g. the oil pump) .... Thanks!

When I restored my tii about 10 years ago, I bought a couple of pairs of new sunvisors. I installed one set and kept the other. The time has come now to let the other pair go. These have never been installed, and are literally new old stock. Here is the slight catch: the mirror is on the drivers side. That's because these were procured from Europe for RHD cars. Other than that, they are identical to the stock ones that came on our US spec cars -- underside is black, topside is white, matches the material for the headliner. A bit expensive at $100, plus shipping, but they are literally unused. It's been so long I cannot remember what I paid for them, but I'm pretty sure it was a good bit more than that.

Thanks for looking!

Andy74tii

Location: Arvada, CO USA

I've finally decided to sell my Nardi wheel, hub, and horn button, so I can fund a purchase of another wheel. I had this up before as a potential trade. The wheel is 1977 vintage, based on the number stamped on the back, it's 390mm diameter, and in decent shape. As I mentioned in the prior ad, there's a small indent at about 2 o'clock, which is the biggest imperfection. The hub is in good shape, and includes the bolts, trim ring and the horn contact. The horn button I bought new a few years ago, and is a generic Nardi. All are completely functional, and there is no adaptor needed. Priced at $225 for the wheel, $75 for the hub and $40 for the horn button, plus shipping. Thanks for looking!

Andy74tii

Location: Denver, CO USA

Yes, I did consider eurotrash's panels, but one thing that held me back a little was my concern about my clumsy feet kicking the speakers! Also, i still have the original carpet in this car, which is one piece, and I like the esty carpet covers for those, but it would probably require me to get all new carpet to match (I know very well about shipwright's disease!). Marshall, I did consider mounting them as you described, but I actually think the curved sections at the end of the dash might help "direct" the sound forward a little bit.... who knows?

I'm finally getting around to getting some front speakers in the tii, and here is my solution. I have been trying for around 10 years to find some a/d/s 320i component speakers, which are period correct to the car, and recently got them. At first, I thought they would do well in the doors, but I really didn't want to cut up my panels, which do not have holes. So, I looked for some already butchered panels, but really didn't find anything I needed, so I went to plan B. I reinforced the under dash panels with some layers of fiberglass, and used steel washers around mounting holes to mount the mids. Since my dash is far from pristine, I mounted the tweeters up on top of the dash. I haven't listened to them yet (I have a/d/s 300i plate speakers in the parcel tray in back), but the install looks pretty clean and stealthy to me. Anyway, this solution seems to work for my purposes. I have two a/d/s powerplate 80s to power front and back separately, from a modernish Alpine CD head unit.

Andy74tii

Those are the same wheels I used to have on my tii, but I never really liked the way they looked on my car. But I must say, I have seen your video on youtube, and they look great on your inka. Good luck with sale!

Andy74tii

Mike, I mentioned in another thread that I got the falken sn828 at Discount for $35 each a few weeks ago. So far, no complaints, they look good and seem quiet and grippy.

Door handles are uber cool.  In the vintage bike world, this is known as "drillium", which was all the rage back in the 70s, around the time this car was new!!

I have a 390mm (slightly smaller than stock wheel) vintage Nardi wood rimmed wheel that I have decided would look better in either an earlier car or possibly a later car with tan interior. Mine is black, so I am looking for a trade of this particular wheel for something like a momo alpina 4 spoke or maybe a prototipo, all black. Let me know if you have anything to trade, or possibly offer to just buy this one.

It's in pretty decent shape, the date stamp I believe indicates it is from 1977(?). I have two different horn mechanisms. One is a stock Nardi that I bought new, and the other is the BMW logo one that came with the wheel. The BMW one was cracked, and I personally repaired it with some JB weld. They're both functional, but the Nardi one is pretty pristine. The wood is in good shape, and the lacquer finish is good. There is a flaw right about where your right thumb would be (see pics).

Thanks,

Andy74tii

Location: Arvada, CO USA

Mike, I agree with you on the 185/70s, they are a more natural size for our cars. Just this past week, I happened to find a set of Falken Sincera SN828s in 185/70R13 at the local Discount Tire. They've gotten decent reviews, and at $35 per tire, with a $50 rebate for 4, it was a good deal. Interestingly, the 175/70s were priced at $55 per.

Andy

I have finally secured a set of ADS 320i speakers and I would like to mount them in the doors. However, my current door cards do not have speaker holes, and I do not want to sacrifice these. So, I am looking for late model black cards or just the vinyl, which already have speaker holes. I will in any event likely need to replace the cardboard backs with plywood. I would be willing to either buy or trade for these; I have a set of new (never installed) sunvisors, which I would trade for, or let me know if there is something you need. In the event you do not want to trade, let me know what you are asking....

Thanks,

Andy74tii

Location: Arvada, CO USA<br />

I think I can be in for Sept. 6, thanks!

Guys, the date code looks like this: DOT FH E9 A58 X 437. My understanding is that the date code is the last 3, so 43rd week of a year ending in 7. As I understand it, the 3 digit date code is pre-2000, so it's either 1997 or 1987 or 1977 or 1967, etc...

So, I thought I made a really great score on a set of old Michelin XAS on craigslist. I briefly checked the tires out, and they're amazingly pliable, almost no miles, almost like new. So I picked them up. It was only later, on closer examination, that I figured out the problem. It's hard to see in the pics below, but in several spots the inner carcass has "bubbles" where it has basically separated from the tread and belts. I think this just happens with 30-40 year old tires, no matter how well preserved they might appear. I know that these are tube tires, but even with tubes, I cannot see how they're usable..... caveat emptor! Has anyone else seen this issue before?

Andy74tii

I voted, and it looks like the 02 is winning in a landslide! Quick question -- the color says "Sahara Yellow" and in a couple of the pics, it does look yellowish, while another pic does look just like Sahara. Is this a hybrid color? IN any event, very nice car!

Regarding the weight of Cromodoras, I can say that mine (CD32, not CD40) at size 5.5 x 13, weigh around 8.5 lbs. They are considerably lighter than anything I've had, and that weight loss does seem to make a difference....

These are the spacers Marshall was referring to.  They're about 20mm thick, or just over 3/4 inch.  In the big bumper 02s, these were used to raise bumper height to meet federal standards.  Most 02s today no longer have them installed.  I have successfully used them as Marshall described, in addition to the upper pads, in the rear to raise the height. Install the spacer first against the body, then the rubber pad, then the spring.  If you want an additional 20mm in height, this could do it.  The trick might be finding them, as most folks either throw them away, or put them on the top of the strut mounts in front, since the original bolts for the strut mounts are long, and need that extra space to look right.  

Andy74tii

Selling a full set of Bavarian Auto springs. They're red, and I was the second owner. The original owner purchased them new, had them on his car for less than a thousand miles and decided to go another direction. I had them on with Bilstein Sports, and I liked the combination, but am moving back in a stock direction. I had them on for maybe 1000 miles. They're in great shape, and will lower your car a bit more than H&R's, I found. $100 plus shipping. I am in Arvada, CO.

Thanks,

Andy74tii

Location: Arvada, CO

Set of 2 dot (33mm) upper rear spring pads, in very good condition. $25, includes shipping.

Thanks,

Andy74tii

Location: Arvada, CO USA