2700056

The car was purchased “as is” in Hollywood, California on March 12, 1991 in (barely) running condition with non-matching engine and transmission. The injection system was entirely of the later variety, with aluminum runners and the later throttle body. The speedo was a replacement and the seller (second or later owner) had no idea how far the car had been driven.

The original paint was in bad shape and displeasing to its new owners. Nothing of the original interior was present and that which was present, including the instrument cluster and dash, was not reusable. Misses in the engine were eventually found to be caused by a 2" chunk of a broken screwdriver in the #2 chamber that had been driven into the head by the piston. It was acting as a glow plug when hot. This was sold as a "newly rebuilt" engine.

The car may have been a hulk but it is likely to be the oldest surviving tii, built April 15, 1971, the first day of full production of the euro Model 1971. No earlier surviving VIN is known to the 02-Club of Germany. 

Over the following five years, we gave the car a full restoration. It was to serve as a frequent driver in urban southern California, with yearly sumer excursions to Oregon. The restoration goal was long-term safety and functionality rather than perfection in terms of originality. 

No attempt was made to reproduce all of the specifically euro-model features (some problematic for registration in California), but a nod was given to the car’s euro origin in terms of DIN headlights, flat turn signals, euro bumpers and instruments, and the absence of reflectors. A manual sunroof was transplanted from a donor chassis and the color was changed to malaga. 

Over time the engine, injection system, transmission, and differential were all replaced, leaving the drive train modified as shown below. 

Engine: Rebuilt 2004 @ 39,187 miles. Late 2002tii motor w/E12 head and stock cam, custom JE pistons, 9.5: compression. High-capacity radiator, Eberspächer tii mufflers @ 102,000 miles. No US smog equipment. Fuel injection rebuilt and set up @ 98000–99,000 miles (new pump belt, linkage, and late throttle body, Ingraham-rebuilt Kugelfischer PL04 124.02 pump & Pfister inspected and cleaned injectors).

Transmission: New Metric Mechanic 320i 5-speed overdrive @ 102,000 miles

Differential: 320is 3.93:1 limited slip

Suspension: Stock but for urethane swaybar-link bushings & Bilstein HD shocks

Interior: Late vinyl seats (tan), door panels, and one-piece Euro dash w/VIN-proper instruments and controls. Chrome heater-control bezels.