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It seems like more often than not, I start these blog entries with a statement about how “it's been a while since I posted/did anything/blah blah blah”. This one is no different. If you want to get to the car progress skip to the mug shot of Shop Manager Poncho. Its been a while since I posted an update, but I have excuses! The last one was February and now it's July, which makes me feel like a lump. But! I did continue to work on the car for a portion of the time between now and then. Recently though, we moved out of our rental with a one car garage and into ou

ok, photo heavy post coming up! i'm trying to catch up on documenting the body work/welding that occurred on the old 1602, so this should bring it mostly up to speed. lets get down to business. the nose needed a lot of work, particularly towards the bottom. here's the drivers side after the welds and then after grinding: and heres the passenger side: ok, lets move on to the trunk! it was bad. I did my best. I think I preserved at least 15% of the original spare tire well, but it is all solid steel now! that stupid thing took me like 40

First, thanks for all the productive comments in my last entry. Please keep them coming! I don't know if I should be grateful for that link to MP&C's tutorials or if it is an “ignorance is bliss” type of scenario. Regardless of the situation, that Garage Journal thread has been a complete time suck but incredibly motivating and answered my previous questions about master auto body technicians – Yes it can be made perfect. This guy does it with all his panels. Here is the link, again. After reading pages and pages of the thread, trying out different things then venting my frustrati

I would like to ask that if you have a question or wonder why I didn't do something a certain way, or even better, some tips on how to do something better, please put them in the comments or PM me. My method is usually try to figure it out and if I can't Google it. That doesn't mean I thought everything through properly and I'm always looking to learning more. So: Four months and (some) progress! Thank god I’m doing this before kids. Its difficult to find time but determination and drive is still strong. I am fearful of needing to tell someone “Oh that? That’s the project car I never

Even though a car looks good when you get a hold of it, gremlins often lurk underneath. Considering these cars were not galvanized, rust is unavoidable, even on a desert car. I was preparing to clearance the rear wheel wells for the flares, when I started poking around. Go looking for trouble and you'll find it. After the screw driver went into the rocker a couple of times, I knew I would have to get into them a repair the rust. I also ended up repairing a rust spot on under the driver's rear quarter that had formed under the sound deadening material, literally on the vertical body panel.

A question was posed to me once a few years ago: If you could fly, be invisible, teleport, be a billionaire, or have your dog live as long as you, which would you choose? I’d choose my dog every day of the week. There is something so emotionally childish about losing a dog. Especially one that you don’t really consider a dog, but a true, full, meaningful part of your life. Almost more than a family member, more like an extension of yourself. Not to be political, but I always wondered how you could take a soldier’s dog, one who probably saved his/her life countless times,

I'm Jerry Callo! You will all be happy to know that Shop Manager Poncho turned 98 last March and is still kicking, as well. Skip to the picture of Shop Manager Poncho If you want to get right into the build updates. But I had some pretty great distractions. I was hell-bent on not being dormant on the FAQ for this long, but it happened. Life happened. It's still happening! 15 whole months without a blog entry. Work on the '02 has not stopped. However we did get into some other things during those months. But first - Benchmark abrasives is running a promo for flap disc

The team at Diamond Hills Collision Center works out the dings and dents of Clarion Builds’ 1974 BMW 2002, bringing the body back to like-new condition, and follows that with a complete factory-quality paint job in the 02’s correct Fjord light blue color. Want to learn more about why Clarion Builds chose to restore the iconic BMW 2002? Want to be part of the adventure? Visit http://www.ClarionBuilds.com Today! Check out more Clarion Builds videos:

Can't remember who was looking for a cheap rotisserie but this guy in my Z club used two cheap Harbor Freight motor stands modified. Car has been in it for 9 years now. He says he's climbed in it to weld and such. He plans on putting bigger casters on it to wheel it up on a trailer to transport for paint. Just an idea.

Hi Guys, Looking for passenger inner wing. I would take a driver inner wing if you have that, too. I really need the lower half, but if you have the whole thing, that would be good. Thanks, Pete

So I just picked up a 74 tii w/a sunroof. It's either the verona or inka that looks like the Colorado now :-( I can't park this in my garage so I'm willing to spend a few dollard getting a superb car cover. What do you experts recommend? Vox Also I'm going to get the car painted in the next few months but I want to enjoy it for at least 3-4 months. Who do you guys recommend in the SF Bay Area for paint, body and mechanical work? Thank you guys!!!

Can anyone provide recommendations for good body work? This would be a small project; I've accumulated a couple of dings on my 2002 that I'd like fixed. In both cases, repainting and re clear coating may be required. Preferably North of Boston, but I'm willing to travel further.

So, my '72 tii is in the shop for its bare-metal paint. The guy doing the work said he could easily put $300 into fixing the door (bought used "not bent" for $50) or I could get a new, OEM one from BMW for list $575 minus club discounts, etc. (maybe $475??). Having worked with a few OEM replacement panels, the fit and quality of the new stuff seems to be somewhat lower than original. Can anyone tell me if a new door from BMW is a drop-in replacement, fits "as is" without massaging metal?

About a year and a half ago I finally moved into a house with a proper garage which, living in the San Francisco area, is a major accomplishment. The first thing I did was tear down my 2002 to repaint it. I painted it about 8 years ago but outdoors and on a very limited time frame. Suffice to say, it was not the best result but there were encouraging bits and I learned a lot. This time around, I've been able to achieve what I would describe as a highly professional finish. Please allow me to share what I've learned. There is so much written online about how to paint your car, but I've found that things tend to be a bit hodpodge. There is nothing complicated about this work, it is really just labor and having the right tools. In this blog, I'll walk you through painting a single panel and try to condense things into a simple, easy to understand process. I'll skip rust repair (I've spent the past 16 months doing that) and assume that you have gotten to the point where you've got a bare panel laid out in front of you. Some people will say not to strip off all the paint. I highly disagree with this opinion unless you know what's underneath (you painted it before!) For this trunk panel, I didn't do anything special except weld up the trim holes and then fill them with Eastwood's lead free body solder. I like to go over the panel with 120 grit on DA sander. In this case, the panel had been repainted several times (I bought it used) and there was plenty of surface rust underneath. To treat this, I soaked the entire panel with POR-15's etching mix and let it sit until the rust is converted. Then I rinse the panel with some water and then carefully wash it with a mix of baking soda and water. The baking soda neutralizes the acid. After this, I give the panel a blast with 120 on a DA again. For the next entry, we'll spray some epoxy primer!

Due to structural rust I am about to rebuild the rear rocker/qtr-panel area and rear subframe mounting area on my '02. I am doing the welding and fabrication myself, with a MIG.On one side rust is only visible from the top (under the seat), but the other side it also shows through on the underbody and the subfrrame is completely rusted off the mounting pad. I am concerned about maintaining alignment of the subframe mounting pins if I have to fully remove the mounting pads. (However the area where the pin goes through the body is in good shape on both sides.) I have searched the archive and websites on this, have not seen much specifics. I would like to hear from someone who has done this particular job before--any hints/tips/tricks/cautions/photos and other insight would be very helpful. Thanks in advance

I am in the midst of a euro bumper conversion. I have replaced my rear, square tail, US bumper with a late euro long bumper (see attached pic). I can't seem to figure out exactly how the sides of the bumper attaches to the body of the car. I can see some sort of bolt is required as per Real OEM: http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=2211&mospid=47129&btnr=51_3327&hg=51&fg=17 But I can not tell what the spacer is supposed to be. Do you have a better photo of what your car uses and what the part actually is? My2002Tii.com 's great write up actually doesn't mention this part.

Hi local chapter! Found a shop to paint my car. I want to send just the shell. No subframes. Anyone have a car dolly they can part with?