cyclopticgaze

     Documenting my escapades restoring and modifying a BMW 2002.  Round tail lights, short bumpers, and most importantly no rust!  . . . Ok, no major rust.  After sitting motionless under the Arizona sun for three years, it's all uphill for this car.

     The car's currently black, but the original color was "malaga", a deep purple with a tinge of pink.  I've set the background of this webpage to a color very close to it.  There's lots of work to do just to get it clean and running, and you can track my progress below.

     Please note:  Many of the following pages have lots of images and may take a while to load on slow connections.

The Maiden Drive

Aug 24, 2008

     Well, after two-and-a-half years taking up space in two different garages, I decided enough was enough and fired up the car yesterday.  I was able to get the engine running well enough that I went one further and slapped some rubber on it and dropped it off the jack stands.

Overhaul of the Shift Lever Support Bracket

Aug 10, 2008

     The gear shifter has been really sloppy since day one, way too bad to drive without repair.  I crawl under the car to find and fix the problem.

Fixing a Crooked Motor

Jul 13, 2008

     I replaced the two motor mounts and the transmission mount, straightening the engine and strongly attaching it to the car.  Seemed like a good idea.

Brake Job

Jun 8, 2008

     The brakes are done, with lots of new parts all around.  The car should be able to stop.  If it ever moves.

Front Swaybar Replacement

May 26, 2008

     Replacing the stock swaybar — with its flimsiness and worn out bushings — with a new one that's thicker and stiffer.  I've been told that thickness counts for a lot.

Front Suspension Rebuild

Apr 17, 2008

     After months and months, I finally found the time to piece the 2002's front end back together.  Just a little more work and hopefully it'll be back down off of the jack stands.

Gas Tank Replacement/Refurb

Mar 23, 2008

     I had to replace Webby's gas tank because of serious fuel problems.

Front Suspension Teardown

Dec 13, 2007

     I've torn apart most of the car's front suspension, and it's documented here.

     Update Mar 22:  I finished the teardown by removing the tie rods and have posted some pictures.

Low Rider

Jul 15, 2007

     Removing the spacers from the front struts is a quick (and free) way to drop the front end about three-quarters of an inch.

TNT

May 5, 2007

     A small part and 5 minutes worth of work fix the car's timing.

"Goodies, Goodies, Goodies", or "What You Can Score From Friendly '02 Owners and Garage Sales"

Apr 29, 2007

     Here's some great stuff that I've managed for very little—if any!—money.

Looking at the Brakes, Moving Across Country

Oct 12, 2006

     In which I repair the rear brakes, break the front brakes, and move the car to New England where worries of ice necessitate flushing the coolant system.

Lots of Shiny New Stuff

Aug 04, 2006

     Lots of big, new parts under the hood.  They look great and — surprise, surprise — they actually work!

Hot as Hell on the Devil's Day

Jun 06, 2006

     In honor of 6-6-06, here are some updates on the car's condition.

All Cleaned Up

Apr 23, 2006

     I've finished cleaning the car, and here are some before and after pictures.  Some areas don't look much better, and others show a marked improvement.  I'm not going to bother cleaning it anymore because anything more than I've done will just be wasted effort when the repaint rolls around.  Which makes me want to repaint it very soon, but that's going to cost much more than the car did, so it's going to have to wait.

     My Restoration Guide and Haynes Manual finally arrived, so now I can get working on the mechanics with more confidence.  Damn Amazon and their slow-ass free shipping (I ordered them a few days after I got the car).

     Update May 4:  Added photo of the front seat belts' center loop.

Much Done, Not Much Done

Apr 10, 2006

     A bunch of little things done that basically sum to zero.  Just getting a better idea of what needs to be done in the near future, I guess.

Gutted

Apr 1, 2006

     I stripped the car's interior of its carpet today and I vacuumed out all the dirt and cobwebs from the interior and the trunk.

The Car Arrives!

Mar 31, 2006

     Here's the car as I took possession of it two days ago.  It doesn't run, is covered in dirt, and generally looks like hell.  But it's so full of potential!  Before I get it running (and stopping--the brakes are shot), cleaning the car is step #1.  ("After" pictures will come once I'm done.)  I've dubbed the car "Webby" because she's chock full of cobwebs.  No doubt I'll just end up calling it "The Oh-Two", though.