Car of the Month

September 2009

John Rhone's 2002 from "Project 2002" Web site

Want to see your 02 featured here (any condition as long as there's a story)?

Email me any 02, any condition richstern@hotmail.com

Above: As brought

I have had the car a little over 6 months and in that time I have done the engine, suspension, most of the interior and lots of cleanup work.....Here is a rundown of my car and some pics.....It's not done, but I plan on taking some really nice pics this weekend, so I thought I'd see if you were interested in doing a COTM spotlight on my car.

Its a 76, Fjord Blue, sunroof, 4speed and here are the details.

20 years ago I bought a 1976 Fjord Blue 2002 with the factory sunroof and Navy interior. Unfortunately that car is long gone but I always looked for 2002s and said when I found that car again I would buy it. One December morning, I looked in the San Francisco Craigslist and saw a blue 2002 with a sunroof for sale. I instantly emailed and called about it. Not too long and I got a response. The car was available, not much rust at all, none in the serious places and it sounded like it was in pretty good shape. I decided to fly from Newport Beach to San Francisco and if it looked good I would buy it.

I asked if it would make the 400+ mile trip and the owner was a little leary so he called his mechanic who then tuned it up, changed all the fluids, and checked it out. I flew up in the morning, had lunch with my sister in the Bay Area, and then drove back. It was a fun drive, and getting to know the BMW smells all over again brought back memories. This car was in need of some engine work as it wouldnt rev past 4k rpm and it wouldnt go past 80. It made the 400+ mile trip without a hiccup. Here is what it looked like.

I drove it like that for a few months and then started getting the parts together for my transformation. I wanted something fun with modern performance and vintage looks but first I had to address some minor issues. The dash lights didnt work and the gauges jumped. So I pulled the dash pod and cleaned it and all the contacts as well as cleaned the grounds for the car. The hi-beams didnt work and I again cleaned the light switch and got those working. The gas gauge stopped working and I replaced the sending unit with a new one as well as the temp sending unit. Now that all the little problems were tackled n to the fun part. I started with the suspension. Ireland Stage II springs and Bilstein Sport shocks. Now the boat like performance of the heavy duty springs and Monroe shocks was gone.

I also changed the 13" stock wheels out for 14" BBS RZ rims from an E30 3 series BMW. This also gave me some wider rubber. I then did an engine swap. I bought a used rebuilt long block with 9.5:1 compression pistons and a 284 cam. I also upgraded the carb from a Weber 32/36 which was pretty worn to a new Weber 38/38, and also got a new intake manifold to support the increased air and fuel. I then upgraded the distributor to a mechanical advance Tii version and installed the Pertonix electronic ignition to rid myself of ever having to install points. Next was a set of Ireland Headers and a custom free flow exhaust. I then swapped out my tired and slipping clutch with a new Sachs clutch.

Now it was running and sounding great. I then turned to te interior. I installed a set of e21 320is Recaro seats that were reupholstered in Navy and installed a matching back seat. I then got a custom carpet kit to install and complete the new look. That is the next thing that will be done to the car. I also installed the sunroof interior panel that was missing from the car when I bought it. The latest addition is the stereo. All this time I was driving without one. I bought a Nakamich CD500 head unit which is known for its simple looks yet amazing sound quality. I installed it into the dash and it looks great. I also added an iPod/iPhone direct connection and charging cable so I can now do Navigation, Music, and Satellite radio all from one device. Next is a full speaker install as well as a set of gauges for the center console. With those 2 things done, the interior will be complete. The last few things on the list are early bumpers, 5 speed upgrade and full paint. As of August this is now my daily driver and I am having a blast...