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My Classic BMW Barn Find

Started by svgarage, March 24, 2019, 02:25:20 PM

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svgarage

I wasn't looking for a classic car to work on- this old girl pretty much just landed in my lap. A work friend overheard my miscellaneous ramblings about how I crashed my track car in to a wall at Sears Point, and the monumental effort I had to expend to get it in drivable shape for my next event 8 days later. She told me that she had a 1974 BMW 2002 sitting in her garage and that she didn't know what to do with it. One day (thirty some years back) the engine started "smoking", so she tucked the car away. And there it sat. Fortunately, she had put the car in non-op before retiring her. Her house and garage were a total mess, as she was somewhat of a hoarder, so it took a long 3 months before she allowed me to come over and view the vehicle. It had a tick over 50,000 miles on it. The body and interior were in very good shape for being over 40 years old- it was like a time capsule! Negotiations moved very slowly. I had to be careful- she was like a feral cat- one quick move and she would run off. Finally the day came when we did the paperwork! I bought the car for $1500.



It took some effort to actually get the car home. The brakes were locked up, so I had to make a second trip to her house with more tools to free up the brakes. Then she tells me that there's no key. The steering wheel was slightly turned to the left, so we had to keep adjusting the car, as we rolled her out. We called tow truck, but after he arrived, he refused to pick up the car, since the registration wasn't current! (Really???) After 2 more hours of phone calls, we finally found someone who would take her to my house.

The first few months were the hardest. I had to locate the key code on the car, then order keys from Australia. (I wasn't about to pay BMW $400 to cut me a key!) When the keys arrived, I found that the pins in the ignition were stuck, so I had to break open the ignition core to fix it myself, since no locksmith would do it without first locating OEM parts to put it back together again. I had the radiator boiled and checked. I drained the old gasoline out of the fuel tank. Amazingly there was still 6 gallons of 30-year old gas back there!!! I gave the carb a good cleaning and changed all the fluids out. I replaced all the ignition parts and bought a new battery. Then came the day of reckoning- the car actually started!

I was pretty excited that the car didn't seem to have any real bad damage done to the motor. I did see the smoke. I'm pretty sure that it's just a head gasket that needs to be replaced. I went ahead and purchased all new suspension (Bilsteins, springs, sway bars), full stainless steel exhaust and header, bigger brakes, restored basket-weave wheels from Hungary. Then I got tired of working on the car. There she's sat for over 2 years now- occupying one of my garage spaces on jack stands. I put so much work into getting her started that I felt exhausted from the efforts and was just looking for easier stuff to work on- projects with instant gratification. I built a couple of other vehicles up. And now it's time for the RD400.



Somewhere along the RD build, I'll get back to the BMW. I'll sell off the Miata to make some room. Then I will need to shuffle some cars around the garages. When the Yamaha is finished, then work on the car will resume. I guess I'm a little moody about my projects- I just have to go with it, when the feeling is right.

A goal without a plan is just a wish.   ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry

m in sc

very cool. always liked those  :clap:

SoCal250

Nice score! :thumbs: You dont see those around much any more (especially with only 50K miles)
75 Yamaha RD125B   75 Yamaha RD125B (project)
75 Yamaha RD250B   75 Yamaha RD200B (project)
73 Yamaha RD350     77 Yamaha RD400D   79 Yamaha RD400F  
91 Yamaha TZR250R  89 Yamaha FZR400   05 Yamaha FZ6   
05 Yamaha XT225TC  82 Honda MB5  02 Aprilia RS250 Cup (sold)

m in sc


svgarage

Unfortunately, this project is taking the back burner to the RD. The Yamaha has been sitting around in boxes for too long. I'm really itching to get it together and go for a ride! Holle, the Bimmer, shouldn't take as much effort to get her together. Pretty much I just have to slap the brakes, suspension and exhaust on after changing the head gasket and water pump. I'll take her into an upholstery restoration place, since the interior color is rather rare. Might shoot her with black paint- I'm undecided. That blue is starting to grow on me a little  :thumbs:
A goal without a plan is just a wish.   ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry

m in sc


pdxjim

2nd leave the paint

Wet sand/cut n' buff and enjoy the patina
Wasting time on 2T forums since the dawn of the internet. '89 TDR250, '13 300xcw, '19 690smcr, '56 Porsche 356A

IR8D8R

You must absolutely get rid of those horrid U.S. spec bumpers. They weigh a ton and ruin the looks of a classic.

These can run really hard with some fairly moderate engine mods. The stock North American cars are really restricted and don't breathe at all except for the TII. Updated induction, exhaust, cams, and then you have something fun for the back roads! They really need to be lowered at least an inch too as US bumper height regs jacked them up too high and made for too much body roll.

A friend of mine had 4 of these years ago including a 68 1600 with sidedraft Webers and a 72 2002 TII. I always found the handling a bit heavy but that's pretty typically German.

IR8D8R

svgarage

I couldn't agree with you more about those God awful bumpers! I already have a set of the "roundie" bumpers sitting on my shelves. They're in need of some repair and replating, but they'll do. I also have boxes of springs and sway bars from Ireland Engineering that will drop the car 1.25", the perfect height for the Bilstein HD's I bought. And as far as the engine, I bought a new shorty header and full stainless exhaust. I plan to outfit the motor with a set of Mikuni side draft 40's, but leave the internals stock for my first iteration of the car. But once the interior is done, I'll revisit the motor and swap out the the camshaft, con rods, and pistons to a higher CR. I already bought the connecting rods. I've probably got about $6000 worth of new parts sitting on my shelf already.

The car is fairly mapped out in my head already. I just need to get a round to it!

A goal without a plan is just a wish.   ~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry

thatguy

"Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment." – Ralph Waldo Emerson