Another BMW 2002 - slow build

[Mike MPD]

Sold my TR6



Picked up this up for $3000.



I was able to drive it home but it pings pretty bad and runs like shit at the moment. The timing wasn't even close so getting that in check helped a lot. New ignition stuff is coming this week and I should be able to get the valves adjusted by the end of the week, weather permitting.

Good
- engine and drive train out of a newer 320, 2.0L and 5 speed. Not sure what diff yet
- Very little rust
- sweet wheels (tires rub though )
- color is cool
- sunroof
- suspension feels tight
- brakes feel good
- shifts well
- weber carb
- ansa muffler

Bad
- runs like ass
- paint job is shit
- temporary fiberglass sunroof (I have the original panel idk wtf the previous owner was thinking)
- seats are filthy, drivers seat it torn
- US Bumpers of course
- sloppy shifter needs a rebuild

Its not the prettiest at the moment but its pretty damn solid for $3000. Engine and drivetrain are out of a 80-something 320 so its got a 5 speed already This is going to be a pretty slow build i think but heres some pics to get things started.



wheels are clean!









Trunk is surprisingly solid









Needs a headliner



Ghetto sunroof





Seat without the cover. I actually like the fabric but all the seats are so damn filthy and the drivers seat is pretty trashed

[99sil-teg]

Wheels are off of a E21 320is, also the motor since its carb'd is from a 2002 or 77-79 E21 with the tranny being from a E21. Looks pretty solid, I'm sure if it was originally a sunroof car you'll be able to find all the parts to put it back in if you wanted.

[Mike MPD]

Thanks for the insight. I was told the the wheels, engine, and drive train were all from the same 320. This is my first BMW so I am a bit ignorant regarding various models and years.

I will be putting back the original sunroof at some point, the current one doesn't leak though so that's good. I do have the original panel and hand crank. I know I need to get the cables, not sure what else.

[Simply Classy]

Yes, more 2002 action! That sunroof... is, I dont even know. The car looks very solid though, that's awesome! Looking forward to see what you do with it!

[99sil-teg]

Its ok, most forget about e21's since they never were too popular haha. I've got the same set on my 2002 which I pulled off a parts car I had for a bit.

[Dylanhat]

The 02 looks very solid. Fix a few things and it will be gorgeous. The color is called Inka btw.

[mtmorto]

Nice '02 and nice 6! I have an '02 now as my DD and am rebuilding a '73 TR6. I look forward to updates!

[Mike MPD]

Wow that's crazy, my 6 was a 73 as well! The tr6 was my first project and i learned a lot. It got to the point where there wasn't much I could do without spending a lot of money (body work and paint mostly). I wish I could have kept it but I don't have the time/space/money for 2 cars unfortunately.

[MrJereMoose]

Good luck!

[Mike MPD]

I began diagnosing my heater issues today, didn't talk long...

There's a fucking hole melted in my heater box



From the inside



It appears there are a few pieces left over



Pretty bad kink in the heater hose too. is there supposed to be a valve in there somewhere?



And whats this supposed to be connected to?



No wonder the drive home was so fucking cold

[Jaison710]

I suppose that would do it. 2002s are rad. Good building block you have there. You're going to have fun with this one. I'm jealous.

[99sil-teg]

Haha, should be able to hop on bmw2002faq.com and find a heater box

[Greg|H]

I'm so jealous that you can't pick up '02s for that kind of money in the UK, let alone find one this rust free. Looks like a great base for a project! I love the colour, please keep it Inka (orange). Staying tuned for updates

[mtmorto]

There should be a valve where you think it should be in that last photo. That rusted piece that is broken off connects to a slider on your dash via a cable that opens and closes the valve. Go onto the 2002 faq and you should be able to find a heater box and valve pretty easily. There will also be plenty of write-ups on how to rebuild the heater box if you need to rebuild the one you buy, and how to fix any heater valve issues. My username on there is Mitch_M. Message me if you have any questions or need help finding anything and I'll help where I can. Josh (99sil-teg on here) is also a good resource.

[Mike MPD]

The car is running great now and I want to get an alignment but I want to take some time to think about suspension options before hand. Suspension/ride height wasn't going to be a top priority at this point but I don't really want to have to pay for another alignment if I can play with it a bit now.

Looking for opinions on lowering options. I plan on this being a daily so I don't want anything to extreme but I definitely want to drop it a bit. Maybe 1-1.5'' in the front, 1.5-2'' in the back?



I wouldn't be opposed to swapping springs but I don't want anything too harsh. I also have no idea what springs are currently on the car which makes things a bit more difficult. I'm just looking for the most cost effective yet functional way too drop it a bit.

I'm also not sure what I can get away with on the current wheel/tire set up as rubbing is not acceptable. The front currently rubs a bit on hard cornering. Rolling the fenders should take care of the minor rubbing issues at the current height but I'm not sure if there will still be enough clearance when its dropped a bit. I cant remember what tire size I'm running of the top of my head but I will update when I get home.

As you may have gathered I'm pretty clueless as to what I want to do at this point but that's why I'm asking you folks