The Roundie - 1973 BMW 2002

[Fruttolo]

Sad about the bad luck with your car but good thing you decided to do it well once, you're gonna enjoy it better in the years to come

That "patina" 2002 is so cool but after at least 12 years I am passioned with rat culture I still can't get why everyone (especially in the euro side of things) have to put on roof racks and load them with every piece of crap they can find in their property. It ruins the whole look of the car IMO and I wish they would stop

[bwwaaaa]

Sad about the bad luck with your car but good thing you decided to do it well once, you're gonna enjoy it better in the years to come

That "patina" 2002 is so cool but after at least 12 years I am passioned with rat culture I still can't get why everyone (especially in the euro side of things) have to put on roof racks and load them with every piece of crap they can find in their property. It ruins the whole look of the car IMO and I wish they would stop

That's the idea, I'd like to hold on to this car for a long time. I kind of mapped out the different ways to tackle the problems with the car and the best solution I could think of was to essentially redo the swap. Fortunately the way it's mounted is solid, but I need to redo all the wiring and plumbing, which is the crappy part of any engine swap haha. The goal is to have a nice little street cruiser by the time I'm done

Also I agree with you on the rat look. While the green car was very well executed, the look isn't for me at all. I appreciate him applying a unique style though, and nothing he's done isn't reversible if he ever changes his mind. I'm certainly no purist, but I like subtle touches. Either way, his M20 swap was considerably better executed than mine, so props to him for that.

Looking great. I love it

Thanks!

[bwwaaaa]

More Small Updates

I realize that it has been quiet lately. Progress has been pretty slow on the car, mainly because I've been swamped with school. I have also been waiting for my fabricator to clear some space in his garage to tackle the projects I have coming up. However parts have been steadily trickling in, and I'm hoping to get cracking in the next few weeks. As always, maybe the next post will be more eventful, but here's what I have for you now.

I purchased a right rear shock tower from Restoration Design. After some probing, it looks like this is the only full piece that needs to be replaced in the rear. The rest can be safely patched. At least that's the hope, as with any rust there is always more than you think. So I may be ordering even more sheet metal here shortly if things go wrong. But regardless, this is in and will be grafted into the car soon.

I also noted that I have been having cooling issues. Well, this should solve that. I purchased a Scirocco style radiator from JEGS that has a considerably thicker core. It has about the same dimensions as the current radiator otherwise, but there will be some minor duct work, a considerably larger/more powerful fan, and obviously the added... girth. I also picked up a Mishimoto oil cooler, as well as the stock E30 325is oil filter housing/cooler lines. This is more of an insurance policy, but I figure this car needs all the help it can get. After speaking to @tonytony002, he gave me some valuable advice on how to properly cool the M20 down. I'll be running a 13 inch pusher fan, a lower temperature thermostat, and the fan will be triggered at the thermostat housing. That should do the trick.

This will all be tied into a new tube front end. 2002s require bracing up front when they are cut for M20 swaps. This was never done, so the car lacks some structural rigidity. The new tube front end will add the rigidity back in, as well as give cleaner mounting points for the radiator and oil cooler.

Finally, some damage report. I had an RS hex cap fly off on the freeway the other day. Somehow, beyond all human understanding, the waffle stuck on the wheel for 30 miles. I also had the passenger side knee trim fall off. I still have the trim, but it looks like the clips are just old and failed. So I have to order some new clips to get that on now. Neither of these are huge deals, but it's a bummer to have the car suddenly look so shabby. The above is the last known photo of that hex cap, before it peaced out.

I also ordered some vinyl dye for the rear seat. I'm determined to get rid of the green. So that'll be a project I tackle here shortly, now that the weather is getting better. I also want to try to dye the carpet black, as I ****, ****, **** the red carpet. While I'd like to replace it down the line, dying it black is a good budget option while I tackle more important issues. I'm also debating running a fixed back bucket seat for the driver's seat, but more details on that later.

route vers inconnu from The Reelbros on Vimeo.

Also, I wanted to share a video an old friend of mine shot of my 2002 and another friend's 912. They needed to test out a new camera rig, and hit me up to use the Roundie as a test subject. I had a blast bombing around some quiet desert roads, and the footage really turned out incredible. Gives me some motivation to get this car ready for the Arizona driving season. It's a riot.

[Miroteknik]

that rolling vid.... blew my mind

car is looking great too

[Fruttolo]

It's so cool to see it rolling!

[DawsonLiri]

I'm drooling over the camera equipment but mostly on the 2002

Looks so good

[bwwaaaa]

that rolling vid.... blew my mind

car is looking great too

It's so cool to see it rolling!

Thanks all!

I'm drooling over the camera equipment but mostly on the 2002

Looks so good

Yeah that camera rig was insane. When I saw the RED hanging off the back of the Land Cruiser, I knew they meant business haha.

[bwwaaaa]

Likely Unpopular

So far mostly everyone has not liked this choice at all. I'm certainly not expecting anyone here to like this decision either, but bare with me. I do have my reasons. I dyed my rear seats over the weekend. You may remember that they were this very odd green/brown combination. Let me start by stressing, this was not factory. Someone redid these seats at some point during the car's lifetime. They also never intended to rock the green vinyl, I'm not 100% sure what the story was but there are obvious signs that they used the green vinyl to reupholster the seat and then dyed it a matching saddle brown. Areas that did not get direct sunlight still had some of the brown dye showing.

Highlighted there you can see traces of brown dye, faded out over the years.


A lot of people moaned that this was "very 70s" and I should have kept it. It is also "very ugly".

In order to dye the rear bench, I did some research and discovered SEM marine vinyl dye would do the trick. I have found other 2002 owners who have done this with great results, and I figured if it's good enough to restore seats on a boat, it's good enough for a non-functional rear seat in a 2002. This is not spray paint, but specific product for this purpose. I do have to stress that the back seat in my 2002 will never have passengers. It's purely for aesthetics at this point, I have the seat belts tucked under the seat and any weight over the rear like that would likely cause the car to rub. There is also a chance the back seat will be removed entirely in the future, but more on that later.

Bad picture, but the vinyl prep was key in all this as well. Cleaned and softened the vinyl for dye.

I love the results. It actually needs another coat, but I ran out of dye before I could finish. It should be in today, so I'll be giving the whole rear bench another coat and that will finish off any light spots. The black doesn't rub off when you touch it, and shows very nicely.

You can see some light spots that need touch up here.

I **** pre-emptively defending my decision on this, but I have gotten a lot of shit for doing this. For some reason, a lot of people loved the green and brown. I really felt like I was sitting in a circus tent, and it was by far my least favorite part of the interior. Sahara Beige has grown on me quite a bit, but no amount of time would help me come to terms with the baby poop green rear seat. The next big step will be to replace the red carpet (which is actually much grosser then it looks) with a black carpet. I like black interiors, and that will drastically help my level of happiness when driving the car. Sounds stupid, but it is what it is. The black and red coco mats can stay though.

This leads me into part two of where I will likely catch more shit. Bare with me, I promise I'm not going crazy, there is a method to my madness. I purchased another driver's seat. I love the period correct look and feel of the Recaros I have, and I intend to have them reupholstered. Both of them. However I also need to refoam, and repair the drivers seat. In the meantime, I wanted to try a more canyon carving friendly approach.

I purchased a Car Make Corn's bucket seat, something normally intended for a Miata, and I intend to put it in the driver's position. I chose this particular seat for a few reasons. I love the Car Make Corn's shop in Japan, it's such a cool place in general, and they put out some quality products. I contacted Kadin from CMC USA and he helped me source this seat. I actually picked it up at this year's JCCS, pulling it from a car he sponsors. I also find the seat to be incredibly comfortable. I have a really bad lower back, and for whatever reason the CMC seat just fits me right.

This is just something I am experimenting with, the Recaro will make another appearance in the future when it is all reupholstered and ready to go in. I thought about just doing both seats, but I like having passengers with me and there is no real reason to subject them to a tight seat. The passenger Recaro is in good shape, and comfortable for everyone who rides along with me.

The seat in the Miata I removed it from at JCCS. Nothing like driving from Phoenix to Long Beach and back to Phoenix in the same day, just to buy a seat!


This gives you a very vague idea of how it might look in my 2002. Obviously pre-bench dye.

So there it is. A bucket seat so I don't flop around in the car, and a black rear bench. I'm looking at carpeting options right now, but I'll be pulling and trashing the red carpet soon. I'll be talking to another shop about the trunk rust repair this week, and hopefully getting the ball rolling on that soon. After that, suspension refresh, cooling system refresh and so on. Bare with me, because I know not all of these are popular decisions, buuuuut I promise I haven't lost sight of the end goal. Dying the seat and the CMC bucket are stop gaps, things to make me more comfortable and happy in the short term, while the long term plans flesh out. This is a bit of a low point after that video, but it'll all come together.

[Quillhill36]

Don't ever apologize for making your car more comfortable for you, dude. We can all give you shit but at the end of the day, none of us are driving your car. I for one ***** the seats as they were. Much cleaner now.

[Fruttolo]

Yeah the rear bench was a total eyesore, can't see why anyone would want you to keep it green/brown. Much much better now.

Also I think that seat is really nice and that you should reconsider buying the second one and keeping them on (and only carry skinny passengers LOL)

[bwwaaaa]

Don't ever apologize for making your car more comfortable for you, dude. We can all give you shit but at the end of the day, none of us are driving your car. I for one ***** the seats as they were. Much cleaner now.

Thanks! I figure at the end of the day, I have to look at it, so may as well make it pleasant haha.

Yeah the rear bench was a total eyesore, can't see why anyone would want you to keep it green/brown. Much much better now.

Also I think that seat is really nice and that you should reconsider buying the second one and keeping them on (and only carry skinny passengers LOL)

The argument was that the green/brown was very 70s, in a so bad it's good way. Personally, I felt it was just bad. Also, I may have mocked up the bucket in the car last night. I also may have contacted CMC USA about buying a second seat. The Recaros will end up back in the car someday, but for now these buckets are way nicer.

[Quillhill36]

Yes! Buckets make anything feel like a racecar. Plus they have a good look.

[bwwaaaa]

Race Car AF

So excuse the shitty pictures. I'd do better, but I'm spread thin between school, work and a new business I'm starting. So shitty photos off of my phone will just have to do. But! I did install the back seat. In the photo below you'll notice it's not quite sitting right. I've since fixed that. Regardless, I'm really pleased with how the black turned out. The green and brown eyesore is gone, for considerably less money than it would have cost to reupholster. Now I just need a black carpet and black door cards.

I also installed the driver's side bucket seat. Further adjustment is needed, as I'm still a little close to the pedals. I have rather long legs, so I'm cramped in. I have the seat set as far back as these fixed rails will allow with the stock mounting location, which means I'll be needing to drill a few holes and rethink the fastener situation. If I can move the seat back about 2 inches, I think it'll be perfect.

You have to admit the interior is starting to look 100x better then it did when I purchased the car. I'm hoping the other bucket seat will arrive in the next week or so, I'm still working out shipping detailed with CMC, but once that gets in I'll order the brackets and get that mounted as well. This does make the back seat functionally useless, but I'm alright with that. I'm already too low for more than one passenger, and rear leg room is non-existent anyways.

I am rather rapidly heading down the "race car" route. Something I've been vocal against, but starting to come back around on. I'm looking at roll bar options right now, and I'd very much like to do a track day with the car when everything is sorted. Up until installing this bucket seat, I've kind of struggled with how the car handled. Even with the Recaros I would kind of flop around, in this bucket I could feel the chassis and how it was working considerably better. The biggest weakness right now is the steering, I can feel the steering box has a lot of slop in it, and the bushings are completely spent. I think tightening these up will go a long way to making it a great canyon rat. That coupled with the big brakes I have on the shelf should make for an enjoyable weekend toy.

I guess if I ever get sick of the car being too race car, I can always go back to the Recaro seats and soften the car up a little bit. Nothing is decided, but it's a line of thought I'm having a hard time shaking. Plus it gives me an excuse to buy a classic Mini for a comfortable street car, something I've always wanted anyway. We'll see, hopefully more updates soon!

[MikeyRa]

The back seat looks great, as for the carpet, just pull it out and dye it black as well!

[Fruttolo]

A roll bar is a no-no IMO, classic interior with bucket seats is "sporty street car", add a rollbar and you float between "hotboi wannabe racer" and "too racing to be classy". A nice and simple harness bar with black harnesses may be the good medium