Baurspotting

Chris DeMorro · #1 01-08-2010, 08:03 AM

When it comes to muscle cars, most people already have an archetype in mind. Whether it be the Mustang, GTO, or Charger - we’ve all got our biases. Thanks to the Internet, we are able to see more wild remakes of the same kind of car day in and out. Sometimes the word “oversaturated” comes to mind. To really stand out you have to do something awesome, yet weird. You’re forced to leave the confines of the Big Three and look to cars that were never meant for V8 power. It would have to be of foreign design, yet universally admired for its styling. That is exactly what Tim Williams, of Plympton, Massachusetts did. His custom made 1976 BMW 2002 has been fitted with a small block Chevy and was a labor of love, alcohol, and the desire to be different.

Tim is a lifelong aficionado of muscle cars, and in his lifetime has owned many cars over the years. He is a perfect example of oversaturated. Among his former rides are a half-dozen ’55 Chevys, an all-wheel drive T-bucket, Camaros, Firebirds, Chevelles, even all-wheel drive Vegas. He does almost all of the work himself, a true enthusiast and hobbyist who can talk cars all day and still have plenty to say. But Tim got bored.

Pictures: Chris DeMorro

He started looking for something unique. He had the engine, a reworked and punched out 355 sitting around from a previous project. It had all the bells and whistles including a full roller cam setup, roller rockers, ported and polished heads, and an aggressive camshaft grind. Then Tim topped the whole setup with a Weiand 8-71 supercharger, and the seat of his pants tells him the engine is around 500 horsepower. Tim has owned enough high power cars that I think we can trust him.

So what to do with one of the most common engines ever built that hasn’t already been done before? He was tired of Camaros and Chevelles. “The money needed to make one of those stand out these days is ridiculous,” says Tim. Word got around to his friends that he was trying to do something different, and his reputation as a car craftsmen was well known. So when his friend told him about a 1976 BMW 2002 body without an engine just sitting around, Tim jumped at the chance to undertake something challenging yet unique. “I picked up the car the next day, before the guy had a chance to change his mind.” He immediately set about building a car that definitely stands out on its own.

For many fans of the classic BMW, the early-to-mid 70’s 2002 is considered the epitome of car design. Back in its day, it was hailed as handsome and performance oriented. For Tim, it was the perfect platform for his new project, but first he needed to fit the small block engine in the tiny bay.

The Bimmer had sat garaged for 15 years with just 42,000 miles on the clock, a real survivor from a time long past, so there wasn’t much in the way of body work to do. The original 121 cubic inch four-cylinder sedan had at most, 140 horsepower (Euro spec) so Tim had to custom design....everything. He started with the frame, ensuring it was strong enough to hold up to the rigors of 500+ horsepower. Then the engine mounts needed molding, the firewall had to be pushed back, and the front suspension reworked.

Conventional headers wouldn’t work, so he went with some custom fender well headers. He also had to narrow the rear axle to ensure the massive tires fit right. Then he did all of the wiring himself (they don’t make swap kits for this car, as you might imagine) as well as the plumbing, hooking up two very different manufacturers in a single vehicle. The project was very involved, and Tim dedicated most of his free time to it. It took him just 18 months to get it into driving condition. “Most people watch football on Sunday; I work on my cars,” he says. He was so committed he even added beer holders to the engine bay for nights when work stretched into the wee hours of the night.

Tim also designed the interior to his specifications, as he didn’t want a hard time getting into or out of the car. Not one to back down from a challenge, Tim fitted the Bimmer with massive tires just-cause he could to give it a real gasser look. He eventually took it down a notch to make driving along roadways easier on both the car and Tim (fender rub is an annoying sound). To back up his beefy engine is a Turbo 400 transmission with a manual valve body so he is in control of the shifts. A 3500 stall converter would make this a track beast, should he ever decided to take it there. As it is though, he won’t drive it any farther than forty miles....with the wheelie bars attached.

To put down the power Tim installed a narrowed 12-bolt rear end with 4.56:1 gears for gas mileage that can best be described as despicable. He converted the car to four-wheel disc brakes too and installed the 8-point roll cage himself. In fact, there were only two aspects of the entire build Tim was not involved in. He had a friend “beauty weld” the aluminum fuel cell (Tim insists his welding isn’t show quality but this writer begs to differ) and the paint job, which added another six months to the project as he waited for the custom orange color to be applied. Since completing the car he has racked up an astonishing 22 trophies in just a few years on the circuit.

Tim’s car is truly a standout as well as a measurement of dedication. Only a true car enthusiast would undertake such a bold project, proving you don’t need all the high powered tools of a professional shop. Just a little gusto, a lot of time and dedication, and beer holders in your engine bay.

Baurspotting

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