1982 BMW 323i Baur

1982 BMW 323i Baur
Memorial Day 2010 First Drive 1982 323i BMW Baur Lapisblau M20 5 speed #4154 of 4595 made. The car was imported to California by Dietel Enterprises. I have since changed the wheels, installed the clear turn signal lenses, and I am in the process of installing a new cabriolet roof. I have to do something about those bumpers, too. :) I love this car! To see one of the reasons why, check my post "Score One For the Good Guys" on 6/26/2011.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Survivor: 13th US Production 2002?

Yes!

1 6 6 0 0 1 3 = 1660001 - 1680000 pre-1971 2002 usa 

Per c.d.iesel in 2002FAQ.


UPDATE 6:30PM:  I asked Jason to keep us posted on his progress with this project, and here is his response:

"Will do Tom. We've made some decent progress on 13 this year, and should be driving it to V@V this year. As a rat rod this year, and hopefully as a vintage race car next year."



N.B.:  V@V is The Vintage (formerly The Vintage at the Vineyard) held in Old Salem, North Carolina over Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.




Posted by Jason R. at Heritage Motorsports a little while ago on Facebook.

1968 BMW 2002 #1660013 

Every once in awhile, you must take on a project that tests your metal (sp). This one decided to do so by having very little metal actually left in it.  This 1968 BMW 2002 is VIN 1660013 the 13th US production 2002 ever made, and the earliest known survivor.  The car is currently being dismantled, and will spend the rest of this year being stripped and prepped for historic racing. We hope to be campaigning this car in SCCA club events and HSR by next year. Long live Lucky #13.


http://heritagemotorsports.us/projects/

Baurspotting's Global Reach! What a World!


I started checking on Baurspotting's readership a few weeks ago to see in which countries our readers reside.  I had done this about a year ago, and  I had compiled a list of over 110 countries that had visited the site.  Unfortunately I  was working with a new-to-me iPad at the time and I accidentally deleted that post.  I still don't know exactly what I did wrong but I was unable to retrieve it!  I was bummed out!

So, I decided to try it again.  Since I haven't been able to get any kind of a list from blogspot, I have to do it myself in an informal way, in a 'catch as catch' can sort of fashion.  This is not a systematic or scientific way of doing this whatsoever, but it is the best I can manage at this point.  The way it works is that I have to check at a given moment to see what countries are currently represented at that moment.   Blogspot will tell me the top 10 countries that are on the site at that time.  That is all well and good, except that if there are more than 10 countries on the site, say 15, I cannot see who the last 5 are.  And since they are listed by number of visitors, the ones left off the list would be those with just one or a few visitors.  And since I can't check 24/7, there may be many visitors to the site that remain unknown to me, because they come online when I am sleeping.  Sometimes I get lucky, however.  The other day, for example, I checked and found visitors from Andorra, Suriname and the Faroe Islands!  So I get a free geography lesson from time to time!  :)   It is an imperfect system, but it will suffice for now to give us an idea of how much interest there is in Baurs around the world.

And by the way.... NO one is more amazed by the extent of the interest in Baurspotting than I!  I started this blog at the suggestion of my son, Brian, because of my interest in Baurs.  I didn't even know what a blog WAS at the time!  Baurspotting has grown much more than I ever expected, and it continues to be a fun ride.... and a Labor of Love!  Thank you all for your support and continuing interest, and we promise to work hard to continue to earn your support.

And we wish to extend a hearty and warm welcome to our Baurspotting World to ALL!

We have much more still to come so please.... STAY TUNED!

The following is a list of the countries and locales that I have personally spotted on Baurspotting over the past two or three weeks.  I am sure I have missed others, as noted above, but I will add more as I spot them.


United States
United Kingdom
Taiwan
Poland
Russia

France
Belgium
Germany
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil

10------------------------------------

Canada
Greece
Sweden
Romania
Lithuania

Netherlands
Australia
Ukraine
Ireland
Brazil

20--------------------------------------

Czech Republic
China
Italy
Japan
Peru

Argentina
Panama
Slovenia
Finland
Pakistan

30------------------------------------------

Croatia
Spain
Hungary
Chile
Turkey

Libya
Iraq
Iran
Denmark
Ecuador

40----------------------------------------

Macedonia [FYROM]
Indonesia
Thailand
Cyprus
Bulgaria

Madagascar
Malaysia
Estonia
Philippines
Israel

50

Pakistan
Norway
Portugal
Austria
Lebanon

Uruguay
Kuwait
Cambodia
Latvia
South Africa

60---------------------------------

Serbia
Tunisia
Singapore
Nigeria
Morocco

65---------------------------------

Colombia
Zimbabwe
Georgia
Egypt
Mexico

70----------------------------------

Slovakia
Venezuela
Guatemala
Jamaica
Congo [DRC]

75-----------------------------------

India
Palestinian Territories
Jordan
Cambodia
New Zealand

80------------------------------------

Iceland
Gabon
Puerto Rico
Moldova
Armenia

85------------------------------------

Bolivia
Azerbaijan
Andorra
Faroe Islands
Suriname

90-------------------------------------

Kenya
Kazakhstan
Belarus
Switzerland
South Korea

95--------------------------------------

Hong Kong
Myanmar (Burma)
Liechtenstein
Uganda
Saudi Arabia

100---------------------------------------

Qatar
Guernsey
Vietnam
Nepal
Mauritius

105----------------------------------------

Montenegro
Botswana
Costa Rica
Luxembourg

United Arab Emirates

110--------------------------------------

Malta
Bahrain
Algeria
Zambia
Albania

115--------------------------

Aruba
Sint Maarten
Tonga
Bahamas
Mauritania

120--------------------------

U.S. Virgin Islands
Jersey
Tanzania
Reunion
Ghana

125--------------------------

Gibraltar
Honduras






Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Special Baur for Sale on Ebay ;)

I don't usually post these but.... I love this one!

Thanks to Jake M. (DasFrogger in 2002FAQ) for the heads up on this Baur For Sale!  Thank you, Jake!


1:18 Minichamps Dealer Promo Edition '71-'73 BMW 2002 Cabrio Item 80430300713



1:18 Minichamps Dealer Promo Edition '71-'73 BMW 2002 Cabrio Item 80430300713



http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-18-Minichamps-Dealer-Promo-Edition-71-73-BMW-2002-Cabrio-Item-80430300713-/151000465514?pt=Action_Figures_Diecast_US&hash=item232854406a

Project Journal 2/27/2013

I had an interesting thing happen to me yesterday, of a rather serendipitous nature---- which I am saving for a later post, btw, so for now, suffice it to say that....  it involves the original Batmobile which recently sold on Barrett-Jackson Auctions  ;) ------- but it got me thinking about the body work that will be needed on my project.  

You can see some of it here:

Notice the dent in the panel surrounding the rear side marker light, and in the front driver's side quarter panel.    The front quarter panel also has some rust-through in the lower area.  

OK, forget for now that sorry-looking paint and the surface rust all over the rest of the car.   We will get to all that.  Beneath that white 'frosting', as Steve K. has so cleverly termed it, lies an original Malaga 2002.  FWIW, the rockers and strut towers are solid.  I haven't taken a good look at the floor pans yet, but I am not too worried, frankly. 

Anyway, back to those dents.  Monday night I pulled out my set of largely unused body tools.  I removed that side marker light, and within a few minutes, I had pounded most of that dent back into proper shape.  Not perfect, but close enough to know that with a little more work, it would look pretty good.

The front quarter panel is more of a challenge.  I decided to pull it off to work on it.  

1) The first thing I noticed was that this panel was only held on by about 1/2 of the original bolts.  Hmmm.  This panel has been removed before for some reason, and only haphazardly re-installed.  2) It has a couple of rust through holes near the bottom of the panel.  Coupled with the dent, it raises the question of whether I should just replace the whole panel with a new one, rather than try to save this one.  But I can hold off on that decision for a bit because.... 3) at the very least, it makes a great panel for me to use to practice on:  to see how well I can beat that panel back into shape;  and if that works, then I may break out my new small welder.... cut out that rust area and.... teach myself to weld!  YES!  :)  Not to mention a panel to practice.... wait for it..... PAINTING!


Anyway, that is where we stand as of tonight.  Lots of work ahead, lots to learn, and loads of fun to come!!  Bring on da noise! 

Stay tuned!  :)


See the complete 1973 BMW 2002 Project Journal to date here:
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/p/1973-2002-project-journal.html



WTF Dept.: Urbee 2... A 3-D Printed Car..... What?

Need a fuel efficient, lightweight car?  Print one!

Whoa!


3-D Printed Car Is as Strong as Steel, Half the Weight, and Nearing Production



Picture an assembly line not that isn’t made up of robotic arms spewing sparks to weld heavy steel, but a warehouse of plastic-spraying printers producing light, cheap and highly efficient automobiles.
If Jim Kor’s dream is realized, that’s exactly how the next generation of urban runabouts will be produced. His creation is called the Urbee 2 and it could revolutionize parts manufacturing while creating a cottage industry of small-batch automakers intent on challenging the status quo.
Urbee’s approach to maximum miles per gallon starts with lightweight construction – something that 3-D printing is particularly well suited for. The designers were able to focus more on the optimal automobile physics, rather than working to install a hyper efficient motor in a heavy steel-body automobile. As the Urbee shows, making a car with this technology has a slew of beneficial side effects.
Jim Kor is the engineering brains behind the Urbee. He’s designed tractors, buses, even commercial swimming pools. Between teaching classes, he heads Kor Ecologic, the firm responsible for the 3-D printed creation.
“We thought long and hard about doing a second one,” he says of the Urbee. “It’s been the right move.”
Kor and his team built the three-wheel, two-passenger vehicle at RedEye, an on-demand 3-D printing facility. The printers he uses create ABS plastic via Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The printer sprays molten polymer to build the chassis layer by microscopic layer until it arrives at the complete object. The machines are so automated that the building process they perform is known as “lights out” construction, meaning Kor uploads the design for a bumper, walk away, shut off the lights and leaves. A few hundred hours later, he’s got a bumper. The whole car – which is about 10 feet long – takes about 2,500 hours.
Besides easy reproduction, making the car body via FDM affords Kor the precise control that would be impossible with sheet metal. When he builds the aforementioned bumper, the printer can add thickness and rigidity to specific sections. When applied to the right spots, this makes for a fender that’s as resilient as the one on your Prius, but much lighter. That translates to less weight to push, and a lighter car means more miles per gallon. And the current model has a curb weight of just 1,200 pounds.
To further remedy the issues caused by modern car-construction techniques, Kor used the design freedom of 3-D printing to combine a typical car’s multitude of parts into simple unibody shapes. For example, when he prints the car’s dashboard, he’ll make it with the ducts already attached without the need for joints and connecting parts. What would be dozens of pieces of plastic and metal end up being one piece of 3-D printed plastic.
“The thesis we’re following is to take small parts from a big car and make them single large pieces,” Kor says. By using one piece instead of many, the car loses weight and gets reduced rolling resistance, and with fewer spaces between parts, the Urbee ends up being exceptionally aerodynamic.” How aerodynamic? The Urbee 2′s teardrop shape gives it just a 0.15 coefficient of drag.
Not all of the Urbee is printed plastic — the engine and base chassis will be metal, naturally. They’re still figuring out exactly who will make the hybrid engine, but the prototype will produce a maximum of 10 horsepower. Most of the driving – from zero to 40 mph – will be done by the 36-volt electric motor. When it gets up to highway speeds, the engine will tap the fuel tank to power a diesel engine.
But how safe is a 50-piece plastic body on a highway?
With three wheels and a curb weight of less than 1,200 pounds, it’s more motorcycle than passenger car.
“We’re calling it race car safety,” Kor says. “We want the car to pass the tech inspection required at Le Mans.”
The design puts a tubular metal cage around the driver, “like a NASCAR roll cage,” Kor claims. And he also mentioned the possibility of printed shock-absorbing parts between the printed exterior and the chassis. Going by Le Mans standards also means turn signals, high-beam headlights, and all the little details that make a production car.
To negotiate the inevitable obstacles presented by a potentially incredulous NHSTA and DOT, the answer is easy. “In many states and many countries, Urbee will be technically registered as a motorcycle,” Kor says. It makes sense. With three wheels and a curb weight of less than 1,200 pounds, it’s more motorcycle than passenger car.
No matter what, the bumpers will be just as strong as their sheet-metal equivalents. “We’re planning on making a matrix that will be stronger than FDM,” says Kor. He admits that yes, “There is a danger in breaking one piece and have to recreate the whole thing.” The safety decisions that’ll determine the car’s construction lie ahead. Kor and his team have been tweaking the safety by using crash simulation software, but the full spectrum of testing will have to wait for an influx of investment cash. “Our goal with the final production Urbee,” Kor says, “is to exceed most, if not all, current automotive safety standards.”
Kor already has 14 orders, mostly from people who worked on the design with him. The original Urbee prototype was estimated to cost around $50,000.
When the funding comes in, the head engineer is planning to take the latest prototype from San Francisco to New York on 10 gallons of gas, preferably pure ethanol. The hope is that the drive will draw even more interest. “We’re trying to prove without dispute that we did this drive with existing traffic,” Kor says. “We’re hoping to make it in Google [Maps'] time, and we want to have the Guinness book of world records involved.”

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/02/3d-printed-car/

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

BMW Day at Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline MA August 11, 2013


BMW Day

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!

At BMW Day, come witness the history and evolution of the respectable BMW. Any vehicle from the Bavarian carmaker’s long and storied past is welcome at this increasingly popular show. From classic 2002′s to modern M-cars, all manner of Bimmers will fill up the lawn providing the sights and sounds of German engineering.
Next Event: Sunday, August 11, 2013 from 9am-2pm
Event Details: The show starts at 9am and runs until 2pm. Car registration is $20 per car and includes the driver and one passenger.
Spectator admission is Adults, $10. Military, seniors, students and children 6-12, $5 and children under 6 are free. Museum members are always free! The Museum is open for your viewing until 4pm.
Lunch will be available on site for purchase.
- See more at: http://larzanderson.org/events/lawn-events/2013-lawn-events/bmw-day/#sthash.Aiz0aK9i.dpuf

http://larzanderson.org/events/lawn-events/2013-lawn-events/bmw-day/

Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum Auction Results February 15 and 16 2013

Thanks to Chamoix in Athens, GA from 2002FAQ for this link!


Here are the top 10 results from the recent RM Auction at the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum in Georgia. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was watching a casting call for "CARS' or "Who Killed Roger Rabbit?"  Some of these are straight out of "Toon Town"!  Nevertheless, I love these little cars.  What's not to like?  ;)






For the rest of the results of this fascinating event, check out this link:
http://www.rmauctions.com/results/result.cfm?feature=No&category=all&salecode=BW13&sort=price&view=list%A4cy=&toYear=&fromYear=&make=&lot=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_content=email&utm_campaign=The%20Bruce%20Weiner%20Microcar%20Museum%20Results%21&utm_term=result.cfm


Enjoy!  This is an amazing site, btw.  Click on each car..... you will see a whole series of closeups as well as notes on each vehicle.  Outstanding job, fascinating stuff!





THE BRUCE WEINER MICROCAR MUSEUM

15 - 16 February 2013

Lot 603

Sold for $322,000
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 594

Sold for $184,000
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 613

Sold for $172,500
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 590

Sold for $161,000
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 297

Sold for $138,000
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 563

Sold for $132,250
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 623

Sold for $126,500
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 258

Sold for $120,750
2013 - Bruce Weiner
Lot 595

Sold for $115,000
2013 - Bruce Weiner

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Project Journal: 1973 2002 First Drive 2/24/2013


Last week I went out to fiddle with the '02 and for some reason it just wouldn't start.  I didn't have a lot of time to mess with it, but I did try starting fluid several times and it just would NOT fire!   I was a little puzzled because it has been starting for the past few weeks without a problem.  

So Saturday I went out to look at it for a bit in the afternoon.  Before even trying to start it, I decided to check the plugs.  Sure enough they were all heavily blackened with unburnt fuel.  So I pulled all the plugs and cleaned them up.

Sure enough, that was all that was needed.  The 2002 started up after a few seconds, and ran fine.  I let it run for about 20 minutes, starting and stopping it a few times to make sure it was ok.

I went back out to the garage Sunday afternoon, and it started up again with no problem.   I decided that it was time to see if it could move under its own power!   :)

Here is what I found:






This is the first time it has moved under its own power since I bought it last November!




And back into the shelter of the garage.  It still needs to stay inside since some of the window seals are missing.  And, as I mentioned in an earlier post.... the brakes are very weak.  I have filled the brake reservoir, but I have not yet determined why the fluid was so low.  I do not see any blatant leaks at any of the wheel cylinders or around the master cylinder, so I am suspicious of the functioning of the master cylinder and power brake servo.

But anyway, in the meantime.... Woo hoo!  Not only is it alive...... but it can move!  Not the prettiest car you have ever seen, for sure, but.....  it sure looks pretty good to me!

Now that we know that it runs and drives..... the rest is just.... mopping up.

;)

O Happy Day!

Stay tuned!



Video: Restoration BMW 2002 targa

Video: BMW 2002 Cabriolet Targa

Video: BMW 2002 Baur Alpina (Club BMW 2002 Colombia) Convertible

When it rains, it pours!

Enjoy!


Video: BMW 2002 Baur Cabriolet

I found this video tonight while preparing a new video post for my 1973 2002 Project Journal.

Enjoy!


Saturday, February 23, 2013

Friends! Romans! Baurspotters! Lend me your Ears (and Eyes)!

Friends!  Romans!  Baurspotters!  Lend me your Ears (and Eyes)!*

Can we find this BMW Baur Cabrio Targa in Rome?


Thanks to vinceinIL of 2002FAQ for posting these pics that his brother took in Rome in February 2005.

Thanks, Vince!

We have no other information.  Anyone know this car?

I want to reach out to our friends at  http://www.bmwe21fansclub.it/bmwe21/Default.asp

Do any of you know anything about this car?

Ciao!






*Paraphrased from Marc Antony's famous funeral oration in JULIUS CAESAR, by William Shakespeare.  

Friday, February 22, 2013

BMW 2002 Cabrio Targa Spotted In Rome

Thanks to vinceinIL of 2002FAQ for posting these pics that his brother took in Rome in February 2005.

Thanks, Vince!

We have no other information.  Anyone know this car?






1972 BMW 2002 TARGA M2 Estate Sale!

New on ebay, thanks to ray koke in NOLA from 2002FAQ for the link!


UPDATE:  This listing (160978635880) has been removed, or this item is not available.
    • Please check that you've entered the correct item number
    • Listings that have ended 90 or more days ago will not be available for viewing.


CAVEAT EMPTOR!   There are reports in the forums questioning this ebay listing.  Go carefully!   
Baurspotting is also looking into this.


1972 BMW 2002

1972 BMW 2002 TARGA M2


BMW : 2002 TARGA M2

1972 BMW 2002

1972 BMW 2002 TARGA M2



An all original 1972 BMW 2002 TARGA with less than
43,800 miles, [ 70,500 Kilometers as displayed on the odometer ]
The TARGA has gone through a comprehensive ground-up restorations
with a S-14 AC SCHNITZER TYPE II motor and transmission conversion
making it an extremely fast and rare piece of art along with many unique
and artistic customized touches in both interior and exterior areas
Serious inquires only. This is an estate AUCTION
Please ask all your questions and/or concerns prior to the AUCTION end
including any in person inspection!
This vehicle is sold " AS IS " as well as " WHERE IS "
A NONE-REFUNDABLE $1,000.00 PAYPAL deposit is required within 24 hours
of the AUCTION end
The Balance is due within 5 business days via BANK WIRE TRANSFER
The winning bidder is responsible for all delivery and/or transportation/s
Will send any additional info and/or photo/s if requested via eBay contact system

1972 BMW 2002

1972 BMW 2002 TARGA M2

Item Location:Warren, Michigan, United States
Time left:5d 17h (Feb 27, 201322:15:02 PST)
Bid history:5 bids
Current bid:US $8,300.20
Reserve not met







 $
Place bid