Description
By: Mike Macartney .
Book Description
BMW 02 Restoration Guide covers the 1600 to 2002 and Turbo models from the mid sixties to the mid seventies. Detailed information on restoring bodywork, engine, electrics and trim etc.
- Model by model guide to changes in production.
- Guide to buying a car to restore.
- Restoration of transmission, steering and suspension.
- Working on the bodywork and replacing rusted panels.
- Advice on rebuilding engines on all '02 models.
- Details of all the period accessories fitted to '02s.
- Competition tuning and modifications.
Acknowledgement
Although not a BMW enthusiast during the production years of the 02, I do remember small German cars with round rear lights accelerating past me in the late '60s, and they definitely weren't Ford Cortina's! My first recollection of the BMW 02 is of one of these small box like cars overtaking our Hillman Minx Estate, and disappearing into the distance, whilst the Minx was flat out with my foot to the floor. This Hillman Minx was our everyday car and also doubled as a "tug" to tow our rally-cross Hillman Imp that my wife Jane and I raced. As these exotic priced BMW 02 sports saloons were nearly 100 times the price of my £25 Minx I had no interest in them as there was no way I could afford one. Little did I know then that in thirty years time I would be writing a BMW 02 restoration guide.
Obviously, with any book like this there are many people that in some way or other have helped make this BMW '02 Restoration Guide possible. If I have omitted to thank anybody here it is not intentional only through loss of memory.
Before writing the book my knowledge of US spec 02's was scant as there are not many US cars in the UK. Michael Self, who writes the 02 page in the BMW Car Club of America's monthly "Roundel" magazine helped enormously. Initially he answered the many questions I had, then offered to read and check the various chapters as they were written, an offer that I took up. Rob Torres Jnr. of the 2002 Haus, Carl Nelson of La Jolla Independent BMW, 02 specialists in California, also helped with information and photos on the US spec. cars. Another from the US that I must not leave out is Bob Murphy who runs the US tii register. Bob's enthusiasm and determination to find out as much information as he could on the di models has been a tonic for me when my enthusiasm has waned - thanks Bob.
When I agreed to write this restoration guide for Brooklands Books I did not appreciate the time it would take to compile and write. Luckily I have a smashing wife that is understanding of the time I spent on this book. For nine months, most evenings, every Saturday afternoon and all day Sundays have been taken up with working on it. My daughter, Fay Macartney, who is far more talented than I in the art department, produced the drawings and most of the photographs, my thanks go out to her.
My thanks go to Peter Bevins, a fellow 02 enthusiast, who kindly agreed to produce the page layouts, also to my partner Keith and all the staff at Jaymic who have all helped in some way or another to make the BMW 02 the popular classic car it is today. Lastly I would like to thank James Taylor, the well known motoring journalist, for volunteering his editorial skills and to John Dowdeswell of Brooklands Books for asking me to write the BMW '02 Restoration Guide.
In this final paragraph I would like to point out that this book is what it says it is in the title - a restoration guide - it is not meant to replace the factory workshop manual or any of the other manuals produced for the 02 models. I hope the guide will be of help to owners and prospective owners that are contemplating an 02 restoration.
Mike Macartney
