Happy New Year.

Car of the Month April 2007

Finally after years of begging: Paul Wegweiser's 02

"EMILY":

Originally purchased in 1997. I was leaving a note under the windshield wiper asking if the owner wished to sell it. I told him that I couldn’t offer him what it was worth – but if he agreed to sell it to me – that this car would have the best of everything. Over the following 10 years – I have kept true to my word. Her name is Emily, and she’s originally a 1973 USA model 2002. (produced April 13 1973) I spent the following 7 years restoring it mechanically, and assembling rare and special parts for a full bore restoration.

A list of her special tweaks and parts:

quick ratio steering box
original BMW sport steering wheel
Alpina steel 6x13 wheels (incl. spare)
185/60-13 Yoko AVS tires (175/70s next time!)
European original BMW headlight assemblies w. city lights
2002 factory turbo radiator
E30 battery cable and terminal box (boot mounted battery)
Bosch red coil w. 1.8 ballast
2002 turbo front subframe bushings
2002 tii brakes, spindles, booster
E30 leather sport seats
Alpina speedometer / gauges
3.0 bavaria interior mirror
1974 one pc. dashboard and carpet
1969 era bumpers w. European tag lights
2002 Luxus door pockets
Talbot Berlin mirrors
tii exhaust (OE BMW)
est. 170+/- hp motor with:
E30 M3 crank, rods
JE pistons
Schrick 304 camshaft
…built by the incomparable Eric Kerman in New York State. GOBS
of torque!

45 DCOE Webers
original BMW “ti”intake manifolds ported for the larger carbs
2002 “ti” airbox, modified per early Alpina type.
original 4 speed still going strong at 250,000 miles
NOS Miller and Norburn lowering springs
Bilstein sport shocks/struts
ST swaybars (22mm / 19mm)

….and the cheapest CD player I could find.

All the exhaustive metal and paint work provided by Matt MGinn
and Co. at Sports Car Restoration in Connecticut. All mechanical
restoration performed by me. Every screw inside the doors, and
under hood is a new, genuine BMW fastener. Doors, fenders, rear
quarter panels, trunk floor, nose, tail panel, rockers, floor
pan rails, and shock towers all replaced over a 12-15 year
period. I’m lucky to have every receipt for this car as far back
as 1981 – with a few from 1974! The car has traveled from
Baltimore MD to:

Nova Scotia
Toronto
South Carolina
Memphis Tennessee
…among others.

She WORKS for a living. Usually at triple digit speeds (for you
Europeans – that’s MILES PER HOUR, not KPH)

still to come: 4.10 rear, 5 speed overdrive, larger brakes, LSD,
skinnier tires (!)

The car is special to me NOT because of all the money spent –
but because of the dedication and effort that went in to the
entire process. Everyone that touched Miss Emily, treated her
like she was special….and it shows.

Special Thanks to:

Sports Car Restorations CT
Lev Khodorkovsky
Tim Lavery
Maximillian Importing MD
Richard Stern UK
David Roach
Mark Raspi of Raspi’s British Imports MD
Don Miller of Blue Ridge Sportscars MD
…and countless others for their enthusiasm and support!

Previous Cars Of The Month: