Close Enough But Still Fools the Camera

I pulled the rear shelf completely, a chore that requires removing both cushions of the back seat, and spray-painted the thing because I was not satisfied with the touch-up job I had done previously.

To the naked eye the color appears nearly the same as the rest of the upholstery but of course my digital camera thinks differently. Nonetheless, we can put this problem to bed.

I kind of like the two-toned effect.  Too bad only the camera sees it so dramatically.

Like a Beacon, for Those Who Need a Road

Given that I constantly think about what to do next for the car, it was inevitable I would eventually turn my attention to the p/s tail light. There is nothing wrong with the assembly but the piece is older than the d/s unit - which is new.  In the beginning the p/s lights looked better so I changed the older, cracked one on the left. The situation then reversed itself; now the right side fixture looked bad. A relative thing, of course.

I talked to the good folks at my local NAPA store after reading about possible fixes on BMW2002faq.com. They recommended a 3M product.  Apparently you attach this special piece of sandpaper to a grinding pad, have at it, and presto! the tail lights become new again.

I was skeptical.

But I bought the product; it happened to be on sale.  And I do like to grind things.  After years of scouring wooden boats, fiberglass boats, furniture, and what-have-you, I have an affinity for the torturous activity.

To my great surprise, fifteen minutes worth of work made a real difference.

1) Before

2) After

Were every other aspect of life so easy...

Philosophizing

My car has never been better and I wonder today what to do next, or indeed if any projects should be renewed.  The engine doesn't burn or leak oil, doesn't smoke, and idles at a perfect 800 RPMs. The suspension handles the ubiquitous Seattle potholes with aplomb. My seats are far more comfortable than those of any modern vehicle, and I can drive the freeway with hands-free steering, should I wish to tempt the fates (not to mention the horrible condition of Interstate tarmac).  The car corners like the race car so many of its peers were modified to run as.

On the auditory side, the stereo blasts out NPR or old rock music with perfectly-pitched ease, from a variety of speakers. I can even plug in an Ipod, although I've never owned one.  I guess the windows rattle a bit unless fully closed, but so what.  The road noise is muted and barely noticeable.  It's much more fun to listen to the music of the M10 engine.

Okay, the rear of the transmission dribbles the odd drop of oil and the dash cover is an amateur refit.  The original windscreen glows with 45 years worth of pitted use when exposed to direct sunlight.  And I have yet to return the color to its original Tampico.  Again, who cares.

But the feeling of completion is by its very nature illusory. At any time any number of scenarios might arise.  Major mechanical malfunctions always lurk nearby with a vehicle of this age and of course, the plethora of abysmal drivers in Seattle present a constant hazard to its well-being, each and every time I exit the driveway.

Today the car sits in the garage, awaiting fresh orders. What will the next cruise bring?  The future is unfathomable.

Resting quietly on a Sunday

DESCENDING THE CAIRO SIDE - a novel of the traveling life
Available as an e-book on Amazon.com


Buy the book on Amazon

A Pesky Coolant Hose

A coolant leak developed recently in the hose from the water pump to the intake manifold, evidenced by antifreeze leaking on the engine.  Feeling around, I detected what felt like a pinhole underneath the hose.  I was too annoyed to a photo of the old offending piece but did order the replacement, shown here as # 2. 

 

What arrived was a straight piece of hose, not the one pictured above. It seemed to fit but looked awkward. Sure enough, upon installation, the neck began to leak at the manifold.  I wondered at first if the neck had cracked but that wasn't the problem. The hose didn't join to the manifold properly and was sent straight back to BMW.

A second attempt to order the correct hose (#11531266474) brought us an S-shaped item, designed for later manifolds.  Not serviceable either.  So BMW stocks two different hoses with the same part number, neither of them useful.

The mechanics at Eurocar Service custom-cut another piece of hose, a longer one.  That fit nicely and the leak stopped. I should add that they used some sealant as well.  Given that they initially installed the wrong hose I wasn't charged for the work.  A good deal all around.

The new hose; the damned camera flash sure makes the engine look rusty

Dyeing the Rear Shelf

The rear shelf behind the back seat needed attention.  I guess years of sun had faded the brown color, or a PO had done a bad job at changing the color from black to braun.  Hard to say.

I

1) Splotchy

Interestingly, nobody ever seemed to notice the situation, but I certainly did.

I found a touch-up kit online for $8, shipping included, and laid the pieces on the trunk the day after getting it in the mail.

 

2) The container colors nicely match the sports pic in the morning paper

After mixing the generic brown that was provided with some black, to darken the tint, I found that it matched well and I used the cylindrical foam applicator to touch up the spots.  The only thing I hadn't counted on was that the paint was glossier than the tint on the shelf.

3) Glossy

So I scuffed the paint after it dried with a paper towel, lubricated with a bit of Armorall. Still not entirely satisfactory but much better than before.  Eventually I will pull the shelf and redo the whole thing to get it perfect.  But not today.

4) That's it for the moment

Ready for Action: the New Rear Seat

I installed the new rear seat today after picking it up from Steve at Classic Interiors - the go-to place for interior restos in the Pacific Northwest.  He would have gotten to it sooner but was working on a 50s vintage Aston Martin that had kept him overtime.

Looks great and when I sat down on it I felt a lot higher than when on the old one.

DHL and USPS GO OVER the Top: The Carpet Saga

Two months ago I ordered a trunk carpet from Germany, a new reproduction of the original vehicle accessory, now long NLA.

Well.

The package was promptly dispatched from Saulheim.  Unfortunately it took from July 29 to Aug 30 to get to Frankfurt. Thanks, DHL!

Upon arrival in New York it sat for two weeks in the Black Hole of the Jamaica, New York Customs clearing house - goodness knows, patience please, a terror-free Amerika comes first. Thanks, USPS!

Finally, my local post office never bothered to deliver the item, instead leaving a note in my mail box telling me to pick it up at the post office.  Go figure; they'll be bankrupt and out of business soon enough.

On the bright side, the wrapping was delightfully done.

1) The wrapping from Germany, very precise

And the carpet fit nicely in the car.

2) A bit wrinkled at the far edge but well-tailored

3) Looks better after putting water jugs in the corners for a few hours to press down the edges

The only adjustment I had to make was to the grip for the floorboard; I had to remove the screw and re-attach it so that it was pointed toward the rear.  Its bracket did not allow the grip to be turned so the grip is now mounted outside the bracket rather than within. No worries.

 

4) Snug

This carpet was of far better design and manufacture than the American reproduction piece I once bought for the trunk of my 2002.

I now consider the trunk officially restored.  Except for the paint, of course.