Bumper Seals Before (and After)

I lucked out and got a pair of original bumper seals from Tom, a nice guy I met virtually.  He lives on the East Coast but with the internet, who cares?  He sent me pictures before I committed to buy and they looked kind of forlorn.

1) The seals at their old home

I received them in the mail in due course.  Getting out my trusty brake cleaner I cleaned most of the old overspray that was on them.  A final coat of Armorall brought back some lustre.  I also fixed a small tear with epoxy. They still don't look like new but they're a lot better in their presence than they would be if they were absent.

2) Improved if not new

Now I have to put them on the car.  It never ends.

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A Cool Book

I just found the orginal repair manual for the NK 2000 on Ebay, cheap!  My apologies to the (former) owner for using this image.

I hope I can make sense of the instructions after I receive the volume in the mail later this week.

Nice Numbers

I was reminded today that I should photograph my car's nice matching numbers.

1) On the engine

2) VIN plate in the engine compartment

3) On the fender

As long as I had the hood opened I decided to snap a shot of the 121 TI mark on the head.

I am not really sure why the head is designated TI.  Perhaps BMW wanted the customer who bought the car new to think he or she got an extra good deal.

Unlocking the Secret of the Trunk Lock

I finally got to putting in a new trunk lock today.  Two different people had told me the job would require a special tool, because the circular ring-nut that holds the cylinder in place had rusted and glued itself firmly to the barrel.

1) The old lock with its devilish ring

The trunk lid itself, where the locking mechanism is located, is awkward.  After I removed 4 bolts and the mechanism, access became easier.

2) Recessed into the sheet metal and barely visible in dim light, the trunk lock is difficult to get at

A trusty pair of needle-nose vice grips proved up to the task of removing the nut. Thanks one more time to the folks on bmw2002faq.com for the hint.

After that, it was a simple matter to line up the notches in the trunk lid with the new cylinder and put in the new lock. Now I can safely store all the groceries that I usually carry on the back seat.

3) Locked

4) Unlocked

Concours d'Elegance, Seattle

Yesterday we took the 2000 to its first car show, about 30 miles from where we live to the sprawling suburb of Renton.  The event was sponsored by the local BMW Car CLub chapter and a lot of cars showed up.

1) The registration booth

Not a cloud marred the bright blue sky and the day proved to be the best of the year for Puget Sound. The vehicles seemed to gleam in thanks. I know I did.

2) Walking in back of the vintage cars. Ours is in between the Chamonix coupe and the Ceylon '02

3) Our car with the only other 2000 at the show - a white CS: Photo by Diana

There were a few really rare models.

4) A 507 from the 1950s

5) The interior of a Bristol, an English car derived from pre-war BMW design.  Note the avionic look to the dash; you can even adjust fuel/air mixture





6) Checking out the Bristol with its owner, Tom: Photo by Diana

Both Diana and I admired the 1600 convertible, even if such a car isn't really practical in Seattle.

7) A nice cockpit

Not far from the car show a local festival was in full swing, and we even got the chance to have lunch with some friends.

8) Diana feeds the goats

Timing

Today I received a parcel from Germany with a couple of hubcaps. Just in time; I take the car tomorrow to the Concours d'Elegance near Seattle.  Diana and I would have looked foolish with only three hubcaps on the 2000.  

Not to mention the poor car, which has been feeling semi-naked lately. 

The new hubcap on the car, which is staying in the garage till the show lest it get covered with pollen and leaves and other northwest-forest tree-shedding offal

Best Wishes from Quality Control

Here is the original confirmation of final inspection from my car, signed by someone at BMW