Wiper Exchange

An enterprising PO had switched the wiper blades, so that the baffle wiper was relocated to the passenger side, contrary to the original BMW installation.

I finally got around to switching the blades and now they are correctly placed.

New Radiator Cap

My old radiator cap began to leak and I had to remove it continually and wipe down all its related surfaces. The fix only lasted until the nest time I unscrewed the cap. So I ordered a new German-made cap from ebay - bought and delivered to my door for a total of $13. The new cap is really solid, doesn't wiggle when pressed, and now the car has one less issue to waste time thinking about.

Field Trip

Looking almost squashed, the car rode the ferry to Vashon Island the other day.

Mt. Rainier was shining brightly in the morning sun and we had a perfect day for island driving.

In the Interest of Better Steering

I recently replaced the strut rod bushings. The old ones were cooked.

The steering is much improved with the new rubber and from the look of things, safer.

Maybe It Does Pay to Get Older

On the occasion of celebrating the passage of another year, Shawn gave me a really cool license plate frame/holder from BMW. Sure beats a WA plate dangling by itself from the rear.

Now, That's a Canister!

The old oil filter housing and canister had an irritating look, I decided a while back.

I found a Purolator version on German ebay for very little money some time ago. Best of all, it sported the BMW logo, something I'd never seen. So, with the assistance of Patrick at Midnight Motorsport here in Seattle, the car now has some added 60s style bling. No leaks, either.

The housing is different from others I have seen of the same vintage. There is no o-ring inside it; instead it features a permanently-installed rubber bushing.

One less bit to replace when changing the oil, another cool feature.

A Summer Drive

I tagged along today with a bunch of the local '02s on a trip that took us through the winding back roads of Mercer Island and then to Snoqualmie Falls, where I had to leave the pack and return to Seattle to attend to other committments. The sun shone outside of Seattle, which added to the fun.

And the falls were impressive, if a bit Disneylandish in the touristic environment.