¡¡¡¡¡¡SOMEONE MADE AN OFFER ON THE JEEP!!!!!!

"SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)" (sammauri) 12/01/2014 at 23:00 • Filed to: None

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It's not exactly where I want it to be, but I had a very nice chat with a woman over email and her husband over the phone. They saw my ad on Autotrader, recognized it as local, and gave me a buzz.

Plot twist(s):

My mom designed their kitchen and two of their bathrooms.

And the wife's sister's entire house.

And she works with the husband's best friend's daughter.

And my mom and the wife are friends.

And the husband said, and I quote, "I know I can get a Jeep in very similar condition for [offer]... but knowing who's been driving it does hold value to me"

And I'm going to convince them to meet me in the middle or, more preferably, slightly above the middle.

And this is wonderful news because I just spoke to my friend who I work with at my grandfather's shop (he's full time, I work summers) and they've made some decent progress with the 2002. I have enough dough to pay for what they've done so far (and I can accumulate a little debt because I'm related to their boss) but the Jeep money will help with many more wonderful things.

Have a porn or three to celebrate this potentially newsworthy news.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/01/2014 at 23:15

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Sooooooo, what's going on with the 02?
Also, this

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 12/02/2014 at 00:20

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The 2002 is currently in this stage (which I'm pretty sure you knew, but i could be wrong).

I found a new NOS hood and I'm just going to have it all primed for now, but I've run into some electrical gremlins that need to be sorted out. The owner two previous did a lot of work and he definitely knew how to do mechanical work but I don't think electrical was his forte. Luckily there isn't a huge amount of electrical components to a 2002 with no radio, and a guy at my grandfather's shop offered to bring the electrical system back to factory for free. He's a BMW expert and a great guy, so I have faith it'll be done right. It's going to be a side project so It will take some time, but I can do some other things while I wait. I got new front grills and a new kidney grill. It's rough, but it'll do for now and it was dirt cheap. The headlights are totally fine and I have the roundel sitting in front of me on my desk. After that, and if I can sell the Jeep, that's when things get fun. The Gottis are going to someone who I trust to be refurbished and then I need spacers, extended wheel bolts, and tires. They probably wont actually go on the car until I get some new suspension goodies, which we've talked about ad nauseam. The only issue there is that I want to go pretty low and I can't seem to find the right set up to do it. Coilovers would do the trick, but as we've discussed that is an unnecessarily pricey option for a car that will see little more than the occasional autoX. I could cut a coil off of a set of I.E. stage twos, but I have my reservations about that as well.

I found a rear shorty euro bumper for a really good price, but it's a little beaten up so I might pass on it. I need to find one sort of quickly, because I don't want to repaint the car until the rear bumper conversion is done. And I can't decide if I want to do a front conversion too. Either way, US bumpers will be gone and the side reflectors will be shaved. You've probably heard everything beyond this point, but I'll include it anyways.

Another huge question is whether or not I want to keep the chrome belt line or shave that as well. I really like the way the blue looks without it, so I'll go that route especially since I don't plan on selling this car any time soon. The door trim will be gone as well. It would potentially look like this (so essentially exactly how it looks now, but without all the holes):

Then theres the issue of the interior. I have the seats which are in good enough condition for now, and my grandfather's upholsterer said he would be willing to help with those at a later date. And I want some sort of music in the car. I figure a 3 speaker setup with one where the original was and two on the back shelf will do that trick. That's going to take a little bit of figuring out too.

I could go on for a while. I haven't even mentioned the Webbers that I found out I can get a healthy discount on.

Oh and turn signals. Those American ones have got to go.

Too many of plans, Chuck. Too many plans.

And I found this today, which I now desperately want. I have never seen a more lust worthy steering wheel in all of my life. Thank god it's not a Nardi. If I ever find one I might just be able to afford it.

jkm7680 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/02/2014 at 07:38

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Awesome! Glad somebody is finally biting.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/02/2014 at 12:27

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You certainly have your hands full. As for the headlights, I'm going to replace mine (hopefully) this winter. I found Cibie H4s on Amazon w/ prime for $40 a piece, then I can either make a relay or buy one for about $40-50. I'm honestly clueless with the electrical stuff. As far as the suspension and wheels. I'd recommend fixed camber plates and Billy Sports (I have HDs, and though I haven't driven with the new springs, I think I could go a bit stiffer). As for the springs/height, my theory as of now if buying the wheels I really want, then cutting the springs to the wheels. I would start cutting now, but I don't think it's wise to adjust the car while it's resting on the stock 13x4.5s.

For the bumpers, you can always find them on Ebay. I think the set is about 700-800 and rear is about 400. Depending on how expensive the used on is, it might be worth it just to get the car ready for paint w/ the conversion, then later on buy a nicer bumper. But, I don't know how much the guy is charging, so that's all up to you.

Personally, I'd keep the belt trim. BUT, I understand that while you are unsure, you will most likely want to replace most or all of it, and that is quite costly. If you want to keep it, which I would recommend, I would save paint for last. Everyone I know with an 02 is doing so, or has done so. Sort everything, then go for the shiny stuff. I do agree with the shaved reflectors, I can't wait to remove mine. For you, I would get rid of the door trim. Though, for my car, if I get the Porsche 356 wheels and paint them black, the door trim doesn't look all that out of place. I actually, might prefer it on the red one with the 356 wheels.

IDK, my lack of funds will give me plenty of time to think about my decisions.

Get the euro turn signals, the US ones are ghastly and I can't wait to get rid of them, though they are low on the list because at most they will only add about 8 horsepower, each.

For the interior, do what you think. I'm so conflicted right now. I want music, but like I said, I can't do electrical for shit, don't have the funds, and my car is so original that it might hurt the value. (This is the stupidest thing I have ever said, because I don't plan on ever selling the car, but still) If you are looking for a nice speaker setup, I'd recommend two on the rear deck behind the rear seats. Then, for a sub, do this setup . My friend just did this on his 02 and it sounds killer.

As for the carbs, what are you looking at. 38s, 40s, 45s. At that point (45s) you better be doing something else besides just bolting on some carbs. I myself want dual 40s and a 292 cam along with some long tube headers and a few other goodies. But before that, a 5 speed swap is high on my list and an e21 LSD isn't far behind. Also, get the steering wheel when you find it. It's killer.

If you need inspiration (or more potential purchases) check out these. I really like pastellblau, sometimes I wish my car had color.

This one is almost perfect, but why didn't he get rid of the reflectors?

And this one, I really want those wheels.

Let me know about the carbs. For now, I'm just wishing I had more money to burn. Hopefully I can purchase these , if they are still available over winter break.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 12/02/2014 at 14:49

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Oh yeah. Hands are extremely full. And I have to manage most of it from a state away. I'm definitely looking into Billy Sports and IE stage 2 springs. I think that might be the best bet. And if I need to chop a coil off, it's not the end of the world either. That beautiful grey one you linked me to is on IE coilovers... That's unfortunately exactly how I want mine to sit. I'm sure I could get the same effect with Billies and springs, but the temptation is real.

I didn't realize the people selling new reproduction bumpers had them back on eBay. They were down for a few months. I assumed they weren't available anymore but they're back ! If I end up selling the Jeep to this family (they're going to look at it on Saturday. Fingers crossed) I will have around $10k to play around with. I think I might have to spring for a good set of those bumpers.

The belt trim... Ugh. Such a difficult decision. Mine is pretty much shot, so it would cost almost $1000 for a whole new set and, honestly, I think the Pastellblau is one of the few colors that looks really good without the beltline. And I've never had it on the car so it honestly might look weird to me with the trim. Ahaha. I have time to make that decision though.

I love the under-the-seat sub idea! That's awesome. I might have to look into that... I definitely want two on the rear shelf, and I think one smaller one in the center console where the factory unit was will clean up the interior a bit. Right now there's just a big gaping hole where the radio and speaker used to be. Honestly anything will be an improvement over the portable speaker I was keeping on the backseat. I really don't care much about resale on this car. I don't plan on selling it either. I just want to get into it and be psyched about every aspect that I've modified.

For carbs, I'm going with dual 40s. I have a set of good headers in a box somewhere and I will definitely want to do some more go-fast mods in the future (some engine work, short shifter, sports exhaust, etc., etc., etc.) but I think 40s will offer the most performance without having to do a whole bunch of mods right away. I'm not exactly sure how the discount through works, but I might be able to pull a few strings and order them "for a customer" for a discount. I don't know how strict they are with stuff like that, but I can check it out for you. I would definitely recommend a 5 speed swap. I think I told you about my friend with the 5-speed Inka, but it's such a good drive. Personally, I love the 4-speed and will probably keep it but the 5-speed is such a help for highway driving and is much tighter feeling that the 4. I'm hoping that a Z4 short shifter will tighten mine up a bit, but I really love having something with a 4 speed. There's something nostalgic about it! And I have an E21 LSD as well. Definitely the route to go. I swapped mine in one day in my driveway having no idea what I was doing. It probably took about 8 hours, but I also had to replace the guibo and fight with a lot of stuck bolts so it might not take that long if you want to do it yourself. I definitely recommend the LSD though.

AND HOLY SHIT BUY THOSE DAMN WHEELS RIGHT NOW THEY WOULD BE PERFECT. How much is a 4x100 to wide 5 adapter?

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/02/2014 at 16:07

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The adapters are $400, so if I can buy them (have to think about insurance due soon and books for next semester), they will be in the corner of the garage for awhile. I'm trying to sell my e21 turbines, but have no bites. You have any ideas how to get rid of them?

Also, glad to hear the LSD swap isn't that bad. I know having a 4 speed is awesome and very nostalgic, but I love long drives and the OD will help with that. Plus, I want a higher ratio rear diff, so with the 4 speed I'd be even more restricted. I think I have the 3.64:1 right now, but I'd be killer to get a 3.9:1 LSD.

For now, since I just purchased the 32/36, I'm going to milk that for as long as possible and make improvements elsewhere. But, dual 40s are awesome. I wish there was an easy system, but I'd love to have ITBs with EFI. But, most 02 guys stick with carbs.

I too have the big hold in the console, but I just use it to hold all my shit and hat.

Also, about the wheels, I don't know if I'd paint them black if they are already freshly powder coated.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 12/02/2014 at 18:39

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I would put them on a bunch of forums if you haven't already. When I sold my BBS RSs and later when I sold my BBS e71s I had them on eBay, Craigslist, the 2002 faq, the Stanceworks classified forum, VWvortex, and wheel-whores.com. I definitely recommend wheel-whores. That's where I sold the RSs and where I found the Gotti 150s. The e71s found a new home from the Stanceworks forum IIRC. And a lot of VW's run 4x100s so that might be a good place too. Plus I know a bunch of 2002 owners who frequent VW vortex.

I often wonder if the OD would be worth it. There's a stretch of highway getting to my dad's that made me wish I had a 5th gear all the time, but I found a significantly more fun back way. It takes 15 minutes longer, but it's so worth it. I don't really mind the 4 speed other than that. I've had it up to 90 before and it handles it decently. It's just a little loud. Ahaha

I would love ITBs but I gotta stick with carbs for a while. There's a guy at the shop with a 2002 engine bored out with ITBs and a bunch of M3 internals in his Ginetta G16 it's borderline pornographic. (pic is of his car at LOM Sebring)

As for the wheels, you could always plastidip them to see how they look. If it's significantly better then you can repaint them. I think the black with silver centers looks badass.

Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) 12/02/2014 at 20:19

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That car is pornographic. I will have to advertise all over. I just don't know who wants stock e21 rims. Especially since 13" tires are now hard to come by. The plastidip is a good idea. Do you apply it after the tires are on?

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Chuck 2(O=[][]=O)2 12/02/2014 at 20:38

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You'd be kind of surprised. I'm sure if you post them on the FAQ someone will want them, but there are tons of old school BMW owners on the Stanceworks forums. Wheel whores is just a good all-around bet. If someone is selling something, there's someone who wants to buy it.

And you can definitely apply it after the tires are on. Apparently you can just spray it so a little bit gets on the tire, and it'll etch around the rim automatically. Then you just peel the stuff left over on the tire off. I haven't tried it myself, but there are a bunch of YouTube videos about it. Look up DipYourCar on YouTube. They have all kinds of DIY how-to's. The dude who does them is kind of annoying though.