Prepping for The Vintage

Happy Friday!  Welcome to the blog!  Today we're taking a look at one very special vintage bimmer that's in the shop, as well as one that will be traveling (by trailer) to North Carolina for The Vintage!  

Let's start with the former, shall we?  She's a 1957 BMW Isetta 300 sliding window cabrio.  Doesn't she immediately bring a smile to your face?  She's been through a cosmetic restoration and some light mechanical work over the years.  While she's here at the shop, we are diagnosing and repairing an intermittent no-start issue caused by a failing Dynastart and a leaking carburetor.  We are also re-routing some control cables.  The passenger window will be adjusted so it slides easily.  Turn signals will be checked for proper working order, along with a small list of other miscellaneous adjustments to be made. 

It's the month of May, which only means one thing…ok, it means a few things!  Yes, the Indianapolis 500 takes place later this month, however, before that is The Vintage!  It is a sold out event this year!  And this year, they'll be celebrating 50 years of the 2002.  We are excited to take our 1968 2002 for the celebration!  Reggie has been busy preparing this piece of history for the journey.  Although she'll ride in a trailer to and from North Carolina, once we are there, she'll be cruising the winding roads through city and mountain scapes.  This will be our 9th year attending this wildly popular, ever-growing event!  Here'a look at last year's festivities which took place on Reggie's birthday!  

The '68 2002 got a 123ignition this week!  And if you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen a laptop that Reggie used to monitor ignition advance.  Yes, you read that correctly!  In the photos below, you'll see that Reggie can hook up to the ignition via USB!  This is where modern technology and vintage automobiles collide, providing some nerdy and nifty information!  

This is the old ignition:

You may find yourself asking, "Why don't Reggie and Stephanie just drive the '02 to North Carolina?  Why trailer the car? It's her 50th birthday too!"  Those are great questions!  And we have some anwers for you!  For one, Reggie hasn't had as  much time behind the wheel of this bimmer as he would like.  Finding any quirks on a long road trip isn't necessarily ideal.  By taking the trailer, we'll have the tools necessary should she (or anyone else! Because "a funny thing happened on the way to The Vintage!" isn't just a topic of conversation, it's cause for an award at the event!) need anything.  Furthermore, this vintage car doesn't have head rests.  And it just has lap belts.  So, naturally, safety is a concern.  The fact that the car doesn't yet have A/C is not an issue.  But it sure is nice to have it!  We've witnessed North Carolina summer heat!  And it's no joke!  One thing is for sure, I am so excited to ride in this beauty through the rolling hills along with hundreds of other 2002s!  We'll also get to visit the BMW CCA Foundation for their open house featuring the 2002.  

Reggie will be finishing up a few other odds and ends on the 02 and we'll be on the road before we know it!  

We'd like to take a moment to wish all Moms and Mothers and Grandmothers a very Happy Mother's Day!  And to those whom we've lost, you are loved and cherished in our hearts always!