BMW 2002 Police Car Restoration
What BMW do you search for when you are a discerning collector that already has every great BMW? One never sold to the general public of course! While it was near impossible to find an original BMW 2002 that was already a police car, we were able to find a good donor car.
This 2002 lived a simple life, as basic transportation for its owner. It wore its big bumpers and marker lights with pride as an American Market vehicle. This would all change earlier this year. The process started by stripping the vehicle down, and finding that the years had not been kind to this old Bimmer. The right front fender and lower valance had been wrecked, the right quarter panel was rusted and pushed out from a poor repair. The doors were rusted and ill fitting. The rear trunk and lower panels were holey, and not in a traditional religious way.
A week of cutting, grinding, pulling, pushing and welding and it was starting to look like a different car. The marker lights were filled, along with replacement of the rusted panels. The car was gone over with a fine tooth comb to fit all the panels, and ensure correct operation of doors, hood and trunks. Every discerning collector can tell by the sound of the door closing if it was done right.
Paint choice was easy, in order to match the original Police car, Chamonix white was picked, and was the original paint color. (Colour for our British readers.) The green is Vinyl wrapped, meaning this car can be turned back into an original white 2002, once it retires from the police force.
The police light is an original piece and is functional Via a Bluetooth module wired to a modern Lithium Ion battery stashed in the lower section of the light. This means no unsightly wires were needed and no holes drilled in the roof. The siren comes from modern replica electronics unit and has a built in PA system for yelling at Jay walkers and other dead beats...
This Bimmer was another fun project for our body shop, and were always happy for the opportunity to resurrect a classic from the brink of extinction.
