They could not even distinguish a screwdriver from a hammer, so to speak, and yet the Mons brothers enthusiastically started to refurbish an original Dutch BMW 1502. With admirable results.
Young people may have the future and are interested in smartphones and free public transport, but cherishing a classic car is therefore dangling at the bottom of the priority list. Take a look at fairs such as Techno Classica and Interclassics and you will see the aging population. Between all the balding skulls you see barely young, full heads of hair frolicking in search of that one part or that fun – long gone – affordable classic. This is also the case with Martijn (neuroscience student) and his brother Pieter (international business student), who is two years younger. Until recently, their free time was spent traveling, studying, gaming and lurking on Instagram. And in the case of the eldest also feminine beauty. However, a video in which host Chris Harris chases an Alfa Giulia Bertone across a track opened their eyes. “We want one too,” they shouted in unison. Just a little less time should be spent on social media. The gentlemen soon agreed that such an Alfa should be placed in the driveway of the parental home. Moreover, they were more than happy to roll up their sleeves to refurbish such a characteristic coupé. Unfortunately for them, inflation and the associated increase in value have put such a purchase on hold for the time being, and they had to change course towards a more accessible alternative.
Meanwhile, Mons senior began to interfere with their wish. He suggested broadening the search from the A for Alfa to the B for BMW, one from the 1970s. Not that they drive around in large numbers, by the way. Moreover, many models are now also not affordable for a poor student. Until, just a stone’s throw away, a golden opportunity presented itself: a barn find in the form of a BMW 1502. It was delivered in 1976 by dealer Haarhuis. Now it still has almost all its first paint and the original dealer sticker. The pastel blue 02 was certainly not in top condition, but was also not so fragile that it would end up as a mere donor. The sale was completed in no time and at the end of 2017 the brothers drove the car through the garden into the free garage. They had their ‘project’. Before dismantling the car, they first created an Instagram profile (Hanstagram76) and gave him a pet name: Hans.
Left or right?
Due to the limited budget, a large-scale restoration was not a priority. Pa Mons wanted to prevent the finances from getting out of hand. He proposed to spend the purchase amount at most one more time on parts and welding work. There was no money left for a ‘refinishing’ item. It is up to the brothers to give the BMW a second life as creatively as possible – read within the set budget. “We initially focused on making it technically safe,” says Pieter. “We were totally inexperienced in automotive engineering. We didn’t even know which way a screw is loosening, counterclockwise or clockwise, so to speak. First buy some tools. But which one? So in order to get things in line and, above all, to keep them in line, we immediately purchased a Haynes manual and a parts book. On the basis of those two, along with a place of honor for the laptop on which we played ‘how to’ videos on YouTube, we learned a lot about the ins and outs of our BMW by trial and error, ”says Pieter. “We never tinkered with anything before the arrival of the 1502. It took a while before I was ready to just disassemble a seat, let alone remove a wheel from the car. Now we don’t turn our backs on disassembling and assembling a brake caliper and drum, ”adds Martijn. “We always tackle the next job with great enthusiasm. Dismantling a car is a lot of fun and a welcome change in addition to our studies. With the smartphone in hand, we were able to photograph all the parts in the various stages from the outset and record how they fit together. After a year, you often no longer know how to assemble a part. “
Two captains
Wouldn’t it have made more sense to buy a car ‘from their youth’? They are not nearly as expensive as a classic or oldtimer and usually not as rusty as a car from the 1970s. The gentlemen see that differently. “For us, it is precisely the charm that older cars have that appeals to us,” says Pieter. “Look at the finish with all that chrome. Or take such an engine with that beautiful carburettor. The fact that they are also technically simpler is a nice side effect. After all, we are not afraid of replacing a clutch. That would be a completely different story with a younger car, in which much more electronics have been incorporated. Young cars are no longer manageable, let alone accessible. ” Martijn agrees that they started the ‘project’ with great enthusiasm, but also that they overlooked quite a few hidden rust spots and technical flaws. “Maybe a little naive, because you know what to expect with such an old car. The 1502 first rode through all kinds of weather for about 35 years and then it stood dusting for years. Definitely not an ideal condition. We were lucky that we found someone in the area who took care of the welding work, because we had to outsource that. Otherwise our ‘project’ would have gotten out of hand. ”
“We kept encountering new things: then a stuck brake calliper, then a clutch cylinder, then an exhaust,” says Pieter. “That’s what you get when you step into such a project as inexperienced and uninhibited young men,” says Martijn. “We have spent an eternity working with the heating unit. We couldn’t figure that out anymore, because BMW used different connections with different thicknesses. With some perseverance we managed to do it anyway and we are proud of that. ”
“Due to the strict budgetary rules, we also had to make choices,” says Pieter. “Are we going to have the car painted or do we update the places? Do we do a new trim or do we use the old one? We do not always agree on the course to be sailed, but that is part of the deal with two captains on one ship. Every detail that we have addressed, renewed or improved gives so much satisfaction and energy. ”
‘Before Our Time’
We are more than a year and a half further. The BMW is driving again, although it is running far too rich, we conclude after a test lap. The car doesn’t even have an automatic choke, but a manual one. The Mons brothers had heard of this phenomenon, but how to deal with it was another. “This is a typical example of ‘before our time’. We are spoiled for choice with direct injection, so that the engine runs well in one go. Until recently, pulling out a choke knob and giving it a little gas when it is warm did not fit our vocabulary, ”says Martijn. “And we had never seen those standing pedals. You have to get used to that. You can’t just let go of the clutch like with the Mini of mothers ”, Pieter adds. “And what about power steering,” says Martijn. That takes some getting used to, a car without it! ”
Now that the Hans project is almost completed, the question arises whether they would do this again. They are unanimous in this. “We would certainly do it again, also in this way. Perhaps we would basically buy a better car, one that requires a little less welding, for example, ”says Martijn. Have the gentlemen already thought about a next project? “For the time being Hans will stay. We will improve it in the near future, because it will never be finished. If you asked us a year ago when he would be ready, I would have said in a month. But we still say that now. In the coming period we will adjust the carburettor or have it adjusted and we have to look for seat covers, because the original one is decaying. And we will especially enjoy it. That refinishing will come when we have enough money again. ”
History BMW 1502
The BMW 1600 came on the market in 1966 and was in fact a shortened two-door 1600 of the so-called Neue Class, the model that BMW saved when it almost collapsed. The two-door 1600 was renamed 1602 after a minor facelift. At the same time, the 2002 and 2002 tii were added. In 1973 the model underwent a major facelift. Less chrome, more plastic (for example the grille), square instead of round taillights and a 2002 Turbo were important features. Moreover, the Touring made its appearance, a model that is inextricably linked to the Zandvoort Circuit in the Netherlands, if only because of the striking orange color scheme. The 02 series remained in production for a long time, even after the 3 series saw the light of day in 1975. Still, that was no reason for BMW to do away with the 02 series. Precisely as an entry-level model, the 02 could survive for another year or two. To this end, the Munich people from the 1602 developed the 1502, which instead of 85 hp was able to generate 75 hp with a minimal lower torque. It used the same M10 engine, but the lower compression ratio allowed the buyer to use normal 91 octane petrol instead of the more expensive RON 98 Super. The 1502 did not have to have any ostentation. It lacked the aluminum trim on the flanks (available at an additional cost) and got wheel covers at a time when hub caps and wheel bolt covers were standard. Furthermore, the grille and the window frames of the doors and B-pillar were kept in matte black. About 80,000 buyers found BMW for its model at the bottom of the ladder.