Man Of Many Builds – 1972 BMW 2002 (Part 3: The Dip)
If the thought of leaving your pride and joy with strangers who dip things in metal leaves you a little squirmy, then you’ll have a fair understanding of how I was feeling staring down the barrel of my next six months. So, with the car looking the most naked it’s been since 1972, the team at Redistrip took possession of my little German and notified me that they’d email when the process had begun.
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- Man of Many Builds – 1972 BMW 2002 (Part 1: The Hunt)
- Man Of Many Builds – 1972 BMW 2002 (Part 2: The Strip)
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and while I knew there was a backlog, I was starting to get worried about the little coupe. Phone calls were met with a vague: “Should be soon, we’ll let you know”, but I didn’t exactly feel reassured. It wasn’t until June 29, that I received an email from Redistrip, stating: “The grey BMW went in the bath about an hour ago. So look forward to about three weeks. We will be giving you a ring to pick it up, all things being equal.” Cool.
July 13, I got a call from Tony at T&G Unique Bodyworks: “Your car is back, but we’ve got some issues”. I quickly put down my laptop and drove down to inspect the shell. Upon arrival, I was elated to see the clean-looking body, but upon closer inspection, there were evident inconsistencies.
Some of the 2002 looked fantastic with metal that represented a near-new factory appearance. But other parts of the car had pitted rust and weeping in some of the joins. The engine bay and roof, in particular, looked quite disappointing.
But to the credit of Redistrip, they took this one on the chin, organised a pick-up and sent the little German back for its second bath.
A month later, I received another (slightly happier) phone call from Tony, informing me that the car had been dropped off. While not perfect, the shell was noticeably cleaner. There were still small sections that would have to be cut out, possibly around the roof (where maybe the acid didn’t get to due to an air lock), but all in all, the dip has given the body its best possible foundations without blasting my thin German metal.
Stay tuned for Part 4: The Cut
