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On the Road: 1970 BMW 2002Ti 'conversion'

Greg Williams
Jan 16, 2021  •  April 21, 2021  •  4 minute read  •  Join the conversation
Bought in 1978 for $200 before it went to the crusher, Bob Johnston has put together a 1970 BMW 2002Ti ‘conversion.'
Bought in 1978 for $200 before it went to the crusher, Bob Johnston has put together a 1970 BMW 2002Ti ‘conversion.' Photo by Bob Johnston

Bob Johnston’s story about his 1970 BMW 2002Ti ‘conversion’ is an evolutionary tale. Since he bought the car in 1978, it’s been through a number of transformations and with the exception of three years in the late 1990s, has never spent a summer without being driven.

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Johnston, born and raised in Vernon, B.C., learned to work on cars after he bought his first vehicle, a 1965 Cooper S.

“When you own an English car,” he notes, “you lift the hood to see what fell off overnight. With a BMW, you get in, turn the key, and away you go.”

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He discovered this 1970 BMW 2002 sitting in the parking lot of a Vernon autobody shop that was going out of business. A number of vehicles were heading to the crusher. The BMW was one of them. The car had been abandoned at the shop by its first owner, a Mormon minister who’d bought the BMW new in September 1971. The minister drove it every weekend from Vernon to Calgary, but in 1975, his wife crashed the BMW into a fence post. That’s how it wound up at the body shop.

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“When I saw it, the body shop owner told me I could have the car for $200, or else it was headed to the crusher,” Johnston says. “I was familiar with 2002s, as I’d helped racer Lew Nielson work on his BMW racecar in the mid-Seventies. I didn’t want to see this one go to waste, so I bought it.”

As purchased in 1978, Johnston’s 2002 had just 79,000 miles on the odometer but the car was in sad shape. The hood was missing, the rear window was gone, and many cans of leftover paint had been unceremoniously dumped inside. Not too concerned about its overall state, Johnston put a battery and a replacement radiator in the BMW and got it to run. With confirmation of life, he went on to find a wrecked 1974 BMW 2002 with major front-end damage that had only been driven a scant 20,000 miles. That car gave up its interior for Johnston’s project. With a new hood and rear window, Johnston’s 2002 became a regular driver.

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  1. Johnston equipped it with parts and pieces from several different years and models of BMWs.
    Johnston equipped it with parts and pieces from several different years and models of BMWs. Photo by Bob Johnston
  2. ‘Roundie’ taillights distinguish BMW’s 2002 models built from 1968 to 1973.
    ‘Roundie’ taillights distinguish BMW’s 2002 models built from 1968 to 1973. Photo by Bob Johnston
  3. Bob Johnston has added rare accessories such as the steel locking gas cap and BMW mud flaps.
    Bob Johnston has added rare accessories such as the steel locking gas cap and BMW mud flaps. Photo by Bob Johnston
  4. Powered by a 1975 BMW 2002 engine equipped with a 318i cylinder head and backed up by a 318i five-speed transmission.
    Powered by a 1975 BMW 2002 engine equipped with a 318i cylinder head and backed up by a 318i five-speed transmission. Photo by Bob Johnston
  5. Another view of the powerplant.
    Another view of the powerplant. Photo by Bob Johnston
  6. The pre-paint job version.
    The pre-paint job version. Photo by Bob Johnston

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Built from 1968 to 1976, the 2002 helped BMW establish its credentials in North America. Equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission, the car made 101 horsepower with its single Solex carburetor. MacPherson strut front suspension and fully independent rear suspension coupled with drum brakes out back and discs up front meant the 2002 offered a dynamic driving experience. Another version of the car was the ‘Ti’, for ‘touring international’. This model featured twin carburetors, and produced 119 h.p. Changes over the years included an optional three-speed automatic transmission, a twin-barrel Solex carburetor, beefier front brake calipers and a new rear axle design. Early cars, from 1968 to 1973, have the famous ‘roundie’ taillights. In 1974, the 2002 gained rectangular taillights and larger, impact-absorbing bumpers. The most desirable of the 2002 models is the ‘Tii’, for ‘touring international injection’. Introduced in 1972, these cars were equipped with mechanical fuel injection, bigger brakes, and improved suspension and clutch assemblies.

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Johnston notes his car is a base 2002 model, but he’s made every modification possible to bring it up to Ti specification, and beyond. Over the years, he’s improved the car with larger sway bars and suspension components from a 1968 2002Ti, later brakes and a rebuilt engine from a 1975 2002 equipped with a 1984 BMW 318i cylinder head and five-speed transmission from a 1983 318i.

I’ve taken that car apart and put it back together four times now.

In fact, the list of changes and upgrades Johnston has made to his 2002 is extensive and ranges from the Becker Grand Prix stereo to the BMW accessory locking gas cap, mud flaps, steering wheel and clock.

Between late-1995 and early 1999 Johnston had the car restored and painted but has never stopped searching for and adding rare parts. In that process, he has bought and dismantled several wrecked 2002s, and even restored one or two others.
His 2002Ti ‘conversion’, however is a car he would never sell.

“It’s great fun to drive,” Johnston says, and adds, “we go everywhere in this car – to the west coast, Spokane, Calgary, or just around Vernon. I’ve taken that car apart and put it back together four times now. It’s really not that hard to do.”

He concludes, “As I’ve worked on the car over the years, it’s continuously evolving; that’s just part of the hobby.”

Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or gregwilliams@shaw.ca

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