Monthly Archives: January 2020

Car Care, DIY

How to Repaint Your BMW

Whether you’ve purchased a used BMW that needs a little TLC or you just want to change up your color aesthetic a little bit, getting your BMW repainted can be an expensive proposition. If you’ve got some patience, some skill and a bit of elbow grease, you can opt to tackle the project yourself. What do you need to do to repaint your BMW?

Decide On Your Color Scheme

If you’re painting your ride, your first step is going to be deciding on a new color scheme.  If you’re not terribly artistic, it’s generally a good idea to stick to a single solid color to ensure that you’re going to end up with a finished product that you’re proud to drive. If you’re handy with an airbrush, you can add colored trim, decorate, or design your ride to your heart’s content. 

Gather Your Tools

Before you start laying down some paint, you need to make sure you’ve got all your tools on hand.  No one wants to have to take a trip to the hardware store mid-project, especially since that gives dust a chance to settle down on your wet paint, ruining all your hard work. 

You may need extra tools for your particular project, but in general, you’re going to need, at a minimum: 

  • Wet and dry sandpaper
  • An electric sander
  • Masking tape and newspapers or plastic for masking
  • An air compressor
  • A spray gun
  • Paint thinners
  • Personal Protective equipment such as face masks and safety glasses. 

If you can afford it, consider buying or renting a dust extractor.  You won’t need to purchase one if you’re only planning to paint one car, but if you’re going to make this a habit or paint cars for your friends, a dust extractor is worth the investment. 

Be Ready for Prep Work

You’ve got plenty of prep work ahead of you before you start spraying paint. Start by clearing out your area and removing as much dust as possible. If you’re not using a dust extractor, you’ll want to clean a workspace as humanly possible. Second, you’ll want to mask off anything that you don’t want to paint.  This will likely include door handles, window glass, headlights, and everything in between.  if you’re going to paint different colors, mask off the areas that aren’t going to be your base color. 

Finally, before you’re ready to paint, you’ll need to remove the old clear coat and paint. If you try to paint over the existing clear coat, the new paint won’t adhere properly.  This is where your sandpaper and electric sander will come in handy.  You can sand by hand, but it will take you significantly longer. You don’t need super-coarse sandpaper to remove paint.  Automotive paint comes off easily with around a 320-grit sandpaper while leaving the surface smooth and ready for a new primer coat.  

Lay Down Some Color

Now you’re ready to lay down some color. Use your spray gun to lay down a smooth even color, one thin coat at a time. Make sure you’re wearing a mask and eye protection and work in a ventilated area. Ideally, you’ll want to wear a protective suit to keep paint off your skin and clothing, but if you don’t have one available, wear some clothes that you’re not afraid to destroy. 

You’ll need to add a new clear coat as well on top of your paint once it drys.  Make sure you’re waiting for the appropriate amount of time between coats to prevent the paint from sagging or dripping.  The exact amount of time will be indicated on the paint you choose. 

Once it drys, removes the masking and let your painting area air out to get rid of any additional paint fumes. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take 2-3 months for automotive paint to cure.  Just don’t wax your car or add any UV protectants that could prevent the paint from curing. 

Enjoy Your New Ride

Now that your paint is dry and protected, all that’s left for you to do is to enjoy your new ride. Having plenty of preparation and the right tools for the job will make all the difference. 

Editorial

BMW vs. Uber: Who Will Be the Next Amazon of Transportation?

Uber has disrupted the transportation industry, but it may not dominate the roads of tomorrow thanks to BMW’s recent innovations.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO, announced plans for Uber to become the “Amazon of transportation,” but BMW may interrupt these plans with their own services and vehicles. As Uber becomes more than a carpooling app, the German automakers are becoming more than a manufacturer.

BMW announced a slew of projects to compete with Uber in 2019, and since then, both companies have been significant signs of progress.

But who is in the lead, and why does it matter for BMW?

Doing It All

What does being the Amazon of transportation mean? It means being a service that does it all, from ferrying people around to delivering food to making the vehicles of the future. It’s a bid to get into every aspect of transportation.

Though it began as a ride-sharing app, Uber now offers a variety of services like Uber Eats, a food delivery system, and Uber Freight, an app that matches carriers and shippers.

BMW has announced competitive offerings with the help of auto company Daimler. The joint venture includes things like Reach Now, a mobility solution that provides ride shares, bike rentals and public transportation planning.

BMW and Daimler’s transportation services compete directly with Uber, who’s also been incorporating more than just cars into their offerings. While the details of their approaches may differ, both companies are looking to provide a variety of transportation solutions to customers.

The Race for Driverless Transportation

BMW and Uber are looking into more than just connecting drivers with passengers. Both are joining the race to put safe, efficient driverless cars on the road.

Uber’s shaky acquisition of self-driving vehicle company Otto shows they’re serious about pursuing driverless technology. But they’re not alone. BMW hopes to release its self-driving electric car, the iNext, in 2021. 

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year, BMW also showed off a concept for a driverless vehicle interior, focusing on maximizing passenger comfort. In line with this philosophy of relaxation, they also premiered the i3 Urban Suite, a modified BMW i3 that allows passengers to lounge in a hotel-like experience. The Urban Suite needs a human driver for now, but the cabin arrangement could easily apply to a driverless car as well.

Uber has begun testing driverless vehicles in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. For now, they will be in manual mode, driven by a person. But they hope the data collected by these tests will bring them closer to operational self-driving vehicles.

Who’s Ahead?

Both Uber and BMW are running towards big goals in the future of transportation. The companies are not just pursuing a more varied array of services, but more advanced technology as well. The determining factor in who emerges as the new king of the road may be whoever can make these technologies a practical reality first.

Uber is quite literally reaching for the skies, as it unveiled a concept for a flying taxi at CES 2020. Working prototypes won’t be ready until 2023, and after that, it’s unsure when they will be available to the general public.

BMW’s focus remains on the ground, with much of their CES concepts aiming to provide passengers with a more enjoyable ride, with or without a human driver.

Features like their smart windshield will require a 5G connection, but this isn’t a far-off reality. BMW’s iNext, set to release next year, will support 5G connectivity.

Both companies’ concepts are lofty, and both seem to be making strides in achieving them. But BMW looks closer to bringing their new technology to the road, with the iNext coming out soon while Uber has yet to announce a release date for its self-driving cars.

As for their current transportation solutions, BMW’s Reach Now already has more than 6 million users, so they may soon catch up with Uber in the ride-sharing field.

If Uber doesn’t show significant progress in the coming years, BMW might beat them to their goal of being the Amazon of transportation.

Information

Easy Mods You Can Do on a Classic Early 70s BMW 2002

BMW sold over 860,000 units of the famed BMW 2002 before it was replaced by the 3 Series. This two-door, compact sedan was a great race car and served many purposes. Featuring a large trunk and room for four people, the vehicle demonstrated precision engineering and a high quality of construction. Older cars are not always practical for daily driving, but if you happen to own an iconic Bimmer, there are things that you can do to improve its performance and comfort levels.   

Fit an Air-Conditioning System

Today, ACs are not viewed as luxuries but necessities, especially if you are living in a place with distinct hot weather. Driving can become burdensome and uncomfortable without air-conditioning. Plus, if you have passengers such as small children, they could become subject to heat exhaustion when temperatures are high.  

Although 70% of cars in the 1970s were air-conditioned, the BMW 2002 did not come with factory AC. Fitting an air-conditioner is an easy vehicle modification that you can even do yourself if you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of HVAC systems. Putting a modern AC on your classic car can drastically improve driving comfort during warm days.

Change Shocks and Sway Bars

Shocks and struts absorb shocks and improve ride control making your car safer. When they are blown out or need replacement, you should examine how they can make a difference to your driving experience. Some signs that you need new shocks or struts include the vehicle bouncing or sliding sideways on a bumpy road, rolling on turns, and thumping on rough surfaces. New shocks on your classic BMW 2002 can reduce wear on your tires and suspension parts and enhance road safety.

In addition, replacing sway or anti-sway bars also improves safety by reducing body roll when you’re driving around fast corners. The BMW 2002 is rear-wheel drive and a stiffer front sway bar will reduce oversteering making it easier to handle. But if your classic Bimmer understeers, you might want to consider a stiffer rear sway bar. 

Tires Are Important

As with any other vehicle, tires are extremely important yet are often overlooked. They support the load, transmit traction, and change or maintain the direction of travel. Changing them when they are worn improves handling and road safety. In the case of the BMW 2002, there are different tire sizes that can easily fit this model, such as the 185/65 -14.

Driving a classic BMW need not be an uncomfortable ride if you are able to do a few upgrades. Small modifications will drastically improve handling, performance, safety, and comfort, making your Bimmer suitable for daily use.