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Old 08-17-2010, 05:32 PM   #7
dave45056
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oxford, Ohio
Posts: 868
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Identifying stuff on your car.
1. open glove box and take papers out. Chances are one of them is the registration. That will tell you what year it is.
2. Look at the numbers on the tires. It should read something like 225/50-16 or something like like that. The 16 is the wheel diameter.
3. The model of your car can be determined a number of ways Lots of people on here can do it from pictures, but the VIN is the best way. There was a thread on here about VIN decoding, but I think the guy that did it is taking a break. Best bet is to post pics here AND call BMW armed with the VIN number.

Want to see something else you can do with your VIN? go to realoem.com and type in the last 7 digits of your VIN. You will then have access to every part number in your car.

Other recomendations:
as a father of a 17 year old, I recommend that you DO NOT swap the engine. Enjoy the car for what it is. Light, peppy and great handling.
Ask your grandfather what he has had done to the cooling system. If he has done nothing, plan on doing a cooling system rebuild (water pump, thermostat, infamous plastic fittings, hoses) as a preventative measure. While you have it apart, you could also replace the oil filter housing gasket for an additional 12 bucks. There are DIY's for this stuff in the knowledge base on this site.

Last edited by dave45056; 08-17-2010 at 09:08 PM. Reason: added other recomendations
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