ALBundy
Founding Member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
- Messages
- 11,610
- Points
- 38
Taken from Motor Trader, by Unker Chips Yap Keeping old BMWs as good as newAuthor: Chips
Parts for the R24, originally introduced in 1948, are still being made by BMW Mobile TraditionThe overwhelming majority of the worldwide fleet of classic BMWs - more than 200,000 cars and 70,000 motorcycles - are not parked in museums or gathering dust at the back of a house. BMW studies show that they are still driven actively on the road. This is attributable not only to the robust BMW technology of way back then, but largely because parts continue to be available. The stock of parts covered by BMW Mobile Tradition (a division in BMW AG) now comprises some 24,000 individual items, most of them parts for classic cars and motorcycles introduced after 1948. So the enthusiast wishing today to live out his youth dream of a BMW need not worry about repair and maintenance.Starting with the R 24 introduced in 1948, the list of parts available becomes longer as the models involved grow younger. The R 24 single-cylinder motorcycle was the first BMW road vehicle introduced after the war, once again taking up the Company’s production of series motorcycles. The most recent “youngtimer” the experts at BMW Mobile Tradition have now taken into their fold is the second generation of the BMW 5 Series (1981 –1988). Exactly what parts and components are included in the list of items for subsequent production is decided by the customer. Maintaining close contacts with brand clubs, drivers of BMW classics, and the market as such, the experts at BMW Mobile Tradition know exactly where demand is greatest. As a rule, responsibility for the supply of parts moves over to BMW Mobile Tradition 20 years after the end of production of a specific motorcycle and 15 years after the end of production of one of BMW’s cars, the objective in all cases being to ensure that such classic BMWs remain on the road for a long time to come. By comparison, the period of parts supply required by law, at least in Germany, is only 10 years after the end of production.
Only 8,000 units of the Z1 were made in 1988 and it had a unique bodywork but all the parts are still availableThere are also exceptions. One of them is the BMW Z1 quite literally born as a “classic” right from the start – a 2-seater spearhead in technology built up to the year 1991 in monocoque design, with its outer skin made of a special synthetic material, and doors moving right down into the side-sills. The supply of parts for this unique model started just seven years after the end of production of the 8,000 units - via BMW Mobile Tradition. When the supply of parts for a specific model series becomes the responsibility of Mobile Tradition, the simplest job is the physical transfer of the parts and components still available. Indeed, such parts and components remain at BMW’s Parts Supply Centre and are handed over to BMW Mobile Tradition only in organizational terms. However, this also means that BMW Mobile Tradition assumes responsibility for the tools and production machines used for making the parts involved. The decision as to the future of such tools must be carefully considered. Once such production facilities are scrapped, there is no further option to produce the parts involved as originals. And this, incidentally, involves not only the tooling used by BMW in the production of parts, since the experts at Mobile Tradition also have a word to say regarding the fate of important production facilities used by BMW’s suppliers.Pressing tools for body components and highly complex moulds for model-specific parts come right at the top on the priority list of production facilities to be maintained. So all of these tools and facilities important for subsequent production are stored for the future and kept in a safe place. The other side of the coin is that even the best tools only have a limited service life which may well be reached by the time the model involved is taken out of production. So while such tools, once they have reached the end of their useful life, go to the scrap press, the most important asset still remains with Mobile Tradition: their design and construction plans. As soon as the stock of parts made by means of such tools starts to dwindle, Mobile Tradition orders the production of new tools. And proceeding from the number of cars still on the road as well as demand for the specific component involved, Mobile Tradition calculates quite precisely how long the current stock will last. This system has been working very successfully since 1994, the year in which BMW established Mobile Tradition with a clear objective: Only a fully functional, perfectly-looking classic car can be a credible and convincing witness of its time. And making this possible is not always easy with cars and motorcycles built in the past. The older the model series, the greater the challenge to the specialist in re-building the necessary parts and components.
Craftsmen apply the same high standards of workmanship to make parts for models like the 1602 using original technical information and toolsApproximately 14,000 parts have been re-built ever since the establishment of BMW Mobile Tradition in 1994, that is more than 50% of the entire supply of parts available. In other words, without such parts re-built by Mobile Tradition, BMW would not have any sales and distribution of historic parts worth mentioning and there would be no genuine promotion of old vehicles and their tradition in a truly authentic style.
Door handle and key set made today are identical to the original parts for the 2002 - and also come with a warranty!
An engine overhauled by BMW comes with the same warranty of two years, regardless of when the engine was originally built or what model it was fitted inWherever possible, the number of parts re-built must be sufficient to ensure long-term, reliable supply. And this means that the number of parts increases from one year to the next - last year, for example, BMW Mobile Tradition started re-production of some 1,400 new parts, some of them in a continuous, ongoing re-production process involving, for example, radiator hoses, seals, or elastomer units on the chassis. It is also a fact, however, that not all parts can be stored forever – even parts not in use grow old in the course of time, particularly when they contain rubber components. This applies, for example, to most body parts and components. Considering the work involved in these processes, it is obvious that the production of classic parts is not a “fast” business. On the contrary, the average period elapsing between the decision to re-build a part and the initial delivery to the customer is six months – and may be longer. This is the case, for example, when looking for a suitable supplier takes extra time, if the original material is no longer available in the market, or if there are no further options for machining and processing such material. In such a case the engineers and technicians at BMW Mobile Tradition check out all activities for the best replacement of parts through semi-finished or finished production with the same – or better – product features. This selection procedure is particularly demanding and elaborate in the case of safety-relevant components such as the car’s brakes: According to internal BMW standards, such components must come from the original manufacturer since this is the only source originally approved by BMW’s Development Division. So the principle applied here in all cases is that the components involved must be “Original BMW Parts”. Should the original supplier no longer be available, only the BMW Development Division can do the job; either the engineer responsible for the original part approves the identical part provided by a new supplier or a completely new process of validation must be launched. Defective or worn car components need not always be replaced by new parts. On the contrary – engines and transmissions, alternators and electronic control units are ideally suited for re-conditioning. In this process, a classic engine requiring a complete overhaul receives the same attention and care as a new engine, both being completely stripped and repaired at Plant Landshut. Hence, an engine overhauled by BMW comes with the same warranty of two years, regardless of when the engine was originally built or what model it was fitted in. The exchange principle applied in this case is that the customer receives an exchange engine in return for a defective power unit offering the same quality and function as a new engine. Indeed, neutral, non-partisan tests confirm that these engines offer not only perfect quality, but also all-round economy, the process of repairing a severely damaged engine often costing more than an exchange engine from BMW.
The same applies to the supply of alternators and electronic control units, except that in this case the components involved are overhauled not by BMW, but rather by the supplier of the original component. Here again, therefore, Mobile Tradition cooperates closely with proven series suppliers and selected specialists. In the process each part is covered by complete documentation specifying where it comes from and who was responsible for what kind of reconditioning. Clearly, this is essential since BMW offers the same warranty on such components as on every new production part. And should there really be a defect at any point in time, an exact record of the part’s history helps to determine the reason for such deficiency.
Original parts for a model like the Z4 should be available many decades from now, keeping it in a condition as good as it was when it first left the showroomTo keep drivers – and riders – of classic BMWs up-to-date, BMW Mobile Tradition offers a truly unique service. Published each quarter, a list of parts being re-built informs customers of parts currently in production again. The complete catalogue of all parts available is listed in the internet and is permanently updated. The customer looking for a specific part is therefore able to obtain the information required here, with parts groups being split up according to model series, presented in explosion drawings, and defined by the appropriate parts numbers. To access the online parts catalogue at BMW Mobile Tradition, all the owner has to do is visit www.bmw-mobiletradition.com for accreditation. Registering in this website is free-of-charge. BMW Mobile Tradition also supports BMW dealers and private customers on any questions or problems they might have in the process of restoration and maintenance, with experts suggesting solutions in the process of repair, providing instructions for fitting parts, and offering tips on alternative parts. They also help the customer with detailed data on how to tune the engine and provide information on the oil and fuel grade a classic BMW requires.
The same applies to the supply of alternators and electronic control units, except that in this case the components involved are overhauled not by BMW, but rather by the supplier of the original component. Here again, therefore, Mobile Tradition cooperates closely with proven series suppliers and selected specialists. In the process each part is covered by complete documentation specifying where it comes from and who was responsible for what kind of reconditioning. Clearly, this is essential since BMW offers the same warranty on such components as on every new production part. And should there really be a defect at any point in time, an exact record of the part’s history helps to determine the reason for such deficiency.
