ALPINA 2002 - "ALPINA Confirmation photo's"....cont.' - 2

Fabricated pice interior of car that covers the alternator pulley/drive
Alternator (lousy shot - sorry)

Ok, so here is the alternator that fits into the car.  As you will note it has an extended aluminum drive pulley that extends through the rear wall and into the back seat area.  I don't believe that there is anything special about the alternator other than the pulley.  Not too many things "stock" on this car so when you do get something it is a relief (in the event something needs replacment).

ALPINA 2002 - "ALPINA Confirmation photo's"

Bracket for Rear Mounted Alternator - Belt Driven off of the rear end.
Re-done rear pick-up points
Mock-Up of Alternator and fire bottle.
Same as "in the day" alternator and fire bottle.

Other than ALPINA, I have not shown these photo's to anyone.  Over the next week or two I will try to get them all posted up.  After I had sent these off to ALPINA in June 2007 and after a few weeks of review by the so-called "Old Timers" (several of the fellows that actually built the car), ALPINA came back with an email positively confirming that this was the car, the one and only ALPINA 2002 Gruppe 2 car from 1974/1975.  Check two of the older posts "1974 Geneva Motor Show" and "ALPINA Confirm's Authenticity of the Car!" and see what you can match up from the original black and white photos.

My favorite picture of the ALPINA Grp. 2 car....

Yes, this is it.  Why? - Great angle on the car, the car up on a jack, and most of all the mechanics in their "sandals" wrenching on the steering arms (I think).  Because I have the original of this picture I could expand it to see that ALPINA had changed from a Close Ratio Steering Box to Rack-And-Pinion steering.  Rack-And-Pinion steering was homologated for BMW 2002's some time in 1974 (FIA papers #5258).

Some More History on the Car.....

According to ALPINA, after they were done racing the car which must have been sometime after the 1975 season, the car was sold to Henericci an Italian रसर where apparently the car was converted to a hillclimb रसर । The steel doors, hood and deck lid were replaced with GRP units (the OE doors, hood and deck lid were required to be kept by rules for Gruppe 2), the one-of-a-kind ALPINA front/rear wings and spoiler were replaced by SCHNITZER Grp. 5 style front wings and a massive "cow catcher" fabricated aluminum front spoiler. The rear wings were really a curiosity in that they weren't the original ALPINA units nor were they a SCHNITZER Grp. 5 (or more typical Grp. 2) wing. So much work would have had to have been done to the ALPINA wing that it doesn't make a lot of sense that someone would have taken this approach. The rear wings had openings in the fronts which housed oil coolers on either side, one for the differential and the other for the engine. Both were 12 row coolers which seems more than adequate for the differential and maybe not quite enough for the engine. Again, this was not a legal modification (openings in the wings) for Grp. 2. The one thing I do know is that post ALPINA the car was run in the Trento Bondone hillclimb race in Sicily in 1979 (#256).

These photos give you a good idea of what the Gruppe 5 style bodywork looked like. The accident damage was cause by cold racing tyres + too much speed + tire barrier = crash. It was really pretty minor, but still did a number on the front wings and spoiler. Since the spoiler was riveted on to the wings, the nose, wings and spoiler all pretty much got wiped out. The car did also have a BMW Motorsport rear wing as well (320 Grp. 5). I certainly didn't know then that under that bad BMW Motorsport paint job that their was "the" BMW ALPINA Grp. 2 car. Luck for me the previous owner didn't know either.

1975 Brings a change in the ALPINA's Livery......

During all of the 1974 season the ALPINA Grp. 2 was dressed in the "Langnese" livery (White base with Red accent stripes) as well as the unique sculpted (squared) wheel arches.  Langnese is the German subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever and the largest (or the largest) producer of ice cream products in Germany.  Some time in 1975 the Langnese sponsorship must have gone away as the car was changed to a Black (or Dark Blue) color with the ALPINA Green/Blue "Deko" stripes.  The primary sponsor then was Mobil SHC.  The car was only run in a few races during 1975 and therefor I have very few pictures of it. 

A picture of the car on the ALPINA "Deko" kit box.  Commonly sold to apply on street cars (2002, 320/323, 5, 6 and 7 series) throughout the 1970's.

Ready to race, I believe in this race by Harald Grohs.

You will just see the car in the background of the CSL (still in white/red livery), I am guessing it was painted sometime shortly after this picture was taken.

From Thomas Muller's "ALPINA" Book. Now it matches the CSL (see above). It also appears that the rear wheel arch kept somewhat of the sculpted/squared off look, whereas the front was changed to a more traditional round shape.

1974 Geneva Motor Show......

It is my understanding (still to be confirmed) that these pictures were taken of the ALPINA 2002 Grp. 2 Race Car at the Geneva Auto Show in 1974.  You get a good side view of the car, a "motor" shot with the ALPINA engine/SCHNITZER cylinder head as well as the boot (trunk) area and underside back.  The boot shows the generator (alternator) mounted center and driven off of the rear differential input flange from the drive shaft, battery, fire bottle, dry sump oil tank, plastic overflow tanks (plastic) on far right and left and of course the 100 liter twin fill fuel tank.  This tank had twin Relumit dry break valves that protruded through the top of the boot lid which allowed for easy re-fueling.  This car ran in a few low lap races (50-60 laps), however its primary duty was in 4-6 hour endurance events (see race history in earlier posting).  The bottom back side shows a "valance" or scoop which contained the radiator.  ALPINA moved the radiator to the rear of the car to help balance out the weight of the iron block engine.  Aluminum piping circulated water (coolant) from the motor back to the radiator and then back to the motor.  This modification did not work very well - the car suffered many engine failures many of which were due to the location of the radiator.  Because of the aerodynamics of the car not enough air was able to get under the car to cool the radiator.  Ford tried this modification as well for a short period of time with their Zakspeed RS3100 but abandoned it quickly for similar reasons (this can be seen on the Capri in my post titled "ALPINA confirms authenticity of car!").

ALPINA 2002 in "Red & White" livery....

Three pictures of the car in action.  First is #28 car at Nurburgring in 1974, the next two are #29 car at Zandvoort Netherlands also in 1974.

Image courtesy of the BMW 02 Club Deutschland.