Jussi Kurila‘s love for BMWs runs deep. Growing up in his home country of Finland, he was surrounded by the Bavarian vehicles at his father’s used automotive dealership. A passion for the brand blossomed, leading Jussi to work at a neighborhood BMW workshop when he was out of faculty.
His girlfriend says that it isn’t normal to repair cars at work, then go to a garage to repair your individual cars, and after that watch TV shows about fixing cars – but this is strictly what Jussi does. I’m sure lots of us can relate too. This obsession with cars could seem excessive to a regular person, but for Jussi, BMWs aren’t only a hobby, they’re a lifestyle.
Jussi’s journey with BMW 02 series cars began in 2011 when his father offered him a likelihood to repair up a rundown 1502 stored in a barn. Although Jussi initially planned to revive it, other builds distracted him and the 1502 never became a real project automotive. His true 02 calling got here when he stumbled across a 1970 BMW 1602 on the market online.
It had been used for ice racing, and despite its unusual upgrades Jussi saw street racer potential and made a snap purchase. The BMW’s lack of documents, lights, and a few very questionable previous modifications all needed to be rectified, but Jussi was greater than up for the challenge.
The primary phase of the rebuild involved ditching the 1602’s naturally aspirated engine. Influenced by his friends, the switch to a turbo BMW M10B20 setup was made, and moreover Jussi focused on making the automotive road legal, fitting lights and doors, relocating the radiator and more.
In its second modification phase, the BMW underwent significant upgrades, including a beefier transmission, improved suspension and higher brakes. Jussi’s determination led him to finish the automotive just in time for the Finnish BMW event, Bimmerparty, in 2018. The 1602 roared into the venue with a powerful 415whp and 480Nm from its custom turbocharged old style BMW engine built up with Wiseco forged pistons, Auto Verdi forged connecting rods and a Schrick 304-degree camshaft. The punch got here from a BorgWarner S257 SX-E turbo, twin Turbosmart wastegates and 1,300cc injectors – all controlled by a MaxxECU Street engine management system.
Unfortunately for Jussi, his first road trip with the automotive ended prematurely when the engine’s oil pump failed. The unexpected setback didn’t deter him; as an alternative, Jussi jumped at the chance to take the 1602 back off the road for phase three. Together with the engine rebuild, Jussi got stuck into the BMW’s exterior, removing lots of rust, fitting a one-of-a-kind front bumper with combined elements from BMW 2002 Turbo and Gruppe 2 spoilers, and adding wider Gruppe 2-style fender flares. He then gave it a full color change respray to Urban Green and finished things off with BBS RM wheels featuring gold centers and custom outer lips.
The inside is spartan yet purposeful. A full cage from Finess in Sweden, Sparco Rev seats and TAKATA Racing 6-point harness belts provide the protection, while a quick-release steering wheel makes entering and exiting the driving force’s bucket a complete lot easier.
There’s no dashboard to talk of, but there may be a Powertune digital dash, three master cylinder reservoirs and a number of relays. The doors will soon receive flat sheetmetal panels to tidy them up.
Jussi’s creative approach to modifying his 1602 has resulted in a fun, budget street racer for the weekends. The construct will proceed to evolve, and within the near future Jussi is aiming for a powerful 500whp from the engine.
Vladimir Ljadov
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This Article First Appeared At www.speedhunters.com
