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Eighth Annual 2002 Fest West
Tom Epley
Having never attended a 2002 Fest West and being a relatively new '02 owner, I didn't know what to expect from this years gathering (organized by Rob Torres of 2002 Haus).I did, however, know what to expect from California's central coast in October and looked forward to it as a break from San Francisco's relatively non-existent Indian summer. This trip was badly needed by your humble narrator, and more than fulfilled all of the expectations I had for the weekend.
The drive down with J.P. Collins and his wife Lisbit, Rob Ng and his friend Ted was for the most part pleasant without any major mechanical issues. I always take pleasure from seeing other 02's on the road, especially when smiles or waves are exchanged. That feeling is multiplied immensely by getting a few in the road going the same direction together. At one point though, we were the target of some negative attention by an unidentfied man in a fast moving, dangerously swerving Jaguar. Apparently he was a bit put off by the ease with which our older and less prestigious steeds were making the trip down the 101 without leaking oil! Somewhere near San Luis Obispo, we split up our mighty convoy to find our respective sleeping areas.
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| The Author with his car
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After a fantastic evening camping at Montaña de Oro and hanging out with the locals of Los Osos, my co-pilot Eric and I arrived at Santa Rosa Park on a beautiful Saturday morning. Having spent almost all of my '02 time and money budget on the mechanics of my '72, I was a bit nervous about pulling into a field of cars that actually had paint on them. Nervousness soon turned into being overwhelmed with the variety of cars, parts, and people that I ran into. I began to work into a pattern of swilling bad gas station coffee, ogling the cars that pulled into the parking area, and checking the swap zone for car treats.
When the flow of BMW cars, motorcycles and one Lotus settled down a bit, it was time to take a serious look at the machines that were assembled. I have never seen a convertible or touring model, and there were plenty of both to choose from. It is quite interesting to see different versions of cars that one is intimately familiar with. I have always been interested in the touring versions, although I have thought that they looked a bit awkward on paper. After having a chance to really look at a couple of very different examples, I I find I have awakened a deeply buried lust! They have a flavor of sportiness to them that just isn't present in the econo-box hatchback world of today. Okay, maybe I am a bit biased toward the platform on which they are built, but it is an elegant design. It was also good to see a few convertibles, which again aren't exactly run of the mill '02s.
Several owners photo documented
the great length that they went to
return their cars to showroom condition. |
Along with the factory unique models, there were several cars that owners had lovingly molded into their interpretation of the perfect '02. The variety of customization on these cars truly highlights the individuality of the owners. This was the first chance that I had to see the wild M3 engine conversions, and there were several excellent examples on hand. The street sport and track cars are all interesting, with a range of unique modifications that showcase the mechanical ingenuity that it takes to transform '02s into true high performance machines. There were also several cars which had audio systems designed to rival the finest home systems.
Original, restored, and European spec cars made up the meat of the show. Several owners photo documented the great length that they went to return their cars to showroom condition. Flawless paint, engine compartments, and interiors speak volumes about the dedication that '02 owners have when it comes to their cars. I found the cars that were restored to European spec to be the most interesting. Doing away with the federally required reflector and bumper overriders really cleans up the cars. Most of the restoration on '02s wouldn't be possible without the dedication of the vendors that were present at the show.
Carl Nelson of La Jolla Independent is considered by many to be one of the gurus of 2002 restoration in the United States. He has worked hard to acquire or remanufacture parts that have been out of production for some time and brought some interesting examples to the show. I was quite intrigued by the variety of parts that he brought and had to make many runs between his table and my car to see what else I could scoop up! I did my best to pester him with many questions, each of which he had the patience and knowledge to answer fully. Ireland Engineering had a Q & A area set up with one of their trick race cars. Jeremy from Ireland took time out to inspect the installation of some suspension and brake components I had performed. His thumbs up was quite reassuring considering that it was the first suspension and brake work I had done on a 2002.
| Each of the winning cars were truly prime examples of the '02 range, again showing the owners' passion for these funny little boxes on wheels.
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After the excellent technical sessions, awards were presented to the owners whose cars were elected as winners in the categories. Each of the winning cars were truly prime examples of the '02 range, again showing the owners' passion for these funny little boxes on wheels. Every car at the show was worthy of recognition, with each having a personality of it's own. Marilyn Dreampeace's '72 tii Art Car adorned with "contributions" from over 500 painters served as a symbolic representation of the spirit of 2002 owners. Seems as if all of the 2002 owners that I know share the same passion for their cars, although the expression of the passion takes many different forms. This is always evident at '02 gatherings, especially such a large, diverse, gathering such as '02 Fest West. Now if I could only get the polka music out of my head...
Editors Note: I still cannot get the song "The little car went beep-beep" out of my head. 
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