1971 BMW 2002: DIY Racer

Elina Lipilina claims she “didn’t have any real exposure to racing or rallying,” while growing up, but then she went to see the 2010 Formula Drift event at Sonoma Raceway in California, and seeing the precision and beauty of the tandem slides set her on a mission towards motorsport, albeit of a different variety.
This 1971 BMW 2002 had been more or less static since the mid-1990s when Elina found it on Craigslist, and it was being sold without wheels to make things even easier to get rolling again...
After shorting the engine with some copper wire to hear it turning over, and then discovering the purported five-speed gearbox was in fact only a four, Elina still went through with the sale and set about stripping back the years of neglect, and building the car up in a rally spec in time to complete driver’s school and qualifying for her first rally, an activity she now regularly partakes in. Built not bought, Elina has fostered a bond with her BMW few others can boast to have.
See the photoshoot and read more here: petro.li/BMW2002Gallery
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[@agrippa1234]

One of the best summer jobs I had was back in 1973. I worked for a company called Kurt Orban in Wayne, NJ. One of my jobs was to drive down to Weehauken, NJ, park and take the tubes into NYC to the World Trade Center to drop off stocks and bonds. The company car was a silver 1972 BMW 2002 (Ti I think) with a four speed stick and AIR CONDITIONING which I'm told was very rare. I would be done by one, get a dog and an orange Nehi and walk around Wall Street; street musicians, a bench and the joy of watching NYC go through it's daily rituals. Home by 5 pm and repeat......

[@anduhlew]

I love this video! I like how Elina showcased her authentic personality and her personal journey with the car. From knowing very little about racing and cars, she was very curious to learn and now enjoys her new passion for rally racing. I also really like that she keeps it fun, not putting too much pressure on herself to be competitive and to just race once in a while to keep her paperwork. I'm inspired by her! I'd love to own a BMW 2002 one day because it's a perfect mix of classic and fun in my opinion. Great story and video!

[@BobPDXz]

Just look at the smile on her face when she is driving that cool BMW!

[@studiocalder818]

When she'll drive a Giulia Gt her smile will be even larger

[@caesarguzman5831]

studio calderini no man, bmw is life!

[@studiocalder818]

@@caesarguzman5831 de gustibus non disputandum est...

[@bondovwvw]

Sorry about the mistake on the transmission. I never personally drove it. I just went by what I was told when I bought it. It was supposedly a show car in the 80s . Would you like a refund? lol I'll gladly take the car back. It looks great! I'm glad the car went to you! You did great with it!

[@BirdogEd]

Sharp young lady leading to keep the sport and love of cars ; and vintage BMW’s alive! Great job! 😎🇺🇸

[@SteinOnkel]

Having seen this car in person many times, I can tell you it looks even better in real life than it does in this very high definition video. When I first met Elina I was on my way to a track day in my VW Derby. When she saw I was on street tires, she immediately offered to let me borrow the grippy tire/wheel combo for her beautiful 2002. We've been friends ever since :)

[@Retrobeemer]

Great looking car! I may be biased though, as it looks the twin of my ‘72 1602! Also running m10 on twin Weber carbs! What’s not to love about this woman? 😍

[@mxxkxxg]

Been a professional master tech for twenty years and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone wrenching in a hair net. 👍🏻

[@gwynn1104]

I far prefer the Petrolicious stories about "regular" folk that get their hands dirty and make things work.

[@sashanicezook]

I am so in line with this owner driver! Super story!

[@JoshTHankins]

Love the 2002 content!

[@AutobahnVault]

"And then I found out it was a 4-speed, not a 5-speed when I shifted from 3rd." Laughed with her :)

[@dumbwaiter3644]

Great to hear such an honest expression of what she gets from the car.

[@F1emingo]

As a current 2002 owner (daily driver) I can say that these cars handle like a dream! They're tight, grippy and a little tail-happy, getting on a twisty back road in one of these is the closest thing you can get to heaven on earth

[@sebastiandelgado3517]

Good job!! Congratulations!

[@williamfullman2639]

Love the videos you guys put out love the creativity and commitment

[@TheGabe92]

Cool car and inspiring story!

[@heliopolis29]

Love this. The car’s a beaut. Well done girl.

[@rallymaster001]

Best wishes for you and your car in rallying, Elina! I've been involved in the sport for 40 years and it's been lots of fun. It's great to see a female driver taking on the blokes in an interesting, historic vehicle. I wish you well! A quote worth remembering, attributed to Walter Röhrl, rally-driver extraordinaire, is: “Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows.”

[@MikeSmith-cy7jw]

Awesome post!

[@erichakanson7010]

Elina, I'm so glad you chose to go the rally route instead of drifting. I'm lucky enough to own most of my dream cars (I never had Ferrari/Lambo dreams) so I've got a couple old 911's and various BMW's. I was fortunate in that I bought one of my dream cars ('72 2002tii) before the "tii bubble." I have a couple cars that might be considered rarer or that have appreciated in value even more than the 2002 so people often think I'd drive those before the tii. But there is something beautifully harmonious about that car. It's certainly not the fastest car I own, nor does it brake better than the others. But as a package I don't think I own a car that brings a smile to my face more than the 2002. It doesn't do anything perfectly but it does everything well. And that's why it will always remain in my garage and when people ask me why I keep it (and drive it before the others, I give them the old cliche...."you obviously haven't driven one." Thanks Elina, great car and great story! Keep up with the rally life!

[@j_mars_cars]

Great vid, very relatable

[@dlgump]

That's awesome!

[@thatsurf1639]

DIY I think you mean?

[@mitchellgildea6944]

Not anymore apparently

[@Gjera]

I love such self-made stories...

[@brandonbentley8532]

Very cool!

[@gregoryrapier3021]

I saw the Thunderhill raceway sticker that is my favorite track. I love racing my RX 7 there. That is the few times I can afford too.

[@bubot17]

lovely place to drive

[@mrme4507]

She’s got the coolest name !!!

[@74FAKIE]

MORE DIY STORIES!

[@mohammadhijazi4498]

Her name is awesome.

[@eddieds312]

looks like fun

[@itsalgud1459]

Cool car, cool lady. 👍

[@herwigv]

Cool cool cool

[@raylarkin5004]

Go get it!👍😊 P.S. I think you're cool!

[@MindDezign]

This World needs more car girls....I like this women alot. Still looking for a women thats building her own s30...I guess its rarer than I thoight .. Very cool women a true car girl

[@kojikuza4661]

i guess japan will be ur answer

[@That-guy0801]

She has a cool name

[@bennyhannover9361]

Walter Röhrl drove his first international rally on BMW 2002 in 1972

[@waterlover]

Every mama dream, beautiful lady awesome 02 and a gal that isn’t afraid of getting dirty wrenching on cars

[@honkitonkitom]

Cool car & lady!

[@jimfeldman4035]

Came for the cars, stayed for the videography

[@christopherspringmann]

Yes, Jim, and great drone location work, too.

[@SonomaCountyLiving]

SANTA ROSA!! WOOP WOOP!!

[@MrDanty64]

Straight up!!!! That is what I was talking about!!

[@ludovic9477]

Félicitations pour le choix de ce merveilleux jouet qu'est la BMW 2002 série 1. C'est bon de voir des femmes pilotes.

[@caldera878]

Waiting for Petrolicious to do an NA Mazda Miata.

[@TheGuerillapatriot]

my 63 VW is going rally racing...

[@mockngbrdy]

Dyi?

[@dsruddell]

SANTA ROSA

[@MrDanty64]

One word after all of the Petrolicious episodes from all over the world:YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!Friggin F N A LLY. NOR CAL being represented!!!

[@bennyhannover9361]

BMW was inspired by Alfa Romeo Giuliano from 1963 for a lighter limousine

[@edwardfletcher7790]

It's a really awesome story and I admire the attitude, but unless you're PAID to race that car, you're not a "Rally Car Driver'. You just have a really cool hobby....

[@klasseact6663]

Hmmmm, BMW rally car, never heard of this model🤔

[@kamikazee3071]

It is not in the overrated movies like Fast and Furious and stuffs so it is not on the list of overrated cars kids worship for.

[@JamesAllmond]

Hmmmm, Mopar that is good for straight lines only right next to it. Wonder who drag races out of said garage...

[@C345OFR]

1:31 - 1:41 Pretty sure most garages/mechanics will tell you to fuck off for being so precious. They definitely would here in the UK. But good for you for finding ones that didn't.

[@haydenallen888]

I think you mean DIY?

[@user-xt4bl7wx3e]

太美了

[@dannyzuehlsdorf3697]

"I bought a 1971 so I could drive a race car on the streets of California!"

[@WhizbangRally]

Rally cars have to be licensed and street legal

[@jdmfreak22]

It's Lipilina, not Lipiluna....

[@golders99]

DYI?

[@diarmuidmarsden7752]

DUI?

[@mitchellgildea6944]

DOG?

[@valix2fr]

could you get the pure raw sound of car with no voice

[@positivesquad]

Do yourself it?

[@mojoblues66]

So she didn't like the original color but has another car with the same color in her garage?

[@Gelenvader3]

Those bucket seats are way too big for her lol

[@franzhuber7361]

Why DYI if’s DIY 😉

[@raymondotis4325]

Contour📹

[@mauricio4767]

Poor golf yellow

[@bondovwvw]

That was the reason I bought the car originally. I really liked the yellow.

[@mucix]

They got her name wrong. :)

[@Supralog_GTM]

1kth views

[@lynnpoole7830]

It's like a BMW and like I like race it at like race tracks. I'm like new but I like to like work on my car like all I like can. LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE LOL

[@raymondotis4325]

Tail

[@ParisGentlemandriver]

Painting silver an original golf yellow 2002 should be illegal cause it’s such a rare color 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@bondovwvw]

When I bought it I was excited about the yellow. When I sold it to her she already knew she wanted it silver.

[@odl21]

Sigh.....

[@Vintageguy73]

Glad this is not one of those "I built this car but my boyfriend did the ____ and the ____ and he paid for the ____ "

[@MrDanty64]

Now that I'm mellower, yes, to hear how she went into a Shop and managed to Simply have the Manager type let her do what she did with the tire (or?), just like that, in the 21st Century, is amazing. That was the apex of the DIY motif she has.

[@hokuspokus7206]

Funny hillbilly accent

[@admnino]

Whats the point of driving rally like a Granny? Oh, ok i forgot its look cool and you can share and profile.

[@C345OFR]

Agreed, that made very little sense. It's not really a rally car if it's not rallying. It's basically an off-road tourer with an uncomfortable/impractical interior.

[@MrDanty64]

Ditto. She has a good thing going but she let us down when she was talking about taking it out part time and not for everything, like it is a status symbol, but she is young at this and the fact she wants to do a Big Boy of a race/rally next year will help her earn her stripes.

[@Theytfguhyre]

x-husband's money, If it wasn't for her divorce, she would be a cashier at Wal-Mart.