With Summer’s Arrival – Blaz Tomazin’s Restored 1973 BMW 2002

We've made it to June, and with it comes the long-awaited summer heat. The snow, for most of us in the Northern hemisphere, has melted away, and droves of tourists now flock to the closest shores to enjoy the best weather the season has to offer. For us though, the car lovers, summer brings forth a different opportunity: the chance to cruise and enjoy the cars we've worked to assemble since the warmth made its departure the year before. For Blaz Tomanzin, the story is no different - his freshly-restored '73 BMW 2002 is ready for the streets and sun of Slovenia.

Blaz's 2002 adds to a growing group of restored classics; as the '02s continue to grow in both value and rarity, more and more receive "the complete treatment," saved by new caring owners looking to give these coupes a second shot at life. Blaz's own story begins with a rough example, having sat abandoned for more than a decade.

It's immediately clear that through his efforts, Blaz sought to keep the 02 original in both style and nature, taking the standard liberties to improve the style with tried and true methods. Over the course of a year, the little coupe was restored and resprayed; Blaz's choice of color was BMW's Baltic Blue, for its metallic take on a rather simple and unintimidating color.

Inside, Blaz sourced original BMW textiles for the upholstery, combining black leather and cloth to keep the car looking the way BMW intended. Touches like a wood grain wheel and shift knob offer subtle hints of character to the otherwise classic lines and flow of the inside. Factory polished trim helps to outline and break up the shadows, and help to highlight the bits and pieces that make classic BMW interiors so special.

Most of the car during the rebuild was kept to factory spec, leaving little open to interpretation - Blaz's opinion is that BMW got it right on their first try - why mess with perfection? Although, where he did make his changes, he did so with enthusiasm.

Under the car, custom coilovers replace the original MacPherson front struts and the separate spring and shock combo in the rear. Camber plates give Blaz the ability to fine-tune the car's suspension, which helped him in getting the fully-polished 15" BBS RSs to sit perfect.

Together, the parts, pieces, and restoration work on Blaz Tomazin's 1973 BMW 2002 make for a beautiful example worthy of sharing, and the beautiful collection of 2002s not only grows on the streets, but on StanceWorks too.