2008

Winter Truck to Rocket Float Edition (700K)

2007

December 2007 Return of the BMW Isetta Edition (780K)

November 2007 Bubba on a Beer Cooler Edition (1 MB)

October 2007 Six Wheel Isetta Edition (850K)

August 2007 Anniversary of the BMW 600 Edition (1.3 MB)

July 2007 Something-For-Everyone Edition (1 MB)

June 2007 Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before Edition (1 MB)

May 2007 100-Miles-Per-Gallon Edition (2.9 MB)

April 2007 The Yolks On YOU Edition (2.2 MB)

March 2007 Bus & Garbage Truck Edition (3.3 MB)

February 2007 75mm Cannon Edition (3.3 MB)

January Double O Seven Edition (3.3 MB)

2006

December 2006 Another Late End-O-Year Edition (3.0 MB)

November 2006 Another Turkey of an Edition Edition (2.3 MB)

October 2006 MP3 Compatible Edition (1.4 MB)

September 2006 Ride-Able Robot Edition (1.4 MB)

August 2006 Internal Combustion Turntable Edition PART 1 (364 Kb)

August 2006 Internal Combustion Turntable Edition PART 2 (767 Kb)

July 2006 Ball & Chain Edition (513 Kb)

June 2006 Deer-In-The-Headlights Edition (750 Kb)

May 2006 Hindenburg Disaster Edition (591 Kb)

April 2006 Safety First Edition (597 Kb)

March 2006 Edition (478 Kb)

February 2006 Another Car Covered in Snow Edition (444 Kb)

January 2006 Here-We-Go-Again Edition (444 Kb)

2005

December 2005 End-O-Year Gift Catalog Edition (516 Kb)

November 2005 Thanksgiving Edition (460 Kb)

October 2005 FedEx Your Microcar Edition (425 kB)

September 2005 The Long And Short Of It Edition (745 kB)

August 2005 A-Lot-Of-Hot-Air Edition (1 MB)

July 2005 Big Bottle Rocket Edition (1 MB)

June 2005 Tractor Pull Edition (62 5kB)

May 2005 Black & White Edition (955 kB)

April 2005 The-Joke's-On-You Edition (555 kB)

March 2005 South O' The Border Edition (360 kB)

February 2005 New ALCN Data Center Edition (470 kB)

January 2005 It's New To Me Edition (400 kB)

2004

December 2004 End-O-Year Christmas and Parade Edition (1.4 MB)

November 2004 Big Ol' Turkey Edition (405 kB)

October 2004 Bride o' Frankenstein Edition (390 kB)

September 2004 You CAN Take It With You When You Go Edition (430 kB)

August 2004 Stretch Limo And Weiner Wishes Edition (360 kB)

July 2004 Pyrotechnics Edition (366 kB)

June 2004 Bleach Burnout and Weenie Roast Edition (1MB)

May 2004 Edition (390 kB)

April 2004 Double-Secret Special Edition (530 kB)

March 2004 Edition (370 kB)

February 2004 Edition (470 kB)

January 2004 Edition (810 kB)

2003

December 2003 Monster End 'O Year Edition (425 kB)

November 2003 Edition (260 kB)

October 2003 Edition (200 kB)

September 2003 Edition (240 kB)

"The Central Texas Micronuts Car Club" by Bruce Fullerton: (660 kB) Just who are these people? This hard hitting, behind-the-scenes exposé gets to the bottom of this often misunderstood, car-crazed, micro-maniacal Texas mob and bares all!

"Micronuts Update Summer 2004" by Bruce Fullerton: (277 kB) More madcap microcar antics from the First Annual Bleach Burnout And Weenie Roast at Bubba's joint.

"Micronuts Update Fall 2004" by Bruce Fullerton: (190 kB) Yet another installment of goings-on from here in Central Texas including getting ailing Isettas back on the road, racing in the Carrera Panamerica and updates on our long-distance associates' projects and what-have-you.

"Two Guys From Texas" by Bruce Fullerton and Robert "Bubba" Mace: This is a multi-part installment of articles dealing with the restoration of two Isettas in Austin, Texas. Clock starts in the Summer of 1999 until present. Topics include initial purchase, tear down to the bare frame, restoration of the chassis, chain drive, transmission, engine, brake system, tires, wheels, body work, upholstery, electrical system and re-assembly. These articles have also been published in the Microcar & Minicar Club quarterly magazine, "Minutia".

Part 1 / Volume 10, Number 2 / Spring 2001: (10 kB) Initial purchase, tear down, powder coating.

Part 2 / Volume 10, Number 3 / Summer 2001: (174 kB) Chassis restoration. Steering, brakes, suspension.

Part 3 / Volume 10, Number 4 / Fall 2001: (641 kB) Chain drive, tires, suspension and lube tips.

Part 4 / Volume 11, Number 1 / Winter 2002: (148 kB) Engine, transmission and Dynastart.

Part 5 / Volume 11, Number 2 / Spring 2002: (237 kB) Body work and paint.

Part 6 / Volume 11, Number 3 / Summer 2002: (238 kB) Upholstery and initial re-assembly.

Part 7 / Volume 11, Number 4 / Fall 2002: (264 kB) Placing the body back on the chassis, door alignment and trim installation.

Part 8 / Volume 12, Number 1 / Winter 2003: (270 kB) The electrical system.

Part 9 / Volume 12, Number 2 / Spring 2003: (292 kB) This article wraps up the series on our restorations. A veritable potpourri of topics include fuel leaks, floppy door vents, wayward accelerator cables and, of course, turn signal knobs. The Crash Test Dummies also make a cameo appearance in this final installment.

"Tune And Tweak That Isetta For Max Perf" by Bruce Fullerton: (270kB) Here's some tech chatter that hovers around a pick list of things to be on the lookout for if you're having starting and/or performance problems with your car or if you just want to double check everything to ensure you're getting a full 13.5 HP in the seat of your pants.

"Cruzer Cooking" by Bill Waite: (82 kB) Firemarshal Bill is one of our regular contributors and sends this public service message that can potentially benefit anyone on wheels. Pick a recipe at the end of the article, whip it up in the kitchen, park the concoction on your Isetta's motor and go cruisin' around. Bill reveals previously top-secret tactics for a perfect 'burn' every time. By the way, if you find cooking times running too long, just move that clip up to the first (leanest) notch on your Bing carb's slide needle. Eventually, you'll probably destroy your motor but the higher heat output will sure speed up that preparation time!

"Buying Your First Isetta" by Dave Major: After you finish reading all nine installments of Two Guys From Texas and digest all of those Micronuts newsletters you might want to kick back, turn on the VCR and spin up a copy of this video by Dave Major. It runs a little over an hour and goes over some of the things to look out for along with shots of his Isetta in action. Dave has also reproduced the US Isetta service and owner's manuals. Click here to contact Dave via email for pricing and availability. Dave is one of the go-to guys for BMW 600 info and is the proud owner of the renown BMW 600 Aerocar.

"Isetta Restoration: A Guide For Restoring The BMW Isetta 300 US Export Sliding Window Model" 2.0 by John Jensen: The Book! It's the go-to guide of Isetta restoration and over a decade later, still a one-of-a-kind publication. John sold out of the first printing of his book some time ago but has updated and re-issued it due to popular demand. Blow off bidding on a used copy on eBay and get a new one by going to the link above. If this saves you from making one mistake, it just paid for itself.

Isetta Technical Diagrams courtesy of Hans Rothkegel and BMW: If you'd like to have a set of the seven original exploded diagrams for reference, just click here and print 'em out. They're all in one file in Adobe Acrobat format and are razor sharp. These are the same diagrams that appear in John Jensen's restoration book.

"BMW Isetta Factory Repair Manual" by Veloce Press: Speaking of books, this is one you'll want to have close by. It's been revived with the blessing of BMW AG and is the English-only version of the original manual published in the 1950's. All major Internet book sellers offer it but here's a link to the book on Amazon. At $40.00, how can you miss? No more eBay bidding hassles over old lubed up, watermarked copies of this keeper!

"Isetta Gold Portfolio 1953-1964" by Brooklands Books: This is a great book! Gold Portfolio is a collection of Isetta articles, specifications, road tests and a bunch of great pix. Unfortunately, it's been out of print for some time but pops up on eBay ever now and then. Our copy came from Auto Ink. They specialize in all sorts of technical books and manuals. It's their part number B-ISGP and shows a price of $26.95. You can also ring 'em up at 760-240-0817. If they don't have it, you might want to check Alibris for availability, too. They specialize in out-of-print books and are a very reputable outfit to deal with.

"Das Jahrhundert Ei" by Halwart Schrader: "The Egg For The Century" is a really great book! You'll find photos here you won't see anywhere else. Virtually every variant of the Isetta is documented here and the layout is very well done. This one will look great on that coffee table, too. DJE is out of print as well but both eBay and Alibris turn it on occasion. We might also mention that the text is in German but who cares? Snag one if you can find it!

"Installing The Glass In Your Isetta Sliding Window Coupe" by Bruce Fullerton: (200 kB) Text and pix that cover installing the glass in your US Export Sliding Window Coupe. Questions always seem to pop up on this subject. This article covers materials and procedures involved in pulling off a successful glass job.

"Isetta Restoration For The Mechanically Challenged" by Carl Jensen: (42 kB) Another Austin Isetta owner. Carl has had his Isetta on the road for the better part of 8 years. This is more insight into what one owner has had to deal with and how he went about it.

"Post Restoration Article" by Carl Jensen: (60 kB) Another nice piece of work from Carl. Things to look for on your car after you've logged some miles are discussed here. An easy read with several topics that are worth considering as your odometer starts clickin' em off again.

"Dynastart Problems" by Carl Jensen: (53 kB) Carl's been ticklin' the ivories again. This is Carl's experience getting the red Isetta back on the road after troubleshooting an uncooperative Dynastart. This article was featured in Minutia 2001, Volume 10, Number 3 in the Tech Talk column.

"Isetta Paint Codes and Color Schemes" by Bill Waite: (22 kB) Firemarshal Bill chimes in from Oak Harbor, Washington with invaluable G-2 on original factory paint jobs. This is a text-only article regarding the 7 different paint motifs that BMW used on the Isetta and includes the Standox (DuPont) color codes. If you're going to match your car's paint job to original spex or just want to see what BMW squirted on the Isettas at the factory, this is for you.

"Isetta Paint Schemes" by Bill Waite: (43 kB) Another outstanding piece of work! This is a graphics-only portrayal of the different looks that BMW used on Isettas during its production run. Using this article and the one listed above, you have not only the raw paint data but the visual representation of your choices in factory finishes. You can also visit Robert Mace's Isetta Source site for Firemarshal Bill's color samples and matching Standox paint codes. Just scroll down to "Technical Resources" and it's the first entry.

"Parts Is Parts, Or Are They?" by Robert Mace: (7 kB) Bubba puts his two cents worth in with this article based on experiences in ordering repro parts. Here's a heads-up on some of the foibles to watch out for based on real-life adventures in Restorationland. Look for more information on this subject in the future both here and in Minutia.

"Isetta Adventures and Bad Karma" by Bill Waite: (70 kB) Look out! It's Firemarshal Bill again, this time with a great story about solving his mid-life crisis by finding an Isetta and avoiding 20 year-old bimbos in the process. Oh yeah, and getting the car and his wife back to the house on its maiden voyage. Written so you'll think you were there when it happened. A classic piece of work in more ways than one.

"Still Recovering" by Robert Mace: (9 kB) An Isetta Tech exclusive! Speaking of Isetta Adventures and not avoiding 20 year-old bimbos, check out Bubba's rendition of the 2003 Microcar & Minicar National Meet. Almost makes you wish you had jumped on your Vespa and showed up ... almost.

"Promoting Your Minicar" by Carl Jensen: (80 kB) Carl's just a writin' kinda guy! Here's what he found out, along with some friendly advice, about hiring his car out for advertising/film purposes. Sounds like a lot of fun and braggin' rights but there are some things to consider before you sign on the dotted line.

"DynaHell" by Carl Jensen: (57 kB) Here's a follow up to Carl's article "Dynastart Problems" posted above. This installment, published in the Winter issue of Minutia 2003, addresses the process of elimination that was involved in tracking down a pesky ignition problem. It's a great troubleshooting guide if you're having to deal with this gremlin.

"Tackling Your Isetta's Electrical System / Part 1" by Bruce Fullerton: (283 kB) A plain-English overview of the Isetta's electrical backbone for those who are trying to decipher their car's wiring. Also discussed are topics such as turn signal wiring, flashers, troubleshooting and system grounding. This article was published in the Summer issue of Minutia 2003.

"Tackling Your Isetta's Electrical System / Part 2" by Bruce Fullerton: (187 kB) This is a follow-up article and covers topics such as the Isetta's horn circuitry, external lighting and other illuminating subjects. It is also printed in the Fall issue of Minutia 2003.

"When Push Comes To Shove: Installing And Adjusting Your Isetta's Shift Linkage" by Bruce Fullerton: (536 kB) Here's a look at that wacky looking Isetta shift linkage, how it goes together and tips on dialing it in for smooth shifting. This article appears in the Winter issue of Minutia 2004.

Isetta Tech. Live from Austin, Texas. Copyright 2002-2005.