My first classic car experience began with an unforgettable birthday: my wife and friends gifted me a BMW 1502, a classic model from the BMW 02 series. It was a striking orange coupe, a car with character that instantly captured my heart. Nothing compared to the sound of the engine and the classic, sleek lines of the design. But, as often happens with older cars, reality soon came knocking. When the vehicle inspection was approaching, it turned out that there were more technical problems than expected. Unfortunately, at that moment, I lacked the time and space to fully restore the car, which ultimately forced me to part ways with my BMW 1502 with a heavy heart.

Although the car was gone, I left behind one remnant: a Solex 40PHH carburetor. This carburetor, originally of the BMW 2002ti, was a beautiful piece of mechanics that I couldn’t let go of. While I was looking at it attentively one day, I noticed something: an E27 socket seemed to fit perfectly into the openings of the carburetor. That sparked an idea!

From Carburetor to Lamp

With this idea in mind, I decided to give the carburetor a new life—as a unique lamp! First, I cast a sturdy concrete base, into which I incorporated mounting holes and cutouts for the wiring of the lamp socket. Then came the electrical part: I wanted the lamp to be interactive. After some experimentation, I succeeded in equipping the lamp with touch-sensitive electronics. This meant that the lamp could be operated by touch—each time you touched the lamp, it would brighten. After a few touches, it would turn off again, making it a playful, atmospheric light source.

This project has since become one of my favorite pieces and now sits in one of my kids’ bedrooms. It’s a tangible reminder of my first classic car and a beautiful example of how parts from classic cars can gain new functions and value. Repurposing a carburetor in this way gives me satisfaction every day and brings back memories of my orange BMW 1502.