Life-changing drive: A small Southern California automotive shop making dreams come true

Arguably, Southern California is the mecca of car culture, with a diversity beyond one’s comprehension, from low-riders cruising famed Whittier Boulevard to multi-million dollar supercars blasting down Pacific Coast Highway and meeting up on weekends at Cars & Coffee locations throughout the southland.

The same can be said about the diversity of its motorsports culture, with weekend motorsport enthusiasts hitting the somewhat local race tracks just a few hours’ drive outside Los Angeles and Orange Counties for a healthy dose of octane-fueled adrenaline. One such company servicing these weekend C&C enthusiasts and road racing warriors is Ronin Autowerks in the city of Fullerton in Orange County, just 15 minutes north of Disneyland.

For fans of German automobiles, Ronin Autowerks is some kind of Disneyland. It has been in business for more than 20 years, specializing mainly in German-built cars (BMW, post-Y2K Mini, Mercedes and Audi). Is this service center a legitimate motor racing shop, too? Well, once you enter the garage area, it definitely passes the eyeball test.

From floor to ceiling this place is crammed with classic Bavarian heritage. At first glance, keeping beautiful BMW 2002s on the road and track seems to be the name of the game here. Ronin’s parts shelves are filled with an abundance of original 2002 shells, transmissions and roll cages.

Matt Rose is the owner of Ronin Autowerks as well as being a longtime vintage racer and the current general manager of SVRA West. He’s also a past VARA board member. Matt’s passion runs deep on all fronts. The overused phrase “Work hard, play hard” is really the only way to describe this man. If he isn’t personally helping out back in the garage, you’ll most likely find him racing with friends and club members behind the wheel of his 2-liter, 1970 Lola-Ford T492. And, yes, he has a BMW 2002 vintage racecar in his possession, too.

What competitive experience and knowledge Matt has acquired over the years on track about BMW 2002s, he’s shared with his loyal customer base. His shop has been building and racing the legendary BMW M10 engine for well over a decade now. Ronin Autowerk has the use of a 500hp STUSKA engine dyno that’s been custom built specifically for BMW products.

“Having a dyno at your disposal helps optimize testing and tuning more efficiently,” says Rose. “The endgame for Ronin has always been to create the best track-proven product, and we feel that few competitors can match us.”

Speaking of M10 engines, a few years ago Matt and lifelong friend Brad Pierce partnered for a VARA endurance event at Willow Springs, racing in Rose’s light blue, 195hp, M10-powered ’02. It didn’t take Brad long to fall in love with the quick and nimble little sedan. Brad is no novice and has plenty of seat time, being a vintage racer too, and a 10-year member of the Porsche Owners Club. He races his own 1982 Porsche 911 in POC class v2 events.

The well-maintained 1970 Lola T492 powered by a 2-liter Ford motor helps Matt Rose, owner of Ronin Autowerks, unwind away from the office. Ronin Autowerks/Instagram

Shortly after that weekend, in the fall of 2016, the two of them found a decent looking 1969 BMW 1600 racer in need of restoration. History showed it had previously seen action as an SCCA ITB class racecar and it was the perfect foundation for their next plan.

From stem to stern, Matt and his staff at Ronin Autowerks rebuilt and/or restored everything. By the summer of 2017 this tangerine dream was capable of clocking respectable lap times on every occasion it hit the track. American muscle car drivers beware, the tiny machine now has the ability to stay fixed to your rearview mirror.

Under the hood is a blueprinted, period- correct, 4-cylinder, 2-liter M10 with 45DCOE Weber carburetors creating 185hp at the wheels, via an overhauled five-speed Getrag gearbox. No less importantly, the stopping power comes from rules-approved, factory-spec 2002tii front disc brakes, along with drums in the back.

Keeping the car confidently balanced and nimble at speed through the corners are adjustable Koni struts and coil-overs from Ground Control. For added performance, there are Ireland Engineering sway bars to complete the suspension package.

It goes without saying, a BMW Inka Orange racer isn’t complete without the proper stance. The outward appearance comes from 13x7-inch Toyo R888 tires mandated by competition rules, and of course mounted on period-correct forged aluminum Panasport wheels.

Overall, both on street and on track, these simple German cars are enjoyable, beautifully-engineered little rocketships, well worth their money. As an investment, it’s no surprise that in recent years they have increased significantly in value.

“A nicely restored basic street car is currently fetching prices well above $20,000,” says Rose. “The asking price for a tii is now around $40k. If you’re talking about the turbo variant… Well, you’ll want to sit down for this: there was a ’74 turbo 5-speed sold recently for over $220,000…”

If you’re in the SoCal area and need your 2002 fettled, restored or rebuilt for road or track, Ronin Autowerks is somewhere you must visit. Its case is proven.