Guys, I'm looking for a nice driver BMW 2002, preferably an early round-taillight model 1970-73, or even an earlier 1600, but as long as it's pre 1975 I'd consider it. So, where do you recommend I look (other than my local Craigslist or Fleabay?). Are there good websites, similar to Fchat, dedicated to these little early BMW's where I can get some leads or even find some for sale. PM or email <[email protected]> if you have or know of one for sale in Colorado or a nearby state. TIA Yoric
Don't know of any forums, but I'm sure they are a google search away from being discovered. As far as classifieds goes I like Hemming's. Classic Cars For Sale | Hemmings Motor News They have always been a tougher car to find, even back in the 80's.
If you join the BMW club, (BMW CCA) you get the monthly magazine, Roundel, which you can access online. It has advertising by car model, newest to oldest. Regards, Jerry
The best years for these cars were in the 1971 - 73 time frame. Earlier cars (and the 1600's) had the long nose diff which is not as good as the short nose. The 1600's also had driveshaft doughnuts that weren't as strong as the 2002's. The 1600's had a 4.11 rear end and the 2002's had a 3.63:1 diff. The 1600's are pretty busy on the highway. Watch for the dreaded tin worm, these car rot like crazy if not cared for or if kept in salt. Bad areas are the place where the front fender meets the body at the top near the turn signals, the back end of the front fenders trap dirt and water, and of course the frame, tire well and rear shock towers. The motors are bulletproof, but the second gear synchro goes soft because the step between first and second is so long. Check the heater valve, they get crudded up inside and then fail from disuse if the car is in a warm climate. Minor thing but a PITA to fix. The steering box can be adjusted some, but there are limits and sooner or later they get loose on center. These are pretty simple cars and are really the first "modern" sport sedan, but the are decidedly vintage in the way they drive, so don't expect a modern driving experience unless you mod them a good bit. One nice thing is that they can be upgraded with a lot of thing from the 320's, such as seats and the 5 speed tranny which gets rid of the wide ratio 4 speed.
This was shared on Facebook on Maximillian Importing Co.'s page (they are good for parts..). I think it's just about the best written car review ever. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you all for the good advice and the invaluable information. It makes the steep learning curve easier for me to climb.
Great car. I was talking with a gentleman last month and he mentioned the road trip he took from California to New York and back without any problems back in the 70's in his 2002. I thought I saw a tear when he mentioned he had sold it. Best of luck.
I love these things ... They are starting to get pricey for roundie Tii's ... 2002ad.com and 2002faq.com are good places... and for killer 2002's and E9's I always stare at coupeking.com
