engine and drivetrain Help! 2002 Newbie with unforeseen problems..

[Guest Anonymous]

Hello everyone -

I have been wanting a 2002 going on 10 years now and I just bought one... Moved out of the city to where I would need a car and found to be what I thought the perfect 2002. Previous owner was selling because a new job relocated him to NYC and his 2002 had to go. I was shown all of the records of the work he had done on the car; new transmission, brakes, clutch, etc were all recently worked on. So I take the car to get inspected today and find out that the floor pans are 'borderline', plus I need a new muffler, and there is a leak in the radiator. Did I make a huge mistake? I feel like I did and to boot, neither my mechanic or I can seem to locate a replacement radiator ANYWHERE! Any helpful words or tips on how to approach my problem would be so appreciated.

Alex

[JerryC]

If that's all your mechanic can find wrong with your nearly 40 year old car, you did good. Borderline floor boards means you can use them as-is for quite a while yet.

Parts vendors with ratings can be found listed right here on the faq:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_bookmarks/Itemid,66/mode,0/catid,7/navstart,0/search,*/

Radiator: I had mine recored with a triple row core at a local radiator shop. Most any radiator shop should be able to fix it. This alternative is right off the vendors listings; a new original radiator for over $600 or a 320i upgrade "kit" for around $270 can be ordered here:

http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp

A faq'er named Blunt (Blunt Tech Industries) can sell you one, also. He is highly regarded on this board.

Muffler - Bavauto or Blunt also.

Good luck, and don't give up. Once she's sorted, your '02 will prove to be quite reliable.

[andrey]

This guy is selling a radiator: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/t,348549/

Did you make a mistake? Well, the floor boards might be a huge problem, the radiator isn't a big deal, who expects that to last 30+ years anyway? The hole in the muffler? Who cares? That can happen on a 5 year old car.

They don't make the 2002 radiator anymore so you need a good used one or to have yours fixed at a radiator shop or you can 'upgrade' to a more modern one.

[Retrogroucher]

I'm not sure I'd know a normal floorboard if it hit me over the head. Mine have looked like Hades for 25 yrs.

You're OK and so is your car. For example, when new, e36 cooling systems would implode as soon as a few years after purchase.

[Guest Anonymous]

Thanks everyone!! This is really helpful. I fell in love with these cars years ago and just had a momentary freak out...

Thanks for the info and support!

I'll check out all the links.

[ray_]

In addition to the above, I believe floor pans are not so hard to replace anyway, and new (or decent used ones) are still available unless I miss my guess.

GL,

Ray

[Arizona02]

Talk to a radiator shop about cleaning & repairing the rad.

[TobyB]

...or buy one for a 81-83 320 and the rad hoses for same, make a couple

of simple brackets, and get a lighter, slightly more efficient radiator for

under $200...

There are lots of options. Don't freak. And don't be afraid to work on

it yourself- fewer and fewer mechanics can...

heh

t

[Mike Self]

1. Almost everything you need for your '02 is available--new or used. After all, BMW built an completely new '73 a couple of years ago from parts that are available new from BMW. Thus, don't worry about parts; they're out there.

2. This board is probably the best source for parts and information on the car--with lots of extremely helpful people. I learn something new every day and I've been driving 'em for 41 years.

3. They make great daily drivers--so long as you keep 'em away from road salt. Corrosion protection isn't their strong suit. Ask me how I know both!

4. They're meant to be driven, not to be garage queens. Few things are more fun than driving twisty back roads in a 2002. They reward the good driver--teach you a lot about going fast with minimal horsepower--and can penalize the klutz if you're not careful!

5. Do yours the way you want it--stock, modified or something in between, but enjoy it.

cheers, and welcome to the madness/fraternity/sorority

mike