Silver dollar gauge cluster - used until when?

[02Les]

Mine is an early 71 with the vin of 2570460 and was manufactured in Feb of 71. It has the knee molding and short bumpers. I switched out the silver dollars, console and it was also an automatic to a 5 speed.

If it was an auto then that was also not original, unless your VIN is/was 253XXXX

[alpinaguy]

You are incorrect sir. I sent away to BMW archives and they had sent my complete build sheet and confirmed my vehicle had an Automatic and was Chamonix in color plus had AC and various other options plus imported into New York by Hoffman Motors. Pay the 100.00 and BMW archives will send your build sheet.

[02Les]

You are incorrect sir. I sent away to BMW archives and they had sent my complete build sheet and confirmed my vehicle had an Automatic and was Chamonix in color plus had AC and various other options plus imported into New York by Hoffman Motors. Pay the 100.00 and BMW archives will send your build sheet.

Hmmm! It must have been a "one off", or, you need your money back.

Auto Euro 2500001-2507130 pre '71

Auto Euro 2507131-2513880 model '71

Auto USA 2530001-2532124 pre '71

Auto USA 2532115-2534861 model '71

Manual USA 2570001-2572069 pre '71

Manual USA 2572070-2593704 model '71

2570460 falls into the Manual USA catagory.

[alpinaguy]

nt

[alpinaguy]

nt

[alpinaguy]

(nt)

[alpinaguy]

(nt)

[alpinaguy]

I have seen other US 257 vins that were also Auto's. In fact 2002 A.D. had one a couple of years back for sale. Maybe it is your info that is incorrect. Why would BMW be wrong about it's own build sheet records especially when I purchased car and it had the Automatic in it? BMW confirmed it in their own records when Vin was provided to them. It has been 40 years and all sorts of info gets confused and misread. Sorry about multiple post don't know what happened there.

[jgerock]

OK guys, lets get back on track.

Here is (I think) a cluster from a '68.

Did this cluster change in design until the later Model 71's with the all-black gauges?

The car in question starts with VIN 167xxxx. Maybe this will help.

[HBChris]

Alpinaguy,

How long ago did you receive your build sheet from BMW? I was not aware that they offered that service for a fee. I am surprised they would even know it had A/C, their records are pretty poor. They have color, build date, delivery date to Hoffman in Germany (not U.S.) and that's about it.

[alpinaguy]

The one you are describing is the one they give you for free. But if you pay the 100 or 110.00 they will actually mail to you the build sheet for your vehicle. BTW, I purchased my 02 from it's original owner over 20 years ago and it was all stock. The original owner had purchased it as an Automatic for his wife. Unfortunately, he could not find the original window sticker. I went to the archive in 2008 and got both the free one and the more detailed build sheet from the archive. Both stated it as a US automatic. AG

[nbcbird]

VIN 2570156 (January 29, 1971) in Riviera

Short bumpers, short console, silver dollar gauges, 6 fuse, EGR system, waist trim only

[jerry]

Mine is an early 71 with the vin of 2570460 and was manufactured in Feb of 71. It has the knee molding and short bumpers.

.

i have 2570440, just 20 cars earlier than yours. no knee trim, thankfully. chaminox with manual transmission. i bet our cars crossed the ocean together....

[TobyB]

Yes, there was a change from the all- silver background

to a black background (around the gauges) with painted

silver rings. The painted (coated, anyway) rings faded pretty badly.

Also, the shift lines became a lot less prominent.

That was from 69 (probably at the brake change time, but that's a guess)

through to the all- black faces (which came with 12 fuses, methinks)

The all- black face is pretty unusual- it only went from 71.5- 73, and

has a unique dash pad, too.

methinks, anywhich...

t

[tjones02]

Of the silver dollar gauge cars... The full chrome cluster was from the beginning of '66 production till semi early '68 (Jan production) when the US DOT laws mandated less shiny things in the drivers view. After that till Mod-71 was black with chrome rings.

There is though a chrome style '68 US cluster with the brake warning light in it. In Europe these lights were used as a fuel reserve light with a three connector fuel level sender..... But, I believe all of the Euro warning light clusters did not have the little button to check the light, and of course they were not printed with "Brake Warning" on them.

So Jim, you need Silver Dollar gauges with a 220kph speedo in a black cluster with a fuel level warning light, and a three tab fuel level sender to go with it.... for your Ti conversion.