What got you into 2002-ing?

[Conserv]

I was a punk kid in the late '60s who dreamed of having a Merecedes 300SEL 6.3, THE hot sleeper car of the time. A wrecked '70 02, purchased in '73, was as close as I could get -- but I liked it, I really liked it!

Steve

[saaron]

There could be a lot of ways to answer that.

"Friends that had them" is the short answer. When I bought mine, it was towards the end of the dreaded "malaise era". To get a decent fun car, you had to buy a '72 or older car, or a brand new one (this was the late '80s). Being a poor college kid, I had to go towards the older cars.

It was a miracle I ended up with the car though; the purchase process was crazy - I thought that I had lost it. Best $3650 I ever spent.

Props to my Dad for supporting me on the purchase. Though he may have wanted it worse than I did...during the test drive he went from "why do you want some old boxy German thing that is going to bankrupt you" to "you are buying this car".

Scott

[mfbanres]

College years, a friend of a friend took me around town in a 1600. Right after college I was reliving my misspent youth in a TR6, scaring dogs and old people. On one of many parts-buying excursions, the dealer had a "late" 71 2002 sitting on the lot....single barrel with the 72 body kit, no billboard, in Nevada. One hour later, I left the TR6 in the lot, and drove my first BMW home. That was 1978. No one else even knew how to spell BMW.

[Gil. H.]

1972 I was 10 growing up in San Antonio an saw my first BMW, an agave with tan interior. Didn't know what is was but I knew I wanted one....

Forty years later I get to be the custodian of a '73 Fjord from the original owner here in in Austin. I shouldn't have waited so long........

I love passing up aerodynamic "eggs" on IH35.

[jdt10768]

Craigslist

and an affinity for tinkering with cool old stuff

I like the way BMW designs each system - and the puzzle of each project

they don't make 'em like they used to

[DavidLMM]

The crappy D-Jet fuel injection on my parent's Volvo 164E. As a 14-15 year old, my folks would get up at 0'dark-thirty on a Saturday to drive to Chattanooga (nearest Volvo dealer) to get the FI tweaked. It seemed to need it just about every weekend!

The Volvo dealer was adjacent to the BMW dealer, and I just remember staring at these little boxy sedans in really cool colors, and thinking, someday...

25 years later, and needing a replacement for my 146,000 mile Honda Civic Si, I ran across a one-owner car at a local indy shop. 56,000 miles, history back to day one, and cheap enough - how could I resist?

David

[Inka114]

When I got my driver's license, my dad had a '72 tii.

He told me that if I wanted to drive the tii, I had to autocross it (he was an avid autocrosser). I couldn't think of a down-side to that.

Still can't.

[pkchopp]

1972 I was in 11th grade. Went to buy my first car, a little red Fiat. While sitting in the car I asked the salesman what that other little red car was in the back of the lot. He said it was a BMW 2002. I asked what the difference was? He replied, one has a timing belt, and one has a timing chain. I said that would be better, so the 69' 2002 came home with me. 42 years and 6 2002's later here we are!

[photog02]

It was my first car, found in a local paper's classifieds section as "Ride In Style, $700." I drove that 1976 California-spec all through high school and into my first year of college.

[RAS-2002]

I was hitch-hiking when I was in high school in 1969. A neighbor from down the street picked me up and took me for a spin. Down this long, incredibly twisting road at an incredibly high rate of speed. Having only been in American iron and Brit cars, I was completely blown away by the way it handled! "What kind of car is THIS?" "It's a BMW, from Germany. Barbarian Motor Works." "Wow, I Never heard of it." I had to wait a few years before I could afford one, until Dec '72 when I bought a brand-new '73 Sahara '02 from Ridgefield European Motors in CT. Salesman was Helmut Erhart. Though that car is long gone, it's still my all-time favorite vehicle. Just bought another '02, a Malaga '72 a few months ago. The love affair continues...

Bob

[biltwok2]

Strong recommendation from Feb 1967 issue of Car and Driver. My Sunbeam Alpine needed to be replaced, so I bought a 1967 1600, black with grey interior. Drove it to Calif in 68, and moved to SW Texas in 69. Totaled on Ohio Xway when a Corvette ran into the back end in a traffic jam. Sited for insufficient lighting!!!!

[rlgMcoupe]

My father had a 1968 1600. I used to help him fix things on it and tinker with it. Sometimes we would get stuck and quit for the day and then the next day it would start right up. He used to say, "these cars just fix themselves." I was young enough to believe him. Now I am old and wise and know that is not true. I was just a wee tot when I fell in love with that 1600. When I was old enough to drive one of my dad's cool friends let me borrow his '73 tii when my '71 Karmann Ghia gave up the ghost. Hooked!

[Brandon]

My father is into cars and growing up there was always something cool sitting in our driveway, so I guess that got me into cars initially. When I was twelve my dad told me about this cool old BMW that he saw parked at a service station, it hadn't moved in years. We ending up going there and buying it, a '72 Tii. It was a total rust bucket and it ended up getting parted, but that open the door for me...

[jgerock]

Neighbors car (pictures from August 1983)

Same car (WAY before I became a CCA member)

[Dave_PA]

I wanted to get a 'fun' car. For years before I'd always wanted a classic, but was scared off by my family. My wife encouraged me to go after one, and get something we could both enjoy that would be a classic.

It took about 8 months to decide that i was going to get a 2002 (i still hadn't driven one), and another 6-7 to find the one I wanted. Site unseen I bought it from Dave Crawford who was in Dallas at the time, flew out to pick it up. Two weeks later I met up w/the Mid Atlantik group in WVA for what the start of some fantastic friendships and get togethers. At that point i was hooked.

Years have passed and my bride can't sit in the car for long trips let alone tolerate my driving because of her back, but my 7 and 5 year old do and have a passion and love for the car that is remarkable.

Oh...and the God thing...just like Paul...but with Koala's and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream...I blame that on the night before though...

-Dave