WHAT YEAR IS MY 2002?

[Tanner]

Hi guys,

Is there anywhere on the car I can confirm the year of the car? I dont know if its a 75 or 76 I tried a couple VIN sites, but they all want the 80- 17 digit Vin.

Many thanks in advance!

Last registered in Oregon

VIN 2373313

[Conserv]

Club BMW 2002 Columbia

This website is referenced lots of times on this forum. It works. Note: on some other websites, you may have to check the "Archives" block to look up 7-number VINs.

Steve

[Stu]

Try www.realoem.com. It will you the month and date of manufacture, though. Mine is titled as a 1976, it was manufactured in September 1975, and first sold in December 1975.

Stu.

Steve just reminded me that yes, you need to click on archive and then enter your VIN.

[Tanner]

Thanks for your help, guys. bookmarked!

I live in California, and the smog exempt cutoff is 1975...so you can understand how important the year is!

That site says my car is from 10/75. Hopefully California DMV goes off that.

[HBChris]

You have a 1976. There should also be Emission decals under the hood confirming that. For the US/North American market the new model year began in Sep/Oct, just like US manufacturers.

[John_in_VA]

That site says my car is from 10/75. Hopefully California DMV goes off that.

That means your car was probably sold as a 1976. Good luck - hopefully you are in a sleepy, friendly, rural area where the employees have time to be helpful!

[Conserv]

You have a 1976. There should also be Emission decals under the hood confirming that. For the US/North American market the new model year began in Sep/Oct, just like US manufacturers.

Although I agree with everything said herein, there appear to be examples of '75-manufactured '76 models that have been erroneously classified as '75s, to the delight of their California owners!

Good luck,

Steve

[path88]

That site says my car is from 10/75. Hopefully California DMV goes off that.

I have a "75" that's technically a '76 (manufactured in September of '75)

The PO had it registered as a '75 by just asserting that it WAS a '75 to the DMV clerk. Give it a try. If you get push back, just apologize, claim you thought for sure you had a '75, and cancel the registration process. Then go another office and try again.

I'm not sure, but AAA might be able to do the paper work as well.

Better to burn a few hours trying to find the cracks in the bureaucracy than deal with the smogging issues if you don't.

Also, keep in mind that certain counties in CA DO NOT require smog registration. So, if you hit a dead end with the DMV, you can get your car registered in one of these counties...with some help from old car enthusiasts.

[c.d.iesel]

"tweet" "tweet" "tweet" - a little birdy

said to me:

VIN 2373313

PRODUCTION DATE 10/1975

MODEL YEAR 1975

EXTERIOR COLOR CODE 060 POLARIS MET

INTERIOR TRIM CODE 0006

MOTOR M10

PLATEFORM/ENGINEERING SERIES 114

RETAIL DATE 6-15-1976

ROTH BMW 2111 NE. UNION AVE PORTLAND, OR. 97212-3725

.... that is all.

[c.d.iesel]

WHATS YOUR MOTOR # _________ ?

LOOK AT THE PRODUCTION CASTING MARK

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE

BLOCK BELOW THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD

LOOK AT THE SILVER STICKER ON THE BACK

EDGE OF THE DRIVERS DOOR

LOOK AT THE PRODUCTION DATES PRINTED

ON THE BACKS OF THE SPEEDO, GAS GAUGE,

TACHOMETER INSTRUMENTS

[Tanner]

You have a 1976. There should also be Emission decals under the hood confirming that. For the US/North American market the new model year began in Sep/Oct, just like US manufacturers.

ah yeah i do have the emissions crap in the engine bay. that only came on 76's? no chance it came on 75's?

would it be smog exempt since it was produced in '75? i ready the DMV's requirements and they dont specify

[c.d.iesel]

READ! the labels under the hood

MODEL YEAR 1975 has labels

[Tanner]

I have a "75" that's technically a '76 (manufactured in September of '75)

The PO had it registered as a '75 by just asserting that it WAS a '75 to the DMV clerk.

I'm not sure, but AAA might be able to do the paper work as well.

.

this is what im going to try. I bought a car out of state and AAA handled everything.

Coming from a long history of track cars, I have smog connections, but I'd love to not have to worry about that with this car!

the car was last registered in oregon, so im going to try and claim it as a '75 when i get it all ready to be registered.

[c.d.iesel]

"knock" knock" "knock"....

....is anybody listening in there!"

[Conserv]

You have a 1976. There should also be Emission decals under the hood confirming that. For the US/North American market the new model year began in Sep/Oct, just like US manufacturers.

ah yeah i do have the emissions crap in the engine bay. that only came on 76's? no chance it came on 75's?

would it be smog exempt since it was produced in '75? i ready the DMV's requirements and they dont specify

California's current requirements for '76 and later cars has little to do with the Federal and CA requirements for '75 and '76 emissions controls effective in those two years. The current '76 cut-off is arbitrary.

'75 models were all equipped with air pumps and thermal reactors. For '76, the CA version cars retained this configuration but the 49-state version no longer needed a thermal reactor. Both '75 and '76 models originally had 3 emissions-related stickers, which disclosed the model year: (1.) a black-on-white-background emissions schematic on the driver side inner fender just ahead of the front strut; (2.) a white-on-black-background narrative disclosure on the passenger side, inside the heater/defroster plenum; and (3.) a black-on-silver-background "NON-CATALYST" disclosure on the trailing edge of the driver's door. If still present, these 3 stickers clearly disclose your car's model year.

Steve