body and interior 71'-73' 2002tii Rear Trunk Emblem Badge Question

[2k2tii]

Hi All,

 

I purchased a brand new 1971-1973 2002tii rear trunk badge emblem for my 72' tii from what this forum would consider a reputable seller.

 

After installing the brand new badge on the car, and comparing it to an original BMW OEM factory German rear badge that I know is correct, i found a glaring issue -- the supposedly new tii rear badge is too short!  

 

See the attached pictures for for details.

 

The installed badge is the badge in question.

The badge held up to the already installed badge is a version I know is correct.

 

When i went back to the seller and inquired about this difference, they did in fact claim:  "It is Original BMW".

 

However, I wanted to bring this puzzle to all of you folks for more details.

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

I did a bit more research in an old official BMWparts book (see pic) and found the following:

 

1.) Part # 51 14 1 815 197 was the original 2002tii badge in Europe, which was discontinued. 

 

2.) Part # 51 14 1 826 842 was the next badge iteration, available in Europe and the U.S., which has also now been discontinued. 

 

I don't believe I ever received a [orange] BMW sticker showing the part # of the new badge I purchased.

 

A.) is this "new" badge the European version?

B.) is this "new" badge the Euro/U.S. 2nd iteration version?

C.) is this "new" badge a reproduction?

 

Thank you ahead of time for the help!

[LJtii]

I can't tell you anything about your new badge is, but here is a shot of the 2002 Tii badge on my unmolested '73. It is 10" in length and you can see exactly how it fits when attached via the factory mounting holes.

['76mintgrün'02]

... probably not much help, but I couldn't resist.

[PaulTWinterton]

It looks like your existing one is too small, compared to LJtii.

Here's mine:

Sorry I can't answer your questions. Maybe the existing one is from a different year or euro version. I'm sure someone will have that answer shortly.

Edited March 13, 2015 by PaulTWinterton

[MatthewCervi]

Just measured my badge purchased 7 or 8 years ago and it is just over 10" wide.

 

Don't rule out possibility D) Factory part incorrectly produced.  They do mess things up sometimes.  However, most parts these days should come in a bag or box with a white part # sticker unless it has been sitting around long enough to still have an orange sticker.

[Henning]

There's a difference between badges -73 and 73+. The -73 have flat backs, 73+ badges have a slightly rounded back. Sure you've got the flat one for your car?

 

Hen

[mac]

I got "suckered" by an alleged reputable seller at an 02 Fest West years ago.

 

It was offered as a new Tii rear badge.

 

Got it home and it turned out to be for a  Touring.  (about an inch smaller/shorter) Wasn't told that at time of purchase.

 

I don't do business with that company for the last 15 years. 

 

And, he doesn't know as much about our cars as we profess.

 

mac.

 

mac.

[MalagaGorilla]

I like your black Tii, seems like it has the rare dogleg tranny.

[okfmby]

Bet it really growls when you put your foot into it!

[Dev02]

Could be a bitch to work on though...

[JohnS]

Yes, there are two different types of tii rear emblems.  I guess earlier cars used the shorter badge.  Not sure when they switched over to the bigger one.  I thought that all round taillight cars used the smaller emblem, but my '73 has the bigger one.  So I have a brand new shorter badge hanging on the wall in my garage.

[jgerock]

Hmm,  the replacement rear emblem on my 73 is 9" overall.   Think the original one was slightly longer based on the marking on the paint.  I kept the original one.  IIRC the replacement came from Maximillian in 2008.

 

Also, the replacement did not have threaded studs like the original one so I had to use some hardware store sourced rubber capture nuts.

Old one

Replacement

[PaulTWinterton]

Yes, there are two different types of tii rear emblems.

 

Learned something today.

[Conserv]

Just measured my badge purchased 7 or 8 years ago and it is just over 10" wide.

Don't rule out possibility D) Factory part incorrectly produced. They do mess things up sometimes. However, most parts these days should come in a bag or box with a white part # sticker unless it has been sitting around long enough to still have an orange sticker.

+1

I don't believe that buying a factory part today guarantees that you get a part identical to the same part manufactured 40+ years ago. I believe you are, rather, entitled to a part that serves the intended purpose. An example -- perhaps it is an extreme example -- is represented by '02 door brakes. When I first saw the current issue OEM door brake I couldn't believe it: it bears little resemblance to a '70s door brake! And how about those BMW hood and trunk lid roundels? They've changed dramatically. How about those ginormous rectangular windshield washer reservoirs -- better built and with larger capacity than the originals but looking nothing like the cylindrical originals?

This is why some owners will pay a premium for NOS parts, even when a new part remains available. And this is why it's sometimes better to have an original part -- even one showing wear or use -- if an NOS example is not available and you are more focused on original appearance than on new condition. Of course, even an NOS part sitting around for 10, 20, 30, or 40 years will have its own set of issues, mostly related to condition.

This may or may not be the issue with respect to the tii badges, but I believe any old car owner needs to bear this in mind. We are particularly lucky that BMW makes any parts for a car that went out of production nearly 40 years ago!

Regards,

Steve

Edited March 14, 2015 by Conserv

[PaulTWinterton]

We are particularly lucky that BMW makes any parts for a car that went out of production nearly 40 years ago!

 

Hear! Hear!

Edited March 14, 2015 by PaulTWinterton