To Bottlecap, or not to Bottlecap, that is the question....

[tech71]

9 hours ago, Conserv said:

+1

 

 If you decide to pass on them, @tech71, perhaps you can share the contact (with seller’s permission); I’d bet other forum members would be interested.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

I didn't pass on them, knew I was buying them as soon as I saw them. Good stuff is rare around here. I'm up to 3.75 sets now.

Pretty nice shape, two have some light curb rash on the outer bead but other than that....

Edited February 6, 2020 by tech71

[JohnS]

nice score on the wheels.  That vintage Continental tire is cool too.  I'd keep it as a spare just because it's old and cool looking

[Conserv]

21 hours ago, otisdog said:

Note near as 'rare' as the later 'soup plate' alloys. The older five spokes definitely have casting dates, and were a factory option.

My experience has been different: I’ve found period early OEM alloys considerably harder to find than the late OEM alloys. That’s why my ‘76 wears late OEM alloys while my ‘73 wears the modern version of the early OEM alloys. Both rims were, indeed, listed as factory options on sales brochures, but Hoffman Motors never ordered a set on a new ‘02, rendering them “factory options” only on cars delivered outside the U.S.

 

I’ve assumed the late OEM alloys were easier to find — for me — because BMW NA dumped a load of them in the U.S., in order to expedite the sale of slow-moving 2002A’s in 1975-76. Those rims were installed “at the docks” (the holding lots at the Ports of a Entry) and at the dealerships. It may be that BMW NA’s “distribution” of these late OEM alloy rims was not uniform, and these rims were concentrated in certain locales. I lived in Pennsylvania during those years and regularly saw 1975-76 2002A’s so equipped in the Mid-Atlantic-to-Connecticut region. These cars were coming through the Elizabeth, NJ, Port of Entry. And my Reading, PA, dealer told me about the 2002A “alloy rim thing” in 1976. Maybe that Port of Entry was a focus of the 2002A “thing”...

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Conserv

[tdskip]

Those were/are very handsome wheels.

[tech71]

Only one of the five has the the mfr date on it. Don’t really care, happy to have them

[Toca]

On 1/22/2020 at 7:22 PM, theNomad said:

Shaking my head... all the haters. This is all you have to do: 3 piece.

 

 

Mr Nomad..... Where can i get my BC’s done like THAT!

[Honolulu]

I've had fifteen 02s, and only one with bottlecaps.  I thought it was the cat's, but this was a while ago.  Later I missed selling my old wheels to the smelter b/c the price for aluminum had dropped; I think my last set went to the landfill with wornout rubber still on them.

 

One thing I remember about 14x6 E30 alloys - it was considerably harder to park.  Maybe old stiff tires were the problem, but I never bought new tires while I had that car so couldn't say.

[golf73]

8 hours ago, Honolulu said:

I've had fifteen 02s, and only one with bottlecaps.  I thought it was the cat's, but this was a while ago.  Later I missed selling my old wheels to the smelter b/c the price for aluminum had dropped; I think my last set went to the landfill with wornout rubber still on them.

 

One thing I remember about 14x6 E30 alloys - it was considerably harder to park.  Maybe old stiff tires were the problem, but I never bought new tires while I had that car so couldn't say.

 

Aloha man - yeah the wider wheels with shifted offset can make it tuffer in the steering dept. Espech if u have a smaller then stock diameter steering wheel as I got - a sick Nardi that needs 2 B restored. Gotta have a lil muscle for the lil ones, but no big whoop

['76mintgrün'02]

This is one of the oldest topics on this forum...  literally. 

 

Go to the very first discussion page from Christmas day in 2001 (6318 pages ago) and the topic at the top of the page is:

 

 

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

This is one of the oldest topics on this forum...  literally. 

 

Go to the very first discussion page from Christmas day in 2001 (6318 pages ago) and the topic at the top of the page is:

 

 

 

So... bottlecap prices have remained remarkably stable these last 19 years...  ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

[vacca rabite]

I was considering putting caps on my car.  I have a few sets of wheels for the 2002 but the caps look good on the car.   maybe I'm weird.

 

Zach

[tdskip]

18 hours ago, vacca rabite said:

I was considering putting caps on my car.  I have a few sets of wheels for the 2002 but the caps look good on the car.   maybe I'm weird.

 

Zach

 

Nah, just personal preference.

[dlhoovler]

And here's a 16-minute video of somebody putting a ton of effort into cleaning "worthless" (or is it "classic"?) bottlecaps! ?

 

 

 

-Dave