68 1600

[BritshIron]

7 hours ago, tjones02 said:

@Conserv Yes, my 1560847, Oct 20th ‘67 car has a chrome dash.

 

@mike It’s not a matter of BMW using up stock of chrome dashes as we must remember that the Euro market cars kept using them until the Model71 mid ‘71 styling facelift.

 

I believe BMW started phasing in padded dashes as stock became available, But we haven’t found whether there’s an exact VIN. Steve, what post October ‘67 cars have you seen with padded dashes?

So, here's a list of cars that hover in that late 1967 and early 1968 manufacture date, with either chrome or padded dash. RPS

 

Here's 1561272. There's enough of it remaining original to tell it was a padded dash, US spec car.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-17/

 

Here's 1562763, restored to near original with padded dash.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-16/

 

Here's 1562177, with a build record and padded dash. Manufactured January 10, 1968 and delivered to Hoffman January 23, 1968

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-11/

 

Here's 1561193. Somebody built it into a 1600ti tribute car. Shows a chrome dash. Hard to say. No build record. Replacement Chassis tag. This may be a car that needs to be set aside vis-a-vis any data base, but a good lucking tribute!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-9/

 

Here's 1560364. Looks like some original elements remain, but dealer-supplied A/C system in upper dash where tray should be. Chrome underneath. I'd count this as a US spec chrome dash car. Could this one be the earliest US spec chrome dash car thus far?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-10/

 

Here's 1562706. No build record, but pretty clearly a padded dash car.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-7/

 

Here's 1562173. Built in January 1968. Tom Jones speculates this may the 19th 1600-2 built with a padded dash.

https://bringatrailer.com/2013/03/29/roundie-simplicity-1968-bmw-1600/

 

Here's my car, 1560679. Chrome dash, built September 28, 1967, now the third oldest US spec car with a chrome dash, behind 1560562 and 1560364

https://bringatrailer.com/2015/06/15/1968-bmw-1600-2/

 

Hope this helps some with the dash puzzle. I enjoy being able to verify the cars with pictures and narrative. Aloha, Robert

 

 

 

 

 

[Conserv]

40 minutes ago, BritshIron said:

 

Here's 1561272. There's enough of it remaining original to tell it was a padded dash, US spec car.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-17/

 

Here's 1562763, restored to near original with padded dash.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-16/

 

Here's 1562177, with a build record and padded dash. Manufactured January 10, 1968 and delivered to Hoffman January 23, 1968

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-11/

 

Here's 1561193. Somebody built it into a 1600ti tribute car. Shows a chrome dash. Hard to say. No build record. Replacement Chassis tag. This may be a car that needs to be set aside vis-a-vis any data base, but a good lucking tribute!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-9/

 

Here's 1560364. Looks like some original elements remain, but dealer-supplied A/C system in upper dash where tray should be. Chrome underneath. I'd count this as a US spec chrome dash car. Could this one be the earliest US spec chrome dash car thus far?

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-10/

 

Here's 1562706. No build record, but pretty clearly a padded dash car.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1968-bmw-1600-7/

 

Here's 1562173. Built in January 1968. Tom Jones speculates this may the 19th 1600-2 built with a padded dash.

https://bringatrailer.com/2013/03/29/roundie-simplicity-1968-bmw-1600/

 

Here's my car, 1560679. Chrome dash, built September 28, 1967, now the third oldest US spec car with a chrome dash, behind 1560562 and 1560364

https://bringatrailer.com/2015/06/15/1968-bmw-1600-2/

 

Hope this helps some with the dash puzzle. I enjoy being able to verify the cars with pictures and narrative. Aloha, Robert

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Robert,

 

How about placing these in numerical order? ?

 

Based on the above, there’s a potential break between VIN 1561193 and VIN 1561272, if both of these cars retain their original dashes. Do you see anything later than VIN 1561193 with a chrome-trimmed dash?
 

And what about VIN’s 1561983 (Manila) and 1562051 (Caribe), both manufactured December 20, 1967, as confirmed by Archives, and both having padded dashes? VIN 1561983 was formerly owned by @JerryC (photo below).

A U.S.-spec 1600-2 manufactured in 1968 with a chrome-trimmed dash — meaning approximately VIN 1562154 and following — should not have passed U.S. Customs, as it would have been illegal.

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Conserv

[BritshIron]

Steve, I was trying to power out some research for the group while my family was waiting for me to cook Sunday breakfast out here in Hawaii. Double tasking under pressure! Sorry I simply did not have the time to put the chassis numbers in order of manufacture date.

 

I think it would be great if someone else, with knowledge of more potential entries could compile a larger list, which would put all these transitional 1968 USA cars in sequential order. That way we could start looking at some of your other questions, like:

 

2. Two-spoke or three-spoke steering wheel?

3. Silver-painted or black bezel for instrument cluster?

4. Driver’s outside mirror at leading edge of door, or near rear of front vent window?
5. Triangular punch-outs in trunk bulkhead or no punch-outs?

6. What else?

 

It's an interesting project. Almost done with all the input with information that flows from this thread! Aloha, Robert

 

 

[Conserv]

Robert,

 

@ClassDavid was selling VIN 1560954 (manufactured late October 1967) in August 2018. It had what was fairly obviously an original chrome-trimmed dash.

 

@Lucian’s VIN 1561224 (manufactured November 3, 1967), a very original car, has a chrome-trimmed dash, two-spoke steering wheel, silver-painted instrument cluster bezel, and a forward-mounted rearview mirror (below).

 

So a majority of the “1967 features” survived, at least on some 1600-2’s, into November 1967!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by Conserv

[ray_]

WHAT A BUNCHA OLD CAR NERDS!

 

[Conserv]

6 minutes ago, ray_ said:

WHAT A BUNCHA OLD CAR NERDS!

 

Thank you, Ray,

 

I know that comes from your heart... ??

 

I’ve always dreamed of being an “all-caps” NERD! ☺️

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[BritshIron]

Well, shoot. I thought this thread was progressing towards something worthy of the History and Reference Section. Now Ray shows up, and turns it into Faq-Yak. Oh well, at least we made it to page 3....

 

Ray, by the way, it's so hot here that the pigs in the pig pen melted, the grease ran into the tater patch, and made French Fries! I was just out in the BMW you talked me into buying. The A/C was blowing 29 degrees. My knee froze and locked, and I drove right past our home at 70 mph, with the family half smiling and waving quizzically from the front yard. 

 

Okay, back to work. Everyone have a great Sunday. Stay ahead of the plague. Aloha, Robert

[ray_]

Sorry about the a/c. Try evacuating it again and purging the manifold lines before recharging so you can get it to achieve the proper temps.

 

 

p.s. If I can't keep my threads on-topic, I feel obligated to spread the joy!

Edited May 17, 2020 by ray_

[BritshIron]

Steve, back to work. I know one item that would fit well into your #6. ?  The existence of a VIN number tag on top of the steering wheel housing. I'm quite sure my car, 1560679, never had that feature. Just wondering if this was a "phase in" item.

 

Ray, no nerd comments, please. RPS

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, BritshIron said:

 

... The existence of a VIN number tag on top of the steering wheel housing. I'm quite sure my car, 1560679, never had that feature...

 

Quote

The steering column VIN tag is a later addition, maybe 1969 models or January 1, 1969. Too many birds to kill with one stone...

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Conserv]

VIN 1561262, manufactured November 7, 1967, has a fully-padded dash.

 

A changeover VIN, from the chrome-trimmed dashboard to the fully-padded dashboard, may be crystallizing, between VIN’s 1561224 (November 3, 1967) and 1561262 (November 7, 1967).

Can we identify additional 1968 1600-2’s, manufactured after VIN 1561224, with original chrome-trimmed dashboards? If not, the evidence thus far suggests a transition to the fully-padded dashboards in early November 1967. This assumes, of course, that there was a single changeover VIN — an assumption that may oversimplify the actual history!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Conserv

[BritshIron]

So, Here's. a few more cars, in no particular order, which fit the USA phasing time gap we are looking at for 1600-2 cars, Sorry if there are any duplicates from above:

 

1. 1968 1600-2, 1562051, Build Record, Manufactured December 20, 1967, to Hoffman on January 2, 1968. Padded dash, 3 spoke wheel, front seat headrests, dealer installed A/C, Caribe. 

2. 1560828, This car was restored and modified with a 2002 motor. It started life as a 1600-2. Looks like a padded dash, but this may be a car that is modified enough as to not be able to count it as padded or chrome. DC Motors, Anaheim, 714-695-0102

http://classiccardb.com/bmw/495460-1968-bmw-1600-sedan.html

 

3. 1561383, This Sahara car has been "upgraded" with a 2002 engine. Salvage title. Clearly a padded dash car. 

http://classiccardb.com/bmw/112476-1968-bmw-1600-with-upgraded-20-liter-engine-white-manual-sedan.html

 

4. Here's an early 1968 1600-2, but unfortunately no VIN in the ad. Spent time in Oregon with Oregon plates. Chrome dash. Maybe someone like 02Les will recognize this car and give it a chassis number.  Believed to be a US spec car, but again takes a good eye.

https://barnfinds.com/30-year-sleep-1968-bmw-1600/

 

At the least, we're getting some of these US spec transition cars from 1967-1968 in the same thread! Aloha, Robert

[BritshIron]

Steve, I called the guy at DC Motors and went back and looked at the pictures. I think we can scratch 1560828 off the list. Partitioned padded dash, far too modified to tell many stories. Interesting sunroof. Also, sold. 

 

Sorry I can't find anything within your sweet spot VINs and dates, unless the VIN for the "Barnfinds" car above can be discovered and crowds the earlier chrome dash cars you've found.

 

Congratulations on getting the dates and numbers that close to the chrome to padded dash transition! Aloha, Robert

 

[Conserv]

Thanks for all this, Robert!

 

And I agree with all your comments (yes, VIN 1560828 has a remolded one-piece dash, with the partitioned parcel tray).

 

I can’t believe how many 1968 1600-2’s you’ve dug out, from Internet sales!

 

The VIN-less example might be an @ClassDavidcar. I’m confident I’ve seen it previously, with its graffiti’ed side.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Conserv

[BritshIron]

You all may already have this car, 1562154. Seller claims the build record says build in 12/67, and the car has a padded dash. It's pretty clearly a 1600-2 that was turned into a tribute 1600ti. Maybe there's more information on the car or more pictures somewhere else. RPS