Year and month fuse box was changed

[djminkin]

Does anyone know the year and month BMW went from a 6 position to a 12 position fuse box?

[AceAndrew]

It was part of the April 1971 "model 71"changes.  

 

The 02 Production Run - History and Reference - BMW 2002 FAQ

 

 

[Mike Self]

The parts book doesn't give a specific VIN for the changeover from 6 to 12 fuse boxes, but generally for US cars the changeover to the "modell 71" cars came at VIN 2570001 for manual shift cars.  But as we have discovered, not all the model 71 changes occurred at that VIN, some--like the knee side trim, all black instrument faces etc were phased in as the factory used up stocks of the earlier parts.  For automatics somewhere around VIN 2532125; all US tii's have 12 fuse systems.

 

mike

[AceAndrew]

Mike, I still don't think that's accurate.  As I've pointed out 2570588 and a handful of others around that vin still had NONE of the model-71 features... no parts were yet being phased in at that point.  This vin range was produced in February 1971, still two months still to go until the April 71 changes.  I believe that it wasn't until around vin 2572000 that the model 71 changes started being phased in (with ALL changed being phased in by 2572237).

[calw]

I only know one specific detail that dictates which fuse box was fitted.  The inner fender sheet metal that the fuse box mounts to.  There's no way to put a 12 position fuse box on the older body or a 6 position fuse box on the newer body, without major surgery.  Was there an overlap in the supply of inner left fender sheet metal?  Seems less likely than an overlap of something like instrument cluster faces. 

[02Les]

The last 'pre 71' manual shift 2002 was (I believe) 2572069.

From my pics, 2571998 had 6 fuse box and 2572046 & 2572059 had 12 fuse boxes (so they changed 6 to 12 a car or two early, probably late Mar/early Apr 1971).

 

The last 'pre 71' auto shift 2002 was (I believe) 2532126, but not real sure as BMW appeared to have halted auto production for a while in 1970 & 1971, which makes ascertaining lastVIN/last date somewhat awkward.

Don't have close pics of VINs near 2532126, but 2531804 (Dec '69 build) is 6 fuse and 2532159 (Apr '72 build) is 12 fuse.

 

I'd take the 6 fuse VINs as gospel - who would change a 12 fuse box for a 6 fuse box?

 

HTH

Edited October 3, 2022 by 02Les
added text

[Conserv]

11 hours ago, AceAndrew said:

Mike, I still don't think that's accurate.  As I've pointed out 2570588 and a handful of others around that vin still had NONE of the model-71 features... no parts were yet being phased in at that point.  This vin range was produced in February 1971, still two months still to go until the April 71 changes.  I believe that it wasn't until around vin 2572000 that the model 71 changes started being phased in (with ALL changed being phased in by 2572237).

+1

I believe that VIN 2572070 was the first manual-transmission, U.S.-spec Modell 71 2002, and it was manufactured in April 1971.

 

So I agree with Ace and Les on this issue: the new 2xxxxxx VIN range preceded the Modell 71  facelift/upgrade by at least two months. In my mind, the new VIN ranges are not synonymous with Modell 71.

 

VIN 2570065 was manufactured January 27, 1971. I believe it was 100% pre-Modell 71.

 

And from this forum’s Articles section, below is a portion of a spreadsheet that shows VIN’s 2570001 through 2572069 as pre-Modell 71 (manufactured January through March 1971), and Modell 71 cars commencing with VIN 2572070 in April 1971. I freely admit that I don’t know the original source of this spreadsheet, but I’ve always found it to be amazingly accurate!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[Mike Self]

9 hours ago, 02Les said:

The last 'pre 71' auto shift 2002 was (I believe) 2532126, but not real sure as BMW appeared to have halted auto production for a while in 1970 & 1971, which makes ascertaining lastVIN/last date somewhat awkward.

Several years ago I received some information from AG about 2002 automatic VINs...  US automatic production didn't begin until near the end of the 1969 model year.  Apparently fewer than 1000 automatics were built in model year 1969; we know that 2530956 was assembled in September 1969, making it a 1970 model.  1970 production ended with 2532125.  Apparently the factory didn't produce any US spec automatics at all in 1971, and automatic production resumed at 2532126 as a model year '72 with modell 71 features.   

 

I think the reason the factory started the 257XXXX VIN run was that they ran out of 166/167XXXX VINs (I actually saw 1680000 many years ago, a US spec car, so numbered because BMW always began VIN runs with 0001, and ended with the next higher 0000), they couldn't go to 168XXXX because it was already in use for LHD ti's (beginning with 1680001), so they began the 257 series before they had all the bits to update to the modell 71 appearance.  Just speculation, but it does make sense...

 

As we delve deeper into that rabbit hole...

 

mike

[02Les]

7 hours ago, Conserv said:

+1

I believe that VIN 2572070 was the first manual-transmission, U.S.-spec Modell 71 2002, and it was manufactured in April 1971.

 

So I agree with Ace and Les on this issue: the new 2xxxxxx VIN range preceded the Modell 71  facelift/upgrade by at least two months. In my mind, the new VIN ranges are not synonymous with Modell 71.

 

VIN 2570065 was manufactured January 27, 1971. I believe it was 100% pre-Modell 71.

 

And from this forum’s Articles section, below is a portion of a spreadsheet that shows VIN’s 2570001 through 2572069 as pre-Modell 71 (manufactured January through March 1971), and Modell 71 cars commencing with VIN 2572070 in April 1971. I freely admit that I don’t know the original source of this spreadsheet, but I’ve always found it to be amazingly accurate!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Be careful with this chart, as it has E10 noted. Not kosher to be included in the 'best' 02 forum (IMHO).

[02Les]

14 minutes ago, Mike Self said:

Several years ago I received some information from AG about 2002 automatic VINs...  US automatic production didn't begin until near the end of the 1969 model year.  Apparently fewer than 1000 automatics were built in model year 1969; we know that 2530956 was assembled in September 1969, making it a 1970 model.  1970 production ended with 2532125.  Apparently the factory didn't produce any US spec automatics at all in 1971, and automatic production resumed at 2532126 as a model year '72 with modell 71 features.   

 

As we delve deeper into that rabbit hole...

 

mike

 

Mike,

 

Info that I have seen/read (whatever),....

2532125 manuf Jun '70

2532126 manuf between Jan ~ Apr '71 (apparently the only one in 1971, which seems odd, to say the least)

2532131 manuf early '72

 

If anyone knows substantiated errors to the above, please let me know.

 

Would be nice to know manuf dates for 2532127 thru' 2532130.

 

[King+Sons]

Our six-fuse car 2571026 was manufactured on February 19th, 1971.

[71bmr02]

I have 2571985 titled 1971, 6 fuse, short bumper, slick top, manual transmission, original color nevada.  could be one of the last 6 fuse cars before switch to 12 fuse.

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, 71bmr02 said:

I have 2571985 titled 1971, 6 fuse, short bumper, slick top, manual transmission, original color nevada.  could be one of the last 6 fuse cars before switch to 12 fuse.

 

Yep!

 

Do you have the manufacturing date for the car? If not, would you get it and share it with us, please?

 

Just email BMW Group Archives, at info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com, with your car's VIN, requesting their data on the car. There is no charge.

 

I'll guess that it's late March 1971, but maybe it's early April!

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[71bmr02]

Steve, request sent to info.group.  My guess is same, mid to late march early april  I'll share info when i receive.

 

Gale H

[Conserv]

14 hours ago, 02Les said:

 

... Would be nice to know manuf dates for 2532127 thru' 2532130...

 

 

While not dispositive, the BMW 2002 Car Club of Columbia's VIN decoder places all four, VIN's 2532127 through 2532130, in the 1972 calendar year. The only differences I've ever noted between this VIN decoder and BMW's car-by-car records, relates to a handful of cars that were probably begun late in a calendar year, but not "signed-off" (ready to ship) until early in the following calendar year. I believe these cars were scheduled to be manufactured in the prior year but some issue -- missing part, failed inspection, fire in the steering wheel factory -- delayed their sign off.

 

Regards,

 

Steve