Thank you for admitting me in the forum

[Basque1]

I am a retired USN Retired Commander and live in upstate NY in Rockland County. Also I am a vintage car enthusiast and enjoy the car shows and interchanging ideas and experiences. At this time I do not own a BMW 2002 which is my main interest, however, had one some years ago. The bug bit me once again and I am in the market to purchase another BMW. I am looking at several 1974 2002 Tii models, however, these prices of these cars are out of sight. Worse of all while they are in great shape, many of them are in need of some TLC and finishing touches. I used to own a 1974 2002 Tii back in the late 70's and now I seriously regret selling it. But there will be others. I am inclined to California cars so that the rust is not an issue. I will keep all posted of my progress.

Sincerely

Basque1

[Son of Marty]

Basque1, Welcome to the FAQ you'll find that the members here to be a congenial bunch and more than willing to share info the total 02 knowledge here is unmatched anywhere, When looking for cars rust is always the #1 concern budget wise and almost impossible to get a cost estimate with out tearing the car apart, a mechanical budget is much easier to come up with accurately. You may want to add all west coast cars to your list as the cars in the PMW tend to be fairly rust free it's not just a California thing it's mild winter little salt and a good natural rinse in the rain.

[Dudeland]

6 hours ago, Basque1 said:

I am a retired USN Retired Commander and live in upstate NY in Rockland County. Also I am a vintage car enthusiast and enjoy the car shows and interchanging ideas and experiences. At this time I do not own a BMW 2002 which is my main interest, however, had one some years ago. The bug bit me once again and I am in the market to purchase another BMW. I am looking at several 1974 2002 Tii models, however, these prices of these cars are out of sight. Worse of all while they are in great shape, many of them are in need of some TLC and finishing touches. I used to own a 1974 2002 Tii back in the late 70's and now I seriously regret selling it. But there will be others. I am inclined to California cars so that the rust is not an issue. I will keep all posted of my progress.

Sincerely

Basqu

Welcome to the forum.   The Tii's are a whole other kettle of fish.  A handful of folks can work on the pumps; a few more can get one back from the dead and tuned properly. You are wise to be discerning when looking at them. 

 

Folks here are very helpful, and if you ask nicely, you can usually find someone to take a look at a car that is out of state/country for you. 

 

Regarding the prices, if you were to take the money (5,682 MSRP for a 1974 Tii) and invest it back in 1974, you would have about $65K today.  Cars are, for the most part, a bad investment, but we still love them. 

 

Regards

[jgerock]

As mentioned above, don’t rule out cars from states other than CA.  I’ve inspected some 2002’s from CA and they weren’t all that great, especially ones with freshly applied thick rubberized undercoating.

 

Both my 69 2002 and 91 318is came from Arizona.  My 73tii has always been an East Coast car.

[M3M3]

Retired USCG officer here.  As stated,  don't limit to CA cars.   My rust free car came from TX/NC.

[ECL]

Welcome to the forum!

 

You're gonna love it here… it's definitely a welcoming and incredibly wise and knowledgable group!

 

One tip -  don't forget to search Craigslist nationally (SearchCraigslist.net) ; that's how, living in RI,  I found mine in GA… no rust down there either.

Edited January 7 by ECL
I noticed a typo.

[Mike Self]

Retired AF officer here...and welcome to the 02 Fraternity/Sorority.  Plenty of good advice and friendly folks on the Board, and the best place to look both for cars and for answers to your 2002 questions.  Just be patient in your search, and don't write off a carbureted car; they're just as much fun to drive as a tii, just a second or so slower to 60.  And you can fix that in a hurry!

 

Do not, under any circumstances, buy the e Bay 74tii that James Laray posted several posts above yours!  That's the one that sat under palm trees in SW Florida for 20 years.  

 

cheers

mike

[Jim_75Sahara]

Welcome. I bought my first 2002 in Alabama where it had lived since new with virtually no rust. Years later I bought an E30 that had been in California most of its life, no rust. I later bought my current 2002 which had spent most of its life in Texas, no rust. California has some sunbaked cars: cracked leather seats, cracked dashboards, cooked paint jobs, so there is no magic in California.

[Santawillis]

Welcome! Keep your eye on Facebook Marketplace, picked up my '76 for $1,700 with some elbow grease and I have a fun project. 

 

Are you willing to travel to pick up the car? I will keep my eyes open for cars around my area!

 

Rafael

[HobieDog]

On 1/7/2024 at 5:03 AM, ECL said:

 I found mine in GA… no rust down there either.

 

Here's a pic of my car when it was for sale in GA back in 2008. 

I agree with expanding the search, but cars will rust in every state if they're not cared for!  

 

[Zak]

Hello Mr. Commander,

 

I'm now here as "Zak", but my my name isn't Zak. I opened this new profile using "Zak" which is short for Zakhar Artyomovich Sorokin, a WWII era Soviet fighter pilot who kept flying even after both of his feet were amputated as a result of injuries sustained during the war. In addition to being awarded the highest honor "Hero of the Soviet Union" by his own country he was also awarded the "Order of the British Empire" by Great Britain. Great Britain also had a fighter pilot, Douglas Bader, who kept flying after both of his legs were amputated.

 

I've been driving and wrenching on 02s since 1982. And, I've been providing info relating to these cars on various forums on the Internet since its inception and well before this site was launched. I've been on this site since the beginning. But, the people who run this site don't necessarily like me . I'm not from NATO. I'm from the other side. So, I have mixed feelings about this place. There are, however, many helpful and knowledgeable people here.

 

I'm not a tii expert, but if you have any questions about early cars, I'll be glad to answer them.

 

Zakhar Artyomovich Sorokin standing next to his Miig-3 interceptor. 

Edited January 13 by Zak

[Vicleonardo1]

Greetings!

It is an honor for me to be on a site with those that have served. Bless you all  for your service and I cannot thank you enough. 

My car spent the vast majority of its life in central California (which is pretty much an irrigated desert) and Texas. (Austin/Houston). Places pretty much dry as a bone. 

And it's a rust bucket. 

Bottom line, doesn't matter where it's from!  Have it thoroughly inspected. Mine was a "gift" from my brother in law and the rust was pretty nasty. The passenger side frame rail was literally paper thin. I am sure there are some 02's from the regions of salted roads and where rust is a professional and they were cared for properly and should be in good shape. 

Unless it hasn't been meticulously restored, dipped and epoxied, it will have some rust. 

 

Why limit yourself to the Tii? 02's can be souped up, resto modded and made to go a bit faster. (it is fun to drive a slow car fast). You may have a much more affordable adventure if you go the non-Tii route. 

 

Welcome and Cheers! 

Vic