Purchasing a 75 BMW 2002 -- good idea ??

[bstockto]

I have found several model 75 BMW 2002's for sale on craig's list, ebay, traderonline etc. Is this a good car to purchase, even with the extra emission controls added? I assume all of the other 2002 gotchas apply .. rot, odometer, wiring harness ..

Bryan in Texas .

[Simon]

Certainly, a 2002 is a fun car to drive, to tinker with, and to modify. However, these are 30 year old cars. If you are buying one for a daily driver be prepaired to do some work inorder to make it safe and reliable.

If you are buying one to "play with", you can't pick a car that is more exciting to drive, where parts are more easily available, where modifications are more well documented, and where there is a friendlier more helpful group than on this forum.

My advice, get one. But buy with your eyes open, do your research first. Get one in the best overall condition possible. It's worth the wait for a nice example. Check on eBay as there are always cars available.

Just my 2 cents.

Simon

[Napes]

I've been driving my same ' 75 for 25 yrs. Its got 342K miles, looks great, and is a joy to drive to this day. "Course, where I live I've been able to remove all the smog garbage, and I've done a good many of the aftermarket "updates". My wife drives a ' 76 ' 02, and my son a ' 74, and, IMHO, you could do worse than to purchase a ' 75 (not necessarily in ' 02s, but in cars in general).

[cheechthechi]

I own a 1975 2002 and I must say its a blast to drive. But as stated above if you're going to use it for a daily driver be prepared for unusual things to happen. I have had many things go wrong on my 2002, but then again its in need of a restorartion. Good luck.

[Jim_75Sahara]

Hi Bryan: I was on vacation so I missed this earlier. I love my 75, purchased in 2003. Sometimes the 75 is less-loved than the older roundies, but they are great too, once you get the smog junk out of the engine bay. Rust is number one to avoid. Collision damage (if more than a tap) is a concern. I would want it mostly stock with matching numbers -- orig. engine, etc. Neglected items will include: window seals, shocks, brakes, upholstery, carpet, several electrical gremlins will be very likely as well. Count on the door brakes to be totally shot. New ones are worth the effort. The engine may have been overhauled. Try to determine if it was done properly and thoroughly by a BMW mechanic that knows the older models. Paint and bodywork are quite expensive. If you do a repaint, it is generally recommended to use a correct BMW color for the year of the car espec. the orig. color if that meets your needs. I'd be wary of one that has sat too long or has been monkeyed with by a half-baked backyard tuner dude. Once in a while you see one owned by a BMW mechanic or somebody who has been in the BMWCCA for years and has dumped loads of money on required maintenance and very tasteful upgrades or refurbishments on the car. They know they will not get back all of the $$ they have put into their "baby" over the years. They will want the car to go to a good owner that will appreciate the car! I went on too long but, hey, it's fun. Good luck! ------ JIM P.S. Just buy the best car that you can poss. afford. You won't regret it. Heaps will cost way too much to restore!!

[John_in_VA]

which could be hard on the engine (heat) but hopefully you'll be able to ditch all that stuff.

For some reason most of the '75s I've seen had inferior rear seat padding, which deteriorated faster than '74s and '76s. Foam & batting is your friend here.

As was stated, get the nicest/most solid car you can afford - more fun running them!