'74, '75 or '76?

[Gil]

What is considered to be the better of the late model 02s? Isn't it generally agreed that the 76 model is the best of the bunch, and that BMW got most, or all, of the bugs out of the 02s by 1976?

Was 75 the bad year for smog equipment? What about the 74 model year?

Can someone give me an executive summary on the pros and cons of the 74 - 76 models, if any? Given the choice, what what you choose?

TIA

Gil

73 02

[punchesdfw]

I might be wrong, but I thought that the '76 was considered lthe least desireable.

[Guest Anonymous]

Depends on where you live, what you want out of the car and what your local transportation authority requires for emissions.

[esty]

i have a 76 that i've owned and driven since 1978 and a 74 that i've own'd and driven since 1994....mechanically and structurally, i can't tell any differences in either or see any advantages one has over the other

[f1reverb]

(nt)

[jerry]

OK, i'll bite...

why?

[jetboy]

I am no expert, but from what I have seen generally, and heard but not fully verified:

that some of the 76 models came with upgrades that were later used in the 320's - saving you some cash if you are thinking or fitting those later model mechanics to your car. they also seem to have more stock options-

it seems like its very common for a 76 to have a sunroof for example-while pretty rare in the 74.

also your car is 1 or 2 years less old! heh. thats 1 or 2 years less rust in general!

I guess yeah, id be interested to hear why the 74 is "better" than a 76. I'd probably fall into the side of your average 76 being a better all around car than a 74 - if you just picked them randomly out of a hat. . but the difference seems very slight to me.

[HarryPR]

Hey, Gil!

You mentioned the other day that you might consider an E21 on your search for a DD.

Here's a nice-looking one in California currently on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-3-Series-320I-320I-BMW-1977-classic-2-door-looks-perfect-daily-driver_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6007QQitemZ4630578715QQrdZ1

[napa02]

I would try to find the best car I could fit into my budget, If smog laws are not an issue. a cherry 74 for example is way better than a beat 76. I have a 75 and love it! 76 cars in california still have to be smogged, a big issue if you plan perfomance mods.

[f1reverb]

on a '76 or '75, and make it like a '74, then maybe they could be similar. But, there is a '74 Tii, and at least my '74 (being relatively early 4221520) is very close to a '73 mechanically (when I get ignition parts it's the same as a '73). That is why I consider a '74 to be the best of the BB bunch (as in big bumper, not big butt).

[Gil]

I saw that one and really like it. The seller won't answer messages. There's no VIN. The listing smells of fishy.... I love the color. I didn't know they made them in Inka.

Gil

[Gil]

Smog laws are not an issue for me like in Calif. Where I am, the smog requirements are lessened for cars 25 years and older, so 1981 is now the cutoff year. I think we only need to pass an idle CO test for 25+ cars.

Gil

[jetboy]

hey, thats a good option really - if you are looking for a california car - there are some nice 76 cars down here that people let go real cheap because the law has changed so that 76 will never be smog exempt in california- cut of is 75, and no longer moving .

I see some nice no-rust cars go for a song sometimes. all you got to do is get it out of this state, and you are golden!

-personaly, I loved my '76. great car! stock with no mods at all I could hit 100 mph, and it had great power and acceleration in the 70 - 85 band. it also started every morning- even in -10 degree new york weather.

[Mike Self]

74's don't have air pumps or thermal reactor exhaust manifolds... but share the much shorter-lived seat upholstery material and stuffing with all the squarelight cars (vs what was used on the roundies)

75's, when new had a reputation for becoming oil burners at fairly low mileage (75-80k). Depending on who you talk to, it was due to either using "green" i.e. not fully cured--block castings that allowed the cylinder bores to become slightly ovalized after machining so the piston rings didn't fit quite right. Also a story about inexperienced gastarbeiters carefully aligning the piston ring gaps while assembling the engines... These cars have air pumps and the attendent plumbing, and also have thermal reactors, which can cause head cracking and put a lot of strain on the manifold studs.

76s still had thermal reactors (but no ring problems) and a 3.90 (vs 3.64)final drive--better acceleration, but higher rpms on the highway and lower gas mileage. And they also have a reputation for rusting out drivers and pax floors due to poor quality sealant used in the front floor plugs, allowing water to intrude under the carpet and tarpaper...they become Flintstonemobiles in rainy climates. Earlier cars don't have this problem.

So...ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice.

mike

[swiftt]

Where I live, '74 is the year to go for because of smog laws.

Mechanically, all the years are virtually the same. Same body, body trim, interior, brakes, engine, transmission options, etc. Late '76 cars come with a 3.9 diff, which I consider desirable if you are planning a 5spd. '75 and '76 cars come with a thermal reactor exhaust manifold which totally sucks. Along with the thermal reactor, they have an interrupted speedo cable like the e21 that's used to trip the reactor light at mileage intervals (I installed one on my '74 that I plan to use to trip an Oxygen sensor light following Megasquirt conversion). '76 has a center exit exhaust which is not as good as side exit. Due to the low vacuum in the center of the car, your car will turn black if it's running rich at all. The later the year, it seems the more common that A/C is if that's something you're looking for.

For me, it all boils down to local smog laws. All years are similar enough that the smog laws become the determining factor (well, second to rust). If you like a feature on one year car better than another year's, you can just swap the part out.