Conserv

+1 VIN 2762204, which I purchased as a totaled insurance salvage in 1974, and parted out, was a factory Colorado tii, manufactured July 10, 1972. Regards, Steve

Tom, Fabulous inquiry and follow-up. Thank you for doing this and doing it so beautifully! Best regards, Steve

+1 It is, and has always been, identical information. Regards, Steve

Noting that Mark, above, warns of the probable outcome, a need to pay 125€ for the formerly free data, the current email address for general inquiries is: hdz.info@bmwgroup.com This address replaced info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com last year, after a reorganization of the archives. Regards, Steve

The value of an ‘02 head is dependent on (a.) whether its overall thickness is still within acceptable spec, (b.) the presence or absence of cracks, (c.) the straightness of the head, (d.) the amount of corrosion or damage therefrom in the water jackets, (e.) the presence of past repairs or modifications, and, at minimum, (f.) the condition of items such as valve seats, valve guides, camshaft bearing surfaces, etc. In short, a typical 50-year-old ‘02 head is probably worth something between nothing and $2,000. Fairly recently, BMW still had a few brand new E21 2,0 heads: $1,800-$2,000 for a bare head. No other models of heads have been available from BMW for a few years. Regards, Steve

Exactly: CA-spec 76’ ‘02’s used the E12 head and 8.1 (very low) piano-top pistons — versus 49-State versions, which used E21 2,0 heads and flat-top 8.1(?) pistons. This was solely a 1976 distinction. The original block’s engine number was the car’s VIN — without exception. More details concerning engine identification are here: Below is a set of 8.1 pistons for an E12 head. Regards, Steve

+1 The “PVC free” versions of Glasurit’s two-stage metallic paints were introduced in 1973. As had been their previous single-stage metallics, the two-stage metallics were a friggin’ disaster. Horizontal surfaces — e.g., hoods, roofs, deck lids — generally failed within 2-3 years. I’d say Glasurit’s paint-testing processes were… wholly inadequate! Recognizing that this post adds absolutely nothing to this thread, I had to jump in since Glasurit’s miserable two-stage paint, and BMW’s equally miserable handling of its early failure, led to my 34-year boycott of BMW’s… 😟 I’m feeling a bit better now. Thank you for listening. 😋 Regards, Steve

It spent some time at the BMWCCA Foundation’s Icon show, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 2002 (in 2018). Regards, Steve

If you believe you will make money buying, restoring, and reselling this car, I’d say it’s unlikely. Regards, Steve

Tom, I’m not certain the factory systematically, from beginning to end of the square taillight bumper production, treated the tops and bottoms differently. 100% of the bumper was originally anodized. But I — before I got the re-anodization bug — assumed I’d simply flip the front bumper, which had 6 holes on the top from a pair of aux lights plus a pair of urban-sized light guards. The difference in top and bottom finishes was dramatic. Was it simply 40 years of waxing the top while half-assing the bottom? Maybe. Maybe not. But everything was originally anodized. Could they have a done a bit less pre-dip or post-dip work on the bottom? Conceivably. On my re-anodized bumpers, tops and bottoms are identical, suitable for flipping, so to speak! The entire bumper gets stripped of old anodizing and is then polished — to eliminate defects — before it gets dipped. It then gets polished after the dipping. Perfect, and certainly requiring more attention than BMW could give the bumpers in 1976. By “un-done side”, I was simply trying to imagine how the re-anodization shop could reduce the cost if one said, “just do the top”. If they didn’t strip the bottom, didn’t polish the bottom pre-dipping, and didn’t polish the bottom post-dipping, they could conceivably save a few hours of labor. But: a.) would the new anodization adhere in the same way without surface prep, and b.) would the shop share any labor savings with the customer who asked for such a “custom order”? Maybe. Maybe not. Best regards, Steve

I had the front and rear bumpers of my ‘76 re-anodized by King of Trim. They look fabulous. Maybe a bit better than in ‘76. The price was also fabulous — not in a good way! $1,000 for the pair I suspect, but don’t know for certain, that many shops who do proper bright-dip anodization would charge pretty much the same to do one or both sides, in effect charging you for the un-done side because you’re asking for “fiddly stuff” rather than “something on the menu”. The un-done side would still get a fresh coating of anodization, but the underlying aluminum wouldn’t get the stripping and smoothing that ordinarily precedes the dipping. Does that mean the re-anodization might fall off? No idea! Despite seeing very average square taillight bumpers listed on eBay for $500 and more, there are lots of square taillight bumpers around, ranging from free to $100. If you’re patient, you can find very clean examples in this “free to $100” range. And if you’re crazy enough to spend $500 per bumper for re-anodizing, find yourself the best candidates you can find, no chips, bends, or even sizable scratches! Yes, they can grind out scratches but that can leave a low spot if It’s deep. My thoughts. Regards, Steve

We’re now hearing from multiple reliable sources that the official certificate (125 €) is the only way BMW will respond with its once-free data! But, like @bergie33, I’m curious precisely how you worded your request. Most of us — yes, I wore out my welcome with my last request regarding three early tii’s — simply asked, in an email, ”Can you please provide any data you have regarding a 1976 2002, VIN 2742541?” We wrote nothing more, for fear of being sent to the “Fancy Certificate Department,” where you had to pay for the same free data dump. Who does that? 🤔 On my, this could signal the end of an era! 😢 Regards, Steve

My best guess: 1976-77 Resedagrun 1502. Check out the photos in Steve K.’s color entry below. If it is Resedagrun, and it’s original to the car, the only ‘02 model manufactured during most of the “Resedagrun era” was… the 1502. My understanding of the 1502 model, ca. 1975, was that it was designed to meet the needs of less-developed countries. The lower-compression 1.6-liter engine was created to run on the low-octane gas available in many of these countries. And, coming at the end of a 10-year production run, it was a simple, bullet-proof, and time-tested design. Regards, Steve

I once considered this possibility for my ‘76. But the underside of my front bumper was not as smooth — or as shiny — as the original top surface. It appeared they only made a half-hearted attempt to finish the bottom. YMMV Regards, Steve

I like this theory, Mark. The current color is also a new-in-1976-77 color. I believe that opening front vent wings were available as an option on 1502’s. Best regards, Steve

We need the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). 7 digits! It’s not clear why you’re buying it! Regards, Steve

We’ve all done worse, at one time or another! Regards, Steve

The serial numbers stamped into each transmission could be useful if someone, with too much time on their hands, simply collected the serial numbers on every transmission for which the housing’s casting date is also available. Thus: A.) transmissions currently not in cars, and B.) transmissions for which we have photos of the serial number and casting date. I’m betting there is a clear correlation between casting dates and serial numbers! With sufficient samples, one could look at a transmission in an ‘02 and approximate its date from the serial number without having access to the casting date. Great? Not certain about that, but it could be done! Regards, Steve

+1 Agreed! If you go back to a recent comment/post by Ray, you’ll find a link to Bring a Trailer and the $265K project! No Reserve: 1972 BMW 2002tii 5-Speed for sale on BaT Auctions - ending May 6 (Lot #145,874) | Bring a Trailer BRINGATRAILER.COM Bid for the chance to own a No Reserve: 1972 BMW 2002tii 5-Speed at auction with Bring a... The shop appears to do mostly Ferrari’s, so there’s that… Best, Steve

😂 Something like that, Tom! With VIN 2760026 — the $265,000 project — on the market, I went into the Registry entry to update it. But linked in the Registry entry, and addressing a prior owner of 2760026, I found this thread oddly un-finished. And now, with what might be the most expensive stock ‘02 renovation project to date, and in the public eye, I thought, “Hey, that 8-year old thread doesn’t have an ending of any sorts. Maybe I should throw something in there!” So I did, hoping no one would even notice… 🙄 And, so, in effect at least, I finally hit “Submit Reply”! 😉 Best regards, Steve

Rusty, The block should have a casting date, likely one to four months before the original car’s October 1977 manufacturing date. Check the head’s type and casting date, as well, to see if it was originally a tii head. Most factory tii heads through U.S. VIN 2762372 were type 121 heads. From U.S. VIN 2762373 onward, tii’s had E12 heads. Here’s an article that will help you find the block and head casting dates: And, yes, many of the original tii bits — such as the aluminum runners, front engine covers, and injection pumps — will have casting dates as well. It sounds as if tii components were swapped onto an e21 block after the original block failed. If you see 1974 casting dates on the four aluminum intake runners, dollars to doughnuts the tii equipment came off a 1974 tii… If you show us a photo of the left side of the accumulator (plenum), to which those runners mount, we can see in a flash whether it’s a 1974 model year component. Regards, Steve

How about a photo of this? I’ve never seen anything like this. Are you certain the VIN is on the aluminum bellhousing and not on the flat boss at the very rear of the cast iron block, where all original blocks were stamped? In 51 years of ‘02 ownership, I’ve never seen an ‘02 transmission marked by the factory with the car’s VIN. Below, circled in red, is the boss on the engine block — machined flat by the factory — where engine numbers (VIN’s) are stamped. Regards, Steve

Thanks for sharing @pehlivanov_tii. The rims look great! And, yes, it looks like the “rim stampers” had a rough Monday morning or Friday afternoon! 😉 For a more original appearance — I realize you were pursuing a more personal aesthetic and technology — I’d avoid both glossy and matte finishes, choosing something between those extremes: semi-gloss or possibly satin. And the original steel rims, of course, did not employ a clearcoat, which is a more modern technology. Thanks for posting your findings, experience, and beautiful re-done rims! Steve

U.S.-bound cars were supposed to have — by U.S. DOT regulations — lower-gloss, e.g., “not polished chrome,” interior trim from 1968 onward. But… there are quite a few examples of the European-style chrome heating control escutcheons appearing on 1968 and later U.S.-spec cars, as we see here with VIN 2760026. Dashboards or controls swapped post-factory may explain some of these, but, yes, it’s possible some of the chrome escutcheons made it onto new U.S.-bound cars and slipped un-detected 😯🙄 through U.S. Customs. Regards, Steve