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Yes, this is the Dayton, OH car via California. It was last registered in 1995 and is in good condition, minimal rust, but will need a very thorough going over. Mechanically, it's over carbureted with two dual stacks Webbers So it runs a little rough, but otherwise it's pretty clean. As for what I like to do to the car, I'll likely keep it fairly original, but will update shocks, springs, rims and front seat.

Thanks for the warm welcome.

1968 BMW 2002

1998 M Roadster

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If it hasn't seen much driving, get ready to need to work through anything with rubber. Brakes, suspension bushes and fuel lines. You will need to look at these regardless of how well it has been maintained or hard it has been driven (unless you lucked out and had someone inspecting and replacing through the 90's into the 00's.

Recommend that if you are replacing the sidedraft Webers that you go for a downdraft Weber, most likely a 36/32 progressive for a well mannered road car. Looks like a sweet car that will give you a lot of fun. Welcome.

rtheriaque wrote:

Carbs: They're necessary and barely controlled fuel leaks that sometimes match the air passing through them.

My build blog:http://www.bmw2002faq.com/blog/163-simeons-blog/

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Welcome!

Maybe I missed a post above, but Caribe 2002's are rare. No, not just rare, VERY rare! And, I suspect, you're basing that color description on a paint sticker on your car's right inner fender. If yes -- and no one would put a Caribe sticker on a car that wasn't originally Caribe -- and you haven't yet requested BMW Archives' data for your car, please, please, please send your VIN to:

info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com

and request the data on file for your car. And publish that info here. '68 2002's are, themselves -- forget the color -- rare and special! Besides the all-important manufacturing date (as well as the date legal title passed to Hoffman Motors, sole importer and a New York-domiciled corporation), Archives will confirm the factory color and color code (Caribe is 059).

Now, as to that Caribe! Caribe is a medium blue with grayish undertones, but your car is presently lighter and grayer than the few Caribe examples I've seen (and slightly metallic, which Caribe is not). I'm wondering if your car has had its exterior painted either (a.) a lighter interpretation of Caribe, or (b.) Fjord.

I'm struggling to find a good example of the color for you:

A 1966 1600-2 in Norway, freshly-restored, is re-painted in its original Caribe. It's VIN 1508053, with before and after photos in the second post of the following thread (it's well down the page; the illustrated cars are in order of their VINs):

http://02forum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=8603

This '66 looks really blue to me (but also drop-dead gorgeous) but I hope that posting this will bring out more examples of Caribe. When you get to re-painting your '68, please don't paint a factory '68 Caribe anything but an authentic Caribe -- which could be a challenge in itself, given the rarity!

Great find!

Regards,

Steve

EDIT: There's another example of Caribe in Post #4 of the following:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/161688-all-advice-welcomed-68-1602/?hl=%2Bcaribe#entry1017735

And yet another here:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/144592-fs-68-1600-caribe-daily-driver/?hl=%2Bcaribe

Edited by Conserv

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Nice reference Steve. See-through CV boots! I want those!I checked the color chart I have and Caribe isn't even listed:http://www.dagsites.com/2002colors.htm

Thanks, Paul,

I believe Caribe arrived with the first, i.e., '66, 1600-2's and was more-or-less "officially" gone by the time of the December 1968 global, all-models color brochure, from which it is missing. This suggests to me, based on what we've seen with other colors, as they were similarly eliminated from the global, all-models color roster, that Caribe examples may have continued to be produced for a few months -- as paint inventories were run off and already-scheduled cars were manufactured -- but I would be surprised to see a factory Caribe car after the first half of '69. So...factory Caribe owners, show us your manufacturing dates!

Regards,

Steve

Edited by Conserv

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Paul,

I believe Caribe arrived with the first, i.e., '66, 1600-2's and was more-or-less "officially" gone by the time of the December 1968 global, all-models color brochure, from which it is missing. This suggests to me, based on what we've seen with other colors, as they were similarly eliminated from the global, all-models color roster, that Caribe examples may have continued to be produced for a few months -- as paint inventories were run off and already-scheduled cars were manufactured -- but I would be surprised to see a factory Caribe car after the first half of '69. So...factory Caribe owners, show us your manufacturing dates!

Regards,

Steve

P.S. The early cars all used those clear CV boots. And since they broke open religiously every 8,000 miles, it was a convenient way to see that the oil had disappeared!

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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I emailed BMW classic a while ago, and they said "The BMW 2002 US VIN 1662720 was manufactured on July 29th, 1968 and delivered on August 17th, 1968 to the company J.B.S. (a BMW Military sales contractor) in Frankfurt, Germany. The original colour was Caribe, paint code 059. In 1968 BMW produced 4,489 units of the BMW 2002 US."

It looks to have been re-sprayed once, as I have two different shades of blue going on various spots. And yes, whenever I get to painting it will be most certainly in its original color.

1968 BMW 2002

1998 M Roadster

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I emailed BMW classic a while ago, and they said "The BMW 2002 US VIN 1662720 was manufactured on July 29th, 1968 and delivered on August 17th, 1968 to the company J.B.S. (a BMW Military sales contractor) in Frankfurt, Germany. The original colour was Caribe, paint code 059. In 1968 BMW produced 4,489 units of the BMW 2002 US."

It looks to have been re-sprayed once, as I have two different shades of blue going on various spots. And yes, whenever I get to painting it will be most certainly in its original color.

Wow! That's a very interesting email, on multiple levels and suggesting multiple questions.

First, as you likely know, Hoffman Motors was the sole U.S. importer of BMW's until early in 1975, when BMW, North America (BMWNA) assumed that role after years of conflict and law suits. And, during those Hoffman years, you could go to a U.S. dealer and specify factory delivery (a.k.a., European delivery) of your car. But the car was still legally transferred to Hoffman shortly after its manufacture. I have to believe that more than 99% of the U.S. cars came through the Hoffman organization, mostly with U.S. delivery, but a few with European delivery. But we also know that U.S. military members could buy cars, for non-U.S. delivery, NOT through Hoffman but through a number of other mechanisms. Yours is the first Archives report I've seen evidencing this small subset of U.S. model deliveries!

Second, I wonder if this unusual color -- as well as other examples of Caribe on U.S. models -- is a direct result of this un-common purchase route? Does anyone else with a factory Caribe car have data suggesting a non-Hoffman, or even a Hoffman European delivery? Hoffman probably did not offer this color broadly, if at all. (Mike S., I know you'll know this stuff! Comments?)

Third, does this un-common purchase route have other ramifications as to the options that came on your car? You certainly don't need to have the "Hoffman mandatory options", e.g., reclining seats, chrome exhaust tip, full vinyl interior, but perhaps your car has a different (greater or lesser) set of options. I haven't seen your interior, so it's hard to say.

Datewise, the attached 1600-2 window sticker is the closest thing I have to illustrate the Hoffman mandatory options at that time. The sunroof was not a "mandatory option" but came on however many cars Hoffman ordered it with. And power brakes, while an option on early 1600-2's were standard, I believe, on 2002's.

But this is all very cool!

Steve

post-41123-0-06322200-1432142722_thumb.j

Edited by Conserv

1976 2002 Polaris, 2742541 (original owner)

1973 2002tii Inka, 2762757 (not-the-original owner)

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Very interesting.  I did ask BMW Classic if they had any insights on the original buyer, how it made it to the U.S. and how many Caribe's were produced that year and unfortunately, they are not able to provide that information.

 

As for the car, my interior has seats from 73 and no sunroof.  The center stack has nothing in it....no radio, it may not have had one or it was removed somewhere.  Door cards are black vinyl with what looks like fake chrome accents, the rear seat is original and the rear door cards each have a ashtray, which I thought was cool. 

1968 BMW 2002

1998 M Roadster

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If you get around to re-painting it, you may want to think about removing the lower side trim, as I don't believe this was added until '72 or so. Perhaps this was added during the last paint job? I'm also not sure if the really early cars had the side reflectors on them. I'm sure others will know for sure. Nice looking car though. Congrats.

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Yes, that lower side trim isn't original. Whoever put it on made holes in the body panels for the clips, so that's a bit of a bummer and I'll be getting that repaired (some day). As for the side markers, would love to know that too.

1968 BMW 2002

1998 M Roadster

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A little background on the car's Caribe paint and how the car was ordered/delivered:

 

Back in 1968/9 US spec 2002s were only available in five colors:  Chamonix, Granada, Nevada and (extra cost) Polaris and Baikal.  This was apparently Hoffman's doing, so he wouldn't have to stock a whole bunch of colors in inventory to match buyer demands.  Oddly, 1600s were available in nearly a dozen different colors.  Perhaps Hoffman learned his lesson from the 1600s and thus restricted the colors available on 2002s.  I tried to order my 2002 in late '68 in another color and was told--by Hoffman--these were the only colors available.  We now know better...

 

This '68 was ordered and delivered through a military sales outlet in Germany--completely independent of Hoffman, so the color restriction didn't apply.  Thus the Caribe color on a US spec car.  Via postings on the FAQ over the years, we've discovered a number of early US spec 2002s painted other than the five above colors--Bristol, Caribe, Manila, etc.  When the owner queried BMW about his car's build date and delivery, in every case I'm aware of those cars were ordered through European delivery companies that were not part of Hoffman Motors.

 

Incidentally that's how Carl Nelson's US spec 2002 convertible (so far as we know the only one ever made) came to exist--ordered directly from the factory by a member of the US military.

 

2002 trivia for today.

 

mike

'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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