Any 60's BMW 2002 buyer tips?
 

My sister (in Chicago) is interested in a late 60's vintage BMW 2002. It runs and drives but otherwise needs a restoration. Any favorite vintage BMW sites or info that I could pass on to her to keep an eye out for?

She's pretty mechanically inclined and isn't afraid of hard work. She's hoping to check it out over the weekend and make an offer if it looks promising.

Thanks for any info. you might be able to provide.

Look out for rust in the trunk where the suspension and shocks attach to the body structure.

if its in chicago i'd look everywhere for rust.

"Needs restoration" sounds like body and interior parts; these may be hard to find and expensive when available. As has been said if this is a Chicago car it will have rust, lots of rust. My 1st new car out of college was a '71 2002 which I drove it for nearly 10 years in Chicago and Cleveland. What a fun car.
Mark

You would be way ahead if you bought a BMW that lived in a dry section of the country. This is a car that was designed in the '60's, a time when virtually no one gave serious consideration to rust resistance in design methodology or materials selection. The additional vehicle shipping cost is not great in comparison to the cost of competent rust repair.

Did anyone mention "rust?" ;)

Both the 1600 and 2000 . . . I think one of the PPI inspection requirements is a tetanus shot.

I'm getting the impression that is a common issue. :D She knows what to look for rust and rot-wise but she's going to snap a bunch of pics for me. I told her not to get her heart set on it and just keep an open mind about it. I think she's looking for a project to keep her mind occupied through the winter.

RUST.

Otherwise very nice relatively simple cars to work on and maintain.

Very robust drive trains (almost as tough as a benz).

Tom W

Look for signs of repaired rust. Were it not done correctly, the rust will resurface. I had a 71 2002. I had to cut out entire panels and spot weld fresh ones in place. Beautiful when finished, but not a project for the faint hearted.

Let me be the first here to say, rust. Yeah, watch for rust.

A buddy f/Chicago went to look at one in Atlanta a few years back. A tii I think.

Pics showed a clean car, top notch.

He rented a car from the airport.

Drove out to the seller's house and saw it sitting in the back. He cruised by and the car was nothing as described, so he guessed the seller used old pics. He turned around and went back to the airport.

That's been my advice to her. I hope to hear from her today to get her initial impression and go from there. I'm hoping she's not as impulsive as I used to be. :)

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/

If she wants a nice 2002 I would look for
a good one and buy it vs a fixer upper.

On the other hand if it is a runner, with little
rust, get it and enjoy it as is.

I've owned 8 or 9 2002 and 2002tii's over the years, starting with my first one in 1969. Sadly, the ones that are restorable are becoming very scarce. A few areas of rust to watch out for are around the grill where fenders attach, the headlight buckets, and, especially, the rear shock towers. Also, take note of the welded seam on the driver's side door threshold. It's notorious as a rust starting point


Here is an excellent site that shows what can be done for a restorable 2002tii.

http://www.my2002tii.com/

I would sure like to have my Golfe (screamin' yellow) '73 tii back. Best driver's car I ever owned.

....oh well. Nostalgia ain't what it used ta be! :(

Thanks for all of the tips and links guys. A lot of this will be therapeutic for her. In case any of you didn't see the threads from the summer, she lost her fiance and is looking for something to keep her mind busy over the long Chicago winter.

I just got off the phone with her and gave her all of the info. you've all passed on, including the 2002 buyer's guide from bmw2002faq.com. She's not going to get around to it until tomorrow so she'll have some time to get prepared.

Thanks again!