We often try and shy away from restored cars but when a specimen was restored many years ago and is holding together well, it seems to edge closer to the “preserved” category. The 1975 BMW 2002 shown here represents the unusual combination of being a non-Tii spec car that a prior owner still loved enough to treat to a proper overhaul. The seller maintains that it retains its original sheet metal, so perhaps this older restoration was simply a case of being a well-loved car being treated to a glow-up once age began to catch up with it. Find this 2002 listed here on eBay with no reserve and bids to just over $14,000.
This color appears to be Agave Green, which is a fantastic OEM shade. I’m slightly surprised the seller didn’t include mention of this, as many BMW enthusiasts seek this color out when shopping for a 2002. Green is also very much in style right now, as it’s a color you simply don’t see much of anymore. However, as you read through the description, the seller mentions this was a color change car, so it didn’t leave the factory wearing green paint. It also left the showroom with just two pedals and was later converted to a 5-speed manual, one more gear than the 4-speed it came standard with. The 2002 rides on OEM steel wheels.
The fact that it’s been modified from standard is not a terrible thing, in this instance, namely because an automatic 2002 is not exactly desirable. And, if it wore a color like Sepia Braun, otherwise known as brown or some other undesirable shade, its value would be much lower. Manual conversions are quite easy with older BMWs and happens frequently. Whenever we do see an automatic 2002 come up for sale, it’s generally not a sought-after item. While the dash appears to have some minor cracks, the more important detail to note is factory-installed air conditioning, which still works.
The biscuit-colored interior is a standard shade for 2002s of this era, and looks good with almost any color. The 2002 sports an aftermarket from lip spoiler but is said to retain its numbers-matching engine, which was rebuilt in recent years. The body reportedly has less than 40,000 original miles, so this 2002 was likely a survivor before the restoration began, and now the engine presumably has even fewer miles than that. The seller is confident you can drive this 2002 anywhere, all while in air conditioned comfort – and with no reserve, there’s even a chance it will go home for a good price. Would you bid high and often on a car that’s been modified from the factory like this one?
I don’t know about Sepia Braun, but Siennabraun is a very, very nice color for the 2002. My 2002 was Malaga, or burgundy.
The 5-speed modification is great on this car and will make it much more enjoyable at highway speeds. My 2002 had a sunroof, and that option was very desirable, maybe even more so than AC. I’d leave the back bumper (distracted idiot crashing into from behind) but a front bumper tuck is a nice easy improvement to the look of the 2002. Great car. Here’s a photo of Siennabraun.
I believe the A/C systems were dealer-installed and not factory-installed. There are 3 primary kits that I am aware of: Behr, Frigiking, and Clardy. This appears to be a Behr.
The transmission tunnel of a 2002 automatic is wider, making the conversion to an O/D 5-speed from an E21 easier than a 2002 with a standard transmission.
The funny thing is that I like the 2002 when equipped with an automatic. At least 5 of the 43 examples of the ’02-series I have owned were equipped with an automatic. Plus, I love the square taillight cars with the chrome bumpers from a 1972 or 1973 BMW 2002 (with the 1972 bumper brackets).
This is a nice car and something I would be willing to make the 44th ’02-series owned. ;-)