$41,000 is a tall ask for most BMW 2002s, but there is historical precedent for truly exceptional cars clearing that number with relative ease. The question is whether this Golf Yellow Tii example is one of them. Said to be offered by the original owner, the 2002Tii is in respectable, survivor-grade condition and said to run well with approximately 52,100 miles on the clock. The seller acknowledges it still has some cosmetic faults due to age, and isn’t completely certain whether you’ll find any rust underneath the paint. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $41K and located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Now, I’m always reticent to call a car a true survivor without looking at it in person, and I’m sure a diehard 2002 expert could easily call out flaws in the body or trim that would indicate a less-than-perfect example. But from this side of the computer screen, the paint looks decent and evenly applied (though, it is a repaint), and all of the various 2002 trim pieces seem accounted for. The car is a desirable round taillight model, and of course, the Tii lettering designates as the higher-performance option in the ’02 lineup (outside of the iconic – and rare – turbocharged examples.) Of course, the earlier models also have the far prettier chrome bumpers.
The interior appears as it should, with clean bucket seats and factory carpeting. Door panels bear no scars from aftermarket speaker installs, and even the gigantic bus-like steering wheel remains, with the owner resisting the temptation to swap in a compact Momo three-spoke job. A crack is noted in it, however. The dash also has a crack or two, undoubtedly caused by the relentless Arizona sun. The seller notes he purchased the 2002 new in Wisconsin and had it undercoated before using it in any snow, but that it only lived in the Midwest for two years before moving to Arizona full-time. The “must have” Tii-clock is still mounted in the dash.
Engine-wise, the 2002 is said to be a fully numbers-matching example, with the seller confirming that all numbers match to the VIN plate, from the engine block to the steering column, and of course with the tag on the passenger-side fender. The engine bay looks quite clean, and free of any unsightly modifications. The warm up regulator is noted as having a vacuum leak, and there’s also an unsolved engine oil leak. The seller also points out that some of the weatherstripping has fried out and should be replaced. While the list of flaws seem minimal, some underside photos might help allay any concerns about those years spent on the mean streets of Wisconsin.
You need that big bus steering wheel to park this car.
Not true. I owned my roundie for several years and never had a problem with parallel parking.
I could’ve designed this car…when I was 6 years old!
It’s located in Scottsdale, Arizona. So they have watched way too many Barrett Jackson auctions.
If I lived in Scottsdale and owned something like this, I would put up a free beer stand and hang a crazy price sign on it.
Great color, and a roundie tii – and looks nice. I’d love it, but $41k is crazy.
And then there is this. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-bmw-2002tii-43/
$41k is probably totally accurate, a bit of a good buy if it’s a true co-owner car. Most desirable year, plastic intake runners, higher compression head, great color. The people who are calling it a crazy price simply don”t know the current market.
I’ve owned both and the plastic runners were a pain to keep sealed.
I won’t address the ask as the market train left my station a very long time ago, But having owned two, one a despised auto that I ( had to do it) put a 5 speed Getrag into, and another with dealer installed air, both with sunroofs. and both completely original and beautiful SoCal cars, I would say that are an absolute hoot to drive.
Whether its the tall greenhouse, the front end geometry, or just the Germanic combination of austere design and driving ‘soul’, you can’t go wrong with an early 2002.
That this is a one owner car further checks the must have box. I prefer the Agave Green or Baikal Blue, having had them, but I could live with the Golf Yellow given the car’s provenance.
Now if only where was a parallel universe where no one cared about these cars and the price reflected that :)
I have had two of these and currently have 2 “regular” 2002s in my colleciton. They are easy to work on but the Tii engine parts are a little more expensive (i.e. different water pump..) The Kugel injection system is great when it works but it is expensive as hell to fix. In the end, you can juice up a standard M10 engine to generate more horsepower than the tii injected engine if you want to. However, tii cars are a rare breed that bring a premium and are a hoot to drive. $41k? Probably a little high given the solid “3+” status of the car. Here’s a pristine “2” car that sold for $42k on BAT in December. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-bmw-2002tii-41/ Another nice one sold for $25k in December. Depends a lot on how you value one-owner cars. It may still need a complete rebuild.
Or better yet, slip an M44 5 speed into an NA ’02, same tii HP, unstressed motor, fewer revs on the highway, no distributor under the cowl fairing.
Nice Tii. As some have said, the a$k might be a bit optimistic given the oil leak, lack of detailed photos and other unmentioned (although surely existing) deferred maintenance items, but nearly original well preserved 2002s are few and far between.
One non-automotive thing the seller might do is change banks. He states this outrageous point:
“Finally, I was told by my bank (Wells Fargo) yesterday that it could take several weeks for a cashier’s check to clear. A cashier’s check from Wells Fargo could possibly reduce that time. I will release the car once the check clears my bank. Likely several weeks after I deposit it, it takes them that long to verify it’s authenticity. I’m repeating what my banker told me.”
Most eager buyers are not going to want to wait while Wells Fargo plays with their money for weeks after the less than 48 hours it will take a check to clear.
They’re these magic things called “wire transfers”…