Similar to the housing market, it’s amazing to see some makes and models start to simmer rather than stay at a full-court boil. The BMW 2002 is a great example of this, as it seemed for a while there that every round taillight 2002 was selling for big money regardless of condition. Well, this 1972 model has been listed for sale these past few days, and that could mean there’s some room to negotiate on the $9,800 asking price in this listing here on Facebook Marketplace in New Jersey.
The seller claims this is one of a few 2002s he owns, which is fairly typical for a 2002 fanatic. He is moving this car along because he apparently found a more compelling project to revive. This one looks like it was loved at some point, as it has an aftermarket three-spoke steering wheel and wears the popular “turbine”-style wheels that came on the later E21 3-Series. The green 2002 has been repainted, with the original paint code being Sahara Beige, a popular color for covering up in a more desirable shade.
The seller uses the word “runs” in his description, but doesn’t say how well or how far it will go. The engine bay doesn’t look awful, and it’s always a good sign when the valve cover remains affixed and the carburetor isn’t in pieces. The familiar BMW red fan remains in place, and the hoses don’t show any apparent seepage on the ends – which either means the engine is possibly leak-free or hasn’t been fired up in some time. The 2002 does come with a clean New Jersey title.
There is some rust to contend with, as the seller notes that the driver’s side floor board near the peddle box needs help. He’s including a good, rust-free replacement panel for the next owner to install. Even with the respray, there’s some surface rust creeping into the paint, as the blisters at the edge of the hood reveal. Overall, the 2002 looks like a decent project provided the disclosed floor rust isn’t more egregious than as it’s described here. Would you keep it green or repaint it back to tan?
That car is going to be a real restoration challenge. When I see the Jersey plate I can see the salted roads this car traveled on. The 02’s are a wonderful car all sorted and I think the asking price is quite ambitious. BMW in this case means bring money with! If you accept this challenge.
Going with alphasud. Four pictures of car parts and an “ambitious” price, all from the one of the world’s rust capitals. Got a couple years in two of the early cars and the rust without any help from salted roads or hurricane flooding kept us pretty busy. Hope that’s not the case here but the seller sure isn’t helping the cause.
Looks like those wheels might be Cromodoras, there’s a grand right there.
This is a definite improvement over the last 2002 featured in BF, that one was badly rusted, dented and in two pieces..not to mention missing a lot of its other pieces. This car even “runs”!
8 grand? no words
I restored a ‘72 2002 20 years ago and daily drove it for about a year. If completely sorted, they’re very reliable and fun to drive. To get one to that point, you have to rebuild everything. If you start with a solid shell, the mechanical stuff is straightforward. Every rubber bushing in the suspension will need to be replaced and the engine rebuilt. They’re notorious oil burners when the valve guides are shot. A 5-speed transmission from a 320i is almost a necessity if you plan to drive any distance on highways. A sunroof car is important if you don’t plan on adding AC. These things are like little tin ovens in hot climates, and the big factory sunroof adds enough airflow to make hot days bearable. The parts from every contemporary BMW model just bolt on. Mine had 4 piston calipers and vented rotors from a 5-series, for example. With a set of fat sway bars and some wider 14” E30 wheels, the cornering grip is jaw dropping. Fun cars and parts are no more expensive than those for, say, an MGB.
I’ve seen a couple round tailight projects in the bay area in the past couple month’s for a third to half that asking price…not to mention picking one up from a junk yard recently that needed a missing left door, fenders and a hood….for $500….which is far more solid than this one….anything out here means your not going to have to struggle with every nut and bolt underneath being frozen solid…as well as rust in the floors and potentially the hood seam,,shock towers, rocker’s,door seams etc, erroded.from road salt….having grown up there, anything on the east coast I would steer waay clear of,unless your a metal smith and even then….far easier to start with something more solid for less money….
These are fabulous cars in top shape but there are a couple of potential rust spots that can make restoration of this model difficult. One tricky area is the rear shock towers. I would need to take a close look at this car before I could be persuaded to spend big bucks.
“some rust to contend with”?
Rust notwithstanding, new rocker shafts and rockers are not cheap,and transmission parts are ridiculous. I’m banking that this one could benefit from both,at a minimum. Valve guides and seals too.