Description
Up for sale is my 1975 BMW 2002 in Mintgrun over Tan interior. I originally purchase this car from Fresno, CA and it was remarkably rust free. I spent the last year restoring it to better than stock condition with tasteful upgrades to improve the performance. We recently purchased a new car and I can no long justify having 2 BMW 2002's taking up 2 spots in our 3 car garage. I wanted a 1975 for two reasons, first I wouldn't need to smog it in California, so I could freely upgrade any drive train component and second, they were the last of the 10 year run and more refined and better built than the early cars.
The following represents a partial list of modifications...
1. De-smogged, I removed all smog components, and re-tuned the car. This includes a new exhaust manifold, removing the smog pump, EGR and Diverter Valve, plugging all the vacuum components, removing the Emission wiring harness, rewiring the coil, removing all switches, dashpots and valves. The transformation is remarkable, the engine pulls hard to the redline and runs like a Swiss watch. The car has a non-matching factory replacement engine installed. I have no history why this was required, but I can attest that this one is the smoothest running engine in the 13 BMW 2002's I have owned. Internally, I am assuming it is stock, but it is now fitted with a Weber 32/36 Electric Choke carb. It idles rock steady, and pulls like a train.
2. Paint, the original Mintgrun paint was tired and the car took a hit from an SUV in the rear that did some minor damage to the driver's side taillight and trunk lid. I stripped off all the trim, bumpers, lights, windows and had had the car painted in the original Mintgrun color. The damaged trunk lid was replaced with a clean used piece and the rear accident damage was repaired. There was some rust found under the some of the window trim, but this was treated during the painting process. The paint was done by Classic Auto Body and Collision in Ramona and it turned out great, no runs or over spray.
3. Reassembly, we tucked the front and rear OEM bumpers for a cleaner look, replaced all the trim with new or refurbished pieces, new OEM rubber seals on all the windows, Uro seals for the doors and trunk. All the light lenses were replaced with new, underhood decals and rubber components under the hood replaced.
4. Interior, the original carpet was in very good shape after a good cleaning. The OEM seats were in bad shape and I replaced them with a very nice set of BMW 320i Recarro seats in tan to match the stock interior. I replaced the dash with a crack-free version and while in there, replaced the heater fan. No AC, but the car has a nice AM/FM/CD radio in the center console and no speaker holes in the stock door panels. The rear seat needs to be restuffed or re-covered to match the new Recarro seats, headliner is clean with no rips, I replaced the sun visors with a new flat clean set and upgraded the rear view mirror to the larger on from a BMW 320i. I also upgraded the steering wheel to the sport version from the BMW 320i with working horn button.
5. Mechanical, I upgraded the stock sway bars to larger ones from Ireland Engineering. It has HD Bilstien Shocks all around with ST lowering springs. All the front suspension components are new, and I replaced the original differential with good used unit to fix a howling pinion bearing. During the differential replacement I serviced the CV joints, replaced the exhaust system from the downpipe to the muffler with OEM parts and upgraded the CV joint hardware. It also has a new Optima redtop battery mounted in the trunk and shock tower support bars front and rear to eliminate any body flex. I also replaced the stock steering coupler with a new Urethane upgrade part to improve steering response. The stock 4 speed transmission shifts smoothly with no grinds in any gear and the brakes are solid, plenty of stopping power with no pulling or fading.
6. Tires and Wheels, I wanted a bit more grip, so I upgraded to 15X7 inch Rota RB Wheels and 195/50R15 Toyo Extensa HP Tires. The +25mm offset was perfect and required no rolling of the fenders and doesn't rub at full lock or over bumps.
Now, if you have been following the 2002 market over the last couple of years, you know that nice cars are getting harder and harder to find and prices are going up and up. This car has a lot of good things going for it...
- It is rust free, it has no rust anywhere on the car!
- It was recently painted in its original iconic 70's color
- It was restored by knowledgeable BMW 2002 enthusiast.
- It looks stock on the outside with the exception of wheels and tires
- It is mechanically sorted with desirable upgrades
- It has a clean upgraded interior
- It is ready to be enjoyed as is, or taken to a new level of restoration
You could keep looking for another car, spend $8K - $10K on one that needs work, spend another year and $15K to $20K restoring it and end up with a car that is almost as nice as this one, or you could buy mine.
Bid with confidence and if you have any questions that I might not have covered in the description, don't hesitate to ask. You can call me at 858.663.9805, email me or text me your telephone number and I will give you a call.I have been with eBay for many years and I want to keep my reputation and feedback at 100%. I purchased this car with the intent of keeping it and upgrading it to an S14 motor, but I have run out of garage space. If you want a 3rd party opinion on the condition of this BMW 2002, I can refer you to Bill Holmes at Bavarian Rennsport in Ramona who did a significant amount of reassembly after paint.
ShippingI can help you arrange shipping. This vehicle is advertised on other sites (Craigslist, BMW2002FAQ) so I have the right to end the auction early if it gets sold. Ebay doesn't allow external links, but you can search for my ad on Craigslist San Diego to access a test drive video and links to my restoration blog. I'm not a dealer, just a very knowledgeable enthusiast of this particular BMW model.
PaymentPlease be ready to buy when you bid as this is a no reserve auction. A non-refundable $500 deposit is due when the auction ends and final payment within 7 days. Balance is to be paid by bank wire or a certified bank cashier's check. Check will need to clear before the vehicle will be released and title is sent. The winning bidder needs to contact me within 24 hours of auction end to make payment arrangements. Please arrange all financing prior to bidding. If you are not sure about something, please ask. Do not assume anything. I'm very easy going and will help in any way I can, but please be absolutely sure that you are ready to buy when you bid. All non-paying bidders will be reported to eBay.
Thanks,
Mark