1976 BMW 2002

Coupe

2.0L, 1900cc

4 speed manual

2377758

Clear

GAS

Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE Background - this car represented my first love affair with cars at the age of 16 when I first saw my neighbor's tastefully souped up Tii fly by me one afternoon in 1987. Many decades went by before I thought about it again and purchased this BMW from a seller in Santa Barbara in March 2011. One of the things that struck me about this vehicle as compared to the 10 or so I inspected in CA was how nice the paint job was and how the owner took care of it to the best of his ability. There were a number of must-do repairs that needed to be done on the vehicle before I felt truly safe about calling it and using it as a semi-daily driver. Here are all the things I or a professional mechanic did to make it truly road worthy (in no particular order): Engine - Rebuilt engine which included the head and head gasket. Engine work was done by Nelson at 2002AD in Los Angeles. Compression is in the low 140 range (Dec 2013) - New Weber 32/36 DGEV Carburetor: about late October, I experienced issues that I could not figure out. Thus I had Le at Garagewerks replace the stock Solex with a new Weber 32/36 carburetor. A new fuel pump was added too (Dec 2013). - Fuel system: all rubber fuel hoses were changed out. All the proper gaskets near and on the fuel tank were changed with stock OEM seals. A replacement (used) gas sender was installed. No bouncing fuel needle. - Ignition system: replaced coil, distributor and new spark plugs in Dec 2013 - Passed CA Smog test around June 2012. Cooling system - OEM radiator (non-plastic) was recored and a bung was added for an auxiliary temp gauge. An auxiliary cooling fan was mounted as well with a manual switch on the steering column. But really, it doesn't need it, just paranoid insurance on my part. Exhaust system - A replacement (used) exhaust system was put on in December 2013. The pre-heater pipe was cleaned and welded back on with the proper hose fitted to the pre-heater device Suspension - A new set of Bilstein HDs were installed in the rear in December 2013. The suspension bushings could use refreshing, according to my mechanic. But it rides fine, no jarring feeling. Security and convenience I installed a Viper alarm system with door actuators. Also, I installed a trunk actuator kit. No more manual opening of anything! You'll really appreciate these two add ons if you've owned a classic car. Interior - Flo-fit seats - I purchased a used set with excellent foam and had it recovered in black cloth. They look great and they are 100x's better than the amateurish stuffing job that the previous owner did to the stock seats. The stock seat vinyl was in terrible shape too. - The faded blue interior was redyed to Landau Black, which is a very common color for German cars. - Rebuilt seat belts- Both front set retract beautifully. The rears I replaced with non-retractable seat belts, but they are really good. - Carpet set- replaced with a new black set. I've put cheapy mats on top of them to preserve the newness for the next owner - Custom center console with Autometer Z-Series gauges (Oil, coolant, and Vacuum) - New style door check straps were installed by me. Stereo system - I built custom component speaker pods for the front which allowed me to preserve the front door panels (where most people install theirs). I also custom built a rear speaker shelf which has speaker cloth on top of it to give it a nice stealth look. I used Boston Acoustic component speakers in the front and Polk 4x6 speakers in the back. It is powered by a vertically mounted Alpine MRP-F300 200W amplifier. The sound is really good, I get compliments from my passengers about how good it sounds with the front components. The head unit is a Sony that came with the car and is definitely an older, but functional unit with an Aux input on the front. It does the job well enough for me. Rims - E21 turbine-type wheels (13") running on Michelin MVXs. Exhaust system - Replaced cracked manifold with a replacement manifold off a 1974. New studs and new copper nuts were used with a 318i gasket LED Lights - A new LED dome light with new light housing to replace the cracked one. - LED lights in the trunk (magnetic switch activated). You'll really love this mod. - Red LED strip for a 3rd brake light. Bright as all heck. The Not-so Perfect and Recent (Repaired) Dent As you would expect from a 38 year old car, there are some nicks and tiny rust bubbles on the car. I can count them on one hand. There is seam rust where all BMW 2002 get them and that is right behind the front wheel well. However, there is no major structural rust on the body, not even the shock tower. Also in early June 2013, a young teen driver backed up into the driver's side right between the door and the rear wheel well. It was NOT structural damage, but a big dent. I had it repaired by a body shop and it turned out really well. The best part is that a long strip of rust that was running on the bottom edge of the rear pop out window was abated as a result as the panel was part of the repair. While of course I was pissed to all heck, it was not major collision damage, but low speed damage that resulted in a fresh repair. I just want to impress upon you that this is NOT the reason why I am selling my BMW. Not by a long shot. Why I am selling As they say "Life goes on". I intended to have this as a semi-daily driver, a fun car to put me in a good mood and enjoy driving my dream car. However, I realized that I can't devote the time and money into fully restoring this and getting it to the place I'd like to get it to. I would love to put a 5 speed into this, a modern A/C system, and refresh every single suspension bushing with polyurethanes, etc., etc. However, my life is getting hectic as it is, I have a long commute now and will raise a family soon. Needless to say, my vehicle needs are much different now than they were 3 years ago. I don't know how some of you balance this all, but for me, I realized it's time to call it a day and pass this onto another owner who can carry the torch and give this great little Bimmer a good home and continue to tastefully rehab and restore it. This is not and I never intended to restore this to a concours level. No way. But if you embody the same philosophy as I do, this is the perfect car for you. About Me I am a working professional who loves cars. I jointly own a Toyota-related internet forum and have been moderating forums since 2000. I take pride when I sell something, I honestly represent what I sell. Take a look at my eBay profile. If you need references about the vehicle, contact me directly and I can give you the name of my current mechanic who is well known in the So Cal BMW 2002 scene. Questions Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I'm sure I may have forgotten something or could answer something more thoroughly for you.