Is it advisable...

[suntex01]

I found a 2002tii with major rusts but good mechanical overall.

So I was wondering, instead of repairing the body, is it advisable from a collectors standpoint to just find a good 2002 body and transplant everything from the tii?

Any opinions welcomed.

[amdavidson]

From a collector's standpoint... Probably not. The other car will never be a Tii and will never be worth as much as a Tii.

From my standpoint as someone who doesn't have the skills or tools for extensive rust repairs, yes. The transplanted and refreshed car could run even better than a tired Tii and as long as you don't care which VIN it has you'll have just as much fun.

[Gordon]

I did it, my former 74 tii was a Frankenstein, lots of bondo, rust and various body parts. I found a clean tii shell that I moved everything from my Frankenstein tii into.

Here's my project blog

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,57/page,viewtopic/t,343731/highlight,/

The key is to find a clean tii shell, they are getting harder to find.

G-Man

[jerry]

since you asked 'from a collector's viewpoint', i'd have to say it is absolutely not adviseable.

i once bought a salvage titled 73tii that was, for the most part, a very nice appearing car. i was horrified when i was waiting at the DMV inspection line to discover that the left front inner panel was replaced thereby eliminating the original VIN body-stamp.

i couldn't sell that car fast enough. i broke even and the next buyer didn't care.

that was a 'live and learn' experience for me.

as stated earlier, it probably makes more sense to swap bodies or keep looking rather than embark on an expensive rust repair if you can't do the work yourself.

[nbristow01]

I think if the engine numbers do not match the VIN on the rust car then I would find a good shell. Either way you have a non-numbers matching car. If the numbers on the engine match the VIN on the rusted out car then it would be more valuable to keep together. BUT you then have to decide if teh price to fix it will end up exceeding the value of the car once finished

[suntex01]

Guys,

Thanks for the input so far.

Can anybody give me all locations of VIN stamps of the panels on the car?

I know where it is on the E30 M3, I just didn't realize BMW stamped the panels back then.

[jerry]

there's the aluminum VIN plate riveted to the inner *right* fender just forward of the firewall.

there's a stamped VIN on the inner *right* fender (not left as i mistakenly wrote above) aft of the VIN plate, kinda in line with the windshield.

the engine number should match and is located on a flat surface just above the starter motor.

another VIN plate is riveted to the top pad just forward of the steering wheel

and if you're lucky, you should see an embossed decal on the driver's side door on the aft surface just below the door catch.

[BarryA]

involved, several of which were touched on in other responses. Personally, I'm a big fan of keeping original cars together wherever possible (I've seen some early Porsches and such that most rational people would consider to be beyond restoration stitched back together - all it takes is time and cubic $$$$), but in most cases, economic reality comes into the equation somewhere.

For my nickel, if:

a) it's not an original numbers matching tii to start with and

a rolling shell without an original numbers matching block is available or

c) you can find a tii shell (especially one with the original block, even if pretty much everything ELSE is missing), I'd definately say go for it.

The decision is bit harder if it's an otherwise unmolested, numbers matching car - if so, the extent of the rust is probably the deciding factor. If you do decide to swap everything over to a new shell and scrap the original shell, cut up the original shell after removing the vin plates and as much as possible of the right side inner fender (where the vin stamping is) and keep them (and the original car's title and license plates if they're the original plates) with the new car as part of the documentation of where the tii stuff came from.

[eurotrash]

I just parted a '76 that had was a Tii clone. Built very well by someone in probably the late 80's. All of the Tii drivetrain, suspension, fuel pump, fuel tank, clock and air cleaner present. Any necessary brackets for the pump and air cleaner were cut from the (late 1971 build date) donor and bolted in so it appeared correct. As well as the hole for the clock.

Done well, its all good. Can't hurt the value of an orphaned 2002 shell, thats for sure.