1970 BMW 2002ti NM/NA

[bluebmw]

NM/NA

Does anyone know this car? I thought I have seen it come up for sale a while back (A few years ago).

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/2345901468.html

1970 BMW 2002ti - $16000 (Snohomish)

Colorado with black interior. VIN 1689631 79,301 miles. In 2002 the front fenders and rocker panels were replaced and the car was repainted. At this time all moulding was replaced: doors, windows and trunk. There is no structural rust. The engine still has the original Solex PHH carbs and runs very strong. The drivetrain is solid throughout. Suspension changes: Bilstein Sport shocks, H&R springs and sway bars. The interior is original and in very good condition. All exterior trim and bumpers are original and in excellent condition. This is a rare, beautiful, club concours winning automobile.

[02Les]

It was for sale April last year for $23,000.

[Guest Anonymous]

I looked at and drove this car back in 2003 when I was in the market for a nice tii. An authentic 2002ti was actually my holy grail car back then as I really prefer the cleaner pre-71 styling, added to the rarity (can't even find these in Europe these days) especially since they were never imported to the U.S. This one was even in probably my favorite early '02 period color, Colorado orange. So, I was willing to overlook a lot (asking price was $13.5K back then--it was advertised in Roundel), but I ultimately passed on it.

Here's the good and the bad that I remember from that era (doesn't sound from the ad that any significant work has been done since).

Good:

1. Authentic 2002ti (from Vancouver, B.C. area I believe, purchased originally by a doctor up there)

2. Original mechanically and made good power (I really prefer dual carbs to fuel injection for their immediate response and sound, hence why I've become an Alfa Romeo Giulia Super owner)

3. Overall very solid--nice original interior, no significant rust (a bit paint bubbling in a few places so not 100% rust-free either)

4. Well-sorted suspension and period BMW alloys (the 2800/3.0CS style, but 1" smaller I believe)

Bad:

1. Horrendous home paint job--fisheyes cover the entire car indicating improper prep before spraying (this ultimately why I passed--couldn't imagine having to put $5K+ into it back then to remove the old paint and redo it correctly when it was already a premium price--now it would probably be $8K+ to have it done professionally). The owner really made a mistake by having this done and the car would have been worth more with the new paint. The owner said that his friends helped him paint the car. As they say, "with friends like that..."

2. Dash was sacrificed for a rally computer at some point. Rally computer was gone leaving a big hole so sourcing another dash would be mandatory to do justice to the car.

3. Probably minor mechanical issue where the car would either nearly stall or actually stall under any braking that wasn't very slight. Felt like air was going to the (leaking?) brake booster that was needed to keep the proper air/fuel mixture. Maybe just a carb issue. Owner had no explaination--I'm sure it had been an issue the entire time he owned the car. During the test drive I learned to brake and keep my foot on the throttle a bit to prevent stalling. Without that annoyance, it would have been a real kick to drive so it's unforgiveable for the owner to have not resolved that issue even with the 20 ft. paint job.

4. Other ticky-tack things to fix in the interior like a munged door panel from the owner's son slamming a seat belt in the door and chrome paint around gauges that needed to be redone--the kind of stuff you actually look forward to doing to really make a collector car what it should be.

I debated with myself driving home to eastern WA making an offer in the $11K range so I wouldn't be completely underwater after having the paint redone. But, when I looked at what I could get in a tii for well less after paying for this work, it didn't make sense so I never made an offer (I doubt it would have been accepted though as it was pretty clear the owner wasn't in a hurry and still maybe isn't). For someone though who values an authentic 2002ti above all else and doesn't think a $25K total investment is out of line for maybe the nicest in the U.S... At least his current asking price isn't any more speculative than back in 2003. Obviously though he's not real intent on selling it. His preference is to find the exact right buyer who will overlook the faults regardless of how long it takes to sell rather than the alternatives of either cutting the price or having at least the paint redone and being able to truly market it as an exceptional example. I attribute the fact that the car is a "show winner" to its uniqueness (and lack of competition at the time?) much more than to its condition. I'd personally be embarrased to show it in the current state given the paint.

I believe I still have some pictures of this car on another computer if anyone is seriously interested. I'm not sure how well the fisheyes show up in the pictures. It's one of those things you spot in 5 seconds when you see the car in person, but you need the right lighting and angle to capture in pictures.

Gary

[hanksjim1]

I'd like to see some of the pics when you get a chance...

[roadhog0]

I agree pics would be nice.