How do I know if it is a 75 or 76?

[ATLBMW]

Thought is was a 76, just ran a VIN search and it came up as October 1975?

[Jim_75Sahara]

When you use the FAQ search function, type in: BMW 2002 VIN.

There you will see a table of VIN's and production dates, etc.

[Guest Anonymous]

Went through the same thing with my o2, cant give the whole story but will tip that I live in Ca, my build date was 11/75 and although a qwik call to a BMW dealer revealed it was a 76 I managed to register as a 75 here in Ca, huge sweet deal for smog issues. I believe the factory cut off for 75 was Sept but not sure, a dealer can give you model year by vin number

[BBL70]

ask tom see the car pink slip

[HBChris]

It has an EPA/DOT sticker near engine. Cars generally built after August are next model year even in Germany if delivered to the US.

[malagalaga]

Thought is was a 76, just ran a VIN search and it came up as October 1975?

If your title says 1976, but the VIN corresponds to a 1975, that's because it was (probably) originally sold in 1976. An October build car might not have wound up in a US dealer until December, so it is very likely that it didn't get delivered until sometime the next year.

[Napes]

HBChris is correct. This has been covered, and confirmed, numerous times on this board. August of each year began the next model year in Germany back when our cars were manufactured.

Bob Napier

[c.d.iesel]

mr. ATL - what is your VIN___________ ,

AND,

motor numbers ___________?

[Conserv]

HBChris is correct. This has been covered, and confirmed, numerous times on this board. August of each year began the next model year in Germany back when our cars were manufactured.

Bob Napier

Thank you, Bob and HBChris, for providing the technically correct answer. Nonetheless, it does appear from this thread and past threads on this forum that owners have occasionally -- both intentionally and accidentally -- wound up with '76 models registered as '75s, probably because someone at the DMV (or equivalent) did not know the technically correct answer!

Regards,

Steve

[jgerock]

If the original stickers are still legible, they may help identify the "Model year".

Smog diagram next to battery and coolant stickers (these two pics are from a July 1975 2002)