other Wondering why BMW decided to go with center exhaust?

[Oregon2002]

so, I have a 1975 BMW 2002 base. It was built late 1974 so it has a standard center exhaust. Does anyone know the reasoning behind their change and did it continue to 1976??

 

Edited March 1, 2016 by Oregon2002

[Stevenc22]

I have center exhaust on my '76

 

Steven

[Oregon2002]

so it must have continued. What was the reasoning behind it??

[Preyupy]

If I remember correctly there were some concerns over exhaust heat and the extended bumpers when they went to the thermal reactors and the US spec bumpers in 1974.

[Oregon2002]

That makes sense. I'm not a huge fan of the Thermal Reactor exhaust manifold.. The center exhaust is one of my favorites on the 2002 though 

[Conserv]

so, I have a 1975 BMW 2002 base. It was built late 1974 so it has a standard center exhaust. Does anyone know the reasoning behind their change and did it continue to 1976??

The center exhaust continued to the end of production of U.S. models. The right-side exhaust cut-out "ghost" -- as seen clearly in your photo -- is an oddity. Why did they maintain that feature? I wondered -- and still wonder -- if some non-U.S. versions continued with the right-side exhaust. I know the turbos switched over to center exhaust mid-production. Did all the others, or did some retain the right exhaust?

My '76 suffered the indignity of having its right-side "ghost" literally cut out (see below). OEM exhausts never lasted much longer than a couple years in the Northeast and I took the car in to have the rear muffler replaced in October '78. Unbeknownst to me, at the time, the dealer didn't have a correct rear muffler in stock and tried -- quite seriously -- to fit a right-side exhaust muffler to my '76. Failing, they took a parts run to the nearest dealer with a late exhaust in stock and returned with, and installed, the correct one. But you can see how crudely they cut the metal with tinsnips. I didn't spend much time looking at my car's rear lower valance but was washing the car a month later and discovered the missing piece. Holy s**t! I went to the dealer, threw a fit, they admitted the sordid details, apologized, and I went home, feeling much better.

The car is getting its first re-paint presently and I've decided to have the missing section replaced -- even though I'll be giving up a perfectly good story of Just How Bad BMW Service Was In The Old Days!

Regards,

Steve

Edited March 3, 2016 by Conserv

[Oregon2002]

The center exhaust continued to the end of production of U.S. models. The right-side exhaust cut-out "ghost" -- as seen clearly in your photo -- is an oddity. Why did they maintain that feature? I wondered -- and still wonder -- if some non-U.S. versions continued with the right-side exhaust. I know the turbos switched over to center exhaust mid-production. Did all the others?

My '76 suffered the indignity of having its right-side "ghost" literally cut out (see below). OEM exhausts never lasted much longer than a couple years in the Northeast and I took the car in to have the rear muffler replaced in October '78. Unbeknownst to me, at the time, the dealer didn't have a correct rear muffler in stock and tried -- quite seriously -- to fit a right-side exhaust muffler to my '76. Failing, they took a parts run to the nearest dealer with a late exhaust in stock and returned with, and installed, the correct one. But you can see how crudely they cut the metal with tinsnips. I didn't spend much time looking at my car's rear lower valance but was washing it a month later and discovered the missing piece. Holy s**t! I went to the dealer, threw a fit, they told me the sordid details, apologized, and I went home, feeling much better.

The car is getting its first re-paint presently and I've decided to have the missing section replaced -- even though I'll be giving up a perfectly good story of Just How Bad BMW Service Was In The Old Days!

Regards,

Steve

 

I did find it odd to find my ghosted side exhaust without any tin snips or cuts. It has an Eberspacher exhaust on it currently with the Thermal Reactor manifold. I will be keeping it ghosted as its how it should be from the factory that way. I have heard of different stories relating to "why they changed the exhaust outlet location" on bmw's but no definite answer.   

 

Great reason to it and sorry to hear about BMW's horid service back in the day with your '02

Edited March 1, 2016 by Oregon2002

[mo02]

I happen to like the side exhaust on round tail models. To me it seems elegant.

Center looks sporting, guess it's personal taste.

Mo

[Oregon2002]

I agree with you. I think it is quite elegant with a nice silver muffler and a chrome tip on the early models. I honestly like both. I do prefer the center exhaust outlet though. I am a fan of the sporty type and fell it is fitting for the square tails

[otisdog]

Hmmm...my '74 tii was build December 9th, 1974  and has the side exhaust exit.

[Conserv]

On 3/1/2016 at 6:16 PM, otisdog said:

Hmmm...my '74 tii was build December 9th, 1974 and has the side exhaust exit.

With a little searching, I'll bet we can find the factory turbo cut-off VIN, when it was switched from right to center exit. My gut says most '75's have center exit whereas most '74's have right exit.

 

Yours, otisdog, as you know, is a bit unusual in that it is a bona fide '74 model manufactured AFTER the normal August cut-off and was, thus, rolling off the assembly line next to and even after bona fide '75 models -- not tii's, of course. (I seem to recall that yours received '75-'76 style front seats while some other post-August '74 U.S. tii's received '74 style front seats.) The reasoning behind the "long '74 tii year" was that tougher emissions standards were effective with the earlier of: a.) the '75 model year; or b.) January 1, 1975. BMW decided it was not worth bringing the tii engine in compliance with the new standards, but wanted to keep the popular model selling as long as possible.

 

This is my long-winded way of saying that if the December 9th date for a right-exit exhaust is late -- and I don't know enough to say if it is or is not -- maybe it relates to BMW's need to maintain tii's as '74 models!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[Preyupy]

The Turbos switched to center exhaust somewhere between chassis 450-500 from what I have seen (#438 was side and #527 was center I have seen the cars)

[lilmo]

The center exhaust continued to the end of production of U.S. models. The right-side exhaust cut-out "ghost" -- as seen clearly in your photo -- is an oddity. Why did they maintain that feature? I wondered -- and still wonder -- if some non-U.S. versions continued with the right-side exhaust. I know the turbos switched over to center exhaust mid-production. Did all the others?

My '76 suffered the indignity of having its right-side "ghost" literally cut out (see below). OEM exhausts never lasted much longer than a couple years in the Northeast and I took the car in to have the rear muffler replaced in October '78. Unbeknownst to me, at the time, the dealer didn't have a correct rear muffler in stock and tried -- quite seriously -- to fit a right-side exhaust muffler to my '76. Failing, they took a parts run to the nearest dealer with a late exhaust in stock and returned with, and installed, the correct one. But you can see how crudely they cut the metal with tinsnips. I didn't spend much time looking at my car's rear lower valance but was washing it a month later and discovered the missing piece. Holy s**t! I went to the dealer, threw a fit, they told me the sordid details, apologized, and I went home, feeling much better.

The car is getting its first re-paint presently and I've decided to have the missing section replaced -- even though I'll be giving up a perfectly good story of Just How Bad BMW Service Was In The Old Days!

Regards,

Steve

Have them install a "snorkel" there, & let the games begin!

[vinntagejoe]

probably because it looks BITCHIN.....................................

[otisdog]

Good memory, as usual, Steve.