Opinion on 1976 BMW 2002

[Mike Self]

1 hour ago, mpollee said:

I will check on the work done and ask about the trim delete. Is there a way to check for the quality of the repair?

Look on the back side of the hood and trunk lid, where the trim clip holes would be.  What you want to see is evidence of welds in those holes; if you see bondo, then it was a sloppy, quickie job. 

 

On the other hand....if it's been at a dealer for a year, bondo-ed holes might have cracked by now...

 

mike

[Highnote1]

No. Not select classics but I have been by there before. They were very nice but was not super impressed with the scene. 

 

I guess at this point being all the way into body structure repairs, I know the cars pretty well from the inside out of you need another set of eyes. 

 

Let me know!

[mpollee]

Attached are more pictures that were sent to me for future reference on this vehicle. 

[D Seattle]

Mmmmm.... if  there was no rust, bondo, and the engine ran reasonably well, I’d be a buyer at that price.   

 

that is a lot of ifs, however.

 

Also, don’t forget that unless someone has already done this, you are going to be in another 3k to 4k’ish to sort out all the suspension (bushings, springs, struts) etc, if you do the work your self.  Unless, that is, you like 3 inches of play in the steering and feeling like you are floating all over the road.

 

I bought mine at 11K, has one little Nickle sized spot of rust on the bottom door.  Relative strong engine for not being molested.  Seems like a good deal?  Albeit, I’m in about 9K to have a really awesome guy locally to go through and “refresh” the suspension, exhaust, and a host of other little things you’ll probably find you want to do once you drive it for 6 months (which I wont bore you with here)

 

Although I agree, I don’t like not replacing the trim.  It may be hard to source but it does fairly scream: I am doing a repaint and don’t want to take the time or expense to do it right.  Hopefully they painted better and just did not have the resource to know better?

[Conserv]

Not the worst thing, but both front floors are extensively and not particularly-neatly patched.  I’d also want to better examine both rear wheel housings in person, to determine whether there have been repairs there — the body schutz is uneven there, which might be a factory finish or not. The first two photos below show my ‘76’s rear wheel housings before its recent re-paint, chipped from trunk usage but otherwise untouched since the factory.  There’s a “crispness” to the original contours of these housings that is easily obscured when filler or post-factory welding is introduced.

 

I’d bet, based on my own experience, that the small underfloor box section between the gas tank and the right rear quarter panel has a history of rust. The third photo below shows this box section on my ‘76, rusting out, and with some minor black undercoating I applied ca. 1981, when I discovered the rust situation.

 

The black undercoated underside of the car for sale makes it difficult to detect rust and repairs. Lastly, take note this is not really a Fjord metallic finish: this is darker than Fjord.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[D Seattle]

Mmmm... looking at those new pictures, I’d be afraid of what all that new black paint is hiding.  Clearly this car had rust.  Either it was prepared properly.  Or not.  I would not want to buy, for half the price, if the latter.  But if the former, seems like personal preference.