I think I found it! Help needed..

[Mazubo]

@zellet @'76mintgrün'02 thank you, both make sense. If it is worst case scenario, what would a job like this cost to set right? Ballpark is fine, just wanting to know going forward..

[zellet]

...es verdad.
But, maybe you know a good welder/metal fabricator? And painter?
Maybe those issues are small issues for you?
There are so many variables.

Do I want you to rescue this car, pump thousands of dollars into it, and keep another 2002 on the road? Yes.

But it’s not my decision to make.


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[VintageBM]

I have that car’s first cousin - June ‘76 build in Fjord Blue. If you feel it’s right, then do it. Just be real with how much money you want to spend getting it to where you want it. And if you’re patient enough to see it through. 

[Mazubo]

@VintageBM right on! I want to drive my future 2002 2-3 days a week. I love to wrench on cars. The work that I haven't done before is body work, paint work, which I would leave to the pros. I do know people in those industries but not to a point where they'd do it for free, nor would I expect them to..

 

I have the ability to have work done on the car without needing it 100% accessible, and the thought would be to have work done in stages as $$$ allows..

 

Thoughts?

[VintageBM]

11 minutes ago, Mazubo said:

@VintageBM right on! I want to drive my future 2002 2-3 days a week. I love to wrench on cars. The work that I haven't done before is body work, paint work, which I would leave to the pros. I do know people in those industries but not to a point where they'd do it for free, nor would I expect them to..

 

I have the ability to have work done on the car without needing it 100% accessible, and the thought would be to have work done in stages as $$$ allows..

 

Thoughts?

 

I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to wrenching. That car doesn’t look “rough” at all (maybe I’m just comparing it to my bucket, lol), so you can probably take your time with the cosmetics. Make sure it’s 100% mechanically and enjoy. 

[JerryC]

Rust repair can be like peeling an onion, there always seems to be another layer underneath. Superficial surface rust does not require patch panels, which this car clearly has.

I had a '71 1600 when I lived in Ohio (not far from Michigan). It had rust in the rockers, but didn't seem too bad everywhere else, to my uneducated eyes. There was one round rust spot in the bottom surface of the left front frame rail, about an inch or so in diameter. One day, I poked at it with my finger, and my finger went right through like it was wet paper! I proceeded to peel away about 12 inches of the frame rail, using my fingers. I had no clue this cancer was so bad, from the outside. Just sayin', if there's a little, there may be a lot. Search the archives for rust repairs. If you can see daylight through the afflicted panels, it's most likely gonna take a lot more than 3 - 4 days to repair all of it.

Edited July 31, 2018 by JerryC

[SteveJ]

Anything over 5k should get  a PPI. 

From the vegetation, looks like the car is in SoCal. Nice excuse for a little trip to go car shopping. 

 

If you don't buy, you will at least learn something...and that can save $$.

[Mark92131]

I saw this car on San Diego Craigslist (Oceanside) and was tempted to go take a look.  It looked nice in the limited pictures, but it was obvious it was never going to pass smog in CA without some major time and money.  I thought it could be a decent candidate for an out of state buyer and posted it in the Classified section.  After seeing the pictures of the frame rail repairs, I still believe that this car could be a very nice driver for someone out of state,  I would want a PPI done just to know the extent of the rust and the quality of the repair, but if this area is now solid, you could drive it and enjoy it for years without issue.

 

Mark92131

[Mike Self]

To expand on a couple of thoughts--

1.  a '76 in California still has to pass emission inspections--very difficult even when the car has all its original smog stuff, which this one clearly hasn't.  So seller has to sell it to an out of state buyer.  That narrows his potential buyer list considerably

2.  Frame rail rust on the driver's side is often caused by a leaking master cylinder or the hoses that connect the brake fluid reservoir to the M/C.  Especially so if the passenger side frame rail is solid.  Thus if that's the only significant rust, there's a good chance that the rust isn't widespread as it would be if caused by years of use on salty roads.

3.  '76s have a reputation for being the only year car with floorboard rust problems.  Supposedly this was caused by poor sealing of the plugs in the front floorboard (used to drain the body when it was dipped in primer during manufacture). Not evident from inside 'till the plug falls out, so make sure those plugs are carefully checked for looseness and rust around their perimeter

 

Structural rust is the big enemy of 2002s--mechanicals are relatively easy--and comparatively cheap--to work on vs rust repair.  Key spots are the rear inner wheel arches--which look good and unmolested on this car--and the inner rocker panels--the "sill" under the front doors that continues along the edge of the rear passenger compartment, visible when you pull up the rear seat cushion.  Neither are easy to repair; if those two areas are sound then continue dickering.

 

Just remember, BMW sold 88,000 2002s in the US (plus more in Canada) so this isn't the only one in town--don't get buck fever!

 

All the above (except the 76 floors) is based on my adventures with my '69, which survived (barely) 30 Ohio winters before I started welding and repairing all the rust.  It's clean now...no winters since 1999.

 

mike

[Mazubo]

2 hours ago, Mark92131 said:

I saw this car on San Diego Craigslist (Oceanside) and was tempted to go take a look.  It looked nice in the limited pictures, but it was obvious it was never going to pass smog in CA without some major time and money.  I thought it could be a decent candidate for an out of state buyer and posted it in the Classified section.  After seeing the pictures of the frame rail repairs, I still believe that this car could be a very nice driver for someone out of state,  I would want a PPI done just to know the extent of the rust and the quality of the repair, but if this area is now solid, you could drive it and enjoy it for years without issue.

 

Mark92131

Thanks @Mark92131 this makes a lot of sense. Cheers!

[Mazubo]

@JerryC @SteveJ @mike thanks for the great advice. Looks like a pre purchase inspection 8lis the way to go before I make my way down there. And this is 8ndeed the one off Craigslist from Oceanside. The seller seems decent with offering pictures that seem to tell the story, but the PPI will tell what's not so obvious ?.

 

I'm not familiar with smog in California, however back in the day ICBC (bc's insurance Corp here) had something similar called aircare. It is no longer, and I shouldn't have an issue with a car from California. Is a car that isn't smog worthy able to be driven to a shop to be PPI'd, or would it have to have a temporary permit/towed?

 

I have to admit I have the excitement of a kid in a candy shop about these beautiful cars, however many thanks to you all who offer tips and information that only come from paving the way for newer people here ? 

[jgerock]

Don't rely solely on pictures. Get a PPI and/or go inspect it yourself. The driver's side framerail has been patched. Ask the owner why.  

[02Les]

12 hours ago, Mazubo said:

Thanks Steve! Apparently the owner is the 3rd owner. Said to originally be from Florida, then Michigan, and now California. He has supplied me with a list of maintenance done about 7 years ago as well. I will ask about receipts for work done etc.. 

 

Thanks for the tip re Carfax. I didn't know that. This is the first time buying a vehicle out of province/state/country for me. I live in Vancouver BC, and the vehicle is in California.. 

Sold on Ebay Jul '11 in Port St. Lucie, FL - stated as having new paint.

Sold on Ebay Dec '17 in Birmingham, MI - stated as having rebuilt motor.

If the Seller in FL was the original Owner, then, for some reason, he made no mention of it (actually, I thought he was a Dealer).

 

The pic below is from the Jul '11 auction. Car looks pretty much the same (incl pre-'74 door panels).

[catlin]

 BMW 2002 US VIN 2744022 was manufactured on May 31st, 1976 and delivered on June 03rd, 1976 to the USA. The original colour was Fjord metallic, paint code 037.


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[ray_]

$4000 max IMO.

 

Keep looking unless you want to correct rust issues.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

Cheers,