3 Quick Questions about '02 horns

[Mike Self]

Please verify the following for US spec cars: 

1. did all 1600s come with only one horn?
2. did all 2002s come with two horns, or were the last ones (75?, 76?) fitted with only a single one from the factory
3. when did the factory switch from the coiled-trumpet "seashell" horns to the flat horns (VW Beetle style)?  Did the flat horns start with the '74 model year or earlier, and if the latter, when?

TIA

mike

Edited August 12, 2018 by mike

[Conserv]

Good questions, Mike.

 

Here's what little I know:

 

1. 1600's sort of merged into 2002's later in the "1600 era", e.g., 1969-71.  Does that mean they acquired a second horn? I have no idea. I've seen too few of these in the U.S. to develop an opinion.

 

2. My late '76 (VIN 2742541, April 23, 1976) came with only one horn. I'm pretty confident no 1976 '02's came with two horns. But I am not certain when that second horn disappeared. It could have been as early as 1974. Maybe some of the forum's '74 original owners will weigh in....

 

3. I'm not certain the flat horn was a square taillight phenomenon. I suspect it pre-dates the square tailights: there are lots of the flat horns out there!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Conserv

[PaulTWinterton]

1 hour ago, Conserv said:

I suspect it pre-dates the square tailights: there are lots of the flat horns out there!

 

Agreed.  My $.02: my 73 (mfg 11/72) came with these horns:

[HBChris]

My 75 has one flat horn on driver side only.  My 11/68 had the two coiled style horns.  Both were one owner cars.

[jgerock]

Both my cars had black plastic "seashell" horns. I will look at the 2002 changes article in the older Roundels when I return home next week to see if the horns are mentioned.

[Buckeye]

1 hour ago, Conserv said:

My late '76 (VIN 2742541, April 23, 1976) came with only one horn.  

My '76 (VIN 2742702, April 19, 1976) came with one flat horn on driver side

[Glen Karr]

My Tii April 22, 1974.  One flat horn, drivers side.

 

[Road trip]

I know this isn’t the answer you were looking for but, back in the day

everyone was swapping the oem horns for Maserati air horns or FAIN’s

[John_in_VA]

30 minutes ago, Road trip said:

... back in the day everyone was swapping the oem horns for Maserati air horns or FAIN’s

 

[Mike Self]

Thanks for the replies, everyone.  I was pretty sure that 76s came with only one horn, but didn't realize the second horn was dropped with the 74 models. 

 

And Paul, my 12-72 production '02 came with flat horns also, so the question now becomes when did the factory switch from the seashell to the flat horns.  Was it part of the Modell 71 changes beginning with VIN 2570001, earlier, or later?  

 

And Jim, if you're referring to the Roundel article from the Dec 2002 issue about all the year-to-year changes, it's not in there, 'cause I wrote that article...

 

cheers and thanks 

 

mike

[irdave]

2761023 2/72 Tii has 2 of the seashell horns.  Whether they are original or not, I do not know- but they look like they are...

[Conserv]

VIN 2762757 (manufactured October 19, 1972) has two flat horns.  But...the nosepiece has been replaced — don’t worry, a prior owner or body shop found a tii nosepiece ? — so I can’t know whether the horns are original to the car.

 

I can’t find my spare horns presently. Any possibility they are dated?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Conserv

[bob02]

My Modell 71, built May 5th came with two seashell horns.

 

 Bob

[Mike Self]

So...it looks like the factory switched from seashell horns to flat horns sometime during the 1972 model year--typical of BMW to make changes like that in the middle of a production year--just to confuse us enthusiasts 40-some years later!

 

mike

[Conserv]

Thanks for doing this, Mike!

 

It's always surprising to see: (1.) how many (minor) changes were made over the years, (2.) the almost random timing of those changes, and (3.) how many of these changes, although the beginning and end points might be well known, are completely undocumented.  Here, we knew well that (A.) the 1600-2 began with a single seashell horn in 1966 and (B.) the 2002 ended with a single flat horn in 1976.  But we needed a network of enthusiasts and owners to develop the route from point A to B.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve