What to make of these repairs?

[esty]

1 hour ago, Guest_anonymous said:

Buy it cheap, drive it hard.

exactly...

 

there is no attempted coverup by the seller...you see exactly what you're buying

[Conserv]

Another one-owner ‘76, like John’s, here’s my ‘76, below.

 

But…. Son of Marty raises a real issue, the potential delamination of these steel reinforcement panels. As he and Toby mentioned, these U.S.-only reinforcement panels (1974-76) were glued at the factory to the backside of the car’s quarter panels.

 

But more than a few have begun to separate from the quarter panels. Is that symptomatic of (a.) the limitations of nearly 50-year-old body panel glue, (b.) accident damage, (c.) both, or (d.) something else altogether? I haven’t a clue. But I would look extra-carefully at a square tailllight exhibiting delamination symptoms, or missing those reinforcement panels.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Mike Self]

Hard to tell from Eissman's trunk picture as to whether the glued-in reinforcement panel has come loose.  If that quarter panel was buckled/damaged, the repair--at least on the inside--looks pretty darn good.  You can always use a fairly weak magnet on the outside of the panel to determine how much bondo there is;  the less bondo, the better the repair/less the damage.

 

However, as has been pointed out, the picture of the floor repair shows a pretty amateurish repair--in fact it's hard to tell if the panel is even pop-riveted in, much less welded.  But if that's the only rust repair on the car, and the price is right, it might be a good buy--so long as you aren't in CA, where it's still liable for emission inspection.

 

mike 

[TobyB]

Just a story regarding that floor.

 

Back when the internet was just a twinkle in Bob Dole's eye,

I bought a Volvo 122 for what was a good price even back then.

 

It was a decent driver with bad paint, so I painted it and fixed the lack of 

passenger's floor board with a sheet of steel.  It looked 'good enough'

and much to my surprise, that rotten floor has been the ONLY real rust

in a car that has a habit of rusting that's about half as bad as the 2002's.

 

Moral of the story- rarely, but sometimes, that which looks the worst IS the worst.

 

But usually, where there's s some, there's gonna be more.

 

+1 for Esty- if the seller's willing to disclose that, they're not trying to pull the wool over your eyes.

 

Floors rust when cars leak- it just happens.  Welding a road sign to 2002 high- carbon

steel isn't easy- but if you're persistent, it can, in fact be a better- than- original repair.

 

(road signs don't rust nearly as bad as 2002s do)

 

t

 

[ray_]

46 minutes ago, TobyB said:

Just a story regarding that floor.

 

Back when the internet was just a twinkle in Bob Dole's eye,

 

 

t

 

http://www.dolekemp96.org/main.htm

[TobyB]

Hey, Dole for Bananas, Gore for blood 'n guts...

 

hee

 

t

can't keep his politicians in the right fruit bowls

[Emyers]

On 8/5/2021 at 6:56 AM, Conserv said:

Another one-owner ‘76, like John’s, here’s my ‘76, below.

 

But…. Son of Marty raises a real issue, the potential delamination of these steel reinforcement panels. As he and Toby mentioned, these U.S.-only reinforcement panels (1974-76) were glued at the factory to the backside of the car’s quarter panels.

 

But more than a few have begun to separate from the quarter panels. Is that symptomatic of (a.) the limitations of nearly 50-year-old body panel glue, (b.) accident damage, (c.) both, or (d.) something else altogether? I haven’t a clue. But I would look extra-carefully at a square tailllight exhibiting delamination symptoms, or missing those reinforcement panels.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

I have had my 1974 2002 since new. It did not have those reinforcement plates.

[Son of Marty]

Isn't your lux a European car? The reinforcements came with the big bumpers.

[Emyers]

I was assigned to the British army air Corps as an instructor pilot in the early 90s I purchased a O2 Lux that had failed MOT. I stripped it out and brought all the bits and pieces back to the states when I rotated in my household goods. I installed all the luxe bits on my 74 02. It has caused a bit of consternation amongst the few that have imported the luxe model from Europe. Lux was never serial numbered it was just a trim package that was available anyway I like it. 

[Conserv]

On 8/6/2021 at 4:21 PM, Emyers said:

I was assigned to the British army air Corps as an instructor pilot in the early 90s I purchased a O2 Lux that had failed MOT. I stripped it out and brought all the bits and pieces back to the states when I rotated in my household goods. I installed all the luxe bits on my 74 02. It has caused a bit of consternation amongst the few that have imported the luxe model from Europe. Lux was never serial numbered it was just a trim package that was available anyway I like it. 

So your ‘74 is U.S.-spec car, either VIN 4220001 through 4230601 (manual) or VIN 4280002 through 4283429 (automatic)? Assuming that’s the case, perhaps some change occurred within the model year (September 1973 through August 1974). Below, for instance is a 1974 tii, VIN 2781633, manufactured April 1974, showing the reinforcing panel within the right rear quarter panel. Is your car perhaps an early 1974, manufactured in late 1973?

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

[02Les]

FWIW

 

2781302 has no reinforcing, 2781311 has reinforcing. 2781302 was reportedly born 1 Feb '74.

4222380 has no reinforcing. 4222419 has reinforcing. 4222380 born early Feb '74.

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, 02Les said:

FWIW

 

2781302 has no reinforcing, 2781311 has reinforcing. 2781302 was reportedly born 1 Feb '74.

4222380 has no reinforcing. 4222419 has reinforcing. 4222380 born early Feb '74.

This is yet another reason we love you, Les! What great data!

 

So… were the reinforcements responding to new standards effective January 1, 1974 — which BMW missed by a month? Or did BMW simply view February as a good month for upgrades? Before you say “don’t be ridiculous”, among other items oddly implemented in late January or early February were the eared headrests with beefed-up 12 mm. supports, the changeover from deep to shallow front grilles, and the changeover from the long-neck to the short-neck differential.

 

@Emyers, was your “un-reinforced” 1974 manufactured before February-ish 1974?

 

Every day you learn something new about these 50-year-old cars! ?

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

Steve

 

[Emyers]

Steve…..4221227

[Conserv]

7 hours ago, Emyers said:

Steve…..4221227

Thank you!

 

So, based on Les’s VIN’s and dates above, your car was manufactured before BMW started installing the quarter panel reinforcing panels, perhaps around February 1974. (VIN 4221227 was manufactured in December 1973 according to RealOEM. com.)

 

This makes your particular car a 2002 LL — that’s 2002 Lux Lightweight! ?

 

Who knew?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[bavariaboy]

So, naively I ask, did your LL still get the diving board bumpers? All those years with only half of the protection you were mandated. And the uglier half at that.

 

Steve