How do I find out my 2002 original car build?

[Mike Rowe]

I have a 7/74 square tail light orange BMW that I have recently acquired.  How do I find out what it began life as? What colour exterior, interior, whether 2002 Tii etc? 

[bergie33]

Used to be a free email, now it costs money. You could start by providing the vin here and members can help with some of the info.  You can also plug it into realoem.com and it will give you build month and model.

[Mike Rowe]

Thanks Karl, for your rapid response.  My Body number is 4201611

regards Mike

I presume it was probably a plain 2002 but interesting to also know its original colour

[Mike Rowe]

Checked on realoem as you suggested found this :

 

2002 M10 (From 01.08.1973)

114 sedan Europe

Manufacture date: 05.1974 Steering: R Gearbox: M

[visionaut]

Mike - there’s a few places on the car you can probably find original paint, that’s typically missed in a repaint…

 

 

 

 

[Son of Marty]

1 hour ago, visionaut said:

Mike - there’s a few places on the car you can probably find original paint, that’s typically missed in a repaint…

 

 

 

 

Like under the open the open glove box or the backside of the rear seat bulkhead.

[Conserv]

The exterior color largely dictates the interior color. Factory records, even if you pay 120€ for them, will only show the exterior color.

 

Below, from a 1974 paint and upholstery brochure, is a concordance of exterior color with the most likely interior color: Black, Marine Blue (navy blue), Nylon Brown (beige/tan), and Gray.

 

There are sufficient U.S.-spec cars represented on this forum for our members to comment on “other combinations”, when the factory default color was not used. For instance, Gray was rarely provided on U.S. cars and Black was often substituted for it. Or… 1975-76 U.S. spec Fjord cars generally came with Marine Blue interiors, but more than a few arrived during these later years with Nylon Brown interiors.

 

So unless your car has previously had an “every-nut-off, every-wire-out, rotisserie” re-paint, tell us the original exterior color you find in your sleuthing, as well as the color of any remaining bits of original interior, and we’ll tell you what interior color is probable.

 

Regards,

 

Steve