Is your 02 a daily ride?

[JohnP]

If so, how's it working for you? Miles per year? Overall reliability? Do your own work or have a mechanic? etc. thxs.

John PHillips

'72 tii, Taiga

[SteveJ]

1972tii daily driver.

Vintage rally car.

Weekend toy.

I used to have my E30M3 on the road and would spread time between the two, but since she is now the garage whore I have been using the 02 as the daily from 2005 on.

2005 = 12,500 miles,

2006 = 16,300 miles,

2007 = 12,300 miles so far.

I do all my own stunts...er...mechanical work. I couldn't afford BMWs if I had to pay someone else to work on them.

I average about 250 to 270 miles per 10 or so gallon fill-up. Motor is a stock rebuild with 50k on it.

[bcthomas122279]

Yep...every day even in the 105 degree heat of the last week. I maintain her, never been stranded. Pulled the car out a carport up here after sitting for 8 or so years. I drive about 50 miles a week get around 25 mpg in town.

[Napes]

Both my wife's ' 76 and my ' 75 are daily drivers. I do 90% of the work on them (can't do A/C stuff). She only puts on about 3-4K miles a year, mine gets around 8K a year. I've been driving mine daily since I became the 2nd owner in 1981, and it currently has 351K miles on the odo. Wife's has 112K, and the original engine. Mine's got a little over 50K on a higher compression rebuild from Car Nelson @ La Jolla Independent.

Bob Napier

PS: In the avatar @ the right my ' 75 is the Chamonix, her's is the Pastellblau ' 76 in the back. The Estoril Bluemetallic ' 74 in the foreground is my son's ex-2002. He's currently in a 2000 328i.

[Simon]

Definitely a daily driver,

1974 automatic, bought off eBay for $1600 in 2004. The car has never failed me in three years of driving about 10 miles to work and back. I do some basic maintenance, the real stuff is done by my local garage (mine is one of ten '02's that they work on). These cars are cheap to maintain even utilizing a garage.

Simon

[Guest Anonymous]

Have several cars to choose from. 73 02 is commuter of choice. Mixed driving street/expressway 10 mi each way. 16 mpg City; 24 hwy 21 average

Never had any probs except for rare flat tire or dead battery (leaving lights on)

[VenturaTii]

Have had my '74Tii about 6weeks and it is my dailer driver. i drive about 15 miles a day to work round trip. I drove it twice to and from Murrieta, Ca in 100F heat without any problems (except sweat)! I recently replaced a bad brake line and was an Aviation Electrician for 10 years so I pretty mechanical and have most of the tools needed; I do what I can and leave the really hard stuff to the pros.

I saw a 2002 on the side of Del Norte Road in Oxnard when i was going between offices...anyone here, I honked but must not have heard.

[wsb-unclebill]

My 73 Tii is my DD except for when it's snowing or raining. I ride my bicycle a lot also so I only put about 4k or 5k miles per year. Also, living in Denver it see's both real hot and real cold weather. (Seems to run about the same year around).

In three years of ownership I've done 95% of the work. Both the starter and fuel pump have had to be replaced...otherwise, it's been preventative maintenance and upgrades, overall a reliable driver. One of the nice things about 02's is they're fairly simple to work on. I knew almost nothing about cars when I bought mine and with the help of this awesome site I've tackled quite a few things and gained a fairly solid knowledge base.

All that being said, I do own another car and wouldn't recommend relying on an 02 for one's only source of transportation.

good luck.

[InkaSteve]

76-2002 original owner, old daily driver.....74 1802 Touring NEW daily driver for the past year. Driven every day, rain or shine. approx 300 miles per month. Made trips up and down California. 17mpg town/23 mpg road. Do most of the little stuff myself. Hasn't needed much. Just a blast every day.

[visionaut]

If so, how's it working for you?

Yep, my daily 'fair weather' ride. Love it, drving these cars is ALL the fun.

Miles per year?

7500-8000 or so

Overall reliability?

My 02 is VERY reliable. Regular maintenance/care is easy. 'Vintage car' wear-& tear repairs/replacements are expected though. "Go faster" & "look/work better" enhancements are optional and may improve/hurt reliability and maintenance.

Do your own work or have a mechanic?

Yes to both. Small and regular stuff myself. Bigger things, maybe myself or to my trusted mechanic.

Tom

[Guest Anonymous]

i cant imagine having an o2 and not driving it everyday!!

[Zenon]

i cant imagine having an o2 and not driving it everyday!!

Ditto. A mile driven in any other car is a lost opportunity. Exceptions made for really crappy conditions like salted roads, of course - but even then...

Close to 20 yrs of '02-only motoring here, varying levels of commuting. Lately 30 mi round trip each way every day, much at 70mph. As for reliability, the more you can do your own maintenance and repairs, the better you can stay on top of things and also sense when something is not quite right before it goes totally pear-shaped. Modern computer-driven cars may require less maintenance and of course simply being newer helps, but they usually quit with no warning and no hope of roadside repair, too.

regards,

Zenon

[meeks]

been my daily for about a month now. I owned it for about 4 years and usually only drive it when i feel like it. when my Saabaru gets delivered next week she'll be sitting in the garage awaiting some suspension upgrades. i have a fair mechanic. but i usually drive the m coupe or my baja that i just sold for the saab, so i dont know the miles driven but i fill up twice a month. it's a 73 with a tii motor. hope that helps.

[future_assassin]

Daily driver but I've beat the crap out of it for the last two weeks. Been doing burnouts everywhere. Even managed to finally make it squeal the tires in first and second gear.

I might have broken some parts as I heard some weird noises of stuff falling off the car after a couple of burnouts.

I guess I should stop before the engine goes but its soo much fun.

[Dug Nichols]

I bought mine in 2002 and it was my DD for 3 years, at which point I inherited my wife's 2003 jetta wagon. I still commute in my 2002 a couple of times a week, and almost always on the weekends. 80% of maintenance myself on it, and i get ~18mpg city, 25mpg highway, 22mpg mixed (on my commute). The days I commute in my 02 are more fun for driving, but the jetta with an automatic and four doors is pretty nice for dropping the kids off at school and taking phone calls on the commute.