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Sanity check

F

FrozenSection

CEG'er
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
Messages
150
Location
Medford, OR
Before I do something that I might regret, please allow me to run something by all of you:

Would you buy a 1976 BMW 2002, 89k miles, interior redone, $5500 (see attached photos)? I'm having my Jag worked on at this shop, and this little 2002 in the showroom just looks awesome. If I do get this, I'd sell my Thunderbird.

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Thanks for your opinions!
 
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YES! But I'm not sure my opinion is valid; I'm not much a fan of American boats like your T-Bird. Someone who went to my school drove one of those; it was in much worse condition but was driven from California.

(Although if I had to drive a boat, your T-Bird is about as amazing as they come.)
 
rouar said:
YES! But I'm not sure my opinion is valid; I'm not much a fan of American boats like your T-Bird. Someone who went to my school drove one of those; it was in much worse condition but was driven from California.

(Although if I had to drive a boat, your T-Bird is about as amazing as they come.)
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I have the same feeling about driving boats on the road... That looks like a cool car... What kind of engine though (for those who, like me, are Beemer n00bs)?
 
YESSSSSSSSSSSSS...i know nothing about that car but it has sweet edges unlike the ugly sport cars on the road. i'm a fan of vovlos and that's very similar. i dont think my opinion is really valid either because i have weird obsessions with cars.
 
Snipey said:
haha the irony of doing a sanity check in NE-CEG.
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haha, too funny

po, post up some pics of the bird for comparison for those of us who havent seen it(although i think i have seen it)...i like that 2002 though, sharp looking 2 tone interior
 
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That Bimmer is ever so slightly sexy. I'd rock it. But then again, I'd rock a T-Bird, too. I agree with posting pics of the Bird :D
 
A friend of mine had a '76 Bimmer similar to that for the last 15 years or so . They're great cars . They ride really nice , drive really nice , have adequate power , and handle suprisingly really well . They do it all pretty nicely , and even look pretty appealing . The early 02's are a bit more desirable to the hard-core enthusiasts , but that car is still very sought after . You can even find loads of stuff in the aftermarket for them to make 'em really work ...
 
Snipey said:
haha the irony of doing a sanity check in NE-CEG.
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Touche, touche... good one!

BoSoxBruin said:
I have the same feeling about driving boats on the road... That looks like a cool car... What kind of engine though (for those who, like me, are Beemer n00bs)?
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The 2002's were the predecessor to the BMW M-series. The 2002 line saved BMW financially and launched the company into the limelight. They have a fairly low center of gravity, and -- believe it or not -- the 2002's had independent rear suspension with RWD, done through the use of two CV joints on each side. At the time (and perhaps still?), the 2002's were popular in autocross and rally-type racing. 1976 was the final model year, and by this time, BMW supposedly had worked out most of the kinks.

cobrawannabe said:
Twin-Cam 2.4 IIRC???? Not much more that 100HP
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1990cc inline four, SOHC. Carbureted versions (like the one I'm drooling over) are between 100-110 hp at the wheels. But the car itself weighs just a bit under a mere 2200 pounds. The 1975 and 1976 blocks had 8.3:1 open-chamber heads for emissions purposes, but the early blocks had up to 9.3:1 compression.

RespectTheContour said:
po, post up some pics of the bird for comparison for those of us who havent seen it(although i think i have seen it)...i like that 2002 though, sharp looking 2 tone interior
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Fair enough -- please see attachments (sorry, I don't have a hosting site yet).

Buddy Palumbo said:
A friend of mine had a '76 Bimmer similar to that for the last 15 years or so . They're great cars . They ride really nice , drive really nice , have adequate power , and handle suprisingly really well . They do it all pretty nicely , and even look pretty appealing . The early 02's are a bit more desirable to the hard-core enthusiasts , but that car is still very sought after . You can even find loads of stuff in the aftermarket for them to make 'em really work ...
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The '76 I'm looking at has a sunroof and a five-speed, the latter which I have to look into a bit more since they're supposedly quite rare; most 2002s came with a four-speed, I think. The five-speed may have been installed by a previous owner as well.

I could do the Elky thing and keep the T-bird, too, I suppose... although it's a bit of a stretch when a single guy has four cars. :eek: The neighbors already get a kick watching me play valet, shuffling cars in and out of my tiny two-car garage.

Thanks for the input so far!
 

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Po, if you were still in our area I'd be all over the T-bird if you were to sell it. Although I'd have to fight Laura to the death for buying rights! :laugh:
 
Cobra said:
Po, if you were still in our area I'd be all over the T-bird if you were to sell it. Although I'd have to fight Laura to the death for buying rights! :laugh:
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haha totally!
I'd distract Jared with some Bud and smokes while you snatch up the T-bird.

That is definitely a tough decision you've got there, Po.
Too bad we all can't have an Elky sized collection, huh?
 
i would have to go with the bird.
never really been too keen on the look of those bimmers.
and to me the new interior looks out of place.

if you can afford to keep all of them and have the room for them, keep them all!!!
 
FrozenSection said:
1990cc inline four, SOHC. Carbureted versions (like the one I'm drooling over) are between 100-110 hp at the wheels. But the car itself weighs just a bit under a mere 2200 pounds. The 1975 and 1976 blocks had 8.3:1 open-chamber heads for emissions purposes, but the early blocks had up to 9.3:1 compression.
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Guess I'm thinking Alpha... But I thought that was a 2.2L:ponder:... Anyway, I still say T-Bird.:shrug:
 
Cobra said:
Po, if you were still in our area I'd be all over the T-bird if you were to sell it. Although I'd have to fight Laura to the death for buying rights! :laugh:
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Well, I'd pick the Thunderbird over the 2002, though I can see the 2002 being fun to zip around in. The Bimmer loses the reliability contest by a mile, however. Every time I think of one, I picture Jack Lemmon in 1979's The China Syndrome, as he drove one.

Wasn't too long ago that I found this gorgeous low mileage '79 Cougar -- black with mag wheels and white letter tires. Man, it was something. Those downsized, Torino based 'Birds and Cougars sold tremendously well. Ford banged out something like 358,000 'Birds that year -- a sales record that still stands for Thunderbird.

On the subject of sales numbers, though, the Fairmont was the big winner, with 461,000 sold in 1978, the most ever at the time (and, I think, still) for a Ford in it's debut year.
 
FrozenSection said:
The neighbors already get a kick watching me play valet, shuffling cars in and out of my tiny two-car garage.
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heh ... my parents' neighbors laugh too. Two Foresters and a Miata stuffed in the 2-car garage.
 
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