Price: SOLD
Mileage: 3,637 Miles (Total Mileage Unknown)
Engine: M10 2-Liter 4-Cylinder Engine
Transmission: 5-Speed Manual Transmission
Exterior color: Turquoise (Turkis) Metallic Exterior (419)
Interior: Black Interior
Additional features:
123 Ignition Tune + Distributor w/ Bluetooth
Ireland Engineering Headers
Nardi 3-Spoke Steering Wheel
Wooden “Mushroom” Shift Knob
Clock
Alpine CD Player w/ Bluetooth
Black Carpet Floor Mats
Stock Seats
Turkis-Colored Seatbelts
H&R Sport Springs
Bilstein Sport Shocks
Sunroof
Chrome Bumpers
13-Inch BMW Light Alloy FPS Wheels
Cooper Trendsetter SE Tires
Extensive Recent Maintenance
The BMW 02 Series sedans were defining models for BMW. Smaller and lighter than the Neue Klasse sedans they were derived from, the 02 set the stage for the stalwart BMW 3 Series. It was the lens through which a generation of Americans discovered BMW and passed down that enthusiasm to their children. The best of the 02 Series was the 2002, powered by the 2-liter version of the 4-cylinder M10 engine, and the best of the 2002s was the tii—Touring Injected International. The 2002tii was a pure driver’s car with everything that you needed and nothing that you didn’t. At its release in 1972, Car and Driver called it “…the essence of motoring truth; no strobe stripes, no phony teardrop racing mirrors, no triple turret taillights. Just finely honed machinery in the simplest steel and glass case.” Forty years later, those words have only become more relevant as BMW has shifted from a driver’s brand to a technology brand. The 2002tii improved upon the regular 2002 with upgraded suspension, brakes, and different gearing, but at its heart was a hot 130-horsepower fuel-injected version of the M10 engine. That “finely honed machinery” produced plenty of buttery torque down low, but screamed above 4000 RPMs in a way few cars could match. It was capable of 55 mph in second gear (indicated by the maximum speed-per-gear ticks on the speedometer) and a top speed of 115 mph—all in a simple, comfortable, innocuous two-door sedan that you could drive your mother to church in.
This Turquoise (Turkis) Metallic over Black 1973 2002tii “roundie” is a unique driver-quality example that came to us from a collector with several other 2002s. Turkis is the defining feature of this 2002tii and it turns heads on every drive. Upgrades include a 5-speed gearbox swap, 123 Ignition Tune + Bluetooth distributor, Nardi 3-Spoke steering wheel, Alpine CD player w/ Bluetooth, H&R Sport springs with Bilstein Sport shocks, and Ireland Engineering headers. It has also been fitted with OEM 2002tii wheels from BMW wearing good Cooper tires. It first came to us in the summer of 2020 with a bundle of 2002s that were purchased from a collector in Texas who favored unique colors. After doing some sorting on it, we found a cylinder with low compression. The engine was already not numbers matching, so we replaced it with another tii engine and 5-speed transmission that was sourced from a local 2002 collector. We resealed the engine and gearbox, replaced the clutch, had a custom driveshaft made, and modified the tunnel to accommodate the larger gearbox. While we were at it, we addressed some paint flaws refinishing the sunroof panel and repainted the trunk panel to shave the U.S. license plate light holes. It’s been a two-year process finishing the build, but it’s finally ready for sale. As it sits, this is an excellent driver-quality 2002tii in a unique color with some desirable upgrades.
The Turkis paint is in presentable condition, which perfectly suits the driver-quality mission of this car. It has been repainted at some point; a paint gauge report is included in the records. Paint defects are a shallow depression in the driver’s door panel, several small dings, and several paint chips. There are some minor rust bubbles in the left upper door by the window glass, left rear rocker panel, rear license plate mounting holes, along with a fiberglass patch and metal patch in the driver’s side floorboard. The spare tire well has a coating on the upper surface with several typical small spots visible from underneath. The remainder of the undercarriage is largely rust-free other than minor surface spots and a large hole in the pedal cover (lift pictures are on our website if you are reading this elsewhere). The chrome bumpers are in good shape, with only minor pitting. The chrome belt-line trim has several small dings. The windshield glass has moderate pitting, but is crack-free. The side and rear glass are in good shape. The sealed beam headlights are crack-free; the driver’s side front marker and rear markers have minor cracks. The taillights are presentable. In the picture, the left rear taillight is clocked incorrectly, which has subsequently been fixed. The light alloy wheels were added in 2016 and the OEM FPS are from BMW. They are wearing Cooper Trendsetter SE tires with 2016 DOT dates; they have good tread remaining.
The black vinyl interior is in excellent shape. Open the door, and you are greeted with that lovely 2002 smell; there are no odors other than leather and a hint of gasoline. The carpet is in good condition and is protected by black floor mats. The headliner does not sag, but there is some staining on the sunroof panel. The sunroof operates, but it is best left closed. The sun visors are a little puffy. The door cards are nice, but the passenger side chrome strip does have some delamination near the forward portion. The dashboard has a crack behind the instrument cluster and a slight crack in the parcel tray. The early Nardi steering wheel has some leather wear and a lovely patina. All instruments function correctly. The wipers, wiper speed, and turn signals work. The parking brake light is INOP. The heat blows warm and the blower motor is quiet. The Alpine stereo sounds great through the rear speakers. The wooden shift knob is a nice accent and is in good condition. The black vinyl seats are in good shape. They appear to have been recovered; there is a small tear in the driver’s side bolster and several small tears in the passenger side seat bottom. The removable trunk panels are present; underneath, the jack is present, but there is no spare tire.
The build outlined in the summary paragraph addressed most of the mechanical issues. We wouldn’t hesitate to drive it across the country. The M10 fires on command, idles smoothly, and pulls strongly to redline. The electronic ignition is a nice upgrade from stock, not needing the periodic adjustments that a condenser and points require. The transmission shifts smoothly and the shifter is tight. The clutch take-up is correct and it does not slip. The steering does not have excessive play. The suspension is tight; the H&R springs and Bilstein shocks are a significant upgrade. As it sits, this is a great driver-quality 2002 tii. It can be driven and enjoyed or taken to the next level. We look forward to seeing how the next chapter of its story will unfold.
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