1974 BMW 2002 with quick ratio steering box, Hardy & Beck steering wheel

1974 BMW 2002 Description

1974 BMW 2002

• Quick-ratio(Alpina)ZF steering box
• Factory Sunroof
• 5-speed
• Dual side draft carbs with electric fuel pump
• Hardy & Beck Momo steering wheel

This car is originally from northern California. Itcame to Virginia from California after being in storage there since the mid-1980s, and then spent another ten years in storage with very occasional use here in VA before I bought it in 2011. I've owned it for five years, during which it has seen occasional fair-weather use and always been garaged; it is not freshly out of storage. This example is much, much more solid than most '02s; you will find it is in very good condition for a 42-year old car.

It also has the extremely rare quick-ratio steering box, in original red with the correct identifying number ending in 177, that is typically fitted only to track cars--these were associated with Alpina and Hardy & Beck builds. Turning lock to lock one can verify the 2.8 turns vs the 3.5 of the standard steering box. If you know BMWs of this period, you know that this steering box is the unicorn of BMW/Alpina performance parts. It also has a Hardy & Beck Momo steering wheel with a 1983 date on the back, and a period-correct Zender spoiler.

The body is remarkably solid. The shock towers are good, and all original jack points are present and in good condition with no apparent rot anywhere in them. Original sunroof hand crank mechanism works fine, but sunroof needs new seal (replacement included).There is virtually no rust -- only a few tiny spots (see photos). The 1980's repaint in white pearl looks very good for its age—testimony to both the quality of the paint and many years in storage. There are some paint chips and other minor imperfections. The engine bay has been painted gloss black and presents nicely with the period strut tower bar, red block, and red head cover. The car has a blue interior in decent condition with uncut door cards. There are a couple of small tears in the rear seat and the front seat release mechanisms for rear-passenger entry tend to bind.The driver’s seat is a bit wobbly.
The car runs strong and starts up promptly with the manual choke once the electric fuel pump has had a chance to build pressure. I drove half a dozen 2002s before I bought it and none came close in terms of power. A spec sheet provided to me by the previous owner describes the engine as 2,130cc.It has been fitted with dual two-barrel Mikuni carbs, an electric fuel pump, and MSD ignition. It has been retrofitted with a five-speed gearbox. The performance exhaust is not obnoxiously loud, but does rattle a bit until it warms up--should be easily remedied by adjusting the hangers. Front left wheel bearing needs attention. There is an oil leak from the distributor (replacement gasket and o-ring included). Odometer stopped not more than a couple hundred miles ago (replacement cable included).

This is that rare 2002 which you can dial in as a daily driver, tweak to taste, restore completely, or make into a track car. There is no need to do rust remediation or body work.

Clean and clear Virginia title states that actual mileage is unknown.

Sold as is. Car is for sale locally as well. I am keeping the license plates (out of state buyers, that’s how it works in Virginia). Buyer is responsible for shipping and costs, but I can coordinate with transporter at my end.

I also have a set of new-in-the-boxes Alpina look-alike Rota R-20 rims available for an extra $500 with both sets of center caps (wheels and caps are not for sale separately); if interested, these will ship separately at buyer's cost. Rotadesigned these 15x6 rims specifically with the correct offset for the BMW 2002 andmakes them only occasionally in limited runs.

I am only selling this car because I am losing garage space, and it deserves to be garaged.