Instead of an overpriced new car, i was wondering about buying an old BMW. Mt friend had one, and it was a fun car to drive. Plus, being pre-electronics, it is very easy to maintain-just change sparkplus, oil, etc. of course, not as safe as a modern car (no airbags, ABS)…but for me 9a careful driver, no accidents in 36 years). Would this make sense? the one I’m looking at has spent its life in California, so no rust.
I think it sounds like a great idea to drive one - just not to rely on one to get you to work every day.
My experience with 40-year old “simple to work on” cars is that they require a lot of work to keep them running. Something like my Scion might be “harder” to work on in theory, but it has only ever asked for a battery, 8 tires, 16 oil changes, and a few air filters in 80,000 miles. My old aircooled VW would have demanded a similar amount of time and money in about 6 months.
I agree with the idea that they’re fun to drive, but not great to rely on. Even if you have the inclination and time to maintain a 40 year old car: odd, hard to find (or just hard to get on short notice) parts can leave it un-roadworthy at inopportune times.
I spent a good part of the 80’s and early 90’s driving 25-30 year old cars. Even when the parts are readily available, tracking down what’s actually the cause of a problem can be difficult. After trying for weeks to get a Ford 351W to time properly, we figured out the gear on the cam driving the distributor was worn to the point where it wouldn’t keep time. 200+ miles on the motor, and everything else was fine but that one pain in the ass gear.
I wouldn’t have one as a daily driver I needed to rely on, but as a project/fun car? Sure.
Only if it’s orange. Orange ones were the tits. Course, if you like 70s BMWs what you really need is a 1975 3.0 CSL Batmobile. Christ only knows what one costs now, though
That’s always been my dream car
A good example of a 2002, well maintained is a “fun” car and an investment as well - it will hold its value and likely go up.
Somewhere warm and sunny it could be a “daily driver” - on an undemanding drive, but I’d rather keep it as a weekend car
I considered the 2002 one of the more reliable cars of its era. The inline six-cylinder engine was legendary. My biggest concern with driving one nowadays would be availability of certain parts. It may be wise to have a back-up car available, but I wouldn’t be averse to using one as a daily driver.
Another pitfall of driving an old car is insurance. Getting a policy that will cover the full value of the car as a collector’s item AND let you daily drive it as a commuter vehicle without mileage restrictions isn’t impossible, but is tricky. And if you get hit by someone else and it’s their insurance paying, you can definitely expect a big fight over what your car is worth.
You have to admit, it makes a statement.
My ex bought her 1974 new and I maintained it until 2000. She sold it in 2003 for $3800 needing some rust repair. It was a Northeast car so rust was a problem. Front fenders and rocker panels were replaced twice but readily available. One complete bare metal repaint. One engine rebuild. Engine timing was a regular requirement. Because of emissions, there was a sweet spot that tended to drift about. To meet cold start exhaust cleanliness, the idle would jump from 0 to 2400 rpm until warmed up - not the greatest for wear on a cold engine.
Most common repair was the “guibo” joint. A rubberized/mechanical joint between the transmission and driveshaft. I probably changed it a half dozen times when driveline vibration cropped up. You could buy a special BMW wrench for some ungodly amount or buy a Sears Craftsman 23 mm closed end or combination wrench and grind it down to fit in the tight space to remove a nut involved in dropping the driveshaft.
The car is light, incredibly responsive, small, tight, great fun. Visibility out is incredible in all directions. You’ll need new shocks / springs if not current - recommend a slight drop but don’t go too stiff.
The seats are stuffed with some variety of animal hair which disintegrates over the years leaving you with bare springs below the vinyl. An aftermarket seat / later BMW with more bolstering would be an upgrade.
Shifter is another area of attention. An aftermarket upgrade or refurb the linkage gets things a little tighter. Don’t get too rambunctious when cold or you can chew up some syncros.
Why not some cars go on for ever a friend of mine has a 25 years + as an everyday car very few major problems just servicing another friend a builder has an old estate car as a workhorse, both keep something very nice in their garages but they are for high days and holidays, but for everyday use it looks like old can be good the secret is regular servicing and regular use
The 2002 had a 4-cylinder?
The 2002 was a a 2 liter I4 engine, not a six.
Arrgh! :smack: That’s what I get for relying on 30+ years ago memory. I stand corrected.
well, apart from that AFAIK the M10 engine family is fairly well regarded in its own right.
I’ve done something similar numerous times with no problems. My sole vehicle was once a 1983 Porsche 944 and for two years a 1978 Honda motorcycle. But I’ll concede that this was in Chicago where if something went wrong, I could just flag down a cab or take public transit. Now that I’m in a more rural area, some sort of back-up is prudent. If my 20-year old truck dies, I’ve got my 40-year old motorcycle. 
When people talk about older vehicles being unreliable, what they often really mean is they’re less tolerant of deferred maintenance. If you’re willing to stay on top of things, you should have no trouble.