2002 owners/lovers...how did your love for the 02 start?

atchipmunk · #1 (**permalink**) 08-15-2004, 04:32 AM

Just curious what other people's experiences are. Personally, I always thought they were cool looking little classic cars with a lot of character. Then, one day several years ago ('97 or '98) I rode with a friend in his E36 318ti on the way to the BMWCCA's PTG tour. A whole bunch of cars had met up early in the morning at Tyson's Corner for the drive over to PTG...mostly E36's (325's M3's, etc).

So we all headed out, bound for Winchester, VA. Nedless to say, the drive was a little spirited and fun...nothing too crazy though on the highways. Once we got to the backroads closer to Winchester it got even more interesting...

There was this one point where we all hit a light and were waiting to turn right. I noticed at the intersection there was a clean little 02 waiting to go in the same direction as our pack. The light turns green and we made our right...nodding at the 02 owner as we drove by. Once onto our road, the pace seemed to quickem because we were already close to PTG. Slowly, we watched as the M3's and other E36's disappeared over the hills...out gunning my friend's little 318ti. Then, outta nowhere, the 2002 from the intersection catches up to us, passes us, looks over and gives a nod and wave while passing, and goes blazing over the hills to catch up with the rest of the cars....leaving us just motoring along all by out lonesome. I was just like, "Damn, I gotta have one of those someday."
And so began my love for 02's...
Unfortunately, he didn't stop at PTG (was hoping he would so I could check out his car) but little does he know how much of a lasting impression he left on me.
So, what are everyone else's experiences?

OldSkoolBmw · #2 (**permalink**) 08-15-2004, 07:52 AM

Got my alpina flared car from a boat hippie who was headed to maine to learn about building wood boats.. traded him some cash and some exhaust manifolds he needed for a boat for it... I think it found me kinda thing...

692002 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-15-2004, 02:36 PM

ive loved them as long as i can remember (and finally got one last week)

BooKilla · #4 (**permalink**) 09-17-2004, 01:45 AM

I don't have one yet, but i will someday. My love for 2002's started when I first rode in one my sophomore year in high school. One of my buddies at the time, had a tii and it was fairly quick, but what really did it for me was how good looking it was. They have a rustic (old) interior, but what it lacks in creature comforts, it makes up for in style. I will own a roundie someday...

Shockwave179 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-17-2004, 12:40 PM

I think there neat little cars. There's some real wealthy guy that lives near me and he could prob. have any car he wants but he drives a bright orange 2002 with panasport wheels. Just goes to show there still a fun enjoyable car to drive.

BooKilla · #6 (**permalink**) 09-18-2004, 09:45 PM

I love to see people with lots of my driving an enthusiast car. They don't drive them because they show off, they drive them for fun.

Matt · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2004, 01:08 PM

It was the only BMW I could afford.

Matt

s_ribbens · #8 (**permalink**) 10-14-2004, 12:38 PM

When my family first moved from WI to WA my dad was looking for a car for me to get back and forth to school in. I knew nothing about these car's and was still in the "Honda's are cool" phase. Don't ask. At least I'm not there anymore. Anyway. He had a 2002 back when he was in his early 20's and has always had a thing for them. Admitedly, when we first started looking I though, "Oh great. What the heck is my dad trying to buy for me!!!" After looking at a number of crappy ones, we found a really clean, well maintained 1970. I was driving it with my dad next to me and the owner in back. I was told to get on it as these cars love to rev (previouse cars I feared would explode if I went over 3k). Man was I ever surprised! What an awesome motor. Better yet, the handling was great. That's how mine started. There's a long story about where it went from there however.
Seth

inka2k2 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-05-2004, 04:32 PM

my 2002 was sitting in the elements inthe santa cruz mountains(california) for eight countem eight whole years until i got enough money to make a project out of it and trust me it was a project...my work and mods; i rebuilt the entire engin buying new moving parts ei) alternator, carb, radiatior, destributor. then i redid my brakes with cross drilled and hardend up my suspension with bilstien sports. then i droped it with bavauto springs. paint to my supprise was awesome and there was an old recaro sitting under a seat cover to my suprise. man i am a lucky guy.
i love the people too
i havent met any one who drives a 2002 who doesnt do their own work were like an otehr species

Bylund · #10 (**permalink**) 11-20-2004, 04:07 AM

i bought my 02 cuz i didnt want to drive the 750 during the winter time...but as always things didnt go as planned... so right now its in the garage about half ready alpina track race car :P so why do i love it.... the shape! the attitude! and offcourse the feeling when u drive it...

\\Bylund

ESP · #11 (**permalink**) 11-30-2004, 06:19 AM

I grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia and there were always 02s running around. I remeber seeing one first at the New Hope Autoshow and then took notice of them on the streets. When I purchased my E30 the other BMW drivers that were quickest to flash and wave were always 02 drivers.

I recall trying to chase down a tii in my modified E30 and didn't have a chance...

Still have yet to own one but working on finding the time, and the space to do so.

Echo · #12 (**permalink**) 12-05-2004, 09:38 AM

Kinda a long story, but it all began when i was young and my father told me stories of his second car. It was late 1973 and he was buying a BMW. Because my grandparents are sooooo cool they said that if he paid for the car, they would pay for him to go pick it up in Europe. Well, now that this was part of the plan, my father put in a little extra cash and bought a 74 model year 2002 Turbo that he drove around europe for a few weeks while traveling around and then had it shipped back to the US. God i wish he hadn't sold that car.
Also, when i was young my father used to take me to the vintage car races where we would watch all of the Trans-Am cars from the late 60's and early 70's duke it out. I always loved the notion that a little four cylinder car from Germany was able to take down the giant domestic V8's... Those two things combined are what really fueled my passion for the car and eventually convinced me to buy my 74 for myself!!!

Cheers,
Jonas

Red95M3 · #13 (**permalink**) 12-12-2004, 04:34 PM

My story is very similar to many of yours. My father had really wanted a tii back in the late 70s and early 80s. He loved the look and the style, but at the time they were still 4 or more years old. He decided a new BMW would make more sense as far as reliability so he bought a new 1980 320i. He drove that 320 and subsequently a '90 325 for over 150K miles each but still couldn't shake the 2002 bug. When I turned 16 he immediatly directed me toward a 2002. As soon as I saw some of the lightly modified cars I fell in love. I bought a 1974 2002tii and drove it for about a year. At first my friends thought it was 'ugly' and 'girly' but guess what... Not 2 years after I had mine, 2 of my friends had their own 2002 project cars.

I had to part ways with my tii when I found my real dream car, a 1988 M5. I have since moved on to an e36 M3 but I still love the look and feel of a 2002.

Ol'6erGuy · #14 (**permalink**) 01-25-2005, 04:00 PM

My love affair with BMW's started with a '73 2002. First, let me explain. I have always been a sports car nut. Turning 16 in the 60's, all my friends were into hot Detroit iron. I bought a 1953 MG-TDC one of only 200+ brought to this country. In 1974, my mother needed a new car. My brother and were crusing through town in my hot piece of Detroit iron when we spotted the '02 in a used car lot. No one knew what a BMW was around here at that time, no dealer within 150 miles. I didn't know much about BMW except what I read in all my sports car mags. I talked her into buying it, I still can't believe how much fun that car was. Mom gave it to my brother when it had about 150k on it, he lived in New York for a year, Kansas for about two years, then moved to Colorado. He called me up one day and asked me if I wanted it. We ended up giving it to our best friend. My wife and I flew to Gunnison to drive the car home. It had over 300k on it. It was rusted out, interior was shot, and somewhat bashed up. It still made the two day trip home at 85mph. It died in a rear-ender in Seattle with over 400k on it. Question: Who else makes a car that will last that long and be a total gas to drive?

mikeyz325 · #15 (**permalink**) 02-01-2005, 07:53 PM

I read a post like this one a few years ago, and though about getting one, someday, half-seriously... Then one day there happened to be a ad in the local AutoTrader, and only a couple miles from me, literally. I snatched it up fast. I didn't even know how to drive a manual transmission at the time!

Check out some more pictures here