Listing snapshot
| Spotted | July 2023 |
| Asking price | $11,500 |
| Mileage | 54,000 (seller-stated) |
| Location | South River, New Jersey |
| Listed on | Craigslist, private seller |
| Drivetrain | 2.0-liter four, manual |
| Status | Ad expired. This page is our archive of the listing. |
We came across this 1970 BMW 2002 on Craigslist in July 2023, listed by its owner in South River, New Jersey, for $11,500. The seller called it a solid barn find and quoted 54,000 miles. The ad is long gone, but we keep the record here. Unfinished projects are hard to price, and a real asking price helps.
What this car was
A red two-door 2002 with a manual gearbox, part way through a restoration. The seller had started stripping the paint and was working on rust repair, then decided he didn’t have the time to finish it. The photos show faded red paint, a gray front bumper and a set of gold aftermarket wheels.
One photo shows the car as it was found, dusty and sitting in a garage. That fits the barn find story and explains the state of the paint.
Under the hood was the 2.0-liter four, wearing a chrome oval air cleaner. The seller said it was in good running condition. The interior has black seats and a three-spoke wheel, with wear on the dash and floor that you’d expect from a car that has sat for years.
Was $11,500 a fair ask?
It depends on the rust. A 2002 that is genuinely solid is a good starting point, and running, manual, early cars have a strong following. But this was a project with the paint half done and rust repair already underway, which means the buyer takes on the unknowns. At $11,500 the price leaned on the barn find story, and an inspection of the floors, shock towers and rockers would decide whether it was fair.
A little BMW 2002 history
BMW launched the 2002 in 1968 by putting the 2.0-liter four from its larger sedans into the compact two-door 02 body. It was quick, light and practical, and it sold strongly in the US. The fuel-injected 2002tii and the rare 2002 Turbo followed, and the 02 Series was replaced by the first 3 Series in the mid-1970s.
More cars from the archive
- Every BMW 02 Series we’ve spotted, with asking prices
- 1984 BMW 633CSi, another BMW
- 1982 BMW 320i E21, another BMW
- 1985 BMW 635CSi, another BMW
- 1992 BMW 318i, another BMW
