Tom's BMW 2002 Repair and Photos : Book Reviews

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BMW '02 Restoration Guide
by Mike MacCartney
List Price: $29.95
Amazon Price: $23.96
You Save: $5.99 (20%)
Paperback - 224 pages (January 1999) Brooklands Book Ltd;
ISBN: 1855204517 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.50 x 10.48 x 7.72

Nice book. If you are like me - you have a fine 2002, you are trying to keep my car on the road, but it hasn't been kept in pristine condition - this is a great book. It is loaded with chapters about particular repair and maintenance problems. It is well illustrated with black and white photos. I just recently bought this, so I'll read through it and write a detailed review. My initial impression is that every 2002 owner should have a copy.

 

BMW Automotive Repair Manual : BMW 1500/1502/1600/1602/2000 Touring/2002 : 1959 Thru 1977
by Peter G. Strasman, John Harold Haynes
List Price: $17.95
Amazon Price: $14.36
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Paperback (June 1983) Haynes Pubns;
ISBN: 0856962406 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.49 x 10.72 x 8.40

The original shop manual is only available on CD, so if you want a printed repair manual, this one is probably the best. I've been using this for my car for a while. It's good. It has good step-by-step instructions, drawings and photos. The Haynes VW manuals actually have some details not in the official factory shop manual, and this manual seems to be the same level as other Haynes books.

If you need a repair manual, get this book. My old copy is well used and has the obligatory greasy finger prints. I think you'll find this book is just as at home on your toolbox as it is on your library shelves.

 

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BMW Enthusiast's Companion : Owner Insights on Driving, Performance and Service
by BMW Car Club of America
List Price: $29.95
Amazon Price: $23.96
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Paperback - 328 pages (December 1995) Bentley Publishers;
ISBN: 0837603218 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.82 x 11.11 x 8.42

This is the classic guide to many BMW models from BMW Car Club of America. I wish this had more articles on the 2002. However, there are many tech articles, any one of which is worth the price of the book. Example: repairing the rear window defroster. I'll read through this and write a longer review. Drop me a note via my contact form, if you have questions about this book.

I bought this from Amazon which was less expensive than ordering from the BMW CCA.

 

The BMW 2002 : A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic Sporting Saloon
by James Taylor, Mike MacArtney (Contributor)
List Price: $24.95
Amazon Price: $19.96
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Hardcover (April 1996) Motorbooks International;
ISBN: 1855203340 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.81 x 8.71 x 6.06
175 pages, black and white photos, b&w illustrations, some color photos of original 2002 advertisments. There are photos or illustrations on almost every page.

I own this book. It has a good history of the BMW company and of the 2002. There are several moderately technical chapters, including photos of various parts of the car. The section on buying a 2002 has several photos of rust and its typical locations.

Contents: Introduction, BMW before the 2002, The early 2002 '68 to '71, The 2002 71 to '76, Selling the 2002, What the press said, The tuned 2002, Buying a 2002 today, Running a 2002, Beneficial modifications, Restoring a 2002, The 2002 in competition, Appendices a) Vehicle identification b) Paint colours c) Technical specifications, About the authors.

You can see from the contents that this book is rich on 2002 history. I enjoyed that part, but I'm kind of partial to grabbing a wrench and getting to work. My favorite chapters are about buying today, running, mods, and restoration. These have many good suggestions. Repairs and mods are not done as step-by-step guides, but more like a photo or two and text covering the concept and a few of the strengths/pitfalls. I enjoy this book, and thankfully I bought this before I bought my car.

 

  

BMW 1500-2002, 1962-1977 : A Documentation (Schiffer Automotive Series) by Walter Zeichner
List Price: $19.95
Hardcover - 95 pages (December 1989) Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.;
ISBN: 0887402135
Dimensions (in inches): 10 1/2" x 7 5/8"

Translated from the original (presumably German) by Dr. Edward Force
I own this book. It is a wonderful overview of the history of the 2002, and of the multitude of models and accessories. There are black and white or color photos on all but 5 or so pages. About 20% of the photos are color. There are a fair number of technical diagrams. This book is not a buyers guide, nor a repair guide.

Contents: The Start of the New Class, BMW 1500 - The Successful Concept, Power Injections for the New Class, Proof of Maturity - BMW 2000, Avant-Garde and Elegance: 2000 C/CSCoupe, BMW 1600-2 to 2000: Simple Sportiness, Cabriolet and Touring: Cars for Individualists, The Power Snob: 2000 Turbo, The Last "Zero-Two", The BMW as Seen in the Press, Technical Data 1962-77, Books for the BMW Enthusiast (this is one page listing 11 titles, 6 of the books refered to are in German)

There are a large number of photos of interior and exterior photos of the styling and accessories of a plethora of models. It is possible that many of these models only sold in Europe. The associated technical specifications and illustrations are easily understood by regular BMW owners.

The chapter of Technical Data covers all models. The tables list: Years built, Cylinders, Borex stroke mm, Displacement cc, HP at rpm, Torque mkg/rpm, Compression, Gears, Wheelbase mm, Fron/rear track mm, Length/width/height mm, Tires, Dry weight kg, Allowable gross weight kg, Top speed kph, 0 to 100 kph/sec, Number made, Original price DM.

Incidently, the top speed of a normal 2002 is listed at about 115 miles per hour.

The chapter The Last "Zero-Two" is about the 1502 produced from 1975 through 1977. There are a few photos. The cars depicted don't have the chrome that travels the length of the body, and around the trunk and hood.

 

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Chilton's BMW : Coupes and Sedans 1970-88 (Chilton's Total Car Care Repair Manual)
by Chilton (Editor)
List Price: $22.95
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Paperback - 720 pages 1st edition (March 1, 1996) Delmar Publishers; ISBN: 080198789X ;
Dimensions (in inches): 1.30 x 11.00 x 8.21

I don't own this. I've got some other Chilton's multi-year manuals. They are fine. Details are sacrificed so that the manual can cover several models over many years, although this book is 720 pages: this is not your 100 page quickie manual. These are fine all around books, and helpful if you have several cars, or want to compare models.