1974 BMW 2002

Except that it wasn't quite a real present. But now Maisie has gone and I realise that I've got a new Uncle - Uncle Kevin. He's actually one of those funny Uncles - he's fifteen years younger than me. But gosh he's going to give me $900 to spend anyway I want! Apparently it would have been $950 but he gave $50 to someone in South Australia so that he could buy some water. I guess he must grow hydroponics or something.

Apparently, Uncle Kevin has set some rules with his present. Aunt Maisie said it was very responsible of me to put the money she gave me in the bank. Uncle Kevin says I'm not allowed to do that. I've got to go out and spend it - straight away. I needed some advice.

I spoke to my next door neighbour. We'll call him Col ('cos that's his real name). Now Col's got eight children and reckons that his Uncle (also called Kevin) is going to give him the best part of ten grand. He's thinking of buying a second hand half cabin with a 60hp Evinrude. I said, 'That's nice, you can take the wife and children out as a family'. 'Nah', says he. 'I'm going out with me mates so I can get away from the bloody kids.' I guess that's sort of what his Uncle Kevin intended.

I did have one idea. Uncle Kevin's friend, Penny, reckons we will run out of petrol before she is old enough to vote. So I had this idea of buying four 200-litre drums of petrol and burying them in the back garden. That way I spend the money now and I'll be also putting it away for the future (as Aunt Maisie use to say). Col says Penny won't be happy with me burying the petrol though, so I might need to rethink this one. His suggestion was that I buy a V8 engine from a wrecker and drop it into my '73 Escort, which sort of leads me to this month's car because someone here has spent a whole whack of his uncle's money on souping up a 1974 BMW 2002. Over $20,000 in fact.

As many readers well know, it was the 2002 that shifted BMW from the path of mildly profitable carmaker to the powerhouse it is today.

It was developed from the 4 door 1500,1600, 1800 series and, in its original form, was called the 1600-2 i.e.1600cc 2 door. When BMW slotted in the 2-litre engine the name became the 2002.

Now anyone looking for an original 2002 had better look elsewhere, because this one has been tricked up in every department. The most obvious area is the engine that now runs a supercharger and a Motec engine management system. I've had a fair bit of experience with Motec systems on a variety of sports sedans and single seater racecars and am convinced it is the very best system available. I would expect that it works well with the supercharger, although I didn't get a chance to drive this car.

Look on the Bennetts website for a list of all that has been changed and you will see that this would make a very potent road car. If you are thinking of racing, first check what classes it's eligible for in your State, as not all classes allow supercharging. As a gymkhana/sprint car it would be exceptional, especially as it is road registerable.

Bennetts' next auction coincides with the Clipsal 500, so if the V8 Supercars put you in a 'racy' frame of mind, a sojourn over to Bennetts auction rooms could be well worth your while. I reckon a lot of blokes will be similarly inspired, so my recommendation to you is to get your bid in early if you think this is the car for you. The reserve is $13,900. So if Uncle Kevin gives you $900, you only need to come up with $13K. Sounds good to me.

Trevor West

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH
Model: BMW 2002
Year: 1974
Dealer: Bennetts Classic Auctions
203 Devonport Terrace
Prospect SA 5082
Ph: (08) 8344 8485

Price: $13,000 reserve guide
0-100 kph: Not tested, but expect sub-8 seconds
Best point:Lots of go!
Worst point:No marks for originality
Recommendation: Sounds like a good high performance road car at a reasonable price.
Trivia: The 2002 Turbo is a real collectors gem that costs zillions and might just match the performance of this supercharged rocket. Buy this one and a Turbo sticker kit!