Calculating Car Values
Use this page as a set of guidelines for estimating the value of an O2-series you are considering for purchasing or planning to sell.
Please remember that these are just a set of guidelines and should not be used for insurance purposes or for appraisal. The values provided are for information purposes only.
Vehicle Base Value Estimates
| Condition Rating | 1600 | 2002 | 2002tii | |||||
| 1966 to 1967 | 1968 to 1972 | Pre-1972 | 1972 and 1973 | 1974 and 1975 | 1976 | 1972 to 1973 | 1974 | |
| 5 | $1,200 | $800 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $500 | $250 | $1,500 | $1,200 |
| 4 | $2,200 | $1,800 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $1,200 | $750 | $2,500 | $2,000 |
| 3 | $4,500 | $4,000 | $4,500 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $1,500 | $5,500 | $4,500 |
| 2 | $6,000 | $5,500 | $6,000 | $7,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $8,500 | $7,000 |
| 1 | $8,000 | $7,000 | $8,000 | $9,500 | $6,500 | $4,500 | $13,500 | $11,000 |
[Last Updated 11 Nov 2005]
A table for calculating deductions or additions from the base value
| Group | Adjustment | Description |
| Car | $ 9,500 | The going price for a near show quality, properly restored or improved 2002. This should be the maximum you will pay for a typical 2002 Saloon (Convertibles, Turbos, Tourings, and certified Tuning company modified cars will garnish more depending upon demand). |
| $ - | Serious Rust Evidence -- walk away or buy as a parts car (Note that this is generally applicable only to California and the sunbelt states since there are enough '02s around that you don't have to mess with rusty cars in those areas. I would recommend buying as rust free a car as you can find. | |
| $ 5,000 | Starting Point: Is a daily driver 1971-1973 2002 with no mechanical system repairs required, bright paint and trim, very good to excellent interior. | |
| $ (750) | for a 1969-1971 or 1974 model; and | |
| $ (1,500) | for a 1975 or 1976 model | |
| $ 2,000 | for a tii. The high end of this scale is for the 1972 model and maybe for a 1973 and the low end for a 1974. Deduct $400 for plastic plenum tube equipped tii that needs at least one plenum replaced. If there is any crack, it needs to be replaced and they | |
| $ (1,000) | minimum for an automatic unless you want an automatic. I love the AT 2002 but the market won't support the same price structure. | |
| $ 7,500 | Full Convertible | |
| $ 3,000 | Targa Convertible | |
| $ - | Tourings are a niche buying public. No adjustment up/down for a Touring at this time, although you may find the demand strong if one appears for sale. | |
| Driveline | $ 1,000 | For a car with the close ratio 5-speed in good condition (slow synchros is OK, but a broken layshaft is bad). You will know a close ratio since the tunnel hull is unmodified and 1st gear is down to the left. A modified tunnel hull means the C/R came from |
| $ 500 | Conversion to a 320i overdrive 5-speed | |
| $ 100 | for a limited slip. Typically a 3.93 from a 320i -- this is another good investment. | |
| $ (500) | for a really sloppy transmission. Note that the synchros in 1/2 are almost always slow so no deduction here. The shift mechanism is just 2-3 bolts for a bracket on the back of the transmission and these almost always are worn causing the problem. To repai | |
| Engine | $ (750) | for a 1975-1976 without. Get VERY GOOD at recognizing a 1975-1976 smog eqpt. equipped car with everything hooked up if you are considering one. |
| $ (300) | for a 1974 w/o proper, functioning smog equipment | |
| $ (2,000) | for a tired engine. However, a high mileage original owner example that has benefit elsewhere will reduce this deduction. I once bought a very high mileage '74 '02 AT with a tired engine for a lot more than these rules indicate. The reason I did was becau | |
| $ 2,000 | E30 M3 Engine conversion | |
| $ 1,300 | For a newly rebuilt engine from a reputable 2002 mechanic (Bavarian Rennsport, Ireland Engineering, etc.) | |
| $ 600 | For a newly rebuilt top end from a reputable 2002 mechanic (Bavarian Rennsport, Ireland Engineering, etc.) | |
| $ 100 | Weber replacement of Solex (smog legal) | |
| $ 500 | Dual 40DCOE Side Draft Carbs on an engine with at least a 273 camshaft | |
| $ 100 | Upgraded camshaft | |
| $ 50 | Headers on a pre-1974 car (add $250 for tri-"Y" headers) | |
| $ (350) | Headers on a 1974 and later car with no smog eqpt. (in addition to deduction for lack of smog eqpt) | |
| $ 100 | Electronic Ignition (properly done - usually a MSD 6A somewhere) | |
| $ - | Market Price for very custom work such as electronic fuel injection | |
| $ - | Market Price for custom engine installations other than the E30 M3 conversion | |
| Exterior | $ 1,000 | Quality Paint jobs: remove trim, new rubber, good quality paint/body work. Typically you will see anywhere from $2000-$4000 in receipts alone for this kind of work and that should not include any accident damage repairs. [see below] |
| $ 500 | for original paint - even if it is due for a new paint job. I believe a car with original paint 20 years later is worth its weight in gold. | |
| $ (1,000) | for color change. This is my personal opinion, but if there is a color change -- even a good quality one -- you will notice that the deduction for the change offsets the premium for a quality job for no net impact. However, a poor quality color change is | |
| $ (500) | for a poor quality paint job... even if it is recently painted. You will have to fix all the problems with a poor quality paint job before getting it right -- and it always costs more to fix bad work than to start with a car that needs work. | |
| $ (800) | for a car that has even the slightest rear end visible evidence; look for a crease at the front edge of the rear wheel opening. | |
| $ (500) | for a damaged nose panel. These are being re-produced by BMW again (only the later style... but thats OK IMO), but is an expensive proposition to fix. Note that a rust line in the nose along the bottom on the driver's side is common and not reason for a d | |
| $ 500 | For a 1974-1976 model that has been converted to chrome bumpers properly (all rubber bellow holes filled and smooth along with the nose holes filled and re-slotted). | |
| $ (400) | For a car that has been "shaved" of the chrome trim that surrounds the car at the hood/trunk base. | |
| $ 750 | Metal Flares. Note that no addition or deduction is applied for fiberglass flares. This is personal preference and therefore, can not be evaluated. | |
| $ (200) | for very rusty or damaged chrome bumpers (pre-1974 models) | |
| Interior | $ (500) | for damaged seats and/or front door panels that need replacing |
| $ 100 | for 320i Recaros or Recaro clones | |
| $ 400 | for real Recaros or Scheel seats. | |
| Real Alpina Recaros in good (even in need of minor re-upholstering) condition will garnish $500 or more. [Market Price] | ||
| Options | $ 250.00 | for sunroof |
| $ 150.00 | for AC [Note that if you want a race car eventually, don't add this -- or any of the other AC -- premiums] | |
| $ 100.00 | added to the AC figure if it is a Behr AC | |
| $ 200.00 | added to the AC figure if it is a Clardy AC unit | |
| $ 100.00 | added to AC figure plus brand type if applicable if it blows cold and the fan is silent. | |
| $ 100.00 | if the heater works including a silent fan; no deduction for not working... this is a very common failing and since it is an 8 hour book job to repair... nobody does it. However, I have a FAQ that addresses how to repair the heater yourself. I always try | |
| Suspension | $ 500.00 | * Modified suspensions (an investment includes shocks/springs/sway bars as a minimum... new shocks is a maintenance item and not an investment) |
| $ (500.00) | for bad suspension modifications | |
| $ 200.00 | E30 or original 13" alloy wheels. I personally like 14" or less since 15" wheels are generally too large [more for original or period correct wheels] | |
| $ 400.00 | For 2002tii alloy wheels. | |
| $ (250.00) | for needing tires. |
[Last Updated 11 Nov 2005]