Indeed, if you HAVE an 002, I would use the lightpipe input with any of several 8-channel preamps available. On the cheap side of things, the Behringer ADA8200 is great bang for the buck(talking about the red one, not the older ADA8000). Focusrite OctoPre is a mid-priced option(but having used both, I'd still take the Behringer). At the top of the price range, the Focusrite ISA428 or 828 with the optional digital card is really nice(but its a lot of money
).
You can also use the LINE inputs with most any external preamp(I ran a lunchbox of 4 here and it worked great). As said, if you are shopping, or have a broken 002, the price of repair is likely not worth it(when you can buy a used 003 for $100
).