Don't you just love Ebay (sunglasses needed)

There's only thing I just don't get with E21s - why are they so cheap! Look at other small RWD saloons/hatches from '70s and '80s and the prices they command. I've bought 6 E21s in the last two years, prices have ranged from £0 to this one £260 being my most expensive. It's only really my LHD 323i thats been sitting on a farmers field for about ten years that is really rusty. My main 316 (in sig) was £225, and has a bit of welding which was a lot for me but for someone more experienced it would of only taken them a few days if that. Then again all the E21s I've bought have been spares and repair, none with MOT and tax.

MOT and taxed usable ones start about £350 for the lowly 316s, 320s aren't that much more and it's only the 323i's that command more money. This 323i I picked up for £90 and swapped a rear bumper. It runs, needs attention to the brakes and not particulary rusty. Paints scabby though, but that doesn't bother me. I don't think it would take much to recommission onto the road.



323i's are not only more powerful, but have rear discs, uprated suspension and ARBs. 316s are actually 1.8 carbs. 320s come in 4 cylinder (early) and 6 cylinder (later) flavours. There was a facelifted models post 1980 I believe, could be wrong.

What I would consider a good condition roadworthy 323i that I know off the bmwe21.net/forum went on ebay last month for just over £1000. This one has a bit of rust, but it also has some very tasty options.

cgi.ebay.co.uk/E21-BMW-323i-BLACK_W0QQitemZ120253577229







A VGC one has just come up for sale. Was featured in an buying article which can be found below. It has some very rare options including LSD and leather recaros, and is garaged most the time. £3000, and there aren't much better ones around.

www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2555

For sale link
www.bmwe21.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5100

In my experience, the rear wheel arches are known to rust. "jacking points" under the front floors rot out and take the floor with them, probably the most common rust problems. Other rust points seem to be where the metals join in my experience. A lot of the rust issue I've had are where brackets are welded onto the car; front brake pipe bracket, fuel filler pipe bracket, rear outrigger type mount. Seats are very likely to be past it, and they're not very comfortable - itchy horse hair. Standard parts, apart from seats, are in ready supply from the main stealers and from people who break them, like me.

Tasty parts is a different matter. Recaro seats go for big money, as mentioned a set went for £380 a few months back. What I've done is buy E30 sport seats, chop the mounts off the E30 rails and B&D heroically welded them onto my E21 rails. 15" alloys are expensive and hard to find due to the required low offset (et13 for 7" wheels), although I know a guy who hoards them. LSD are made of 95% unobtainium, though its rumoured you can fit the internals of a small case E30 diff. Suspension kits aren't readily available as their E30 successor, I have spax adjustables. If you buy one with the above options, you're onto a winner.

I hope that helps anyway. I'm not particularly great technically with cars but this is my experience to date and what I've learnt from people like B&D.

P.S. I've pretty much catalouged all my trials and tribulations to date in my build thread for my 316, which can be accessed by clicking the sig pic.