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Mar 21, 2010 20:35:49 GMT
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For absolutely no reason at all* I find myself wanting to know what to look for/what goes wrong with the e21 BMW 3 series, specifically the 320. I have no pics to share yet (I've been stuck in the house all weekend with a bad back, and I can't be bothered to google it, so humour me)
*Blatant lie
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 21, 2010 20:44:43 GMT
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MIB on here has probably the nicest one in the country.
The 323i is the one to have. I've had a 323i and a 320.
The 320 has a solex carb on it that's not great. It can be greatly improved with a weber carb conversion.
Most of them aren't set up for unleaded so they need an adative or a conversion. They're also bad for dodgy valve stem seals as my 323i smoked like it was on 40 a day.
The big thing is rust though. Sills, inner wheel arches, the front of the floor. Just usual old car stuff.
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rysz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,554
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Mar 21, 2010 20:44:53 GMT
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Rob0r and MIB will be able to help here as I am sure that between the two of them, they own 90% of the E21's in the UK!  Rysz. |
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Mar 21, 2010 20:54:26 GMT
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ah, cr@p carb and rust..
that sounds about right. I had an 1800 e30 316 that was like that... Is the weber conversion a straight bolt on, or an adapter plate job? which weber (I have a few... might go nice with a 40DFAV, lol)
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 21, 2010 20:56:18 GMT
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I had a 323i for a while. Had an LSD too, lots of fun! I think rust would be the biggest issue, mine wasn't too bad until a Ford Transit decided to drive into the drivers door pillar! The only real problem I had with mine was that you had to start it in a certain way, or it would completely refuse to start and flat the battery. The 320 is the one to avoid as far as i've been told, unless the carb issues have been sorted. I think they have some kind of crappy 4-barrel Solex or Pierburg carb, which i'm sure is the same as the one on the 2.8 Vauxhall Royale. I've never owned a 320, but I did have a Monza with the same carb set up and it was a fool to start at the best of times. I think the 316 is actually a 1.8, but has the unbreakable 4-cylinder engine. I had a 316 Auto and never had much of a problem with it apart from the passenger door hinge dropping making the door difficult to close. 323i for the win. A proper twin exhaust system that would emit flames if you ran it on the rev-limiter for long enough!! Have a picture of my two....  (the ugly curse word in the middle is a younger and thinner version of me!!) |
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Mar 21, 2010 20:59:58 GMT
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ah, cr@p carb and rust.. that sounds about right. I had an 1800 e30 316 that was like that... Is the weber conversion a straight bolt on, or an adapter plate job? which weber (I have a few... might go nice with a 40DFAV, lol) I think it needs an adaptor. I'm not sure of the carb but I've got a note of it somewhere. I've seen them come up on ebay with the carb, adaptor and manifold sold as a oner. Even the 320 carb is pretty quick (120 odd bhp) but lots (especially the baur convertible like I had) had autoboxes in them, which doesn't half suck the life out of them. Mine had the solex carb on it but I never had any bother other than with the autochoke sticking so it wouldn't restart sometimes if it was between stone cold and running temprature. Here's my old 320 baur.  |
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Mar 21, 2010 21:06:19 GMT
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Isn't it a Solex 4A1 carb? PM bigrod, he might have a disc which has the workshop manual for the carb, i'm sure it was in the stuff i gave him when i gave him the Monza a year or two ago. I know i had it at one point.
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Mar 21, 2010 22:02:09 GMT
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I now have a picture!  That looks like it's outside my yard. Oops. Guess I bought it then  |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 21, 2010 23:02:21 GMT
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looks relatively tidy, but pictures can hide a thousand sins!!
I'm assuming that it is a 320-6?? I'm sure i read that earlier E21'a came in 4-cylinder 320 flavour as well. Kind of hard to tell how old that car is, but i'm guessing it's a 6 as i've never actually set eyes on a 320-4.
I think the Baur convertibles are probably outnumbering the fixed roof versions of the 320 now, seems to be a lot of them about!
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Mar 21, 2010 23:08:01 GMT
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it's a 6 cyl (Y reg) other than that, you know as much as I do. I'll find out in the morning I suppose...
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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thats a fine photograph, the composition and attention to detail. was david bailey near your gaff this afternoon?  photo makes the paint look flat, but its actually very shiny, inside the engine bay is sparkling and it drives very well too ;D |
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room. |
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matto
Part of things
Posts: 222
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The pictured one isn't a Baur, it might be worth finding out who did the conversion as getting a replacement roof (if one is needed) might be a complete nightmare.
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^^ Roof can wait until I see if it has a floor - convertible might just mean "easier to use as a skip" ;D Out of interest (remember, I know nothing...) how many types of convertible are there? I can see the obvious differences between this one and the silver one pictured above but  Oh, and "David Bailey" you still have my keys.... wakey wakey! |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Oh this is so funny to watch.
The outside world finally notices 'The Forgotten BMW'. Feel like I've been the lone sane man in the loony bin for all of my 19-odd years of Ownerership.
Carry on... ;D
Almost as funny as this stupid board wiping my user file. 0 messages sent? I don’t think so…
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^^ Funny as realizing you have 2 usernames? e21meister/screenname Amazo? try logging in the other one, it's got all your posts and messages ;D ps, it's so forgotten, I'd forgotten I bought it (oops) |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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matto
Part of things
Posts: 222
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Mar 22, 2010 10:06:09 GMT
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Out of interest (remember, I know nothing...) how many types of convertible are there? I can see the obvious differences between this one and the silver one pictured above but I'm not really an expert, but obviously all the 3-series BMW convertibles up to about 1988 were not made by BMW as from what I gather they didn't think they were safe Baur were the only 'official' makers and were actually sold as a dealer option, but they are pretty obvious as they have a targa type front section which removes and stores in the boot and then a regular folding section at the back (which makes it a proper limousine  ) Others were Hornstein, Lumma and AGM, of course there must have been a few bespoke ones made by people in sheds all over the place... www.bmwe21fansclub.it/bmwe21/articles.asp?id=2&page=16I guess yours is an AGM, it looks like a Lumma but from using babelfish it appears they only started doing the conversions in the late '80s so I guess it depends when it was converted. |
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matto
Part of things
Posts: 222
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Mar 22, 2010 10:11:11 GMT
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On a side note... please tell me it came with the special Alpine stereo!  |
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Mar 22, 2010 17:39:43 GMT
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^^No stereo at all. Lots of wires sticking out of the hole where it was.... Well, good news! I've had a look at it, and there isn't too much to do to get this through an MoT - It's a low mileage car that has been looked after, all the running gear is fine, even the tyres are almost new. It wants a little welding (sill, front floor, arches...) but not much, the hood is in reasonable shape, the engine starts straight up and makes no nasty noises, even the autochoke behaves itself.It wants an altenator, and a hazard light switch, and a day with the welder then it could be back out on the road. Oh yeah, and it's 5 speed manual not an auto! I'll probably fix it and flog it on. I have too many cars already, it will do someone nice I think. Sorry, no pics today.. forgot the camera  |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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rob0r
East of England
Posts: 2,743
Club RR Member Number: 104
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Tell me about...BMW e21rob0r
@rob0r
Club Retro Rides Member 104
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Mar 22, 2010 17:46:13 GMT
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Common rust points: Boot floor around wheel arches wheel arch where petrol filler pipe mount is boot floor just behind the firewall (usually two raised mounds) wheel arch behind rear seat back sills, inside and out chassis rails below the bulkhead, possibly along the length of the car inner wings "jacking" points just underneath where the wings are, use the chassis rails to jack on front panel behind front indicators If you want to see a rusty E21 have a look here: retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=readersrides&thread=71185&page=1Also check TonyBMW's website for some astonishing E21 restorations! tonybmw.co.uk/pages/previousprojects/previous_projects.htmlEDIT- while I wrote this I see you've already had a rust check The 320 is the only E21 I haven't had, I've even got a LHD 315 that was never released over here, so I can't really comment. seeing as this is a facelift car it will be the 6 cylinder. If you fancied a change I have a brilliant 323i engine sitting here with K-jet, otherwise the E30 325i engines are an easy swap if you wanted to go down the engine swap road. If you need any bits then I have 4 E21 breakers sitting around. That definitely isn't a standard convertible E21 since baurs look completely different, if you wanted a hard top I probably have a good roof skin I could chop off! If you have any questions I can attempt to answer them, but I'm certainey not an expert, I just have a lot of them |
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Last Edit: Mar 22, 2010 17:47:33 GMT by rob0r
E30 320i 3.5 - E23 730 - E3 3.0si - E21 316 M42 - E32 750i
ETC
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Mar 22, 2010 17:49:44 GMT
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These are highly valuable cars, the very zenith of automotive desirability. So if you weigh it in, you ought get double the price as last year's per/tonne allowance. ;D
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 Team Blitz Ford Capri parts worldwide: Restoration, Road, or Race. Used, Repro, and NOS, ranging from scabby to perfect. Itching your Capri jones since 1979! Buy, sell, trade. www.teamblitz.com blitz@teamblitz.com |
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