BMW E21 series...
Discussion
Any PH'ers own an E21? If so, what type/ what is it like reliability wise and insurance wise??
Always loved the looks, just wondering if they might be an ideal car to run next (if insurance isnt too scary) or perhaps even a little project car...
Anything I should know/ worth shouting about/ performance figures??
Thanks in advance,
Ben CA
Always loved the looks, just wondering if they might be an ideal car to run next (if insurance isnt too scary) or perhaps even a little project car...
Anything I should know/ worth shouting about/ performance figures??
Thanks in advance,
Ben CA
E21's are the dogs dangly bits! I had a 320 for nearly 10 years - it never let me down. And even now it still looks fresh and fantastic. there are 3 main problems: 1. they are not accepted as 'true' classics like the 2002........yet! 2. they rust like hell (unlike later galvanized BMW's). 3. What you really want is a 323i.....and its hard to find a good one..............BUT - go for it, they are reliable, solid, future classics
I have owned an E21 since I was 17.
I have two right now. After a meeting at the Autosport show I'm also thinking of making an offer on a rare 323i "SE" special edition- but my red car (which has new sills and body work) may be up for sale.
The e21 323i was a fast car in its day and very under rated today.
The e21 323i BMW covered 0-60 mph in 8.1-8.3 seconds and Motor magazine got 126 Mph top speed as a mean and best despite BMWs claimed 118 mph and 9.1 seconds to 60!
Expect 0-60 in 9.7 secs for the 320 and on to a top speed of 112 mph.
The standard 320 is on a massive four barrel Solex carb and is a much smoother engine then the 323i (although we're talking relative), but doesn't have the fuel economy or the performance.
If you type up "Tricord E21" into a google search engine you can come to our E21 site/community.
As standard with standard ride height although they can pull reasonable G (higher in their day then a lower wider XJS) they can suffer from lift off oversteer but unlike the E30 replacemnt there's virtually no understeer at all-and powerslides are readily avialiable. All this said with a suspension kit from either Bilstein, Leda or Koni the handling is totally transformed and with a set of Yokohamma tyres- it brings the handling up to modern standards. When I fitted an LSD I found the handling benefitted also (in the dry).
Look for rust along the sills, and arches-both front and rear, then look into the spare wheel well, and generally the boot floor and around where the fuel filler pipe goes into the strut turret again in the rear boot. The 1980 cars and before tend to rust along the base of the B pillar also for some reason! That said the cars are structurally very good. All parts and panels are availiable from BMW and quite competitively priced.
I would strongly reccommend going for the baby six cylinder if funds allow. It's a very free revving engine with a snarl and a bark that isn't there on the E30- due to the unequal length exhaust system and the twin side exits. People say that they can suffer from porous cylinder head castings but I haven't found that a problem on well maintained engines and they're not as bad as a negelcted 325i E30 which followed ( I have virtually a stroked out e30 motor in mine).
Bore wear very well, I've taken apart 120,000 miler pluses with the honing marks (marks made when boring the block at the factory) still there! Now go away and compare that to a Pinto or Vauxhall Family 2 motor! Smoke on the overun is most likely to be hardenned valve guide stem seals or work valve guides- so watch for this! It goes without saying- try to buy off an owner is silly as me who happily spends more on the car then it is worth. Avoid the types of owners who are running them on a shoe string budget as an alternative to say an Ford Escort ( it is possible as they're quite cheap to run).
I have two right now. After a meeting at the Autosport show I'm also thinking of making an offer on a rare 323i "SE" special edition- but my red car (which has new sills and body work) may be up for sale.
The e21 323i was a fast car in its day and very under rated today.
The e21 323i BMW covered 0-60 mph in 8.1-8.3 seconds and Motor magazine got 126 Mph top speed as a mean and best despite BMWs claimed 118 mph and 9.1 seconds to 60!
Expect 0-60 in 9.7 secs for the 320 and on to a top speed of 112 mph.
The standard 320 is on a massive four barrel Solex carb and is a much smoother engine then the 323i (although we're talking relative), but doesn't have the fuel economy or the performance.
If you type up "Tricord E21" into a google search engine you can come to our E21 site/community.
As standard with standard ride height although they can pull reasonable G (higher in their day then a lower wider XJS) they can suffer from lift off oversteer but unlike the E30 replacemnt there's virtually no understeer at all-and powerslides are readily avialiable. All this said with a suspension kit from either Bilstein, Leda or Koni the handling is totally transformed and with a set of Yokohamma tyres- it brings the handling up to modern standards. When I fitted an LSD I found the handling benefitted also (in the dry).
Look for rust along the sills, and arches-both front and rear, then look into the spare wheel well, and generally the boot floor and around where the fuel filler pipe goes into the strut turret again in the rear boot. The 1980 cars and before tend to rust along the base of the B pillar also for some reason! That said the cars are structurally very good. All parts and panels are availiable from BMW and quite competitively priced.
I would strongly reccommend going for the baby six cylinder if funds allow. It's a very free revving engine with a snarl and a bark that isn't there on the E30- due to the unequal length exhaust system and the twin side exits. People say that they can suffer from porous cylinder head castings but I haven't found that a problem on well maintained engines and they're not as bad as a negelcted 325i E30 which followed ( I have virtually a stroked out e30 motor in mine).
Bore wear very well, I've taken apart 120,000 miler pluses with the honing marks (marks made when boring the block at the factory) still there! Now go away and compare that to a Pinto or Vauxhall Family 2 motor! Smoke on the overun is most likely to be hardenned valve guide stem seals or work valve guides- so watch for this! It goes without saying- try to buy off an owner is silly as me who happily spends more on the car then it is worth. Avoid the types of owners who are running them on a shoe string budget as an alternative to say an Ford Escort ( it is possible as they're quite cheap to run).
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