BMW 323i E21 1980

[leonf 162]

 

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=1629019781&tm=email&et=45&mt=729E11BE-B8E5-4BCB-A7AF-EACDC8ACB2FD

anybody else noticed this (new?) arrival on TurdMe??

Really like the idea of repowering an older BMW coupe and this one may be tidy enough to actually look at? Rust is the killer here and although this has some, it may not be a deal breaker.

Any ideas as to the ability to chuck a much more modern 3 litre 6 cylinder into this ol' girl?? Difficult?  Or impossible??

A new lease of life would do her the world of good (purists look away!!)

Edited May 11, 2018 by clio v6
forgot TM link.....

[LemonHunter 583]

Well that's going on my watch list.

We should have a guess the final price poll.

@clio v6 can't help but notice that you appear to have joined Bimmersport for the purpose of posting this listing, do you know the car or the owner some how?  Many here would be interested in inside info if this is a smoke screen.

(Deduction via 12 minute old account, and no BMW's in your list of cars, don't mean to sound ungrateful as this is a pearler of a car that'll have a bit of interest here)

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by EUROLESS

[leonf 162]

hey Euroless

nah, man. Just a long time lurker here and NO ulterior motive with this vehicle.

I am interested, as I said, in the idea of a repowered older BMW coupe. My love affair with hot French hatches is still alive and kicking, but I sense my time with the beloved Peugeot coming to and end (after 15 years!), sadly.

End of story, really......

[aja540i 1906]

Nothing is impossible, but the brake booster placement in these makes fitting anything with more than one cam a challenge, especially a straight 6, it would probably be no more work to fit a V8 (or a turbo 4 which is what it should have)

[OP6 27]

I think this has been repowered with an M20B25 already and being an E21, probably 150kgs lighter than a 6cylinder E30, so power to weight ratio would similar to an E30 with  an M52B28 if not a bit better.

These cars rust, you can fix them and then they will rust again.  

I pretty sure I have seen this car in Christchurch and it wasn't pretty. This is a car that needs to be viewed and driven before bidding, unless  you can get it for about 3k.

My guess is it will sell for 6K

[Mr Vapour 76]

Doing a m5x swap is not a massive amount of work. 

Basically Google will be your friend. They are basically the same as swapping in a motor in a e30. 

So search e30 swaps. 

It has has had some playing with in the past. It should have mechanical injection. It may have a m20 out of a later car with motech or it could have been retro fitted to the original 323 motor. Impossible to tell with out a lot of looking and numbers. 

[Mr Vapour 76]

Ask for photos of inner guards behind rear seat backs,boot side floors, boot lip under screen, rear side Windows front lower corners. 

[LemonHunter 583]

On 5/11/2018 at 6:51 PM, clio v6 said:

nah, man. Just a long time lurker here and NO ulterior motive with this vehicle.

I am interested, as I said, in the idea of a repowered older BMW coupe....

My love affair with hot French hatches is still alive and kicking, but I sense my time with the beloved Peugeot coming to and end (after 15 years!), sadly.

I didn't mind an ulterior motive as long as it came with gossip and info anyway

Agreed, classic styling with modern performance is always a hit (Did you see the Jay Lenos garage with the dude that had an S10 in a 2002ti?)

French hatches look wonderful, I agree, I've heard (slightly more) horror stories resulting from them than Beamers, though, the beamer horrors tend to be with everything post E46.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

It's fine if you want to put a newer generation into some of the lighter old chassis, but you really need to pay serious attention to the brakes and handling. E21 323i were quite notorious for spearing off roundabouts with the standard engine in them, let alone putting a ligher more powerful and torquier donk under the bonnet. Not sure how much power the E21 chassis can handle before it starts behaving badly on you.

[LemonHunter 583]

I dunno man, they seem to handle alright with a bit of power.

Edited May 14, 2018 by EUROLESS

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the one in the photos might have been modified to take the power?

15" wide slicks on the back of the 323i would help keep the arse under control.

[LemonHunter 583]

What do people thing this will realistically go for? around $2.5k, up to $5K or beyond?

[aja540i 1906]

On 5/14/2018 at 1:11 PM, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

It's fine if you want to put a newer generation into some of the lighter old chassis, but you really need to pay serious attention to the brakes and handling. E21 323i were quite notorious for spearing off roundabouts with the standard engine in them, let alone putting a ligher more powerful and torquier donk under the bonnet. Not sure how much power the E21 chassis can handle before it starts behaving badly on you.

Not so much 'behaving badly', more like highlighting the drivers actual skill level !

[hotwire 352]

^^^ Yep - It's still the ideal "rear wheel drive" concept which is far more predicable (except for seat warmers)