1982 E21 323i M52 28i

[Bigdoors]

RIGHT try again!!
Hello everyone. After finishing my E12 M535i resto I fancied getting my hands on a 323i to join it (thanks Mark) & bought this from OSC in Rugby back in Nov 09.






As you can see she was in a pretty sorry state back then, infact that replacement rear quater panel cost nearly as much as the car

[Sophers]

Woah guess mines pretty mint then! lol

Always nice to see another e21 ;D

[el Presidente]

Here you go again lol, if its anything like the 5 it'll be awsome!

[Bigdoors]

There was damage to every panel, the exhaust was blowing, it also leaked fuel but it did run..............not that I dared drive it as it most definatley wouldn't have stopped on those brakes & it ticked over at 2500 rpm & spewed brown liquid out of the header tank as the temp guage shot straight into the red!!!





Still could be worse.

[Mark E21]

Most of that will polish out!

[spartacus]

Cool, I'll be looking out for this. Is there a thread for that 5. I really like e12s!

[Kedge]

Ohhhhh I need to keep my eyes on this, one of my biggest motoring regrets is letting my E21 go!

[Bigdoors]

Sooooo I went out a bought the biggest can of T-Cut I could get my hands on &....Cheers Mark ;D
Spatacus. Sorry mate no thread on that, might do one after this
Heres another pic though

So the strip down began, you know it's when I've started to write this that I've just realised what an absolute snotter this car was!! Must be have had my Gold tinted specs on.
loads of ebay trecking for spares coughed up new brake discs, calipers & braided hoses, a trip to the Spax factory (which is just up the road from me) landed me a full set of shocks & springs. Then of to North Oxford BMW to re-kindle my relationship with the parts department. (Hi Derreck)
luckily a mate of mine owned a bodyshop & seeing as he'd done such a top job on my E12 he got the job.So after the strip down off she when to get the rot/dents & bangs sorted









I'll add a bit more tomorrow

[Mark E21]

I keep hearing Spandau Ballet. GOLD!

It's going to be a stunner.

[Bigdoors]

OK
While work was progressing at the bodyshop I busied myself getting the rest of the parts together, I'd managed to get hold of a very decent set of E30 leather trim which after modifying the floor of the car & adjusting the rear seat back fitted & suited the car quite well. New handbrake cables were also required as some muppet had cut the ends off the originals just behind the handbrake lever, this meant the whole of the braking system had beeen replaced. I also replace a rear section of the exhaust with a dealer only back box. Body wise she needed welding on the boot floor & spare wheel well & a replacement sill was fitted to the offside. New lights front & rear courtesy of BMW & Walloth & Nesch aswell as new chrome fillets for the windows. The rear bumper as you can see was f**ked so I enquired about a new one from BMW only to be told that they are still available, there are 603 in stock in Germany & they're £750-00
Nick in Northampton provided a good used one for £80 (cheers Nick)







More on Monday

[Mark E21]

Like

[ChasR]

I guess you mean OSC Motorsport just off Butler's Leap in Rugby? A few guys I know go there, but I can't say much about them myself.

What I can say however is what a turnaround on the car! Yes we do strike it bad with a snotter quite a few times but is a great feeling once on the other side . I really am liking where this project seems to be going.

[Bigdoors]

RIGHT. Lets get some high build primer on there.










More tomorrow.

[dbdb]

Shaping up nicely! Are you keeping the gold paint? (Please do - it looks great!!)

David

[mrrodney]

1 of a few cars left on my list to own , such cool cars,.

[nas80]

Nice work there mate.

Are you keeping it original?!

[oldschoolcool]

Coming together well. I had a nice 323 with a nice front bumper,big bolstered cream recaros,a huge touring fuel tank in the boot, and some serious rot on the inner arches. Sold it in 2001 as it was getting too rusty and I couldnt select first fron standstill. Didnt have the space or skill to do the work at the time. But now ive got a 84 audi 80 quattro to do.

Mine was a great copper colour and the bumper was like this



It also had the 13 dish bbs. Sadly I don't have any digital pictures of it.

As we all like piccs,heres my 80 and colegues E21 320 resto.

[el Presidente]

I sooo wish I never sold my old 323

[mikeymk]

^^ At least you've had one.

I love my '85 Polo (not a title that does it justice), I can't see myself in anything else for a while. But my cousin is restoring a 2002tii (his daily is a MK1 RS2000) and it got me looking at small old skool BMW's - a Baur E31 320i in yellow is seen around here now and then, so I looked into them and I think I've found my next car..

[jk667]

I have fond memories of the 320 Auto my dad had between 1996 and 2000 (bought it as a replacement for his E23 728i when it got wrote off). PUX 612X was the registration number, I remember it being red and then coming back grey after my dad had got some rot sorted out on it !!

I would love one...

Really like where this project is going mate, can't wait to see it finished.