Who's driven an E12?

[moroza]

Nobody in the E28 section seems to care about my E12 curiosity thread, so maybe some of you can clue me in.

No serious plans yet - my plate is very full at the moment - but I'm wondering about someday picking up an E12. My main point of reference is, of course, the E34. My main point of interest is the interior; BMW had great interiors up to the late 70's (E9 especially), then they went to the chunky wood-less lotsa-pointless-grills thing on the E24 and E28, which I find butt-ugly. They smell bad, too, dunno why. The E12's has that 70's roundedness that reminds me of my '81 Toyota, and it floats my boat:



For anyone who's driven, owned, or worked on one, what can you tell me about...

...The interior? It looks good in photos but is it plasticky crap in real life? I've never seen one in person.
...Refinement? Is there as much wind noise as the boxiness would suggest?
...Handling? I've read period reviews that complained about too much damping and not enough spring rate, and (contradictory?) also snap oversteer. Do modern shocks make it behave more like a modern car?
...Parts availability? I don't think I've ever seen one in a junkyard, despite junkyarding being a semi-full-time job for a couple of years, in the Bay Area no less. Are body and interior parts shared with anything else? How much of the mechanicals are or can be reasonably retrofitted from more modern chassis (E34 especially)?

I like the M30 but wouldn't keep it for a daily, especially if it needed to be rebuilt. In fact, the inspiration for this project was buying a 96 Passat TDI, immediately liking nothing about it except for the engine, and making a list of what I could swap it into.

[mboor]

My Dad still has his old E12. 1980 528i. He is the second owner, and it's sat in his garage in a partially restored state for the last 15 years. This was my introduction to BMW's, At a very early age. It was the first car i ever drove, But i cannot comment on the drive since i was only 15 lol. One day the car will live again under my care. Sorry i can't offer more info, just thought i'd share my E12 experience.

[Layne]

I haven't driven one, but I've seen them. The interior is like cast iron compared to later BMWs. Aftermarket shocks and springs have very limited selection. Most other parts are easy enough to find new or used. Handling is supposed to be good. Some E24 people say the early model (has E12 chassis) handles better than the later model (e28 chassis).

[Onizukachan]

I've driven Bavarias but geez, that was 20 years ago. Nice cars, they do drive like 70s cars, they do behave like 70s cars, light tossible and you better know what you are doing because there is no sort of safety intervention on them.
For cruising, fun. For daily driving? No, not anymore, we've moved too far along the path of comfort and speed to go back to something like that.
And i used to daily an mgb in rain snow sun, hot cold no matter what. I would never be that sadomasochistic again.
i like quiet, I like decent acceleration and braking and abs, good hvac, and ease of parts aquirement.
They are beautiful cars though. If they aren't shot to shht and /or basket cases by the time you buy one.

[DrMcCoyPartyEna]

I own a 1980 528i with just over 100000 miles on it, I bought it as a project car a few months ago. It
probably spent the last 10 years under a tree somewhere in idaho, but after some effort i have it running
(however, not very reliably). I understand this may not be the kindoff of account your looking for, but i
Think i may be able to shed some light on the cars handling (as the suspension and tires are just about the
Only things not slap worn out). The car seems to handle like most other late model bmw's its got a fun but
often excessive feeling understeer. It is a little bouncy like most old cars but it seems to hold the road
Pretty well even on gravel and snow. Ive never really tried to take it past normal highway speeds becuase
Its still got about 200 wiring faults and leaks out of about every place possible, but its been great fun
So far and as soon as i nail down the electrical problems ill have more to say.

[blaise26]

I have a 1980 528i as second owner in our family. I took over the car in 1985. It now has 155k miles. It is a 5sp manual with original engine. Main improvements were Bilstein HD shocks, coil overs from Ireland Engineering (300# front, 250# rear lowered car to 5.5 inch clearance, on rails feel now), ST larger front and rear sway bars, new gumbo, motor mounts and subframe bushings (also Ireland Engineering). These bodies needed attention to rust if they weren't maintained. Parts for nearly everything remain available. They are easy to work on. Most importantly, great fun to drive and work the engine hard. The inline 6 is a workhorse and has been very reliable. Likely a new distributor and rotor and plugs will smooth running out. Check fuel lines for oxidation or decay. Those leaks are obviously dangerous. Some people go to a 20545 tire for less pitch in corners. Enjoy.

[funfunfer]

I have an '80 528i that I found locally after it had sat in a garage for 23 years. I brought it back to life (the usual fuel and suspension issues) and it's now a reliable secondary car with ~64k miles. HOWEVER, I don't love it.
The interior is made from better stuff than the E28 or E34, but BMW had not figured out how to combat the Texas heat and sun. The dash is toast. The front seat leather crumbled when touched.
The upright seating position and the greenhouse glass make for a comfortable and relaxing ride with no blind spots (if you ignore the lack of a right side rear view mirror.)
The ride in my car is too soft and I would prefer something like blaise26's setup. (disclaimer: my DD is E34 M5)
Some parts are interchangeable with early E28 and E23 (like those are common) but the regular parts sources have had just about anything I've needed.
I doubt that updating the suspension design would be worth the effort, but that might reflect a lack of imagination and fabrication skills on my part.

- - - Updated - - -

I haven't driven one, but I've seen them. The interior is like cast iron compared to later BMWs. Aftermarket shocks and springs have very limited selection. Most other parts are easy enough to find new or used. Handling is supposed to be good. Some E24 people say the early model (has E12 chassis) handles better than the later model (e28 chassis).

You're welcome to drive mine if you get to Montgomery or at TexFest.

[blaise26]

Yes, my front and rear seat pads, original horsehair, had deteriorated. I replaced the front with original horsehair but plan to do backs in stiff foam. Various shops can do either leather ($1300) replacements or synthetic cover. And yes, my dash has substantial cracks due primarily to age. Various fixes avbl, all require patience but produce excellent cosmetics. I may put stiffer springs in, 400 or 500# in front and 300# in back. However, the current setup is a big improvement as the original springs had softened. Front shocks have a fixed 0.5 degree negative camber. Once you set a turn, it holds much better. And yes, e28 is softer, not handling as well in general (drove one for some time).