New to the forum and just picked up an E21!

[charter21p5]

Thanks! factory correct however I believe it is a re-paint. It was the same color as my first E21 many years ago.

[MortyCrock]

very nice work! looks amazing.

[charter21p5]

Since spending the last year replacing parts etc., I finally got enough of the car back together to be able to start the engine today. Everything went very well and the idle is damn near perfect! I did have an issue where the car had a runaway throttle... I found out the bushings on the gas pedal are worn out causing the gas pedal to stick.

Next will be finishing up putting the center console back together to include wiring in the new alpine radio. Then the car is off to the body shop and I plan on re-doing the seats.

Videos below of today's start up:

[charter21p5]

The E21 made it out of the garage today after spending the last year restoring it!

I had plans today of getting it over to DMV on Monday for a full license plate. The DMV issued a 10 day temp license plate for inspection so the clock is ticking!

I was bleeding the coolant system after swapping out the green coolant for bmw blue when after ~15 minutes the engine started to run rough at idle.

I also noticed if I pumped the brakes the car would shut off so I busted out the smoke machine and quickly found the vacuum leak.

Here is a picture taken today. The car has a few more things to be done before it is road ready.

E21-1.JPG

And a video of the found vacuum leak via the air valve.



I plan on spending the day tomorrow finishing up the car so it is ready for inspection next week.

[charter21p5]

Well I tried sealing up the air valve with victor reinz gasket sealer and unfortunately it didn't completely seal the leaks. The car is running better however still idling a bit rough and pumping the brake pedal shuts the car off. I put more than enough sealant on but oh well...

So I am headed to the parts car I listed in another thread to get the part. I also need the bracket the alternator mounting hardware connects to for the securing the alternator and tightening the main belt and the car has a bad ignition switch plus the rear brakes are sticking!

This car really needed a lot of parts. The body, engine, trans and rear end are in excellent shape. Pretty much everything else was ready for replacement.

The parts car has a few remaining great condition parts left so it should be a good trip today.

E21-3.jpg

[charter21p5]

Update:
So I went out to the parts car and found a great condition aux air valve! It fixed the idling issues and also coincidentally resolved the issue where the car shuts off when pumping the brakes. I ran another smoke test and no leaks are present!

I put 16" wheels on a few weeks ago however didn't get large enough spacers so spacers are on order from ecstuning.

I spent some time on the car today and found out a lot of the rubber in the rear of the vehicle is ready for replacement such as sub frame bushings, torn axle boots etc. Just when I think I am done ordering parts I guess it is time to head over to Eurometric to see what bushings he has available for sale.

I have also noticed alternator needs to be replaced as it is not putting out enough voltage to adequately charge the new battery. Luckily I have a new alternator on the shelf so I need to get busy and get it installed.

I took the steering column from the parts car and used it as a reference to figure out how the ignition key system works. After reviewing I decided to order a new ignition switch, tumbler and core.

Today I also started to remove all the plastic weather door shielding which keeps outside moisture from entering the vehicle through the door. I am replacing this with a much better shielding material which also has sound deadening characteristics.

Lastly I adjusted the valves as they were overdue for adjustment and I was also able to verify, after replacing all the front end steering component related rubber, the 55mph shimmy is long gone!

BMW-E21-320i-interior.jpg

BMW-E21-320i-Wheels.JPG

[charter21p5]

Update: I painted the rocker panels with BMW Dunkelgrau paint. I also added an Alpina hood emblem. I am definitely a fan of some of the Alpina parts that are available for these cars whether they are E21 or E30 specific.

I started another E21 thread looking for more details regarding the Alpina versions of this car back in the early 80s. It is now my understanding based on the responses there were Alpina certified vehicles and it was common for other non-Alpina model E21 owners to add Alpina parts to their cars. To me this was really good news as I really don't want a clone type of car but more of a nicely modified E21.

It might not make sense why this is important to me however when I owned my 2nd E28 and was part of the E28 forum community they seemed to be more on the purists side of restoration / ownership. The Alpina E28s were originally sold as an Alpina car and it was my understanding it wasn't common for non-Alpina E28 owners to install Alpina parts on their cars. I recall reading an active thread at the time where someone cloned an E28 Alpina and the forum was pretty much unimpressed with the car even though the restoration was very close to the original Alpina model. Strange as it may be...

I think the green decal sticker set Bassboy made kind of kicked started my interest in adding a few Alpina parts to this car. I am not 100% sure of where I am headed with the car yet however I do like the look so far to include those green RPM stickers!

My short term goal of finishing sorting out the car and adding a few more modifications is close to completion. Then I will focus on determining if this M10 engine is enough HP or is it time to start planning an engine swap or engine modification. I guess I won't know until I start frequently driving it. Also I have this feeling euro bumpers and a new air dam are in the near future. But I am not totally sold on swapping out the American bumpers. I kind of like those as much as the Euros.


Pictures attached.

Also, ignore the ride height of the front end. I had the front end of the car up on jack stands and haven't rolled it on the street enough for the car to settle.

E21-Alpina-2.jpg

E21-Alpina-1.jpg

E21-Alpina-3.JPG

E21-Alpina-4.JPG

[MortyCrock]

Also, ignore the ride height of the front end. I had the front end of the car up on jack stands and haven't rolled it on the street enough for the car to settle.

Ha! don't change it! looks good.

[charter21p5]

Ha! don't change it! looks good.

Thanks! It does ride a bit lower after the car settles.

Update:
Today I replaced all of the ignition switch components. It was a bit interesting to figure out how they work. I read a few other forum members threads and then inspected a steering column I pulled from the parts car. The starter wasn't disengaging after the car started and it is a new starter so I was sure these parts were worn.

It took about an hour to get the work done. Turning the key on the car is very different now and no more starter issues!

I notice with the new hardware there are now key locations such as KL0, KL15/R and KL30. Prior it was just a mess as the old ignition parts were really worn out!

It is also my understanding, from a thread Tom responded to, the key locks cylinders are re-keyable to your current keys. I wasn't able to get the exact key match from the dealer as they needed the ignition cylinder code. I plan on re-keying all of the door locks to match the new ignition, doing this additional work should be a fun project.

I could post pictures of the final work but it looks like any other console. Pictures below:

BMW-E21-Steering-Column.jpg

BMW-E21-Ignition-Switch.JPG

[cgifool]

is it not possible to re-key the one new ignition cylinder to match the old door locks instead? (or am I misunderstanding?)

one thing I am certain of, either way, if you r&r your door locks it'll make a noticeable difference in how smoothly they work.

[charter21p5]

is it not possible to re-key the one new ignition cylinder to match the old door locks instead? (or am I misunderstanding?)

one thing I am certain of, either way, if you r&r your door locks it'll make a noticeable difference in how smoothly they work.

I think you can re-key any of the cylinders. I have new keys with the updated ignition cylinder and I am now working in the doors putting in new vapor barriers and painting the insides of the door to provide protection against rust. So since I am already there I figured I would tackle the cylinders.

[charter21p5]

Update: The Alpina/Momo steering wheel arrived today from Germany. I installed it in the E21.

I would have made more progress this week on the E21 however the E46 needed replacements for the FCABS and oil pan gasket.

The brake fluid in the E21 is black. I plan on bleeding the system today and then done with car work for the weekend.

Picture below:

E21-Alpina-Steering-Wheel.jpg

[charter21p5]

I also meant to share a thread I found regarding installation: http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6788

The install instructions that came with the wheel were in German.

The wiring is easy if you can figure out what connects where.... the yellow wire wasn't needed.

[charter21p5]

Update: Last week I started cleaning the underside of the car where the oil has been collecting due to the previous owners not replacing gaskets. I then proceeded to get a temp dmv tag to get the car inspected.

I started to drive the car down the road however there was quite a bit of smoke coming from the oil burning underneath the car. So I took the car back home headed to the parts store and loaded up the brakleen cases! It took 3 cases total and pressure washing to clean the underside of the car. It was absolutely nuts!

I was then able to get the car over to inspection on Saturday and the even better news is the car is now plated and I am now able to drive the car around town!

Big milestone here as it has been over a year since it was last on the road.

Tonight I put the center console back together. There really isn't much room for wiring in that area and this radio seems to have a lot of wiring so I didn't push the head unit down all the way. I need to adjust more of the cabling before securing the radio.

Picture below:

E21-Console-Back2Gether.jpg

Next I need to take the car over for an alignment.

It definitely was a great weekend for progress!

[Thecatmilton]

Tonight I put the center console back together. There really isn't much room for wiring in that area and this radio seems to have a lot of wiring so I didn't push the head unit down all the way. I need to adjust more of the cabling before securing the radio.

Picture below:

E21-Console-Back2Gether.jpg

I ended up removing some of the carpet and sound deadening behind my radio due to clearance issues. You may be able to get away with removing and reinstalling the ash tray so you can push the wires around the radio to make it fit.

[charter21p5]

I ended up removing some of the carpet and sound deadening behind my radio due to clearance issues. You may be able to get away with removing and reinstalling the ash tray so you can push the wires around the radio to make it fit.

Thanks. I will go back in and check to see if I can remove some of the carpeting and padding.

Update: Today I had the car aligned and wheels balanced. I also forgot about the fact that these cars get ridiculously good gas mileage. I filled up the tank a few days ago, been driving the car to work and I am still close to full on the needle.


E21-Alignment.JPG

[Javidf]

Charter, Congrats on restoring your 320i. Juat curious. You stated that the car had only 50,000 mileage, yet all the conditions that you mentioned needed attention and taken care of one by one would suggest that the car's usage/mileage would have been much higher. But then what do I know! Mine ( original owner) has some of the conditions you encountered in your Bimmer. However, my car's mileage is over 182000. I envy you guys in that you all are so knowledgeable and able to work on your cars. Even for little things I have to take my car to a mechanic shop

Need some help: Is there a vacuum hose called "breather tube" on 320i? If so where is it located. I remember last time one mechanic replaced that tube, my car's pick up in Ist and 2nd gear improved quite a bit. Presently I am having this issue in my car, specially after a stop on red light, the car sometime is incredibly slow to pick up. Whereas when it is cold, I don't encounter this problem. Any thoughts?

Here is my car P_20161203_164038.jpg

[charter21p5]

Thanks. The car has ~50k on the odometer. The vehicle DMV records match the mileage. The car now has 59k miles on it. Most of the parts that required replacement were rubber and or gaskets. The engine, trans, diff and body are in the condition of a 50k mile car. Everything else was either ready for replacement or I decided to replace the part for cosmetic reasons. The car was from California... maybe it sat outside for 30 years, who knows

Your breather hose is here: http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?par...FYs8gQod3zsEoA

A smoke test will tell you if it is leaking. I did replace that part and if I recall it is on the top side of the engine. I will go out and look today.

If the smoke test is good then the hose is fine.

When is the last time you performed a tune up on your car?

[Javidf]

Thanks for the link Charter. I will look for this on my car. Is it on the right or left side? How do you perform the "smoke test"? However, the "breather tube" that was replaced a while back was really a thin tube. Didn't look like this. But I could be wrong.

Would a leaky breather "hose" make a difference on pick up, speed etc? As to the tune up, the spark plugs were changed over a year ago. However, one of the spark plug does get fouled from time to time. I am going to have it checked and probably replace all the plugs.

[charter21p5]

If you don't mind, start a new thread on the forum for the issue of the car and we can all help you figure out the root cause.

[Javidf]

I was thinking of doing that If my issue is not resolved by changing the spark plugs, I shall start a new thread. Could you pls provide the link to creating a new thread? Thanks.

[charter21p5]

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/fo...975-1983-(E21)

Start with the basics first... such as checking your spark plugs, plug wires, coil, air filter and distributor cap. If all the standard tune up items are good then you will want to check for vacuum leaks.

[charter21p5]

I took the car out today and drove it to work. I need to either get a new front lower air damn or straighten out the metal of the current lower front trim. I also finally found the door trims. Some of my originals were either bent or dinged up. Here is the latest photo of progress:

[epmedia]

Looks beautiful!

You can try straightening that front air dam and blast it with some of that black rubberized under-coating, This is what they originally had on them. They get beat to crap from road debris, etc..

[charter21p5]

Thanks. I might put an alpina air damn in place of the current front air damn.

I've got to take a break from working on the car for a few months as we are in process of moving to a different place.

Unfortunately I won't be able to make vintage this year with this car. Next year for sure. I still have more work to do to make the car trip ready.