E21 or 2002 Project

[SpanishArcher13]

Hi guys, first off im new to the site, so forgive me if im asking things that others might have asked, i don't really know my way around yet.

I've always loved classic cars and the BMW e21 and the 2002, are one of my all time favourites, so i am looking into getting one of those, and i wanted to see i f you guys could recommend one of the two or what your experience with them are. I have read on a lot of places that people seem to go more towards the e21.

Also i was wondering, when looking for one, what are the things that i should be looking for. One of the things that i don't really know about and is clearly very important is the engine. Should i look into one the is ''stock'' and more or less in good shape and get it reconditioned or as i have read in a lot of places do an engine swap, which i don't really know much about.

Thanks in advance and if you guys have some other helpful tips let me know. have a good one.

[Drew320]

When in the e21 forum, members will most likely be biased towards it versus the 2002 so it looks like you have already made up your mind as to which car to pick.
On the bright side, if you are going to do a project, the e21 can be found at a much lesser cost than the 2002, giving you plenty of options for a pretty sweet build.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

[SpanishArcher13]

I like both of them just fine, main reason im leaning more towards the e21 is because of engine reasons, but again i don't know much about that, but i read around in other forums that its easier to fit a newer engine on the e21 than the 2002. But again im not good with that so that's why im asking here haha, so that i can know how to go about the engine.

[pofo]

I am still on a quest to find clean 2002 round tail shell for my next project. But I like the E21 because you dont see as many driving around here in New England. The only issue I find is the parts that are available for the E21 are much harder to find than the 2002.

[Drew320]

The only issue I find is the parts that are available for the E21 are much harder to find than the 2002.

A little retrofitting never hurt anyone

[duuder]

look out for rust obviously and find the best example as you can. both are nice and unique cars

[SilverPuddle]

If your e21s are carbureted, then they are the same as the 2002 essentially. The e21s that were shipped to USA all have a fuel injection (FI)

I have both the e21 with FI and a carbureted 2002. I really like both...BUT the 2002 is a simpler car.

There are a lot of rust issues with the 2002 and I can find an e21 in very good condition for a much lower price.

Good luck.

[SpanishArcher13]

thanks for the input i was leaning for the e21 with the single pair of headlights that kinda looks like the 2002, what kind of engine do you have on them, like i mentioned im not very good with engines and i would be using mine asa daily driver, sort of, and i wanna know if i should get a good stock engine an restore it or do a swap. thanks.

[SilverPuddle]

The e21 and the 2002 both use the 4-cylinder m10 engine. Perfect engines for daily drivers and easy to diagnose for starting out in getting to know these cars.

Are the e21 FI or carbs?

[SpanishArcher13]

Yeah it does have FI. So does the m10 have some power to it or is there one that might have some more kick to it, that I might wanna look into. Thanks a lot.

[dreiermann]

My advice to be to continue looking at both, because the wider your search the more likely you are to come up with the car that is right for you.

One other thought: with any restoration, you are highly unlikely to end up with a car that is worth what you have invested into it. So if that is a concern, find a car that is in the condition that you are happy with from the start. If you do buy a car that needs work, you will probably come closer to breaking even with a 2002 because those tend to sell for higher prices. In any case, take your time to get what you want because spending a little more money when you buy a car almost always saves you money and aggravation down the road.

That being said, I bought my E21 for $500 and have already invested more (in parts) than it is worth, but to me it doesn't matter because I plan to never sell it and the total investment is small. And it makes a great (seasonal) daily driver.

[SpanishArcher13]

My idea is to make it my own and possibly never sell it, I'm not looking to flip it.

[jaredmac11]

My idea is to make it my own and possibly never sell it, I'm not looking to flip it.

That's what Im doing. While the E21 has a very low cost of entry, it's been like that for the past ~10 years I've been interested in them. So I dont anticipate seeing a return on investment. Fortunately I got mine for cheap but the very first project I undertook immediately put me in the red. It's unfortunate but it is the way it is, so having the perspective you have is a good place to start.

Of course, many of the 2002 out there need tens of thousands of dollars in rust and paint repair which likely wont be seen again on sale so I'm sure it's not THAT different in that regard.

[SpanishArcher13]

I'll take my time with it, so I'll be researching things well, only thing I don't know about is what engine should I get that has some power and would fit right in without modifications, since I won't be doing that jobmysef, and it would drive the price up if I have to find one that needs fitting and cutting around.

[dreiermann]

OK, looking for which car would more-easily fit a better powerplant? I would say to look for a 323, or a 320/6. They have the six-cylinder engines that will give you either more power with the stock engine, or make it easier to swap in something like an M52 engine from a newer car. I saw a nice overview of BMW powerplant swaps on a British site called Fritz's Bitz. And there is are a lot of threads about engine swaps here, too.

[SpanishArcher13]

thanks, I'll be sure to check it out

[SpanishArcher13]

Engine Edit.

Ok, so as i mentioned in the beginning, i do not know a lot about engines, but i have been looking around and i have found four that seem to be popping up the most, and like i said im looking to make it my daily driver so im realy looking at good performance and decent fuel consumption, im not trying to make a Ferrari out of it, just wanna have fun while driving the car i love.

The engines go like this, i could find a mb20b23 or 2.0L M10 injected and have them restored, or if i go the swap way, and here is where the questions start for me, people seem to recommend the M42 or the M50. Again my problem with the latter ones or all of them for that matter is that if i make a swap, would it be a clean one ? meaning that i wont have to cut and work around to make it fit, because like i mentioned before i wont be the one doing that, it will be a professional mechanic so it would rise the price a ton. Let me know if you guys have other suggestions or any of you have done any of the swaps or got those engines and how do they work.

Thanks again for the help and sorry for being a pain in the ass haha.

[MortyCrock]

Someone more knowledgeable could chime in, but I know the m42 is just a drop in, but the m50 is something im not sure of.

IF you decided to go the m20b25 route, then grabbing a 323i (m20b23) or the 320/6 (m20b20), then you wont have to modify the subframe or motor mounts to put the "newer" m20b25 engine in.

I've noticed that there are two camps here, one side is the "MOAR PWR" camp, and wants nothing more than to swap engines to get more HPs. I don't believe there is anything wrong with that, that's the nature of being a "car person"; wanting to make what car you love better/faster and what not. the second camp is the side that urges new owners/drivers to fix what you do have and just drive it as is to see how you like it. A lot of people feel the urge to just go out start modifying their cars without actually enjoying them first.

Heck, I don't even own an e21 (yet), these are just observations I've made over the last year and a half. I originally came here with a thirst for knowledge, and there is a wealth of it here, and hopefully in the next week or two, i'll be bringing my e21 home... finally.

Cheers!

[SpanishArcher13]

Thanks for the input, I was really thinking of getting the m42 or the 323i, but I wanted to see if they would fit.

Personally I would like it to have some power but that's not essential for me that why I want an engine that's good and I won't have to mess around with. And focus on the other things like feel, aspect, etc..

Good luck on finding your e21, keep us posted.

[okieflats]

I would choose the e21 with fuel injection and keep the 4 cylinder m10 and swap the fuel injection for weber side draft carburetors. See this link for required parts, which you can find used for less money.

http://www.iemotorsport.com/bmw/2002...10dcoeKIT.html

[SpanishArcher13]

i live in europe so having this shit on my engine would fuck me up every time id have to have my car inspected and it wouldn't pass, at least where i live n Spain.