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Thread: 1982 BMW 323i... a Story in the Making.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it

    1982 BMW 323i... a Story in the Making.

    Here we go!

    Alright y’all, if you remember (or don’t) I found a Ascot Grey 1982 BMW 323i in the woods of East Portland in October of 2015, and this is how it looked when I found it.

    IMG_9199 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    From there I went through a period of about six months where my BMW Tech and I negotiated and couldn’t quite come to an agreement. It was about that time that I found the 1979 323i next to it that had the Matthes engine in it, as well as the
    (presumably) Stahl headers as well as a Bosi cat-back exhaust.

    323fourteen by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    323sixteen by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    323thirteen by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Well, after coming to an arrangement for BOTH cars, they just sat as I got some things together financially and logistically. About a year after finding the car, my wife and I bought a house with a nice detached garage in it that I knew I could make into my mad scientist lab. We when decided to start planning for a kitchen remodel, so that tied up all of my available fundage. After selling my 1988 325ix, it freed up the necessary monies to make a down payment on the car, and strike a deal that I could bring the car home, and continue to just make payments.

    Even though the deal was struck, the car didn’t move for a few months, until recently. With a healthy boost of enthusiasm, a friend and I cleaned out a lane to prep the car to move, in hopes to get it out “soon”. Another issue was that there were two corners that we needed to clear to get the car to the front of the shop…

    IMG_9200 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    The first corner was here.

    IMG_9201 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9245 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    I didn’t get any pictures of actually clearing the corner, but it did make it, and we didn’t manage to hit anything… but the tractor did run out of gas prior to the finish line… go figure.

    IMG_9246 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9248 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9250 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9251 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Out of gas....

    IMG_9252 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    We ended up running out of time that day, so we staged the cars at the front of the shop, to be picked up the following morning.

    IMG_9253 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    The following morning went off without any issues, and the car was delivered today (Friday) to my friends shop. After work, I swung by the shop and got to work clearing the many years of grime that had accumulated over the years. The following hour was spent dodging rain drops and washing the car… and what I found underneath… and what I found was a fairly decent little car!

    IMG_9261 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9263 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9264 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9265 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9266 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9267 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9268 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Found more rust, unfortunately, but it seems to just be surface rust, so im not too worried.

    The interior is still a little rough, but it’ll be a work progress, much like the rest of the car. Planning on getting the interior recovered, and I already have a sample of the material I want to use, it seems to be a popular one with e21 enthusiasts.

    IMG_9269 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9271 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9273 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9270 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    I’m going to leave the Blaupunkt tape deck, and try to figure out the Ungo alarm system… but who knows what’ll happen with that. I am super excited about the rear head rests.

    Last, but not least, I had an old e30 car cover laying, so I fitted it over the car, and that’s where it’ll sit for the time being…

    IMG_9274 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    My kitchen remodel is in full swing, and as soon as our new cabinets and cupboards are removed from the garage, it’ll be time to officially bring the car home! Then the fun will really start

    Stay tuned!
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    San Jose, California
    Posts
    1,720
    My Cars
    E21 320i, E30 325i
    I remember this. That cleaned up real nice, on the outside!
    '81 E21 320i / '90 E30 325i / '̶9̶2̶ ̶E̶3̶4̶ ̶5̶2̶5̶i̶t (sold) / '15 Toyota XW30 / '̶̶8̶0̶ ̶E̶2̶1̶ ̶3̶2̶0̶i̶A̶ (sold)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by amarino View Post
    I remember this. That cleaned up real nice, on the outside!
    Thanks! It's gonna take some time and a lot of motivation, but I'm gonna do it!
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    1,420
    My Cars
    1980 e21, 1985 323i
    Wow, can't believe how nice that car looks after sitting outside, you have a great start on this project. When does the other car come home
    jm

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Pioneer, CA
    Posts
    1,865
    My Cars
    73' tii 79 320i 73'2002
    Awesome, do I see a 2002 under all that moss? I could use some parts...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by tlapham View Post
    Awesome, do I see a 2002 under all that moss? I could use some parts...
    My BMW Tech has a few 2002s... but he usually isn't into parting anything out, just selling whole parts cars.
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Eugene, Or
    Posts
    307
    My Cars
    '82s m42, '80 323i Baur
    Very nice cars (and thread) Morty! This is going to be real fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the first cruise!

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    San Antonio, Tx
    Posts
    430
    My Cars
    1977 320i
    That cleaned up shockingly well!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
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    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by allan633 View Post
    Very nice cars (and thread) Morty! This is going to be real fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the first cruise!

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
    Quote Originally Posted by WantingAfunE21 View Post
    That cleaned up shockingly well!
    Thanks, guys! It'll be good to start digging into it. Going to tear it down slowly while its at my friend's shop, then get more in depth when i finally get it home. Super excited, regardless!
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    7,444
    My Cars
    1979 323i BMW. 2003 GTI 20 V Turbo
    Looks good, no rust in the tail panel or quarters? Seems to be in very good shape. Make sure you replace the timing belt. Usually the fuel distributor and the warm up regulator gets clogged from sitting. Good luck.
    "..Horsepower is a measure of work done over time, or the rate at which work is done."




    http://www.cardomain.com/ride/579694/1


  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
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    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by jjgbmw323 View Post
    Looks good, no rust in the tail panel or quarters? Seems to be in very good shape. Make sure you replace the timing belt. Usually the fuel distributor and the warm up regulator gets clogged from sitting. Good luck.
    Most of the rust is in the tail, but i haven't gotten it in the air yet. I'm hoping that'll happen sometime this week, but we'll have to see! everything is going to move somewhat slowly for the first few months, but hopefully it'll ramp up sometime this winter or next year.

    Oh, and the engine that's in there is HOPEFULLY getting pulled out for the one that's in the '79 car, but we're still in a holding pattern for it.
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Seattle, WA USA
    Posts
    1,495
    My Cars
    '83 323i, '82 320i, '06 mazda5
    nice score sir! and great wheels to boot the paint did look surprisingly good after washing. not sure if a respray is down the road but be careful with how long you leave the car cover on. while I was working on a swap, mine was covered a few months and moisture got trapped underneath and it caused my nice roof to turn cloudy. best to take the cover off every so often up here in the NW and let it breathe although, I guess it was under a tarp for quite a while, so maybe it doesn't matter in your case...
    Last edited by sbcrockett; 05-14-2017 at 08:00 PM.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Posts
    1,631
    My Cars
    1981 320i silver
    That Moss and Ivy covered 2002 is a work of art. I live in a damp area where vegetation flourishes. It appears where you are it is even much more-so.

    I went to a farm to buy some Alfa Romeo parts and it was somewhat similar. Parts like transmissions and heads and blocks and camshafts left out for grass to grow up around them and moss to grow on them Lichens. I bought a pair of steel wheels for $10, then decided to toss them after trying to clean off the rust and repaint them

    We are looking forward to the dis assembly and rebuild of the Mathes engine.
    .

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by sbcrockett View Post
    nice score sir! and great wheels to boot the paint did look surprisingly good after washing. not sure if a respray is down the road but be careful with how long you leave the car cover on. while I was working on a swap, mine was covered a few months and moisture got trapped underneath and it caused my nice roof to turn cloudy. best to take the cover off every so often up here in the NW and let it breathe although, I guess it was under a tarp for quite a while, so maybe it doesn't matter in your case...
    Thank you! There was a respray done on the rear at some point, and it looks like some body work was done on the passenger rear at some point, but that was probably in the early/mid 90s. The car cover is a temporary solution while my kitchen is being remodeled, and my garage is being overrun but new cupboards and cabinets... in about a week or so, it'll come home home and have its own garage to live in! Plus, while its at my friend's shop, i'll be going over periodically to check on it and do a few things. I did pry open the glove box (which was painful to do) and found the original owners manual... but it was beyond repair.


    Quote Originally Posted by okieflats View Post
    That Moss and Ivy covered 2002 is a work of art. I live in a damp area where vegetation flourishes. It appears where you are it is even much more-so.

    I went to a farm to buy some Alfa Romeo parts and it was somewhat similar. Parts like transmissions and heads and blocks and camshafts left out for grass to grow up around them and moss to grow on them Lichens. I bought a pair of steel wheels for $10, then decided to toss them after trying to clean off the rust and repaint them

    We are looking forward to the dis assembly and rebuild of the Mathes engine.
    .
    Haha if you love THAT particular work of art, you'd love the rest of his property... TONS of "art" around. Most of the time i go there i almost always find something new. Next stop there is to find the cylinder head and accompanying equipment for the '82 car, it currently has no top end, and if the '79 car falls through, i'm gonna need to send the whole engine out. Still praying the '79 car pulls through, cause that Matthes engine is too cool! Plus there's a lot of usable parts left on it.
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Finally got it home! The powers at be (and my wife) saw it fit that I could bring the 323i home today, and I couldn’t be happier! No having to visit it at my friends shop anymore… all I have to do is walk into my backyard and BOOM!! There it is.

    Before we loaded it up, i got a chance to throw it on the rack and get a look at the under carriage. Being that bad e21 owner that i am, i completely forgot to take pictures. But what i can tell you, is that it looks pretty alright down there from sitting for as long as it did. No major rust areas, just some surface rust in the floor boards, and some on the passenger rocker panel. The rest seemed pretty dang good! Also noted an LSD, which i believe to be a 3.45, but i could be wrong... didnt find a diff tag to confirm, so currently, its a mystery.

    Loading it onto the trailer…

    IMG_9295 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Obligatory Family shot

    IMG_9297 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Decided to live dangerously, and take a motion shot (don’t worry, I was being safe!)

    IMG_9298 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    After that, my friend and I unloaded it and pushed it into my backyard, where it’ll sit in my courtyard until my garage becomes available.

    Sneaky little Minx…

    IMG_9299 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    And here it sits for now, ready for the tear down!

    IMG_9300 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Started pulling stuff out of the inside, in preparation for pulling the interior out and getting a look at the floor boards.

    Carpet doesn’t look TOO bad.

    IMG_9301 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    From there I pulled out the seats and found a few interesting items…

    IMG_9308 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Under passenger seat, a 90s amplifier for the stereo…

    IMG_9302 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Under the driver’s seat was this! The control unit for the Ungo alarm system… complete with mercury switches! Very very cool… I think I might save this for quite some time.

    IMG_9303 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9304 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Finished pulling out the whole interior, but my shop vac was buried in my garage, so I decided to call it quits and clean up. And here’s where it sits now.

    IMG_9306 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    IMG_9307 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    After cleaning up, I decided to put the cover back on, just in case… This is Oregon, after all.

    Crappy low-light cell phone picture…

    IMG_9309 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    And now all tucked into it’s new home!

    IMG_9310 by Morgan Crockett, on Flickr

    Cheers guys, more to come.
    Last edited by MortyCrock; 05-18-2017 at 12:45 AM.
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    1,585
    My Cars
    1978 323i
    wow, this looks 100x better already!

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by cgifool View Post
    wow, this looks 100x better already!
    thanks, man! Its gonna be a good weekend/week for fun with the car... 10+ days of no rain!
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Tampa Bay
    Posts
    2
    My Cars
    2014 Toyota Tacoma TRD
    Nice! I love projects like this. Good luck man. Can't wait to see updates along the way.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by BigLou1 View Post
    Nice! I love projects like this. Good luck man. Can't wait to see updates along the way.
    Thanks, Lou! looking forward to the progress, myself.
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    30
    My Cars
    '58 MGA, '83 320i
    Morty, that's awesome. That dash looks completely crack free from your pictures, can't be possible after sitting outside all that time, can it?

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    monterey, ca.
    Posts
    14,486
    My Cars
    e21, e30 m3. e46 330ci
    not that the E21's aren't cool or anything, but that 535is is the cat's meow! i had an 88 just like it and is the only car i ever regretted letting go of.


    Quote Originally Posted by MortyCrock View Post
    Tom D

    77 e21 - m42
    88 e30m3
    04 330 dinan3
    84 r1000rt
    02 r1150rs
    all of them gray
    14 f800gsa - red headed stepchild!

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
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    641
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    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by Teutonicscot View Post
    Morty, that's awesome. That dash looks completely crack free from your pictures, can't be possible after sitting outside all that time, can it?
    The dash has some cracks, unfortunately, but they're minor ones.

    Thanks!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    641
    My Cars
    1982 323i 2003 325it
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom D View Post
    not that the E21's aren't cool or anything, but that 535is is the cat's meow! i had an 88 just like it and is the only car i ever regretted letting go of.
    Thanks, Tom! It's definitely a great car. The Pacific Blue interior isn't really my thing, but it's definitely grown on me over the years!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Past, Present, and Future

    1974 BMW 2002tii (RIP)
    1995 BMW 325is w/ FULL S50 swap, track prepped (SOLD)
    1988 BMW 325ix Zinno/Black (RIP)
    1988 BMW 325ix Alpine/Black (Sold)
    1988 BMW 535is Alpine/Pacific Blue (Going Away...)
    1982 BMW 323i (Current Project/Paper Weight)
    2003 BMW 325i Sport Touring (Daily Driver)

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    1,420
    My Cars
    1980 e21, 1985 323i
    Yeh, the 535is is very nice
    jm

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Portland, Oregon, USA
    Posts
    513
    My Cars
    lots
    Can't wait to hit that ascot gray with the buffer and see how it looks!
    '72 2002 pickup | '88 M5 | '89 330is | '89 M3 | '01 Z3M | '11 328xi-t

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