What do you know about e21's?"

[JasonC]

I'm going to look at an 1977 320i tomorrow and i'm wondering what to look for that goes wrong on them. It is a 4speed car with full ground effects and rear spoiler. It needs a new rear end and a fuel distributor so the guy said. And it is a former Ethiopian Embassy car. I haven't seen the car yet so i don't really know what to expect?

[MR 325]

I'd post something up in the bfc E21 forum. Those guys are cool dudes.

[JasonC]

I'd post something up in the bfc E21 forum. Those guys are cool dudes.

Took your advice and just posted it over there.

[AlarmedBread]

I know that they are badass ;)

[euroshark]

Lots of people hate them, but they are totally cool and unique I think. They look like mini-sharks, and they will accept the M30 just about as easily as the E30 I believe

[JasonC]

I asked the guy what bumpers it had on it, and he said they only stuck out about 6" away from the body. But i know where theres a set of euro bumpers for it in a junk yard. I'm just wondering what kind of skirts and airdam plus spoiler it has on it. I like the look of them too minus the US bumpers.

[CleanAzzE30z]

Nice.... post pics man! Those engines, the venerable M10, will run forever. SLow as a dog, but very reliable.


Mariano

[JasonC]

i'll get pictures of it tomorrow, i can't wait to see what the guy from the Ethiopian Embassy was riding around in. And does anyone want to buy a Shelby Charger?

[ivo316]

Nice.... post pics man! Those engines, the venerable M10, will run forever. SLow as a dog, but very reliable.


Mariano

Take my word for it, you are right :p

[Hadrian]

rust

[backtrail69]

They are kinda the bastard child of BMW, but can look real nice fixed up with euro bumpers.

[Hadrian]

The US spec is kinda the bastard child of BMW, but can look real nice fixed up with euro bumpers.

Fixed it for you.

[winstontj]

Ethiopian Embasy car??? Fuel Distributor???

E21's also came with 2.0i m20's you know... The "euro" 323 and 320 were M20 motors even in an e21. Are you sure the car is an m10? IIRC 1977 should be a carbureted m10 2.0i motor, i do not remember exactly but I'm pretty sure the only FI e21's were all 1.8i's.

The e21 IMO is the most underrated BMW out there, BMW sold more e21's than 2002's but now for some reason because its looked at as the bastard stopgap between the 2002 and the e30 they are worth nothing & everyone thinks they are ugly.

THEY RUST! just like an e30 and like a 2002... check the front floors, rockere (especially behind all the ground fx stuff), in the trunk under the tire jack & under the filler neck, seams by the shock towers... thats about it.

The cool thing about 77 is no emissions... pick up an m20 euro subframe and have at it, if you know where there is a euro parts car take a look for the cr gearbox and m20 under the hood... they also had dual exhaust which is pretty cool!

Good luck! Sadly I know more about e21's & 2002's than e30's...

[Rigmaster]

Ethiopian Embasy car??? Fuel Distributor???

E21's also came with 2.0i m20's you know... The "euro" 323 and 320 were M20 motors even in an e21. Are you sure the car is an m10? IIRC 1977 should be a carbureted m10 2.0i motor, i do not remember exactly but I'm pretty sure the only FI e21's were all 1.8i's.

The e21 IMO is the most underrated BMW out there, BMW sold more e21's than 2002's but now for some reason because its looked at as the bastard stopgap between the 2002 and the e30 they are worth nothing & everyone thinks they are ugly.

THEY RUST! just like an e30 and like a 2002... check the front floors, rockere (especially behind all the ground fx stuff), in the trunk under the tire jack & under the filler neck, seams by the shock towers... thats about it.

The cool thing about 77 is no emissions... pick up an m20 euro subframe and have at it, if you know where there is a euro parts car take a look for the cr gearbox and m20 under the hood... they also had dual exhaust which is pretty cool!

Good luck! Sadly I know more about e21's & 2002's than e30's...

All of the US-Spec 320i's had CIS Fuel injection.

All of the US-Spec 320i's had emissions controls- though most have been removed or modified by now. (maybe by "no emissions" you mean no emissions INSPECTION????)

The fuel distributor is a EXPENSIVE piece of equipment, use this as a bargaining tool (the owner probably knows this and it's probably one of the main reasons they're selling it instead of fixing it). Used to be you could just pick up a good used one, but they are hard to find now- since most of them in junkyards are bad from sitting up so long- or they were bad when they got junked. You have plenty of engine options- one of the best IMHO would be an M20B25 from an E30. Don't be tempted to try an M20B23 (323i engine), they are antiques compared to the B25- and the B25 is an antique in it's own right.



Bret.


Other than that, what you said above is mostly true- though I think the reason the E21 is the 3 series bastard child is because it was choked down by emissions control and poor performance compared to the 2002, and it does not have the handling or reliability of the E30.

[egk2]

RUST....


Redline performance in Florida gave me one as a loaner long time ago
while they worked on my e36. It was slow, brakes were horrible and the floor was rusted out, I could actually see the ground from inside, not joking.