Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

User avatar
Jeroen
Site Admin
Posts: 29199
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:23 pm
My E21(s): '81 323i Baur
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by Jeroen »

Looking good!


Regards/groeten, Jeroen
max
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by max »

Hi guys,
just another little update...I finally had some time to try and sort the cars overheateing propblem. I ended up snapping the bolts off getting the thermostat out. Then tried to drill the the snapped remains out and ruined the tread, drilled out the tread, tapped new tread, then snapped the thermostat housing as it didnt have engough meat left on it! Balls!
All I could find on ebay was an E30 thermostat housing. Fitted that with some new hoses. Still getting too hot! And also the clutch master had gone?! There was no obvious leak anywhere but when I pulled back the rubber boot it was full of fluid. Fitted new one, problem solved.
At some point i found that the little outlet from the expansion tank was blocked, and that was causing a pressure build up, so things were a little better then, but still getting hot. I took the car for a spin round the block and the brakes started sticking! Thought it would be the master, but ended up being the calipers. So rebuilt them using a seal kit so they are fine now.

I'm skipping quickly through this stuff as I know I wrote about the problems in the tech bit.

But fitted a new viscous fan, and hey presto, it stayed cool. I do think though, that it is too tight and spins all the time?! At least its not overheating!?
I took it for a run after letting it tick over for 20mins, just to see if it would get hot. Drove about 40miles around Cardiff with no dramas!
On sunday just gone, I took it for a little car meet in Bristol, convoying it down with a bunch of VW's, whose tyres were too stretched and were too low! ( I must be getting old?! )
It did behave its self very well, although it was reluctant to start after I'd filled it with fuel, it was ok after a few minutes rest! I did get alot of fumes though.
Today I took it for another trip! I drove up to see James (JFI Classics) in Brecon. It drove very well, and I didnt get so many fumes as I fitted the boot lid seal back on!

Its a nice car to drive......it could just do with a bit more power! So where do I go now with it? Do I send more money fitting a better engine? Or sell it and get something more powerful? I could fit an m20b25, but I'd want better brakes and a LSD. I could go all out and fit an m50/52?! As I have very little time I would probably have to pay someone to do it, so should I sell it and just wait for one thats been done to turn up?!
Anyway here are some snaps!
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
User avatar
Jeroen
Site Admin
Posts: 29199
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:23 pm
My E21(s): '81 323i Baur
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by Jeroen »

She looks good and the issues are known E21 issues. Well, more issues that come with this age I guess, nothing out of the ordinary. And another one is probably the fuel hoses and fuel breather hoses causing the fuel fumes. Nearly all of them can be inspected under te rear seat where a small cover unveils the right tank half. Only one hose you can't change with the tank fitted, the breather hose on the left tank half. Removing the tank half isn't difficult at all, just make sure it's as empty as possible.

I can imagine you're not overwhelmed by the power of the 320 even though it sounds great. Several people here have done M50 and M52 conversion and these appear pretty straight forward to me. Just check out some of their own threads in the Modified section of the Owners Gallery.
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
User avatar
raseeda green
E21 Fanatic
Posts: 292
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:25 pm
Location: SouthEast Eng

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by raseeda green »

Hi max,
I see your ride height, 60/40 and it looks superb! The cars looking great too, I like the redness. It looking abit like mine too. I would keep it and do a engine conversion later like an M52, they go quite fast and sound lovely.
316 auto raseeda green
323 red m52 modified
max
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by max »

Wow I need to do a big update here!
It's had a heart transplant! Now it's got a m20b25, and a LSD. Still got a few little problems, but I'll give a more indepth update when I'm on my laptop.
User avatar
Jeroen
Site Admin
Posts: 29199
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:23 pm
My E21(s): '81 323i Baur
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by Jeroen »

Sounds like fun!
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
E21noob
E21 Fanatic
Posts: 355
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 11:46 pm
My E21(s): SOLD
Location: Oslo, Norway

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by E21noob »

Looking forward to reading about the transplant!
User avatar
uwbuurman
E21 VIP
E21 VIP
Posts: 18637
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:49 pm
My E21(s): 1978 type 1 323i 5speed dogleg Polaris
Location: Ljouwert

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by uwbuurman »

and seeing the loads of pics you've made ;-)

must be driving much faster now?
It's the man next door!

1978 BMW 323i
1980 BMW 528i maior restitutio
1987 BMW 325iA cabriolet
2006 BMW 320d touring High Executive
2015 BMW 320dA touring xDrive High Executive ///Msport
max
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by max »

Wow!! I've been gone for a while, but I'm back!
My wife thinks I've been having a mid life crisis. I've been having an affair......with two M cars! First I bought an e39 M5, such an amazing car but I bought a cheapish one and after sorting a few things out, found some terrible sill repares! After I had looked under the plastic sill covers, I found that both sills had been patched the whole length. And when I jacked it up it made that horrible crunching crumbling noise!
So the dealer I bought it from had a nice E46 M3, steel grey, SMG. It's was a lot of fun! The SMG is really good. But it was a bit rubbish being a 2 door. So I sold it back to the dealer! (I also have a fear that the head gasket was starting the fail!)

Well that's a super quick update. I learn a few things about buying both the m5 and m3. I would love to own another M5 in the future, just need to save my pennies for a really good one.

Back to the 21.
It's beem tucked away, but as of today it's got a fresh mot! My plan is to get some good summer motoring done!
I'll get some pics of the M fling asap.

Ps. It's a funny feeling when you set off in a car you haven't used for a while, when you look over and spot a sump plug in the passenger footwell. !
User avatar
Jeroen
Site Admin
Posts: 29199
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:23 pm
My E21(s): '81 323i Baur
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by Jeroen »

So you spotted the sump plug at the moment you were wondering why the oil pressure light stayed on? :shock

M models are always special. To buy and to drive of course, but as they're fast cars with an almost unbelievable specific output, there are a lot of abused examples with issues around. Especially maintenance and engine abuse issues are costly, but being fast cars many have had a few accidents as well.

In many cases people buy an 'M' thinking it will be fine with just the regular oil changes, but usually it isn't. So you should always calculate that there's some catching up to be done and that can easily be in excess of 3K (no matter what currency haha).
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
max
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by max »

Luckily it was an old sump plug from my VR6! Don't know how it got there.
User avatar
uwbuurman
E21 VIP
E21 VIP
Posts: 18637
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:49 pm
My E21(s): 1978 type 1 323i 5speed dogleg Polaris
Location: Ljouwert

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by uwbuurman »

:lol:
It's the man next door!

1978 BMW 323i
1980 BMW 528i maior restitutio
1987 BMW 325iA cabriolet
2006 BMW 320d touring High Executive
2015 BMW 320dA touring xDrive High Executive ///Msport
D-M93E21
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 71
Joined: Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:17 am
My E21(s): bmw e21 316 manual 12000 miles

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by D-M93E21 »

been waiting for this to come up look sweet dude nice work check out my red motor
max
Upcoming E21 fanatic
Posts: 124
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 1:55 pm

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by max »

I know I'm rubbish at updating this thread!

But just a quick one for now... I picked the 21 up from having a custom stainless exhaust made. And she's a loud one!!
I went for a 2 3/4" straight though 1 box.
I'll do a little recording of it next time I'm out.
User avatar
Jeroen
Site Admin
Posts: 29199
Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:23 pm
My E21(s): '81 323i Baur
Location: The Netherlands
Contact:

Re: Max's '82 320.......getting there!?

Post by Jeroen »

Oh yeah, we need a video now!
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
Post Reply