1978 520/6 arktikblau

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Zonfeld
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1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by Zonfeld »

Hello to you all,

May I present my 1978 520/6 automatic in arktikblau. I’ve owned it for two years and is my second e12 after a short-lived and rather underwhelming (sorry!) ownership of an e21 320/6. Much as I love e21s, I find I prefer the e12’s more “stately” character. I also suspect e12s are less prone to overheating...

This car underwent a comprehensive restoration by a previous owner, with upgrades including cream leather-trimmed Recaros, Weber carb and an Alpina suspension set-up. I've also added an Alpina steering wheel and front spoiler, and a 1978 Blaupunkt Essen stereo. A Happich rear spoiler is also to follow shortly.

My compliments to all the wonderful e12s featured on this sub-forum!

Image

Image

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323baur
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by 323baur »

I do like!

More pictures please.
Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you.
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Zonfeld
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by Zonfeld »

Thanks 323baur, here's a couple more:

Image

Image
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uwbuurman
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by uwbuurman »

Do like too!! Great colour!
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
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323baur
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by 323baur »

Well done! Very...
Understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of the car and oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of the car. Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall. Torque is how far you take the wall with you.
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e-einundzwanzig
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by e-einundzwanzig »

beautiful
I took the corner at high speed, came in the ditch, drove straight through a garden, flipped over 4 times and then I lost control of my steering-wheel!
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by pandemonium001 »

Looks lovely, that car is screaming for an m54b30.

:thumbsup
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BertjeConti
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by BertjeConti »

That artktikblau is such a nice color.... love it
goes very well with the grey interior :thumbsup

any plans with it ?
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Megasquirted '77 E12 520-6

Aspen Silver '96 E39 523i
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Zonfeld
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by Zonfeld »

Thank you for all your kind comments.

Although I'm not really a performance freak I would eventually like to upgrade the engine, to 2.8 litres at least. I'd be very interested to hear of other e12 owners' thoughts and experiences on uprating engines on these cars.
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BertjeConti
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by BertjeConti »

First thing i should do is get a third pedal in the pedalbox, makes driving much more fun.

If concidering a engine swap, go for a M30 with manual gearbox in one swap and ditch the M20. Easiest done with a donor car to take all the parts needed.
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Megasquirted '77 E12 520-6

Aspen Silver '96 E39 523i
pandemonium001
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by pandemonium001 »

Although I do agree with Bertje on the 3rd pedal, I do see the merits of the auto if you want to keep a relaxed drive.
if you have an M20, I presume any M52/m54 will bolt to your M20 auto box, is it a 3HP20??? advantage is no faffing with speedo cables, pedals, linkages and prop shafts.
yes M30 is good but you will need matching G/Box from e12 to retain speedo output so options would be 3hp20, getrag 262/265.

for manual m30 conversion you will need the m30 getrag prop shaft, only other i think will do is the e12 525 auto prop, it just needs a shim.

If you like the auto you have..... I would M54b30 (240hp out the can) or m52b28, bolt to your auto, and follow one of the E12 M52 conversion topics. for less than the price of a manual getrag.

I ended up going M30b35, only because I managed to get a getrag 265 dog leg from an e12 and wanted a manual.
I actually have a spare belhousing for the 265, which I bought purely to cut, clock to correct angle and weld an M52 flange onto in the future.
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by loentje »

really a beauty


greetins loentje
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Zonfeld
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by Zonfeld »

All this advice is tremendously helpful, thank you. I should've made clear that I'm keen to retain the car's auto transmission (ZF 3HP22), not least for the relative ease it would afford in transplanting an engine.
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by bmw e12 e21 »

Nice car! A fabulous colour wit a very nice ALPINA kit. :thumbsup
grt Remy

BMW e21 M315 1983 75pk+ 110Nm+ Double WEBER DCOE 40
BMW e21 323i ED. S 1982 143pk 190Nm
BMW e12 M535i 1980 218pk 310Nm
BMW e91 318d 2009 190pk 411Nm
FORD Focus 1.8TDci 2010 115pk 300Nm
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Re: 1978 520/6 arktikblau

Post by Jeroen »

This is more and more becoming an interesting subforum indeed, welcome and compliments on a wonderful car sir!
Regards/groeten, Jeroen
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