bmwe21.net forums

Hello all, I haven't posted here for some time. I was going to do a light respray on the car because a little bit of rust showed up by the windscreen at the bottom so I thought I'd remove it and o it, but as soon as I removed the windscreen I discovered rust which penetrated the body. The back windscreen was the same. I started dismantling the car and behind the bottom of the front mudguard/fenders I discovered a horror on each side. The dash board is full of cracks too. The engine will be pulled out because it leaks from two places and there is water corrosion and the panel beater needs to spray the bonnet area, I wanted to ask if there is anyone out there who could help me in this by getting in touch with me to maybe go through some things maybe on Skype because I'd like to get things done properly this time. Thank you for all your help!

Anyone available please?

Well, for starters, there are a few very nice restauration topics online. For instance mine . 6 cilinder part, polaris e21 323i.

To help you to get on it from The Netherlands, just make a write up with all your questions and concerns.. I'll try to awnser as good as I can.

Oh, and if you decide to go all the way let me tell you: yes, you will have several moments (days, weeks) that you want to torch the damn thing, that you know that you should have bought a new Ford Focus, that you don't know how in the hell it will ever be a complete automobile once again. Remember that all hobby restorers have those moments. You'll get over it. And you will finish it.

And in the end you will be happy as a child with the desperation in your eyes that someone forced you to mount a spontaneous disassembled part with blank galvanised bolts instead of yellow galvanised bolts.

The light at the tunnel is a very tense first ride. But when you look at yourself in the rear view mirror, you realize that you have a smile with a face attached to it. It is so hard sometimes, but the reward is so big. It is worth it.

Thank you gentlemen very encouraging from the both of you. Right now my main concern is a few small little things which I'm afraid I will forget eventually whilst the project goes along. The dashboard has several cracks which I saw a good photographed repair method, but how do you bring the texture again? I have a few questions pertaining to parts, I ran up a bill of 600EUR on Wallot & Nesch, and I haven't even started yet, haha, Just a couple of rubber seals and plastic nuts for the welding. I would like to know the following things please:

1) How do I pull off the radio? There seem to be two screws for the section I can feel to the left and right but I have no idea how to get a screw driver in there.
2)What is the best treatment to ensure rust doesn't ever return?
3) Some knobs from my radio broke off, I have a Pioneer Cassette player, it's the original, Where can I find pieces?
4) Here in this picture I have the centre console all cracked, and I need to buy one like in the link here. I cant find any
http://e21dub.blogspot.com/2012/09/retr ... layer.html

Thanks guys

Well, centre console has a pin in the middle, underneath the black hardboard bottom. You can lift that hardboard. Then next to the glovebox you have a screw. Best to remove the glovebox first.

Then the dashboard. In the far corners there are two nuts, one at each side. It is a hassle to reach those, since you go thru the steel das carrier, I believe. You need to use a 12mm bit, odd size. Of those are removed, you gently but sure lift the dash so the pins clear the holes (where the nuts are removed). In the middle of the dash, up against the windscreen, are two clamps in a bracket. That should pop out with some help.

Looking at other topics is very helpfull. See this pic from mine. See the two brackets in the middle and the two in de corners, up against the windowseal?



Rear seatbelt mechanism, that is the right way of doing it. 17mm bit and ratchet. Needs some fiddling around to get it out. You do this via the trunk?

Oh and www.bmwfans.info is a usefull site. Give in your vinnumber and it will show all parts of your car in exploded view. With partnumbers.

Wow that was very helpful. Rear seat belts out and sun roof off. I am now pulling out the headlining since its torn an I've gotten it loose but it's stuck around the sun roof because there are chrome rails and I can't pull them out. I've removed all screws Aron the black sun roof tails so all that is out but the chrome long bits are still in there and I can't really see how to remove it....

The are glued in with a gum like substance. Easy does it. Just stick a flat knife of some kind, like a putty-knife with rounded corners, under it. If the part that you can reach is loosened, then just try to pull it forward.

Will do that. Oh gosh I broke so much when pulling out the dashboard

Moving the thread to the 6 cyl section of the owner's gallery keep us posted!

Good action, J! Looking forward to much more pics from this restoration.

I've liked the facebook page and joined, and I post over there. My main concern at this point is how on earth to remove the head liner and interior side lights, I am afraid of pulling hard in case I break them especially since I can't find some parts.

Yeah, well, I don't have Facebook, and anything you post there is gone. But what is posted here stays and is there for others to see in the future.

I see, just thought there might be more views or something. Do you know where I can find dashboard bits? some parts of mine are cracked such as the face of the heater area.