bmwe21.net forums

Hi all

Better write a few lines about my '81 323i since I've been on the forum for a while now.

I bought my 323i from its first owner - a man who had retired a couple of years before from his window making business - just a few villages away from where I live. I spotted the car alongside the road one day. The Polaris silver e21 had 110.000 kms (just under 70.000 miles) on the clock. That was back in 2001. I now own the car for 7 years and tried to keep it as spotless as it was when I bought it. It has an optional tilt-slide sunroof and 13" turbine wheels. It's now done some 140.000 kms (about 87.500 miles). I use it primarily for classic car tours and regularity rallies.

Because of the regularity rallies (and odd track day), I'm currently developing the car into what should be a fast road car, say what an e21 M3 would've been if BMW had ever made it, an M3 'avant la lettre'

Current and (mostly ) future specs include:

Chassis
Bilstein shocks
H&R springs
Whiteline sways front and rear
polybushes all round
front strut brace
Volvo 4 pot calipers
Ferodo DS2500 pads and uprated discs
hydraulic handbrake
7x15" Compomotives ML with Hankook 205/50 semi-slicks
oil sump and diff protection plate
replica Hartge rear diffuser

Interior
OMP steering wheel
Sparco Corsa bucket seats
harnesses
Safety Devices 6 point roll cage
center console with additional instruments and switches (including oil temperature gauge with switch for gearbox and diff)
custom glovebox with rally instruments
Not sure yet what to do with the backseat: leave it in place or not?

Engine and drivetrain
K&N air filter
5 overdrive gearbox with Z3 gearchange
40% LSD 3.64
custom stainless steel exhaust and manifold
battery in the boot
and on the long term a fully fast road tuned M20 2.3 (In the first place, I want a smooth, revvy engine. Therefore I prefer a tuned 2.3 engine above anything else. Some smooth 180 hp will do.)

Exterior
subtle e30 rear spoiler
Alpina front spoiler
Alpina rear fender spoilers
black bonnet
Bosch spot and fog lights (really need those for the regularity!)
additional reversing light

I'm getting there, slowly Only problem is a serious lack of time. I'm hoping to get the car ready in about 2 or 3-years time. Nice spread for the budget too... Don't go copycatting now, y'all

Here are some pics of the car before any work was done. I'll upload more recent pics when there's something to look at. I'm now doing the chassis upgrades. Part of the fun, but I can't wait to drive the car with all the mods done.

Meanwhile I enjoy my classic Mini and Triumph TR6 Pi.

Cheers

Jeroen T.

Hey Jeroen,


Looks very nice, I'm really intrested in seeing the pics how he is progressing. I think your doing just the right adjustmenst, not overdoing but creating a nice set-up for a rally/track worthy e21. Maybe when VerDi organises his Belgian-Dutch e21 meeting, like he said (I'm planning a E21 meet and greet @ Circuit Zolder posted in Januari by VerDi) we could see it in real life.

Greets and succes,

Sam

Hey Jeroen

Nice to finally see some pics of your 323i ... it's like watching my own car back when I bought it ... ... She really looks nice and I hope to see it in real sometime ... why aren't you comming to the lelystad meeting on the 6th of september ... or isn't she running at the moment??

Rgds

Gerrit

She's up on axle stands for the moment and my centre console is dismantled. Lots of wires hanging out September is a rather busy month anyway... so I won't make it to the Lelystad meeting Already attending the Goodwood Revival and the Spa Six Hours.

I'm very lucky that the body has almost no rust and that everything else on the car is in a perfect condition. I can just proceed with the mods I like. It was a real find! I've never seen a e21 in original condition that was that good. And with the planned upgrades, it will be better than ever!

Hoping to be able to contact Andreas soon for the parts I mentioned, Gerrit

Cheers

Jeroen T.

He is away on holiday till the end of the month ... try beginning of august

Gerrit