E21 - Anybody a fan?

[Kieran_n22]

Anybody a fan of the old E21? Just I never hear it mentioned on here and I think it's a real nice cool looking car and without it the E30 probably wouldn't be anywhere near as good.

[lance1a]

I like them. I have an E21 at the moment, though it's still in project stage.

[Kieran_n22]

I would love one!

[bilun777]

I replaced a great 1602 with an E21 318 about 20 years ago..... by comparison the 318 was c**p.

[Raj_p]

I saw a really nice E21 in manchester the other night... it was mint... just shame i was way to pissed to take a pic....

[e21Jason]

Yeah there all right I like more than my e30 m3

[dips346]

maybe

[Topblag]

Love em' but with three E30s the missus isn't keen !!

[dom-1984-320i]

Would love a mint 323i

[Andyboy]

More upmarket Cortina than exalted sports saloon.

[lance1a]

I'm really tempted to make the E21 316 into an Art Car replica. in particular, this one....

[pony]

Rarely see and E21s these days or even in the 1990s. Would love to have a BMW E21 323i Coupe for a month. Prefer the E30 over a E21 but still like the E21. Would love to drive the E21 323i though.

[Blitz]

Rarely see and E21s these days or even in the 1990s. Would love to have a BMW E21 323i Coupe for a month. Prefer the E30 over a E21 but still like the E21. Would love to drive the E21 323i though.

Theres one mint looking henna red 323i with alpina's always parked outside a big house near NSEC Hullbridge.

[Ziggy]

Doesn't really do much for me... Look nice enough, but I'd rather have a nice '02 or E30 tbh.

I'd take an E21 320 turbo though!

[Hoobs]

I like mine.

[pnd]

they look great but don't drive all that in my experience.

[e30-EVN]

I like mine.

she's nice mate
i like them but my preference is e30

[johnl320]

I love them, heres mine from 1993 in Bavaria

[dazleeds]

E21's where the affair with bmw started with me

hope to get another someday and morph the best parts of an e30 into it with a nice engine conversion

[02Man]

I like mine.

I like yours too Mr Hoob

[Jim320i]

They are super slick. There is one that drives down to my local village co-op, some old boy and his missus. I need to stopsometime when I see him there and see whether he would ever sell it. Would love one, but would love a 2002 or simliar more than anything.

[spook]

[/quote]


Is that David Sylvian?

[jonb]

As far as i know the e21 was around the same weight as the e30. The e30 looks much better also so who gives a shit.

Tbh i dont think they are that popular in germany.

[Ajsingh]

My next door neighbour has a real mint one. Its a 323i and he himself has fully restored the car. Its 2 tone grey, top half lighter than the bottom half. Its also a rare one with full working A/C and full recaro sport interior and it also a dogleg gearbox!

Hes had it for since 1994 and now spends all its life in a carpetted garage..

[Hoobs]

e21's are considerably lighter than e30's and have a big following throughout mainland Europe including Germany.
Each to their own when it comes to styling. I happen to prefer e21 but it doesn't stop me appreciating a well executed e30.

[Low_E30]

My next door neighbour has a real mint one. Its a 323i and he himself has fully restored the car. Its 2 tone grey, top half lighter than the bottom half. Its also a rare one with full working A/C and full recaro sport interior and it also a dogleg gearbox!

Hes had it for since 1994 and now spends all its life in a carpetted garage..

I bet you live just off Allenby road.......

[hennared323i]

Would love a mint 323i

Trust me - you wouldn't.

Dreadfull things they were, hellish expensive to keep on the road, BMW after sales service a joke and an endearing trait of throwing you at the nearest hedge/wall as soon as rain got within 10 miles of you.

They looked though, I'll give you that

[e21Jason]

Dreadfull things they were, hellish expensive to keep on the road, BMW after sales service a joke and an endearing trait of throwing you at the nearest hedge/wall as soon as rain got within 10 miles of you.

How many e21's have you driven with decent springs/shocks and rubber they are not tail happy you just must be used to dull under steering e30's

[hennared323i]

Dreadfull things they were, hellish expensive to keep on the road, BMW after sales service a joke and an endearing trait of throwing you at the nearest hedge/wall as soon as rain got within 10 miles of you.

How many e21's have you driven with decent springs/shocks and rubber they are not tail happy you just must be used to dull under steering e30's

I am talking about standard ones here - my father imported a brand new 323i in 1978 from Holland, within a thousand miles it shat its gearbox. Stangely enough he was recovered to a BMW dealership off the M4 that had a stack of replacement boxes on the shelf ("a common fault sir"). A couple of thousand miles later it dumped the clutch slave cylinders contents all over his feet ("oh they all do that sir, it's a common fault") and continued to do so every 2-3 thousand miles thereafter.

The exhaust system was a six piece effort that, in year 2 of ownership, started blowing a different section every 3 months or so - each part was around £200 and had to be mported from Germany ("shame you didn't buy a '79 model sir, they simplified the exhaust for that year).

He finally got rid of it at the end of year 3 as its inherent uselesness and instability in any kind of wet weather was being much exacerbated as the suspension deteriorated with wear. The dealer he chopped it in to took it out for a test drive and upon returning commented that my father had not told him that the car was fitted with power steering to which my father replied "it isn't!"

6 months in the south West London and Weston smare followed by 2 1/2 years in Aberdeen.

I learned to drive in the Northeast of Scotland in the early 80's and, being a typical penniless loser/student after passing my motoring chariots of choice were limited to the toaster end of the market so I have a fair idea about unpredictably handling rwd fishermans cast off's (a certain evil triumph Toledo still brings shivers to my spine) with cardboard sills and other severe wrongness.

The point I was making is that while they are nice to look at, a standard one is going to be high maintenance.

Modified - I haven't a clue - judging by your user name you will have more idea than me

[mattyb]

Trust me - you wouldn't.

Dreadfull things they were, hellish expensive to keep on the road, BMW after sales service a joke and an endearing trait of throwing you at the nearest hedge/wall as soon as rain got within 10 miles of you.

They looked though, I'll give you that

much like an e30 then

[Gortour]

I've had 2 E21s, a 1.8 316 and a 320/6.

Both wonderful cars, I loved em. Only problem I had was the carbs.
The Solex on the 320 6 pot I was forever rebuilding, and the Zenith on the 316 I threw away and fitted a Webber with manual choke.
Yes they were tailhappy, but controllable. I never put one in the ditch, and I often drove it sideways.

[Hoobs]

stack of replacement boxes on the shelf ("a common fault sir"). A couple of thousand miles later it dumped the clutch slave cylinders contents all over his feet ("oh they all do that sir, it's a common fault") and continued to do so every 2-3 thousand miles thereafter.

Really? You'd imagine 02's, e30's etc all to suffer the same ill fate given they use the same parts. I always thought the 4 speed Getrag gearbox was pretty much bullet proof too?

[cypriot_boy_2k7]

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... ?t=1540777

[rh306]

single headlamps FTW

[hennared323i]

stack of replacement boxes on the shelf ("a common fault sir"). A couple of thousand miles later it dumped the clutch slave cylinders contents all over his feet ("oh they all do that sir, it's a common fault") and continued to do so every 2-3 thousand miles thereafter.

Really? You'd imagine 02's, e30's etc all to suffer the same ill fate given they use the same parts. I always thought the 4 speed Getrag gearbox was pretty much bullet proof too?

I'm pretty sure the 323i had a 5 speed fitted