1983 323i Henna "no. 45" (UDP260Y) UPDATE :)

Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:15 am

It is a shame, but at least it is in good hands. Many people would love to see this back to former glory, I have been enjoying this thread! Post pics if/when you can!

Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:09 am

E30's demand as much time as kids and work IMO, there all 20 plus years old and will all need fettling.

Good on you for starting the resto and hope you can add pics as your brother progresses.

Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:34 pm

Right boys, now that I own this beast some alarming changes need to be made!... I'll start with the welding possibly next week, prep the shell totally ready and prime it where needs be. Block the primer and paint it. I'm off work between the 9th of July to the 13th. So I think 2 or 3 full days are to be spent on it. By then it will be ready for paint. Drive it to work (via a low loader) hit the shell with some fresh henna and by the end of July this shell will start getting towards an mot-able/useable state. Then garage it until September where I'll analyse the funds to run this thing for potential shows or dry Sunday drives... Happy times! Thanks Ferg, you know you'll be there helping me. You can't draw yourself away! I'm keeping this car, anybody who wants to see it at shows or if the zone has a stand at a show and want me to bring it, I will... But it won't be ready until September at least!

Wish me luck boys

Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:30 pm

Good luck, post pics of the progress! Good man, taking this henna turd on.

Thu Jun 28, 2012 3:01 pm

Best of luck with it. Seeing what can be done in bodyshops, I'm sure it will turn out to be spectacular.

Thu Jun 28, 2012 4:25 pm

At least the show will go on

Thu Jun 28, 2012 7:29 pm

will it now rival the example shown in the pics earlier

Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:20 pm

jonny323i wrote:will it now rival the example shown in the pics earlier

I'm not that good... But if I were to compare myself with anybody out there. My standards are on the levels of a certain 'Stevie' we all remember...

So its in safe hands!

Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:19 pm

You total c0ck!

Thu Jun 28, 2012 11:16 pm

Good Luck, keep the updates rolling.

Tue Aug 28, 2012 6:23 pm

Any news?

Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:33 pm

In storage at the moment, currently between units as had to move the car in a hurry.

We were only talking about this today actually

Tue Aug 28, 2012 11:42 pm

Got some sick diffin' gear to go back on....

...the weigh bridge

Cars got nearly all the stuff to build a great example. But its more 'business talks' than anything at the minute trying to seal a deal with a brilliant place to store/work on it. Its already in there as I knew the place was a bit derelict. The owners of it own a huge business and have moved to a really big site leaving their old 'storage unit' surplus. They were in the motions of re-wiring, painting it replacing all the necessary things like shutters and were about to part with a big sum of money to freshen it all up. Until I came along and said I'd take it as it was. Now it looks like we are on the right path to a great new home for the Henna to be transformed to the car it once was.

The Henna did receive 2 days of my time a few weeks back now where i managed to have a bit of a toy with the shell but nothing too heavy. But its old home was unfortunately repo'd from the landlord. But they failed to tell me at all! Nearly lost the car! Lucky I had that week off work and caught them off-guard and managed to quickly source my mates recovery lorry and snatch it away! There should be some developments on this soon guys I promise! on its birthday (week 49 2012) it will be 30 years old! It needs to be fresh Henna by then atleast!

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:40 pm

Not much has happened to the car but me and Duke have been trying to source front seats for a long while, mainly the drivers seat... Had a lead of a seat in France, their passenger side so ideal for this but no response from the seller which was frustrating.

So randomly last week I get a text off my bro with a link to something interesting.... An early 323i

A few enquiries later and a deal was struck! So here it is:

Hmmm nice preface number plate board and black rubber heck...

Rear bumper turned out to look quite interesting...

Oh, and what have we here....

They say the only way to get mint high-backs for nowt is pick a car up from a 93 year old woman lol

Correct cloth FTW

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:45 pm

So much WIN /\/\/\

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:53 pm

How much did you get it for ?

I was watching it on eBay as it was just down the road in kingsclere , I was tempted to call but already have chrome turd on the drive

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:55 pm

jimmyspeed wrote:How much did you get it for ?

I was watching it on eBay as it was just down the road in kingsclere , I was tempted to call but already have chrome turd on the drive

That would be telling

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:59 pm

Come on , I need to know

It was 300 on the bay before it went down

I thought the high backs were green , as they looked odd in their picture

Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:00 pm

I know, I know

Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:01 pm

This was southern property, tax for removal, is full price disclosure

Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:35 pm

More turds!

Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:50 pm

capri_rob wrote:So much WIN /\/\/\

+1!

The best seats in the right cloth!

Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:24 pm

jimmyspeed wrote:This was southern property, tax for removal, is full price disclosure

Its a bit hard to say because basically, I stole it from the southern region and brought it to the more caring midlands, where i'll gently nurse the brilliant morsels away from this car and install them on the more deserving car they belong in

Its not a bad chariot though and the guy clearly didn't quite know what he had in this one... the shell is very tidy actually.

Anyway, I paid a good price for some high-backs... and the rest came free

Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:26 pm

DanThe wrote:More turds!

Shut it you!

bss325i wrote:
capri_rob wrote:So much WIN /\/\/\
+1!

The best seats in the right cloth!

Totally agree! thanks for the comments

Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:52 pm

Fair enough, they will look good in the henna!!!

The early 323iiiiis seem to be quite high spec, one I fragged years ago had a nice pioneer sound system in it. There's a good oem spec search on a Spanish website that looks up all oem parts fitted I have it bookmarked on the other computer ,will look for it tomorrow

Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:57 pm

jimmyspeed wrote:Fair enough, they will look good in the henna!!!

The early 323iiiiis seem to be quite high spec, one I fragged years ago had a nice pioneer sound system in it. There's a good oem spec search on a Spanish website that looks up all oem parts fitted I have it bookmarked on the other computer ,will look for it tomorrow

That link is on this forum too, I am just about to search and see if he has won the LSD lottery

(I doubt it though)

The old girl who owned this Bronzit turd had it since 1991

I don't think it needs a lot for an MOT, the exhaust is blowing/baffles gone but the shell seems pretty good, has a few patches that would need attention in the not too distant future but it is the 1st E30 I have seen for a while that doesn't let water in!

Early cars are where it's at

Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:59 pm

jimmyspeed wrote:Fair enough, they will look good in the henna!!!

The early 323iiiiis seem to be quite high spec, one I fragged years ago had a nice pioneer sound system in it. There's a good oem spec search on a Spanish website that looks up all oem parts fitted I have it bookmarked on the other computer ,will look for it tomorrow

Sweet!

Only problem with this car is that it has an irregular story. Apparently it was bought in Germany and shipped over and it was factory built RHD. But the weird spec on the car means its ultra confusing to me and by bro!!

1) High-backs ftw
2) keep fits all around
3) No central locking
4) No power steering

It just seems like somebody specified they wanted the dogs danglies seats in a peasant spec motor please. Oh, and only a 323 engine will do. Its an oddball I'll give it that but it looks like its been garaged most of the way!

Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:12 pm

Essentially it was just a pov spec moredoor 323i with Recaro seats

Code Description (interface) Description (EPC)
S286A BMW LM RAD/BMW STYLING BMW light alloy wheel BMW styling
S311 ELEKTRISCHER BEIFAHRERSPIEGEL
S351 WAERMESCHUTZGLAS BRAUN, RUNDUM
S400A SCHIEBE-HEBEDACH, MECHANISCH Slide/tilt sunroof, manually operated
S485 RECARO-SITZE FUER FAHRER+BEIFA
L812A ENGLAND/IRLAND AUSFUEHRUNG NATIONAL VERSION GREAT BRITAIN

Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:01 am

ahh beat me too it , i was thinking it had a slipper aswell

the 323i was about before the 325 which, it superseded, so it was the best at the time!

Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:26 am

Would the highbacks from a 4dr have the recliners fitted for them to fit a coupe?

Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:43 am

M-Sport wrote:Would the highbacks from a 4dr have the recliners fitted for them to fit a coupe?

No, but they come forward enough to allow someone to get into the back without an issue.

Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:23 pm

Rav335uk wrote:
M-Sport wrote:Would the highbacks from a 4dr have the recliners fitted for them to fit a coupe?
No, but they come forward enough to allow someone to get into the back without an issue.

Unless your a fat cooont

Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:27 pm

Who gives a shit, anyway it's either these or "rotweiler spec" comfort seats

Hoping to encourage Cal to get this project moving bodywork wise over winter, he is struggling with somewhere to work on it at present

Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:36 pm

Still no luck on units then?

Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:41 pm

Ahhh, preface rear tail panel now in stock. This car is coming together nicely! I'll just be needing the time and a place pretty much now!