RE: BMW 323i (E21): Spotted

RE: BMW 323i (E21): Spotted

Tuesday 15th April 2014

BMW 323i (E21): Spotted

Disgruntled with modern BMW niche filling? Take solace in this gorgeous E21 323i



Hopefully you also have a few cars that are always monitored in the PH classifieds. You know, just to keep tabs on availability, values and that. Rare cars, stuff you hope to own one day, the dream garage exotica. Mine are Ford GTs, Accord Type Rs, NSXs, Ferrari 550s and Cayman Rs. At the moment anyway.

No turbos to be seen here
No turbos to be seen here
But the E21 3 Series is constantly being checked up on. The PH classifieds actually isn't always the best place to search, random 3 Series diesels finding their way in and creating false hope of more E21s being available. That's one to look into with the techies.

Anyway, an often fruitless search into the original 3 series turned up this delightful little 323i at Four Star. The search had been consistently unsuccessful for so long that I'd forgotten just what a brilliant piece of BMW design it is. All the trademark features that made BMW saloons iconic are here in a compact and perfectly proportioned package. The kidney grille, the Hofmeister kink, the quad lamps. It was of a time when two-door saloon was an acceptable bodystyle, where it didn't have to contrived into a coupe, and looks all the better for it. The E21 is simple in form and not dramatic but here simplicity is just fine.

Original patina inside and out
Original patina inside and out
And, joy of joys, it's a six-cylinder manual. It may have only 143hp but a 1,135kg kerbweight makes that power figure acceptable. Watching a quick few clips on Youtube (research purposes, of course) is a lovely reminder of the glorious sound a straight-six can make. Nothing augmented, nothing enhanced, just a pure mechanical symphony. Wonderful. Looks to be partial to a little oversteer as well...

You may have noticed with Four Star that its best cars get studio photography while the snotters only get external pics. So this E21 isn't perfect, but that of course makes it eminently more usable. Everything is still original and in decent but not pristine condition by the looks of it. History sounds good too. It would surely benefit from a light cosmetic and mechanical refresh given everything is over 30 years old now but what a great base to build on.

Remember when twin pipes meant six cylinders?
Remember when twin pipes meant six cylinders?
Engine swaps into E21s are hugely popular, to the extent that original manual 323is must be in extremely short supply by now. This should be bought, cherished and enjoyed immediately. Don't forget to sneer resentfully at every 5 Series GT you see.

 

 



BMW 323i (E21)
Engine:
2,315cc straight-six
Transmission: Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 143@5,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 140@4,500rpm
MPG: 31.5 (an average using figures from e21.net)
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1982
Recorded miles: 144,284
Price new: Who knows?
Yours for: £6,495

See the original ad here.

   
   

 

Author
Discussion

golfer19

Original Poster:

1,564 posts

132 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I really like that.
I would change the steering wheel and gear knob though.

mark.c

1,090 posts

179 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Yep, there can't be many left that would warrant keeping original, I would love one of these, if I was allowed!

Cheib

23,111 posts

174 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
That steering wheel is hideous......hardly comes under the description of "original patina" as per the photo description! Nice looking car though.

Been a while since we had an advert for 4 star classics...........

ManOpener

12,467 posts

168 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Always wanted an E21 with the S14 from an E30 M3 in it.

mark.c

1,090 posts

179 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
To be fair, in my recent experience of looking underneath some 70's and 80's BM's that steering wheel could be the least of its worries! ( cant comment on this particular car as I havent seen it smile )

raceboy

13,081 posts

279 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I remember my Dad having one of these about 30 years ago, lovely car, silver with Gold BBS's and the Hella 323i rear panel, think it started a loyalty to BMW that he, and I, have had to this day. smile

J4CKO

41,286 posts

199 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Six and a half grand seems a bit strong, still, quite a nice car from when most BMW's were fairly austere, a chap at work had a base model, in a flat medium blue that he kept like new, strangely appealing.

RINGMEISTER

154 posts

180 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Another shameless plug for Four Star. Nice car though. Didn't the 323i come with alloys as standard?

deltashad

6,731 posts

196 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Lovely car, shame about the sills and front valance. Are they standard black? Looks like they used hammerite

KMB

254 posts

222 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Matt - Interesting you always look at Accord Type R's, I enjoyed my one for 2.5 years, very cheap now and £2k can get you a half decent one... plenty for sale over on www.accordr.org *shameless plug* smile

nightflight

812 posts

216 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Seems like a lot of money. It would have to be in exceptional condition for that much.

Turbobanana

6,160 posts

200 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
RINGMEISTER said:
Another shameless plug for Four Star. Nice car though. Didn't the 323i come with alloys as standard?
No. Alloys (and indeed, just about everything else)were an option. From memory you could even get a 4-speed box and non-PAS. This was when BMW charged for radios, electric windows, everything... and got away with it.

In about 1984 I was working as a car washer in school holidays and used to get a lift home in a black one, with "Born in the USA" blaring from the stereo.

Years later I bought a cheap one from auction, just to see if they were as good as I remembered (it wasn't). Described as a one owner car with no service history, I paid £375. Once home I opened the boot, found a fully stamped service book to warrant its 147,000 miles, 2 spare exhausts (one for each side) and a set of Alpina alloys.

Needless to say I sold it after a week for a, err, "reasonable" profit.

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Looks in good nick - about 15 years ago you could pick up useable examples in the local ad mags for £400 with a years MOT. I had a couple of these and so did friends.

Great car to learn/practise oversteer in as going on or off throttle could send them sideways at low speeds. If we had nice summer cars we got these to run over the winter after old Escorts became too expensive as they were quite reliable and you could get your money back in parts or as a whole. Last one I had was a Henna Orange 5-speed with a BBS front spoiler, BBS alloys, Foha rear spoiler, sunroof and the Recaros ( they had stepped mountings so wouldn't bolt straight in an E30 ). Friend had a Hartge-build 4-speeder with 170bhp - very lively smile

Matt Bird

1,450 posts

204 months

PH Reportery Lad

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
KMB said:
Matt - Interesting you always look at Accord Type R's, I enjoyed my one for 2.5 years, very cheap now and £2k can get you a half decent one... plenty for sale over on www.accordr.org *shameless plug* smile
Shh, don't tell everyone! It was a between an Accord and 306 GTI 6/Rallye recently, opted for the Peugeot because of having a VTEC stint with the Civic. And we all know what happened having gone down the 306 route...

But thanks for the plug, I'm already registered over there. If I can be drawn away from a 306 I'll be on the hunt for a facelifted Pirates Black ATR as soon as possible!


Matt

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
raceboy said:
I remember my Dad having one of these about 30 years ago, lovely car, silver with Gold BBS's and the Hella 323i rear panel, think it started a loyalty to BMW that he, and I, have had to this day. smile
Very similar story here except my dad had a 320 (six cyl). Metallic Polaris Silver, BBS Mahle cross spokes, M Technic go faster stripes. Ended up with 150k+ miles, however rust was the killer. frown

stevebear

92 posts

163 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
remember a mate having one of these nearly 20 years ago in Henna Red (same orangey VW colour that the GTis came in). Was on a 'Q' plate (summink to do with the VIN, altho was genuine just couldn't prove it)and he kept it looking immaculate and purred like they should.
Drivers seat badly worn and I think he replaced it with a passenger one from a LHD car. Came with the multi-spoke wheels seen on old CS's and original 7 series.

Sadly sold it on as needed the cash for £300, new owner couldn't afford to run it and look after it so scrapped it after about a year! Was well pizt off as would have had it meself otherwise.

B.J.W

5,782 posts

214 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
My uncle had one when I was a lad. A red 323i with (I think) black chequered seats and a boot spoiler. I remember him driving in it at over 100 mph on the M6.

My dad was going through his Renault phase at the time, so the Beemer was seriously exotic. He chopped it in on a new E30 3 series, then rapidly progressed to an E34 M535, E34 M5 (inexplicably with a 525E in between) before the E39 M5 was parked on the drive. He was my favourite uncle

Fulla

450 posts

214 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
I love these old 3 series. I had a 320 when I was 20 and 2 of my mates had 323i. Mine was a blueish silver and my mates cars where black(ANT 7T) and red.
What do I rememeber, fuel seemed to cost me a fortune, loved the hardwearing cord seats, liked getting the tail out but didn't love finding oil and water mixing due to a cracked block. Sold for scrap in the end but would dearly love to run a nice clean 320 or 323i again now, especially as I could afford it as opposed to when I was 20!

Devil2575

13,400 posts

187 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Nice cars. My Uncle ran an early E30 323i for a few years.

RINGMEISTER

154 posts

180 months

Tuesday 15th April 2014
quotequote all
Turbobanana said:
RINGMEISTER said:
Another shameless plug for Four Star. Nice car though. Didn't the 323i come with alloys as standard?
No. Alloys (and indeed, just about everything else)were an option. From memory you could even get a 4-speed box and non-PAS. This was when BMW charged for radios, electric windows, everything... and got away with it.

In about 1984 I was working as a car washer in school holidays and used to get a lift home in a black one, with "Born in the USA" blaring from the stereo.

Years later I bought a cheap one from auction, just to see if they were as good as I remembered (it wasn't). Described as a one owner car with no service history, I paid £375. Once home I opened the boot, found a fully stamped service book to warrant its 147,000 miles, 2 spare exhausts (one for each side) and a set of Alpina alloys.

Needless to say I sold it after a week for a, err, "reasonable" profit.
Is it true that these had a bit of a widow maker reputation aswell? Still a massive want though, red with period Alpina wheels would do me just fine!