Resto-mod e21 BMW
Discussion
Thanks guys. I must admit, although it's taken a while, I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. I think the Laguna Seca blue really shows off the lines of the e21 although pictures just don't do it justice. It has a really squat and aggressive look about it.
The wheels look so much better than the original polished finish and definitely make the car.
Inside is just about perfect for me. Those Recaro were a steal at £200 and are mounted good and low, so I still have plenty of headroom. The Nakamichi ICE install is discrete and has a good clean sound. Mind you, the exhaust and Jenvey throttle bodies will sound even better.
I have just one problem and that's the aftermarket servo. It's not releasing the pressure in the front lines, so the brakes aren't releasing as they should. Hopefully it's a simple fix and just needs a replacement unit? At the moment I'm having to release the pressure by cracking the bleed nipple.
The wheels look so much better than the original polished finish and definitely make the car.
Inside is just about perfect for me. Those Recaro were a steal at £200 and are mounted good and low, so I still have plenty of headroom. The Nakamichi ICE install is discrete and has a good clean sound. Mind you, the exhaust and Jenvey throttle bodies will sound even better.
I have just one problem and that's the aftermarket servo. It's not releasing the pressure in the front lines, so the brakes aren't releasing as they should. Hopefully it's a simple fix and just needs a replacement unit? At the moment I'm having to release the pressure by cracking the bleed nipple.
Thanks guys. I'm very fortunate. It seems the e21 is getting pretty popular now and there are certainly some lovely UK cars out there now. Values have shot up also, with decent 323i regularly making £15k plus. It was only a couple of years ago that a nice 323i could be had for around £2.5k, so that's quite a rise. As 323i are so rare now though, the values of lesser models has crept up also.
If you're looking for an investment, you could so a whole lot worse than finding yourself an e21 BMW.
If you're looking for an investment, you could so a whole lot worse than finding yourself an e21 BMW.
Thanks. 
Well I've put a few more miles on it and there are a few jobs to be done. I definitely want to drop back to the smaller OE brake master cylinder to give the pedal some feel back. The speedo is reading under by quite a margin. I thought the white lines were zipping past a bit quick! The satnav confirmed as much. Acceleration is pretty brisk too, as the 420d driver found out this morning. Motorway speeds are effortless and it's pretty quiet too, despite 70's aerodynamics!
The bottom knuckle on the steering column will also need looking at, as it can occasionally touch the exhaust manifold. It's very slight but annoying all the same.
The engine is in rude health and I definitely notice the difference in having such a light flywheel. It should be great once the Jenvey throttle bodies go on. It'll sound awesome too! Hopefully I can get them on over the winter. They'll look pretty special too.
I also want to get some wide 13" wheels and run a balloon tyre like a Hoosier, to get that 70's look. I do like the current wheels though and just need to dial in some more negative camber.
Hopefully I'll make a couple of shows this year but I built this to use, not just to polish.
Well I've put a few more miles on it and there are a few jobs to be done. I definitely want to drop back to the smaller OE brake master cylinder to give the pedal some feel back. The speedo is reading under by quite a margin. I thought the white lines were zipping past a bit quick! The satnav confirmed as much. Acceleration is pretty brisk too, as the 420d driver found out this morning. Motorway speeds are effortless and it's pretty quiet too, despite 70's aerodynamics!
The bottom knuckle on the steering column will also need looking at, as it can occasionally touch the exhaust manifold. It's very slight but annoying all the same.
The engine is in rude health and I definitely notice the difference in having such a light flywheel. It should be great once the Jenvey throttle bodies go on. It'll sound awesome too! Hopefully I can get them on over the winter. They'll look pretty special too.
I also want to get some wide 13" wheels and run a balloon tyre like a Hoosier, to get that 70's look. I do like the current wheels though and just need to dial in some more negative camber.
Hopefully I'll make a couple of shows this year but I built this to use, not just to polish.
Well I've put on a few more miles and kept a keen eye on the fluid levels. I really like the way the m52 sounds and even at idle, it's pretty clear there is something with some proper grunt under the bonnet. Hopefully we will get it on the dyno this weekend but I would guess at power being around 220 brake. There's certainly a healthy amount of torque available too. Given how light the e21 actually is, it's small wonder that progress is so brisk. It does sound good too!
I'm going to Brecon in it on Friday, to collect my Mrs' 02 from JFi Classics. I'll see if I can hook up the GoPro and record some video footage.
I'm going to Brecon in it on Friday, to collect my Mrs' 02 from JFi Classics. I'll see if I can hook up the GoPro and record some video footage.
mark.c said:
Hi Chunky, I really ought to do one but I fear it wouldn't be that interesting since to be honest I haven't had to do too much to it! It's a low owner car with only 50k on the clock. It's had paint from the waist down and some minor repairs underneath but largely original. It still has its running in label on the screen, original bill of sale showing a Granada being part ex'd and a dealer fit Pioneer head unit and 80's tastic graphic equaliser.
Hope you don't mind a couple of pics Mark, not wishing to highjack but sharing the love for old BM's can surely only be a good thing.
Not at all. Having seen it in the metal, I can confirm it really is a lovely thing. Hope you don't mind a couple of pics Mark, not wishing to highjack but sharing the love for old BM's can surely only be a good thing
.melhookv12 said:
Great build. I have just read it from start to finish.
Lovely car and attention to detail.
Just one question : Do your front brake calipers have internal drillings to link the inner and outer halves. Those bleed nipples look a bit strange on the top and bottom, but I'm guessing its just to enable fitting on left or right hand side.
Please ignore if it sounds silly just looks odd.
I think it just means they can be bled more easily in all applications? I used some Volvo 4 pots a few years ago, as they were a common e21 upgrade, but they only had a single bleed nipple and it could be a pain trying to get all the air out. Lovely car and attention to detail.
Just one question : Do your front brake calipers have internal drillings to link the inner and outer halves. Those bleed nipples look a bit strange on the top and bottom, but I'm guessing its just to enable fitting on left or right hand side.
Please ignore if it sounds silly just looks odd.
Plan to replace the 22mm E12 master cylinder with the OE 19mm. Also fitted the strut brace last night.
The gearbox is a sport version and the ratios are just about ideal. It certainly accelerates way quicker than my old car, although it might be a handful in the wet.
I'm taking it on it's first long run tomorrow, with a trip to Wales. Obviously having the auxiliary gauges for water and oil make keeping check easier. It'll be interesting to see what kind of MPG I'll get? I plan to try and get some video too.Thanks.
It's been pretty reliable and I've put nearly 600 miles on it, over the past few days. The brakes are bedding in nicely too, although I still plan to play around with master cylinder bore sizes and modify the fulcrum point on the pedal.
Hopefully going to make the BMW show @ Santa Pod a week on Sunday. It's a bit of a hike but motorway speeds are pretty effortless.
It's been pretty reliable and I've put nearly 600 miles on it, over the past few days. The brakes are bedding in nicely too, although I still plan to play around with master cylinder bore sizes and modify the fulcrum point on the pedal.
Hopefully going to make the BMW show @ Santa Pod a week on Sunday. It's a bit of a hike but motorway speeds are pretty effortless.
e21jason said:
You had the geometry set-up yet looks a bit camber happy in the rear, or have you gone all stance bro
Not yet, although it's not as bad as it looks in the pic above. I'm still keen to go back to 13's with balloon tyres. Maybe staggered 7 & 8 x 13 dished Minilites & Hoosier?Thanks. I'm just waiting on hearing from Compomotive re wheels. I'm hoping to go with staggered 7 & 8 x 15 Minilites. I had thought I might go back to 13's but they won't clear the brakes.
I've been enjoying the extra grunt of the M52, over the M10.
https://youtu.be/cX7UP8ql1cQ?t=19s
I've been enjoying the extra grunt of the M52, over the M10.
https://youtu.be/cX7UP8ql1cQ?t=19s
Managing to make any E21 a bit different, to the others out there, is getting tougher. One of the reasons I sold my rear window louvre is that there are now quite a few available, partly due to all the copies where people are trying to cash in on the rarity and value of the genuine Autoplas items. The Prototipo steering wheels are also incredibly popular, hence my looking to replace my own. I also wanted something that suited the overall look I was going for. Anyway, I found just the wheel in Holland. It's a rare 2 spoke wheel and is in awesome condition too!
Goodbye louvre.
Hello funky steering wheel.
I know it won't be to everyone's taste but I think it's really funky and certainly pretty rare.
I've put about 1000 miles on the E21 in the past few weeks and it's proved pretty reliable. It's certainly pretty accomplished on motorways and it'll cruise at 80+ with ease. Where laws allow, it'll pull through to 130+ but it's obvious you're in a 70's car. The M52 makes a great noise and is an absolute bargain really. That said, I may look to fit an S54 eventually.
The only 2 issues I need to remedy are a slight problem with the remote servo and the exhaust manifold touching the steering column under extreme load. Both are easily sorted though I hope and the car is at ARM as I type. Overall though, I am really happy with the way it has turned out and it was even placed in the top 5 at last weekends BMW Show at Santa Pod. It has also been invited to be shown as part of a Wheel-w
es stand in November and there are a couple of magazine articles coming up.
Goodbye louvre.
Hello funky steering wheel.
I know it won't be to everyone's taste but I think it's really funky and certainly pretty rare.
I've put about 1000 miles on the E21 in the past few weeks and it's proved pretty reliable. It's certainly pretty accomplished on motorways and it'll cruise at 80+ with ease. Where laws allow, it'll pull through to 130+ but it's obvious you're in a 70's car. The M52 makes a great noise and is an absolute bargain really. That said, I may look to fit an S54 eventually.
The only 2 issues I need to remedy are a slight problem with the remote servo and the exhaust manifold touching the steering column under extreme load. Both are easily sorted though I hope and the car is at ARM as I type. Overall though, I am really happy with the way it has turned out and it was even placed in the top 5 at last weekends BMW Show at Santa Pod. It has also been invited to be shown as part of a Wheel-w
es stand in November and there are a couple of magazine articles coming up. Thanks guys.
Yes, it's definitely fun to drive and certainly quick enough to entertain. It's remarkably stable at speed too, especially when you consider the kind of performance the factory gave it back in the 70's. It's for that reason I fitted the rear cage and harnesses.
It's currently over at ARM ( http://www.armbmwandmotorsport.co.uk/ ) having a couple of minor tweaks. The exhaust manifold would catch the steering UJ occasionally, which was easily sorted, but the remote servo has been playing up. Unfortunately, the suppliers don't have a replacement in stock so I'm kinda stuck for now. I've found one other supplier, who has one on the shelf, but it's £300 I just can't justify spending right now.
I've been invited to show the E21 at an event in Telford on November 1st, so have everything crossed that I can get the brakes sorted by then.
Yes, it's definitely fun to drive and certainly quick enough to entertain. It's remarkably stable at speed too, especially when you consider the kind of performance the factory gave it back in the 70's. It's for that reason I fitted the rear cage and harnesses.
It's currently over at ARM ( http://www.armbmwandmotorsport.co.uk/ ) having a couple of minor tweaks. The exhaust manifold would catch the steering UJ occasionally, which was easily sorted, but the remote servo has been playing up. Unfortunately, the suppliers don't have a replacement in stock so I'm kinda stuck for now. I've found one other supplier, who has one on the shelf, but it's £300 I just can't justify spending right now.
I've been invited to show the E21 at an event in Telford on November 1st, so have everything crossed that I can get the brakes sorted by then.
Digitalize said:
Ah, will be great to see it again at Ultimate Stance.
Funnily enough, my E30 will be there also, so my partner is going to drive the E21 up with her son. Right now though, I am trying to solve the issue I am having with the aftermarket servo. The manufacturer is in Spain and by all accounts, they're pretty slack when it comes to meeting deadlines. I read of one guy who had to wait a year for delivery! So, right now I am searching for somewhere in the UK who might be able to take a look and repair it for me instead? If anyone knows someone who might be able to help, please let me know.
I'm looking at dropping down to 13'' wheels and am thinking banded steels in 8 & 9J with 205/60 and 215/60 Yokohamas. I still plan on doing them the same bronze colour though. So if anyone is interested in the Rotas (with plenty of tread on the tyres) just say.
These could be for sale.
These could be for sale.
We'll see. I'm pretty confident the deep dished 13's will look every bit as good.
We stripped the servo yesterday and it was clear that, despite being a new part, someone has had it apart before. The small bolts that hold the 2 sections of the resevoir together were only finger tight and when I tried to nip them up, it soon became clear why! The threads were all pretty much knackered, as the metal seems really soft, so it's unlikely an airtight seal could be achieved. Considering it's a £300 part, I'm not best pleased. Hopefully we can rebuild it though and get it sorted once and for all.
We stripped the servo yesterday and it was clear that, despite being a new part, someone has had it apart before. The small bolts that hold the 2 sections of the resevoir together were only finger tight and when I tried to nip them up, it soon became clear why! The threads were all pretty much knackered, as the metal seems really soft, so it's unlikely an airtight seal could be achieved. Considering it's a £300 part, I'm not best pleased. Hopefully we can rebuild it though and get it sorted once and for all.
Well we stripped the servo, had a nose at the internals, put it back together and it seems to have sorted itself out. The reservoir is holding a vacuum anyway, which it wasn't doing before hand. We are going to make new gaskets and replace the monkey-metal bolts with some decent quality stainless items. This is (hopefully) a weight off my mind as a replacement just cannot be found and I certainly don't want to have to redesign the braking system around alternative servos! Anyway, fingers crossed, it'll continue to work and endow my e21 with brakes that match the engine for increased performance?!
I'm also on the hunt for a new CD head unit. I was told Nakamichi had a reputation for being a little fragile and mine has developed an annoying habit of skipping whenever I drive over a bump. If the volume knob hadn't been lost, I would probably just use a lead to connect my phone instead, but I'd like something that looks a bit more period, such as a Pioneer KEH. I just need to be sure that whatever unit I get has an auxiliary input.
Anyway, am off to fit this servo.
I'm also on the hunt for a new CD head unit. I was told Nakamichi had a reputation for being a little fragile and mine has developed an annoying habit of skipping whenever I drive over a bump. If the volume knob hadn't been lost, I would probably just use a lead to connect my phone instead, but I'd like something that looks a bit more period, such as a Pioneer KEH. I just need to be sure that whatever unit I get has an auxiliary input.
Anyway, am off to fit this servo.
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