RE: My First Car

Author
Discussion

BoRED S2upid

19,644 posts

239 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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What a great story and a great project. Many people would have just given up with it and bought a newer model.

Marquis_Rex

7,377 posts

238 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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briSk said:
brilliant. welcome back!

I don't know why but i didn't think it was so GOLD!

it's old enough to not get in trouble with all the US import/smog/lefty laws presumably??
Yeah, if a cars over 25 years old its usually alot easier to get into the US and through their EPA , DMV etc rules
It's cars like my Porsche that cause the most grief

AW8

303 posts

210 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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Great story.

I too have memories of drawing the original 6 series at school as well as gazing in admiration at the M1 in my packet of "top trumps" playing cards.

My first car was sadly a Cavalier but a couple RWD 2.0 Fords helped me learn RWD & tail out.

Seriously considered an old 6 series when 19 but insurance was mental.

E21 323i nearly bought a few years later but sadly priorities changed. Have my BM bnow though albeit not as characteristic and classic as yours

Excellent write up.

Edited by AW8 on Monday 19th May 20:41

Jderh

6,225 posts

206 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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Very nice first car, even in that colour (which I actually rather like). Good to hear that you still have her, and this upgrade sounds very nice indeed. smile

NiallOswald

326 posts

205 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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That's an exceptionally cool car full stop, never mind as a first car!

little13

11 posts

215 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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Great first car story ,brought back some memorys for myself i bought one in eighty nine in gold as well for finishing my apprenticeship and getting on decent money.It was a quick car even compared to the fashion cars what my mates owned at the time like 5gt turbos and 205 gtis.Any easy 120 was no problem at all in a pretty short stretch of road,But a fast run up the m6 to the mecca of quality entertainment which is blackpool killed the engine and a call to the ever faithful dad to join the aa and drive up to me,and to lend me the money for a recon engine on return which i think cost a grand which was a lot when the car only cost 2 grand .But it was worth it ,ive had a lot of cars since but i will always have a soft spot for the old 323i.

derin100

5,214 posts

242 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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Marquis,

Lovely!

There are many parallels between us!

I too spent my 'O'-Level years drooling over the 635CSi. However, I think I must be a little older than you and thus my first car was the equivalent '323i' of it's day....the 2002tii. I couldn't afford an E21 as this was the early '80s and they were still current.

Unfortunately, my ownership of my first BMW didn't last quite as long as yours...but the twisting saga did! Oli has my story and hopefully he'll run it too!

Good luck with the project.

Derin

mclaren-rule

53 posts

197 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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why cant bmw make cars the beautiful today?

Caddyshack

10,605 posts

205 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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My Dad had a perfect 320 in this shape and he loved it. I think the 323i was 144bhp and I remember when my Dad nearly bought one but felt that fuel injection was too much to worry about...I was gutted.

I actually tried a 316 which was to be my first car but we just couldnt get the insurance so I got a Metro!

I later bought an E30 325 sport then an E30 M3 and then worked through most BMers.

I love your car. Personally I would keep it standard as I think in modified trim it will frustrate you that is will never be perfect (I have spent a fortune on a MK1 Golf and I think it was better before I started as it was more pure to the original)

Swiss Toni

1 posts

190 months

Monday 19th May 2008
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I remember driving my 3000E Capri from Usk to Monmouth in 19XX at about the ton when an Alpina version of the 323 went past me at about 130. It was blue and white. I tried to keep up, then pretended to lose interest. It was so cool - spoilers and Alpina add on bits - I really wanted one of those RS 2.6 or 3.1 - hated BMWs in those days. Now I'm a convert.

Your car looks great. With modified suspension it will hopefully keep you in one piece - not something 323s were famous for!


Shropshiremike

23,164 posts

202 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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My friend's 4-sp Hartge one ( below )had 170ish bhp and was pretty quick in about 87.



I didn't get one till about 10 years later when they were just budget bangers in the local paper. You had your pick of cars for £500 and less. Great fun in the wet when you had room to have a little 'play'




Swill

74 posts

239 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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Lovely car!
I have great memory's of my days driving my E21 323i.. back in the day!
Was never as taken with the E30.. or the later (bigger/heavier) models.. lick

ross_stig

34,946 posts

211 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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any chance of wallpaper sized photos? this is one of my favourite cars, i love the old 3 series.

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

247 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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My dad had a 1979 E21 BMW 323 in gold, that was one seriously quick car especially when it was pointing straight ahead.

chunkymonkey71

13,015 posts

197 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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Great Story!

thumbup

chrisr29

1,250 posts

196 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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I had a black one the early 90s. Took it in p/x against an Alfsud Sprint. Didn't really want it but it essentialy worked out as a freebee. I remember getting oversteer on the test drive with the owner in the passanger seat.....turned out to be a brill car....why he wanted to chop it in for the Alfa was beyond me!

Looked great in black, would love another. Seemed to go better than 143bhp would suggest.


Marquis_Rex

7,377 posts

238 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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Caddyshack said:
I love your car. Personally I would keep it standard as I think in modified trim it will frustrate you that is will never be perfect (I have spent a fortune on a MK1 Golf and I think it was better before I started as it was more pure to the original)
I have considered going back to standard spec, but the thought of going back to soggy suspension and the under constrained front end doesnt fill me with joy. I do know what you mean though

Marquis_Rex

7,377 posts

238 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
quotequote all
chrisr29 said:
I had a black one the early 90s. Took it in p/x against an Alfsud Sprint. Didn't really want it but it essentialy worked out as a freebee. I remember getting oversteer on the test drive with the owner in the passanger seat.....turned out to be a brill car....why he wanted to chop it in for the Alfa was beyond me!

Looked great in black, would love another. Seemed to go better than 143bhp would suggest.
I considered trading it in for an Alfa years ago. This was during the whole hot hatch fiasco of the early 90s, when insurance premiums rocketed. My insurance premium (I must have been around 19 years old) also went up. I thought about trading it in for a 2 litre Alfetta GTV or an Alfasud, I'm soo glad I didnt now and stuck with the high premium for a while longer

HAB

3,632 posts

226 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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I had one in silver in the late 90's, easily the best looking 3 series imo.

Spent a while looking for another good example a few years ago,gave up and ended up getting an early 944 instead.


My brother had an e30 323i at the same time as my e21, and I certainly wouldn't have swapped them. Good car but lost a lot of the character of the older version, and it wasn't as pretty.


chonkey

837 posts

215 months

Tuesday 20th May 2008
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http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-pa...


mmmmmmm

If I wasnt slacking and not working at the moment....