Lend Me Your Ear...ladies And Gentlemen

[86325es]

Good day fellow BMW enthusiasts. Yesterday I decided to pick up a 1981 320i in non running condition for 60$. I thought what the hell, maybe I can get her running or part her out. The body is straight- no dings with a bit of rust. Nothing major at all. i was wondering if there is a chemical I can purchase to stop the rust from spreading. I took the car to my buddy's shop in Burlingame, Ca and after a few hours working on it, We got her to actually fire up (wont stay fired up at idle). So that is a good thing....But what im wondering........Do you think that the parts (panels, fenders, bumpers, pumps, engine, would be worth a bit more if I parted it out? Or should I spend some cash to get this thing up and running sweet. Compression test on the engine reveals 30 psi coming out of the first cylinder.....so to get this thing roadworthy is gonna take a bit of $.Im gonna need new tires, sway bar, possibly brakes, lines, probably all new hoses, ect........Any opinions on this? One other thing... I am looking for an e36 318i cylinder head or possibly the complete engine for one of my friends......Anyone out there have one?

[racermat]

I am not sure about the other aspects of cost vs redemption, but there is a product called POR-15 that is GREAT for stopping rust.

Also, for the undercarriage, or fenderwells, Rustoleum makes a great paint.

[euroe28m5]

Since you are in the car for only $60 it is probably worth the money to get it running and just use it for a driver. The parts are not in high demand and there are so few people making the e21 into a tuner car. If I were you, I would find a 323i euro front subframe and put an M30B35 motor into it and really have some fun. These were the big six that came out of the last versions of the e34 and e32 and a few e24s. This is the US 3.5 six that had 208hp from the factory. You can pick these motors up for $600!!! Cheap thrills in a total sleeper.