Hello. New to the E21 but not BMWs or vehicles/machines. I've restored a few vehicles and tractors, so wanted something that'll take me a few years to start with my boy when he turns 3.
Today I dragged home an '81 E21 from down the street. The price was right: free. The owner bought it new, and it ran when parked.... in 2003. He's a really nice guy and let me have it on the condition that I get it going, and I aim to live up to it. I've always wanted a shark nose, and the time was right; it was either the scrap yard or my yard.
The good:
-no interior water leaks
-oil on the dipstick commensurate with the 1800 miles since last oil change.
-AC
-shifter freely moves
-sunroof
-doors, trunk, hood open freely and shut solidly
-original owner car with complete records
-solid floors
-solid trunk pan
-solid strut towers
-it was driven to its current resting place
-238k miles
The bad (that I know of):
-it was driven to its current resting place...in 2003.
-238k miles
-dry radiator
-seized engine (probably rust in cylinders)
-no pressure in clutch pedal
-parked with parking brake set
-sunk into the ground, so I couldn***8217;t do a full examination
-rotted rockers, rear quarters
-springs sticking out of the seat cushions
-cracked windshield
My plan:
I***8217;ve wanted a shark nose car for a while, particularly a 6 series, but I***8217;m also notoriously cheap. Additionally, I***8217;ve wanted a project to do with my kid, who is 1. By 3, he***8217;ll be helping.
Phase 1 would be to get the car road worthy. Unseize the engine, get the clutch working, free the brakes and install tires. Drive it for a couple years before phase 2.
Phase two will see the engine and transmission pulled, body rot cut out and new panels installed. Bigger brakes, lowered and upgraded suspension. The diving board 5 mph bumpers would be pushed back into the body, for a more streamlined look.
Drivetrain: I***8217;ve been mulling over some ideas, probably more to come. My first thoughts:
-M52/54 N52k swap
-N20 swap (but probably not I hate those engines)
-LS swap
But I really enjoy actual hot rodding an old engine on a full tear down, so I***8217;m beginning to lean towards building the M10 for some power. I***8217;ll have to research, but I***8217;d like to use N20 rotating assembly and cylinder head/valvetrain components. I***8217;d have to verify water jacket, head bolt and bore spacing of course, but modern pistons rods and crank would make the old engine sing, especially if I plumbed a turbo. Offset grind on the crank with different rods to add more stroke. Definitely an exhaust header. Upgraded fuel injection system. Basically, building an analog N20 without all the electronic garbage. The car weighs like 2300 lbs, so even 200 hp would give it a comparable power to weight ratio as a 335i. 200 naturally aspirated horsepower from an M10 would be respectable, but more is always better.
The basic premise is to build the E21 M3 that never existed.
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