In My Garage: 1981 BMW 320i

My 1981 BMW 320i, E21 ...The first 3 series

I'm finally getting around to adding this car to my blog. I bought this car in August of 2006. I flew out to San Francisco and bought it at a car dealer in Daly City. It had spent it's whole life in the Bay Area of California. It was, and still is, a rust free car. It had 199K on the odometer. Bought it for about $2,100 after taxes and fees. I drove it back to Milwaukee over 3 days. On the drive back, I discovered that the odometer was broken. I guessed, from looking at its history of mileage, during yearly registration, that it probably had about 260K miles on the car. The engine is a 1.8 liter, engine code = M10, factory crank HP 125. This is the same engine used, for at least the previous decade, in the BMW 2002, however by this point, it was fuel injected.

When I bought this car, I had very little wrenching know-how. So I have had a few different mechanics work on it, and it actually had been a challenge to retain technicians to work on it, simply because most shops have no interest in working on cars this old. I myself, will do as much, of the work as I can, going forward.

I probably had spent about $11-13K on parts and labor, for repair and upgrade work, since I bought it.

List of things done:

• front control arms replaced
• right rear fuel tank replaced (still leaks for a bit when filled up completely)
• both rear brake fluid cylinders replaced
• Ignition coil replaced
• used differential assembly replacement 
• 1st custom Magnaflow exhaust (no cat)
• 4-1 stahl header
• custom exhaust redux
• A/C removal
• Bilstein shocks and H&R sport springs install
• changed wheel and tire package
• 320is factory front lip
• Rebuilt alternator
• both front caliper replaced
• another new passenger side caliper, a few years later (they seize for some reason)
• custom engine damper installed
• new horse hair drivers seat cushion from BMW
• drivers side repainted (just to clean up a few dings and imperfections)
• baseline plus after, dyno

Getting the car dynoed at King Motorsports, in Brookfield Wisconsin.

That's the owner Scott, adjusting my A/F mixture as it was running too lean.

Max HP = 90.25

Max torque = 91.24

Some oil weeping, could use some new minor gaskets

Bought 5 BBS basketweaves, (that included one full size spare) they were the factory wheel that came on the 320is, of the same era, for $175 from a guy in Chicago. Also bought a 320is front lip off Ebay for $151

Introduction video about the first 3 series