Im in the market for a BMW project car, I have in mind an E21 320 or 323, or a BMW E30, now I know since Im asking the E21 forum ya'll are parshal to it, but what are the pros and cons of the E21? What are common problems, price/availibilty of aftermarket parts, performance(chassis), ect. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Well if you're lookiing for a 320i, you can buy mine :) It's freshly painted and already in the process of restoration.

Depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a solid driving car from day to day with minor performance stuff get the e30.... If you want a fun project car get an e21.

The e30 is a newer look, for me, I like the body style over the e21. But, if you have an e21, you can't help but have a good time driving it every time.

both cars are fun as hell to drive...
+320i is a little lighter (which kinda makes up for the 120-100hp motor)
+the no-power steering gives it a lot better steering feel IMO
+E21, the next BMW classic (like the 2002's)???
+/-However, the 320i's are notoriously tail-happy when pushing the handling envelope.
-it is an older car...not only will the gaskets & rubber hoses need to be looked @, but also the electrical wires & connections (they're prone to corrosion too)
-K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Injection System), the fuel system for the e21's is pretty reliable when it's in good shape....there's a quite a bit of info/discussion about specific problems that have arose, so it shouldn't be a problem fixing it (and there's a good troubleshooting guide available).
-suspension has a lot of body roll (especially the non-sport model 80-83 320i, since they didn't come w/ rear sway bars). The excessive body roll makes the car a bit unforgiving when pushing the car to it's handling limits (it can be pretty easy to overcorrect & spin the car)....however, as w/ anything, with enough practice it's easy to findout what the car likes/dislikes.
-some common problems (all fixable): warm-start issues, '55-mph' shimmy, hazard light switch (for 80-83 E21's), grounding issues (mainly due to old/corroding wires)
-the wheel offset is pretty out of the ordinary...you need between a et12 & et18 offset to fit 13-15" wheels (et20 might work depending on the rim's inner-lip profile)


for an E30, IMO, only get the newer 318i's (w/ the DOHC M42 4-cyl) or a 325i.
+newer technology: more reliable EFI, better designed suspension, slightly stiffer chassis, more power & torque availble in the 325i.
+less body roll.
+more aftermarket parts available
-power steering...the wheel still has a slightly heavy feel to it, but it's not as good as the E21's steering feeling, IMO.
-heavier
-(i'm not familiar w/ the E30's common problems)


overall, the E30 325i is the better car. I'd honestly go w/ an E30 if you wanted a daily-driver....however, IMO, if you want a fun project car to learn a lot off of, I think you'll be pretty happy with an E21....they're pretty easy to work on because it's not as cluttered with electrical crap & most everything is kept fairly simple.

Get both


320i FTW

both great cars. in terms of parts and aftermarket, more is readily available out there for the e30. if price is keeping you from a clean 325is, look for the m42 318is, its like a mix of the two i think- light and simple.

both cars are fun as hell to drive...
+320i is a little lighter (which kinda makes up for the 120-100hp motor)
+the no-power steering gives it a lot better steering feel IMO
+E21, the next BMW classic (like the 2002's)???
+/-However, the 320i's are notoriously tail-happy when pushing the handling envelope.
-it is an older car...not only will the gaskets & rubber hoses need to be looked @, but also the electrical wires & connections (they're prone to corrosion too)
-K-Jetronic CIS (Continuous Injection System), the fuel system for the e21's is pretty reliable when it's in good shape....there's a quite a bit of info/discussion about specific problems that have arose, so it shouldn't be a problem fixing it (and there's a good troubleshooting guide available).
-suspension has a lot of body roll (especially the non-sport model 80-83 320i, since they didn't come w/ rear sway bars). The excessive body roll makes the car a bit unforgiving when pushing the car to it's handling limits (it can be pretty easy to overcorrect & spin the car)....however, as w/ anything, with enough practice it's easy to findout what the car likes/dislikes.
-some common problems (all fixable): warm-start issues, '55-mph' shimmy, hazard light switch (for 80-83 E21's), grounding issues (mainly due to old/corroding wires)
-the wheel offset is pretty out of the ordinary...you need between a et12 & et18 offset to fit 13-15" wheels (et20 might work depending on the rim's inner-lip profile)


for an E30, IMO, only get the newer 318i's (w/ the DOHC M42 4-cyl) or a 325i.
+newer technology: more reliable EFI, better designed suspension, slightly stiffer chassis, more power & torque availble in the 325i.
+less body roll.
+more aftermarket parts available
-power steering...the wheel still has a slightly heavy feel to it, but it's not as good as the E21's steering feeling, IMO.
-heavier
-(i'm not familiar w/ the E30's common problems)


overall, the E30 325i is the better car. I'd honestly go w/ an E30 if you wanted a daily-driver....however, IMO, if you want a fun project car to learn a lot off of, I think you'll be pretty happy with an E21....they're pretty easy to work on because it's not as cluttered with electrical crap & most everything is kept fairly simple.

Yeah, what he said.

the e21 are tail happy. But I love them.

Mine got me all sorts of attention with the girls and the POPO...

e21's are very cool cars with loads of character. E30's are superior in every way though.

Cant forget, 2002's > all ;)

It all comes to whether you want a classic looking car or a relatively modern one.

Sure, newer cars are superior, but that is not what makes people buy older cars, say 02 whatever.

comfort wise if your a big person, the e21 is a little roomier

parts avalibility is better for e30s as posted

I am at a point now, with 321k I'm not sure how much I want to spend on my 320i it was never used in winter till I owned it, I use it as a winter only car and ride my bike in the summer

so I'm kinda looking for a good deal on a newer 318