Since I graduated college just last week I will be in need of something to due in lieu of studying and going to class after work. I get home from work and find myself bored. So I decided that I might as well treat myself to a graduation gift of some sorts. I found a good project in the form of an 82 Lapisblau 323i. Perfect! Even better that she is outfitted with an M20B25 swap and 5 speed tranny to boot. The baby six has been given the grace of a higher duration cam. I do not know what the specs are, nor due the previous 2 owners. The engine also has a chip of unknown manufacture. I will have to investigate. The rear end is a 3.73 LSD, and the wheels are Epsilon's with matching centers. Interior is not to my taste and will need some thought. The Recaro's are wrapped in tweed, and the carpet is below par, even though it is fairly new.

The bad and the ugly part to this story is that the car was involved in a front end collision and has been salvaged. The front core support, the hood, fenders, and grill were damaged. Parts from a donor were used and repainted to match. However, the only part not replaced was the core support which has been "bent" back into place. Everything is there and is repainted, it just looks like shit. I will have to cut and weld a new core to resolve this, along with a new front valance. The paint is surprisingly smooth without even a detail, just a good scrubbing. Eventually I will sand it down and repaint it.

This part is where some people are going to think I’m crazy. My original intensions were to buy this car and do a complete drive train swap into my 79. And then swap the 4cyl drive train back into the 323i. This is still what I might do. I have to make that decision soon. I am already having panic attacks as to the amount of work and time this is going to take me to bring this car to my standards, but after all this is my project. Hopefully I can know it out in 2 years or less. I’m going to go through the suspension first and replace everything with urethane starting with the subframe this week. The 323 already sits on Sports and H&R springs. After that Ill work on the core support and the engine. Either way I’m going to replace the timing belt, water pump, do a compression test and leak down as well. If those aren’t good Ill do a refresh to the M20 and clean up the engine bay.

So there it is my new project. I don’t plan on going all out on this one; just enough to bring its persona back up. And she is a beast; this is besides Attila’s, the fast E21 I have driven. The car simply hauls ass, in any gear. The speedo is off by 10mph at 90mph, and I hit 130 on the speedo in no time after that.

Oh did I forget to mention if this car looks familiar to you, it’s because it used to be a member’s car on here. In fact I was real close to buying this exact E21 4 years ago from a guy who knows how to build classic BMW’s.

Don’t ask how much I got it for, I wont tell you.

Here are a few crappy pics I took after washing the car.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/side2.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/side.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/passside.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/front.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/hoodup.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/rear.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/epsilons.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/interiorseat.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/console.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/greenredtach.jpg

And the best Part:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/engine1.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/blitzed310/engine2.jpg

couple of energy drinks and all that swapping will give you something to do. just dont change your mind halfway through. besides, if you tear a car completely apart and rebuild it, isn't it the handbuilt? like a bentley:cool

Nice car. I love the Epsilon wheels--I have been looking for a set of those Epsilons in the correct bolt pattern for several years.

sick:buttrock the m20 is a screamer in an e21

Just take care of her, and do us proud. I know she will be absolutely killer when you are done with her.

Cheers,
J

PS: And MAYBE i'll show up at bfest next year.... we'll see.

wow, unexpected turn! nice job, cant wait for the final product (if there is such a thing)!

you never drove JDB's car?

-rick

Woot, 323is with E-30 motor swaps are fun :) Now you need the ground control coil overs on that beast for some real fun :)

I'm going to have to do someting with the 2.7 in mine it should make more power than it does....but right now I'm trying to convince my wife to let me look at a 98 M3/4 door, I have her 1/2 sold...the other 1/2 is a long shot....

nice, love the wheels also. Think ive got saved pics of that here somewhere.

I hate you.







But seriously, I am glad that you picked that thing up.

nice car. but don't exchange the drive trains with your other e21 because your old e21 already has a nice set-up, and you're already done with it.

Nice!

cool

What handbrake cover thingy is it?

Two e21s and its a 323 Jonas dad car to boot?
WOW. Congrads on college graduation.engineering or something right?

Now you have two cars that are so Awesome. :) :pimpflash

But wait..do you still have your DD? That makes 3 cars.
I have 3 as well. I don't consider my 323i transportation....you can not put a price tag on fun. Often times I have considered if I did not have my 323i what would I have - maybe a first generation e30 M3 or another 323i like the one you just purchased.

Anyway..CJ despite the accident it seems to be in great shape.
I thought Doug was considering this car. Anyway from one 323i owner to another, I know its in good hands.

Since you know a lot about BMWs in general its found a good home.

What are your plans with it..just fixing the front end damage would not be enough for you...
The timing belt is a must do asap. In m20s they are critical.

PS: Bav Auto, Maximillan, and W&N offer the radiator core support and nose new....

Edit: What are the casting numbers on the head? It looks like 885 which is great.
3.73 LSD? Hmm have not heard of that one.
If it has motronic setup then..I will take a stab at it and say its a 272 or 274 cam.
Motronic hates 288 and up cams. They just are too high.
And yeah 323i with new baby six engines scream....could be a Racing Dynamic,
Dinan or other type chip.

To tweak the chip you can get Mark D to burn you a different one, or bring it to a place to have a custom one made. The aftermarket chips are based upon optimizing the stock 2.5 m20.
Once you cam it or do other mods like increase the displacement..then they are no longer in line with the engine needs. For larger injectors you can change to 19 mustang ones... hopefully the new car uses its orginal 323i flywheel, which is lighter than the stock 325 one. If not I can give you the one from my car.

nice car. but don't exchange the drive trains with your other e21 because your old e21 already has a nice set-up, and you're already done with it.
+1
CJ, I would keep the engines where they are. Your 320i is very nice just as it is.
If you want even more juice just built that another motor and use that turbo kit you have....

With the 323i, If you ever get into rebuilding the bottom end..you can increase the displacement..IIR that car has a 2.5 block in it. I will be selling a complete 2.8 liter stroker kit soon.

Again congrads on college and thats great news on your new car....
now get that thing appraised.

Nice dood, was waiting for these pics.

I'm glad this car went to some that will take good care of it!

Also, as i said, once i make my moved closer, i will be more then happy to stop by and help wrench since i will be alot closer.

Not to mention once i make the move, by then i will have the SDS installed so i wont be doing much and would love to help. :buttrock

Gah.. your so lucky.

Congrats on graduating and finding the car.

Don't swap the drivetrain. Your 320 is great example of what the car should be. Don't mess with it.

I wouldn't do that swap. I'd keep the '79 as a show-quality tourer, and use the 323 as a basher for hauling-ass in.

Funny to me how you say the car doesn't look all that great to you. It looks incredible to me. Then again, I must have some sad standards. Now I'm glad I can't post pics of my car, because it looks like it just drove out of a junkyard compared to everyone else's cars. :P

I wish you well, in whatever you decided to do.

Man, that's gonna be a lot of work!

what accident? It looks perferct to me, no problem with rhe radiator support, or is it?
Nice car CJ, congrats on graduation too.

my man - do what you want - for sure, it'll be awesome! looking forward to seeing her sometime soon.

Looks like a Great Find to me. Nice Car.

I have some tolls and a meg if you need.

Leave the green machine alone. That's an order. Don't make a bunch of us come out there! Congradulations on school. That's a nice piece you have got there. I was thinking of painting my Epsilons black, what do you think? Do you like them black?

Thanks for the replies guys! It was a long road, but after 5 years I am glad and proud of myself for making the journey.

Well the car looks allot better in the pictures. Today I fixed the alignment of the hood so it actually closes and the gaps are now even. I found out today that the hood was from a Henna 320i. Scared the crap out of me on the freeway when it popped up 3 time. We had to pull over and redo the latch in the core support. Since the core support was just banged back into place it wasnt done right. But We took care of that on the 15 freeway, thanks to the E24's extensive tool kit. I also lowered the fenders and set the gaps all even. You can tell in the pics that the fender side trim doesnt quite line up with those on the doors.

Cant wait to tear into this thing. I think Im going to drive it for a few months, and pull the engine and refresh it up so I have a staring point as to when everything is new. Ill keep you guys updated.

what accident? It looks perferct to me, no problem with rhe radiator support, or is it?
Nice car CJ, congrats on graduation too.

Pat it was involved in a mild front end collision a couple months ago or so. Not bad enough to cause any structural damage but bad enough for the insurance company to write it off.

A company in San Diego bought it and repaired the issues. I then bought it off them.

Here is the link. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=745781

Thanks for the replies guys! It was a long road, but after 5 years I am glad and proud of myself for making the journey.

Well the car looks allot better in the pictures. Today I fixed the alignment of the hood so it actually closes and the gaps are now even. I found out today that the hood was from a Henna 320i. Scared the crap out of me on the freeway when it popped up 3 time. We had to pull over and redo the latch in the core support. Since the core support was just banged back into place it wasnt done right. But We took care of that on the 15 freeway, thanks to the E24's extensive tool kit. I also lowered the fenders and set the gaps all even. You can tell in the pics that the fender side trim doesnt quite line up with those on the doors.

Cant wait to tear into this thing. I think Im going to drive it for a few months, and pull the engine and refresh it up so I have a staring point as to when everything is new. Ill keep you guys updated.

Good plan. I bought my e30 m3 cheap and took the same attitude you did. Fix the small things and get the car mechanically sound(oil leaks, maintanence). Makes for much more enjoyable driving. I also wimped out and repaired the A/C to make driving more comfortable. I also fixed minor cosmetics like the bumpers, spoilers and cleaned up the paint.

Nice aquisition. Good luck and hope to see it at B-fest '08.

On a side note- I remember taking Epsilons apart when they were new. Mainly to have them color matched. Imagine them all cleaned up and with a silver center and ARP 12 point polished stainless assembly bolts! Pure hotness IMO.


Cris

nice! turn it into a track whore :)
one for show, one for go :cool

Imagine them all cleaned up and with a silver center and ARP 12 point polished stainless assembly bolts! Pure hotness IMO.

Cris

Damn Cris, you just made me spend more money... I wasnt sure as to what bolts to use, but now I know.

Damn Cris, you just made me spend more money... I wasnt sure as to what bolts to use, but now I know.

Go on ARP's web site and get the part number for bulk packs. They're cheaper and you just enter the part number on summitracing.com. They're usually the cheapest.

Cris

Very nice car - love the rims. What deck spoiler is that - never seen on like that. I think you'll love playing around with the M20. Fun motor. I will be swaping in a 1.3 Motoronic 2.5 to replace my 2.7 Eta motor at some point this summer. May be asking you to check a few wires for me if I get stuck. Yours new one looks like a clean swap.

Grats CJ! I shoulda had you stop by, but oh well.

As for me buying it, I would have used it as a DD, and with no AC, I had to pass. Some people said roll the windows down and be done with it, but that wasn't REALLY going to fly.

The rear spoiler I believe is off of an e30 325is. It looks like it to me. They match up, but you will either have to use strong 3M tape or drill holes in your trunk. The curvature of e21 and e30 trunk lids is close enough to make it work.

Grats CJ! I shoulda had you stop by, but oh well.

As for me buying it, I would have used it as a DD, and with no AC, I had to pass. Some people said roll the windows down and be done with it, but that wasn't REALLY going to fly.


If I used this as a DD I would get allot of tickets. I already experienced the tail happiness of the E21 with an M20. I did a full 180 making a left turn from a stop light.

I pulled the bumbers off today to do a little body work on the front fenders and there was enough steel in there to build a nice little fort, must have been about 30 pounds or so; each side.

Congrats dude! Glad to see that car went to a good home.

Good plan. I bought my e30 m3 cheap and took the same attitude you did. Fix the small things and get the car mechanically sound(oil leaks, maintanence). Makes for much more enjoyable driving. I also wimped out and repaired the A/C to make driving more comfortable. I also fixed minor cosmetics like the bumpers, spoilers and cleaned up the paint.

Nice aquisition. Good luck and hope to see it at B-fest '08.

On a side note- I remember taking Epsilons apart when they were new. Mainly to have them color matched. Imagine them all cleaned up and with a silver center and ARP 12 point polished stainless assembly bolts! Pure hotness IMO.


Cris

Congrats on your graduation, CJ! You didn't do too shabby with your new car purchase either!

Don't want to hijack this thread, but, Cris, what size ARP bolts should we be looking for to assemble 3pc wheels?

TIA,

Cj, congrats on graduation, that's a big accomplishment.

That 323i looks like it was a great purchase. I can't imagine what I'd do if I had 2 e21's... I guess that would just double my chances of actually having a running e21 in the garage on any given day.

I'm still surprised you bought another e21 instead of a 510. Having 2 is like having an affair with the first one's sister.

If I was gonna buy another project car I'd probably hold out for a 3.0Csi and swap in a turbo'd m102... If I only had deaper pockets.

Lol, thanks

I def want to get a 510, but that would be a complete resto if I did get one. At this point I am not ready to tackle such a project. Ill be moving soon and don't know what the car space will be, or if Ill even have a garage to work on. This was one of those instantaneous purchases. I have made the decision to keep the M20 in the 323 and just do some maintenance on the suspension and brakes. Once thats done Im pulling the motor and rebuilding it. If I have to sell a car this is the one that would have to go. Having 4 cars is a bad thing when you don't own a driveway/garage.

I make love to my green one, and f#$& the crap out of the blue one...

I make love to my green one, and f#$& the crap out of the blue one...

:rofl:

BTW where are you moving to?

:rofl:

BTW where are you moving to?

A place where I can afford a house. So in short, nowhere.

How were those guys to deal with? I see some cars that I need some stuff off of.

How much did you pay CJ?

:lol

How were those guys to deal with? I see some cars that I need some stuff off of.

Very cool guys. I dealt with John and I would go back there for any parts I needed. The mechanics are very friendly as well. They know what they are talking about too.

dude. love it. its beautiful.

So I went out driving last night for about an hour. And I cant believe this thing can take on a G35. I was at a light and took off normal and the G35 went WOT on me from the light. As we came to a stop he had the revs up so I thought why not. He nailed it but I didn't, I don't know the state of this car yet so I'm taking it easy. But on the next stop light we rolled from about 20mph and he took off with me in chase. I was dead even with him all through second, and hit third and had about 1/2 car on him, hit fourth and kept the lead all the way to about 110mph. I had a very huge smile. I actually could have gotten a little more space between us but I didn't think about the rev limiter and that slowed me down on the 2-3 shift. I love this car!

And to the haters, Im pretty damn sure he was trying to race me, and yes it was manual.

Hell yeah, cant wait for a ride in it :buttrock

Nice work man! Looks really nice for a project car. Shouldnt take you long to get it to your standards. But in my opinion, i would leave those seats. They fit the E21 old school appeal so well. LOve your steering wheel btw, not just because Ive got the same one either :buttrock

very nice indeed,how much did you say you paid for it.....ha ha

real estate in arizona is very cheap. I've said it before.

Nice work with the car.

I think I'm moving to AZ in the next year and a half...hopefully!

request update on this car with pics.

request update on this car with pics.

It looks pretty much the same. Only exterior mod I did was the Euro clears and housings, and E-Code high beams.

As far as suspension I have replaced the CA's, made my own urethane subframe mounts, and I am in the process of replacing the entire brake system with the Girling swap. I have all the parts now I just need the time, my project at work is very time consuming, more than I thought.

I'll get a photoshoot together soon with better pics.

that's an interesting hand brake boot, where'd it come from?

Damit... you people from CA are so lucky. I'd pay my entire savings for a car like that... i just can't find one.

Congrats on the grad too, what degree, if don't mind me asking?

How the heck did I miss this?

Sweet... looks awesome. Are those handmade parts of yours available for the control arms?

wow, nice bimmer, awsome rims! makes me jealous :(, very good looking car, i wouldn't do the swap if your other car is done and done.

Gorgeous Car! Congrats on Grad.

I'm never posting pics of my ride with this kind of competition.

If you do change those seats I want them! Mine is supposed to be lapisblau as well. If you get a chance take some pics in the sunshine, I'd like to see the color.