Portuguese Green 316

[oc_nightmare]

After buying and selling a white rust bucket, I stopped to think about paying a bit more than 600 euro for an E21 and got another one that actually works and isn't falling appart
This is my third bmw and it is my first bmw that works and doesn't look like sh*t and I'm really happy with it even though I think the carb is acting a bit (issues from 2/10 to 6/10 of the throttle), I think it is due to the car being still for a lot of time. I already changed the oil and spark plugs and it improved a lot (spark plugs were Golden Lodge and seem really really old). Last year the owner claims it did just the trip to get MOT'd and back, in total of 18km. I'm the third owner and the clock reads 181000km. I'm going to drain the fuel tank and clean the carb but the objective still is to LPG it to do long distances and use it on a daily basis. I'm living in France now and I'm on Portugal for the holidays and if everything is alright I'm going back to Saint Etienne in my little E21 next week The plan is to keep the body as original as possible and maybe later I'll think about lowering it a bit and get it an lsd and better brakes. Would love a M42 swap though

Enough talk, here go some photos










I love how the car drives and it is different than anything I've ever driven and exactly how I hoped an E21 would be like to own. Got a lot of compliments (even from the police!). It definitly doesn't have to be fast to be fun to drive

Cheers!

[arshad76]

Welcome! I haven't seen that colour before on an E21, beautiful and retro.

[verde]

What a beautiful car. The colour looks awesome on it too. Looking forward to more photos of it.

[Jeroen]

Lovely, congratulations!

[nas80]

that isn't cypress green is it?

[oc_nightmare]

I don't know what kind of green it is but it is so classy when it is under the sun, it was love at the first sight and I was dreaming about the car ad since February but as I was away I couldn't go see the car for myself. So I waited until now and finally got some holidays to go to Portugal and actually buying it, the car of my dreams More pics later
The only photos I have here now are from my cell phone before and after I washed it:




I really love the steelies

[polov8]

Wow, what a beautiful colour! Looks like it's in excellent condition, you must be very pleased indeed!

[oc_nightmare]

yes sir, I am
so, the list of what i've done in these days:
- new oil and oil filter
- new spark plugs
- new spark plug cables
- new distributor cap
- new air and fuel filters
- new radiator and pipework redone by previous owner

now it is getting the LPG conversion and the car should be ready this morning as this afternoon I'm heading up to France in it (1700km trip), I'm starting work on monday, so hopefully I will arrive without problems

Anything else you guys think I should check before going?

here are some photos my girlfriend took of the car: https://www.behance.net/gallery/Oldschool-E21/13427759

[Jeroen]

Some lovely pics! With the work that's been done you should be pretty ok I guess. Just make sure there are no aged/brittle hoses or leaks and bring some spare fluids in case of emergencies. Some basic tools, tie wraps, duct tape and spare fuses and fine I guess. I have a whole kit of parts when going on trips just in case, will translate the list one day but important items could be a spare radiator cap, a voltage regulator/pick up brushes assembly for your alternator. Decent spare tyre, make sure to have the tools to change a tyre including wheel locknut if wheel locks fitted.

And then just set off and enjoy! Make a nice travel report sir!

[polov8]

It'd be very interesting to see the LPG conversion when it's done.

[oc_nightmare]

Well we survived the trip in one piece and it was fantastic to get to know the car in such a long drive

We were kind of in a hurry because I had to get to work today and if something went really wrong I wouldn't be able to get here today so, the photos are scarce. The car is really confortable with the plush seats (or couches as my girlfriend says ) and with the stock suspension.

I haven't taken any pictures of the LPG conversion yet but it came out way better than I expected. The 70 litre tank slides right between the suspension towers and left plenty of luggage space, almost like it was custom made for this car. As I'm still running the Pierburg-Zenith carb, the engine runis a lot smoother with LPG than it does with gasoline. Yes it did take a bit of poke to the engine but it is hardly noticeable.

Now in the long motorway journeys the thing that stands out the most is the buzzing M10 in 4th gear and for me it is quite revolting. Although it only had 4 gears I managed to average 10,8L/100km of Autogas at 100-110kph (sometimes more like 80-90kph). The cheapest I got was 0,67€/L in my home town in Portugal and the most expensive was 0,96€/L here In France. It is kind of nostalgic filling up the tank and watching the liters climb faster than the price

After this trip I'm left wanting a bit more power and refinement (single carb M20B25 with 320/6 intake to keep the LPG sistem the same?), a fifth gear, a locker diff, better brakes and a new dashboard (this one is all cracked as usual ).

Also, one question to the experts... have you ever jammed the windscreen wipers because of strong side winds comming from the passenger side?? Happened to me twice in a thunderstorm in the north of spain in the motorway and I pretty much sh*ted myself, is there an easy fix on that? I really don't want that to happen to me any more!

[Jeroen]

Good to hear the trip went well and of course there's enough to be left desired haha

As for the windshield wipers perhaps you can overhaul the motor otherwise replace I guess and make sure the linkage runs freely, perhaps it needs a check up and some grease as well?

[oc_nightmare]

Well, I just never saw it happen... Basically, the wind pushed the wiper to the left and it got stuck in the gap between the A-pilar and the driver door

[323baur]

May be a strange twist in your topic, but I have an question to you as a Portugal citizen.

Last year I was on holiday in Portugal (close to Braga and Porto).
Beautifull country...and I almost did buy some old BMW's.
A very close friend of my told me that it is extreme difficult to export cars from Portugal to any other country.
The Portugese government seems to be slow and burocratic to give a export document.
Main question: is this true?

I do like to hear the possibilities..

[Jeroen]

Ah ok that's something completely different. The mounting hole in the wiper arm may be worn out causing it to slip a notch. If it happens on both sides simultaneously something similar may be the case where the wiper motor mounts to the mechanism (under the black firewall cover under the hood).