bmwe21.net forums

Jeroen wrote:
Ouch! I believe these are NLA for ages already. Perhaps there are a few more people that want one and we can have a few made somehow!

I just got that answer from the parts importer. On the upside, my Workshop Manager was at my desk and offered to help me make a new one. Have to be out of steel, but I'll get all the fun of making it myself.

Treated the rust under the bonnet.

Back in the shed after a few days searching for bits. I wanted to make the exhaust manifolds look tidy, so the inspector won't spend any time looking for emmission control lines. The boys at work hit the old fittings with the oxy and got them out where I couldn't. While they were at it, they were nice enough to stick the manifolds in the grit blaster. They came up really well. The problem now is that I assumed I'd be able to get some plugs to fill the holes. Turns out they are M20x1.5 and M24x1.5 plugs. Not exactly lying around! Ended up making the M20 one out of a bolt. I'll pick up a couple of M24's tomorrow and do the same. I shot a light coat of high temp paint on to slow the rust down.


I did the same for the exhaust covers for looks more than anything. I don't expect them to stay silver, but it'll look nice for a bit.


I finished up the "seal" coat on the engine bay and got a couple of coats of colour on. It's certainly isn't to the quality I would normally like, but it'll look a lot better and it will stop thr rust for at least a decade. Maybe by then, I'll have saved enough money for that back to bare metal paint job.

First coat


Second Coat


Feeling pretty excited about getting some parts back on to it. Can't be long now.

It's been a while since I posted, but plenty has gone on. It's been stinking hot, which slowed me down a bit too.

I got some more Fjord Metallic on there, although it has been a real trial to get decent coverage without runs everywhere. The paint is really "thin" and the damn engine keeps getting in the way. Eventually, i just gave up and left it a little patchy. I'll sort it in a few years when I have enough money for a full respray.

It got a little better than this, but not much.


I got the exhaust on and it looks lovely. Hope it lasts. Couple of the nuts were locked on to the studs. I've ordered some more, so I've left them in the easy to remove locations for when they arrive.


Got the brake booster and silly long mechanism back on. Looks pretty good with a coat of paint. No leaks or issues, so no actual work went on to it.


Coolant expansion tank back on with shiny new cap.


Some of the paint looked pretty good. The Rust Seal paint looks and feels pretty tough, so it should last well.


While I was under the bonnet and waiting for other bits and pieces to dry, I had to investigate the awful smell coming out. Turned out to be some long deceased rodent (I think) as there was nothing left except a few lavae shells and some fur! It was all up in the vent cowl on the side of the wiper motor. It had to come out and get a good clean. Cleaned up inisde while I was there. Smell was 99% gone the next day, so I think I got it.
Dirty Wiper motor

Clean Wiper motor


I threw some more paint around on the bits that were rusty and lying around. Bonnet hold down, bonnet spring piece and vent cowl were easy and make a nice improvement.




I spent hours going through the wiring of the auxilary fan trying to work out why someone had bypassed it in the past. It appears that the low speed is not functioning and the temperature switch for the high speed is not working. I'm assuming this confused someone in the past, so they installed a very shoddy aftermarket temperature sensor and relay. Looked rubbish and the wiring appeared to have been done by a 3 year old! I re-wired it (luckily, they'd left all the old wiring in, just cut it) and got some new temperature switches. Unfortuantely, I need the lathe in our workshop (at work) and it is down for maintenance. I had to go with a temporary connector for now. That'll mean dropping the fluid again, but it's something I can live with to get the car mobile.

Wiring reconnected


Temporary Connector and Temperature switches


Since I had the wiper motor out, I took the opportunity to throw a bit of paint on the wiper arms. Never hurts to get some fresh paint on.


The list hasn't got much shorter, although I feel like I've just about rebuilt the whole front end. I guess that's the thing with e21s, you find another thing to fix for each one you finish.

Paint airbox - done
Re-install intake system - done
Re-wire connections to cold start - done
Fix misfire
New tyres
Control arms
Front wheel bearings
Remove surface rust and paint under expansion tank/brake booster - done
Fix indicator self cancel
Flush and replace coolant - done
Stop exhaust rubbing on rear subframe
Fix rust spot under tail light
Bleed clutch slave cylinder - done
New - Replace temperature switches - done
New - Fabricate temperature switch connector
New - remove aftermarket temperator sensor and relay - done
New - re-wire fan control relay and sensors - Done
New - clean wiper motor - Done
New - Paint wiper arms - done
New - Paint vent cowl - Done
Bleed brakes
Replace gearbox selector seal
Replace shifter mount bushes
Reaplce gear box mount

The road to rego is complete and now it is the road to roadtrips!

After many months of waiting and working, the old girl is finally done. The parts that I did were a little limited. My major role becamse paying the invoices. The new tyres were sorted with a set of Bridgestone Adrenalins in 195/55/15. They're great tyres and I would recommend them to anyone looking for some good performance tyres. Once I'd bolted everything back together under the bonnet, bolted the wheels back on and fueled her up, I dropped her at teh mechanics with a long list. There were just too many things to do and since I was moving house and didn't have a garage anymore, it wasn't going to happen. While it was there, we did seals, bearings, control arm, gearbox mounts, indicators, bled the brakes, tuned her up and stopped the exhaust hitting the suspension. They also found some broken wires which were hampering the tune and the brake pads turned out to be very crumbly. During the brake pad change, they noticed the calipers sticking as well, so I got them rebuilt while everything was in pieces. Just for safety, we also replaced all the hoses, the thermostat housing, water pump and the timing belt. It looked like the timing belt hadn't been changed in 30 years, so that was money well spent!

The registration inspection didn't go so well. They knocked me back because the indicators didn't self cancel (which I knew but forgot), the rear belts didn't retract fast enough and the brakes vibrated (which I also knew but didn't think was that bad. A return to the mechanic and some more credit card work saw those little items sorted by straightening the pins in the steerign column, cleaning the seat belt (easy I know!) and a new set of rotors. Now she was good to go and the approval was easy.

Since then, I've taken her out to the track and given her a good thrashing. She loved every minute of it! Went absolutely perfectly and didn't miss a beat. I was incredibly proud of my favourite e21!

Now we're off on some driving days into the wine country and generally enjoying having a classic old car to cruise around in.

Cheers

Congratulations Peter. Good to see all the work has paid off. Enjoy what you have done!

Congrats, but you have the nerve to post that and not include any pics?



please!

Sorry. I was at work and they have blocked access to Photobucket. I'm still at work, but I worked out our guest wireless doesn't have the same protection.

Here's the new tyres fitted up.


Here's me getting tutored at the track. After 14 years of track days, I thought I would have been OK, but thems was the rules!



Here's a little video of me giving it everything she had. The poor guy in the 540i didn't know if he was coming or going. At least he gave it a shot.

Nice! Looks like you're suffering from a lack of tyre grip, high outside temperature?

The grip's ok. It's traction I'm struggling with from the unloaded rear wheel.

You're right, I should have noticed. Time for a decent LSD?

I wish I had one, but that's where I started with the e12. That ended very badly with enough money sunk into it to buy a good M3!

If you want your e21 to go fast on track then that's the way it goes! I lost count of what I spent on the slug, but keeping up with/overtaking modern M3's and being described as fast by good drivers whilst knowing you only have 160bhp under your foot makes it more fun.

E21 LSD's are more common in the USA, that's where I got mine from, it did cost £400 plus shipping, but in VGC and well worth it. Keep your eyes on ebay. All 3.91's over there I think, but good for acceleration on a 323i!