TLC for my neglected '81 320/6, - lots of pics, enjoy...

[deep3102]

Good to know bro. R u in shah alam or muar?

 

[johnj]

Wishing you a speedy recovery bro.hang on there!.

 

[-fm-]

Good to know bro. R u in shah alam or muar?

I am in Muar now. All the welding and paintjob will be in Muar.
I'll be in S. Alam next month-doctor said I can start work albeit light duty.

 

[deep3102]

Oh ok. Paintjob?? Wa that's gonna conclude ur rebuild almost already. How about seals, rubber linings n all that? Replacing one shot together?

 

[-fm-]

Hmm paintjob? I think not in Jan, perhaps Feb. The most urgent is welding, which I'm trying to start this month, subject to the mechanic's availability. Luckily the only rubber seals that need to be replaced are the rear passenger side window left & right. I admit that my budget is quite limited.

Those 2pcs seals were quoted by a KL shop at RM850! Crazy man...
A Singapore shop quoted the 2pcs at around RM660 excluding shipping charges. So, moral of the story, even a 30 year old UDM is not cheap. hehehe

 

[deep3102]

Wa, that's quite stiff but guess it will settle all the foreseeable problems in the future. Let me check with some friends if theres anything cheaper. Well, I guess engine must be running smooth n u got no other issues apart from bodywork. How bout rims? Anything special?

 

[-fm-]

Yes pricey, but replacing it will avoid further headache like leaking, rust and appearance. Thank you for helping to check, I appreciate it.
Engine is good, not consuming oil, timing belt set, fuel pump and waterpump already replaced. Rims? BBS crosspoke/basketweave 15inch, I love that but it's totally out of my budget now. She's still with stock 13inch Rial.

 

[yat325]

hang on there bro..hope u will recovery soon....nice jurney of ur e21....keep it up bro......tc

 

[-fm-]

A bit of an update...

Hi, Happy New Year :smile:
How is everybody? Well..I am recovering reasonably ok. Although I haven't regained full strength of my legs, still struggling to walk up the stairs (still feeling some pain), I am alright when walking on flat areas (but still with crutches).

I did some small things with my E21.
I am not sure if you know this gadget, it's old tech, pre historic really :4:. It's called Colortune, used to adjust fuel mixture especially for carburettor cars. You can see into the combustion chamber, aiming for Bunsen blue burning instead of yellow flame which is too rich mixture.

For DIY, this is very much cheaper compared to an Exhaust CO Analyser. Modern Beemer with Jetronic, Motronic, DME, Valvetronic whatever doesn't need this. It's quite fun adjusting the fuel/air mixture screws of the Solex 4a1 and see the flame change colour.

Plug removed, black, meaning mixture too rich, should be light brown

Colortune fitted, surrounding the centre is transparent plastic, I don't know the material.

More water dripping out of the exhaust after tuning, is this a good sign?

It's too dark to take pictures during tuning. Initially, the flame was yellow, too rich, so I screw in clockwise the carb mixture screws (2 screws), to achieve Bunsen blue flame.
Test drove the car, better low end and smoother throttle response.

 

[-fm-]

I bought new side window rubber seals to replace the old, leaking seal, it's not cheap. Both windows will be removed for rust repairs. Other seals are still good, fortunately.
Part no for RH side

Welding will be after CNY hopefully.

 

[V-Man]

Nice gadgets, good update ! those rubbers must have cost a bomb...

 

[e21manic]

Hi bro,
good to see you are back on with your restoration..
btw if you dont mind sharing, where did you source the rubbers? need the ones for my front doors, front windows and booth.. all koyak.. :s

 

[-fm-]

hi bro, thanks, i'm still recovering, just doing small things on the car.
i bought the seals from ebay us. try searching at ebay us and ebay uk separately. locally, ask abang kem at first division jln ipoh. i've also bought parts at eng soon pte ltd, (engsoon.com.sg).
they may have stock for some of the parts you require. in stock (old stock)means lower price, out of stock means higher price because they have to issue new order overseas for you (my experience).

better if you have friends going to s'pore, you can save on shipping cost.
post some pictures of your progress la bro...

 

[rukshan]

Hi fm,

Nice to see an E21 being restored. I have recently restored by E21 323i. I'm still looking for a donor car for my interior. WOuld you be kind enough to tell me if you or anyone here knows of an available E21 323i unit lying down somewhere? Please text me on 0123998747.

Thanks and long live the E21s !!!

 

[arifazman]

Hi bro -fm-..where can i get rear trunk seal?the seal never been replaced and i need to replace it since the water keep came inside the trunk..i just changed my front shocks that i bought from first division(last stock)..next, i need to replace the seals,tie rod end and steering bush..keep update your restoration process bro..its a nice work!

 

[e21manic]

whoa more and more e21 restorers poping up.. hahaha...

 

[-fm-]

Hi fm,

Nice to see an E21 being restored. I have recently restored by E21 323i. I'm still looking for a donor car for my interior. WOuld you be kind enough to tell me if you or anyone here knows of an available E21 323i unit lying down somewhere? Please text me on 0123998747.

Thanks and long live the E21s !!!

hi rukshan, thanks. e21 donor car for the whole interior? sorry i don't know, interior parts are rare bro...

Hi bro -fm-..where can i get rear trunk seal?the seal never been replaced and i need to replace it since the water keep came inside the trunk..i just changed my front shocks that i bought from first division(last stock)..next, i need to replace the seals,tie rod end and steering bush..keep update your restoration process bro..its a nice work!

arifazman, thanks, i'll try to update often. try asking all the bmw parts shop along jln ipoh. also munich auto beside bavarian auto jln segambut. but don't ask bavarian auto for e21 parts, they have deserted us older beemer hehehe

 

[-fm-]

Hi guys, I'd like to ask for your opinion.
I'm sending the e21 for rust repairs on monday. The workshop is using a MIG welder.

Which is better, spot welding or continuous welding on the side of the metal plate? The shop normally do spot weld but can do continuous weld
if requested. Any pros/cons of either method? Appreciate your advice very much

 

[-fm-]

After stripping the interior, only some surface rust here.

no rust under boot rubber seal.

Inside boot

left sill

floor, driver side, you can see the acc pedal, big hole

left

It looks quite scary to me after removing the carpets and soundproofing layers
to see the extent of rust...hmm
right rear

front left

right driver side

I hope the fabricator will not have headache like me after seeing those rust :21:

 

[Eggie86]

Thanks for the updates bro. Wow, hopefully can sort out the rust and rust-proof all the important parts. :top: