bro fm,
I have just finished reading all the 17 pages!
I must say I admire your passion,courage and your love for your E21. Nice car this E21.
BMW doesn't make cars like this anymore as it has moved on with the time. Modern BMWs are a different animal altogether.
I have a 1982 E24 635CSi and it is my daily ride now. You can see my post in the E24 forum.
I think i have probably spent over RM10k now for parts,labour and what not but it still needs new leather seat covers and some minor rust repair around the front and rear windscreen edges.
I have all the parts for the rubbers but not the time and the $$ yet..
Many thanks Mr. Vincent Hor for helping me out with parts and gave me websites where I can purchase new parts. All works were done at Albert WP and earlier was at M1 but not really impressed with their work and their chief mechanic attitude.So for E24 I would not recommend M1 Segambut.
Some parts got from Ebay eg the fusebox,Luckily that part is the same as the E30.Also got both rear light lenses and some interior parts from ebay UK and US. Saw some parts on Ebay australia too.
The absorbers are the same as the E28 so no issue here.
The rear lights (hella original BMW) arrived yesterday but had to clear customs at klia LCCT. The officer told me for car parts they would charge 40% tax but I told them my car is over 30 years old and these parts are no longer available new. And when they checked local prices they couldn't find it so they just charges me RM51. Well I don't know how on earth they figured out RM51 anyway...but a small price to pay just the hassle of going to KLIA.The parts cost me RM1k incl. shipping from rogertii on ebay.
Not sure about E21 but you can try sourcing new parts from
http://bmwmobiletradition-online.com
I bought my rear windows rubbers but sadly not all are available. So you are lucky that your rear quarter windows rubber are still available new.
The E24 has 2 parts for the rubbers one vertical and one at the top not 1 piece like the E21. The top part is what I am looking for the the right side (driver's side). Mine has hardened and brittle even though it hasn't crumbled yet. I wonder if we can fabricate this using the template from the original part?
But at the end of the day people would ask why would we do it? Why on earth are you spending time and money on a 30 year old car where you can buy a new a newer used BMWs at almost the same price with less headache? For me it is like those people who appreciate fine things like fine watches or jewellery or even fine women handbags.
For old cars like the E21 or E24 it is for the memories, engineering and human ingenuity at the time when most of us are still either babies ,unborn yet or very young. For some it was a poster picture they hung in their bedroom when the car was new,for some it was the memories they has wehn their dads have them.
Well whatever your reasons, we live only once so enjoy life while we can!
Cheers everybody.
