1980 BMW 3-Series

Coupe

M20B25

Manual

Clear

You are looking at a 1983 model year e21 BMW 3-Series. It was originally designated a 320i. It has since been heavily modified but with an eye to maintaining and enhancing the look and style associated with the early European market models. This car was purchased in New Jersey about six years ago. It was reportedly an original Louisiana car. I picked it up because it was the only rust-free e21 I had ever seen until that point. You'll notice that the front bumper has been replaced by a chrome european-market unit. The chrome around the windows and along the belt line has been well-maintained. Windows have a light tint. Rota 15" wheels in correct e21 offset (et13) are color coordinated gunmetal gray that works very well with the Bronzit paint and the tinted windows. The front shows the quad-hella, euro spec lights. These are the H1/H4 bulbs that cast a fantastic light. I had been running fog lights but ditched them once I had these. Additionally, the chin-spoiler is a Foha unit. These are almost completely foreign to the US market. The spoiler is made of a dense foam substance similar to some rear spoilers common on these cars. Euro side markers are a bit lower profile than the US federal versions as well, giving a more svelte look.I replaced the lower valance here with a BMW Mobile Tradition part. Paint on the sides is good. Very few nicks, though of course there are some. Paint on the top could use work. If I could keep her I would do a complete repaint. The areas that have most need for fresh paint are the nose above the grill, the top of the hood directly in front of the passenger where a strut bar cracked the paint, and the leading edge of the roof where paint is worn.  There is a rust bubble forming beneath the lower passenger side corner of the front window gasket. There is virtually no other rust area, as I said, this is a very clean chasis. Driver and passenger window gaskets replaced this summer. Back here, you can see the Supersprint exhaust tips. There are a couple of Supersprint mufflers back there and a new center resonator. These create a wonderful sound. See the videos below.The tail light lenses and gaskets were replaced. All badges were replaced. I exchanged the original 3.91 Limited Slip Differential with a 3.45 LSD unit from an European market car. This allows revs to stay tolerable on the interstate. I turn about 3000 rpm at 70-75 mph, which makes this a great road ride. I still have the 3.91 if you want to track it. Either way, traction with the limited slip is fantastic. The interior features the original "is" package Recaro seats. The driver seat has been re-upholstered in original cloth. The passenger seat has wear on the left side of the adjustable thigh bolster, though is not worn through anywhere else. There is Edead and Dynamat sound deadening material beneath the carpet, which was resprayed in gray. The dash was replaced with a virtually crack-free unit. I sourced a new ventilation control panel from BMW Mobile Tradition and it is connected to all valves and doors properly, functioning as it should. The instruments were an interesting issue to deal with, as the transmission was replaced with a more modern unit from a 325. The mechanical speedometer is now driven by an Abbott Cable X device. This provides accuracy and allows the dash to remain e21 period correct. The tach is from an European market 323i and reads the revs of the M20B25 engine accurately. All lights function, bulbs were replaced. The radio head unit is a Nakamichi TD-500 connected to four speakers and a rear mounted Rockford Fosgate amplifier. The goal with this set-up was to provide quality sound, not excessive bass. The trunk is completely dry. No rust. Note the rear mounted Optima Red Top battery, which has never failed me (purchased in 2010, summer). The battery tray is a rear strut tower brace custom made for this car. The spare is an original "is" wheel. Never used it so I can't vouch for its condition. There is an original wood cover for the wheel well and a full "is" sport tool kit. On to the engine: That's a M20B25 from a 1989 325i. The transmission came with the motor, a 5-speed. The motor is in fantastic shape, with new pumps and timing belt installed in April, 2011, about 5 or 6 thousand miles ago. It sports a Dinan chip, allowing higher revs and a bit more top-end pop. It is also fitted with Ireland Engineering cables and a free flow cone filter. Please note that the car does not have air conditioning or power steering. The front struts are also capped by a Mason stut bar. The Rota wheels are 15x7 with correct e21 offset. Falken Ziex 205-50 tires in great condition, perhaps 75% left. Behind the wheel here is a strut from a 1977 320i, which was a slightly larger diameter and sported vented disc brakes. These were the brakes that were equipped to the Euro-market 323i. All struts are Bilstein Sport Shocks with Bavarian Autosport lowering springs. I also added vintage Korman racing sway bars, thicker than the "is" sways and adjustable at the rear. The frame is also stiffened by a custom fabricated "Alpina Bar" that spans between the frame rails at the front of the car. You can see more photos here: Flickr This car has been with me for six great years. I absolutely love it. It is stiff, responsive and reliable. It has been kept off the roads in a covered garage during salt road season (winter) since I owned it. I have to sell, though. I hope you will take as much care of it as I have. Or just enjoy it. It will be a great addition to any garage. Thanks for looking and reading. There is, of course, no warranty at all with a 30 year old car. If you need help with shipping, we can arrange something, I'm sure. Good luck bidding. A final disclaimer: the odometer is not original and the mileage shown is not accurate. The original 320 chasis had 204,000 miles on it before work began. The donor motor had 114,000 on it. Since the work was completed the donor odometer stopped functioning. I do not drive this car more than 3000 miles a year. I have driven it from NYC to Camden, Maine, Watkins Glen, New York and other areas in the Berkshires and Catskills many times though. It has been more reliable than my daily driver (a '95 MB W124). I give you a good faith estimate that a maximum of 6000 miles has been put on the car since the motor/speedo swap in 2011.On Nov-26-12 at 19:12:04 PST, seller added the following information: I just noticed that at the end of the original description, I say the motor/speedo sway was in 2011. As noted above, though, it was in 2010. Apologies for the typo. The mileage facts stand. Also a few new videos from inside the car follow below. I have had some issues with pictures loading on my work computer, which runs a recent version of Windows and Internet Explorer. If you can't see images on this page, maybe switch browsers or follow the Flickr link to my photostream where you can see all the images, videos and more. Thanks for reading.