Vintage Bavarian: 1982 BMW 320i E21
The E21 generation BMW (first released in 1975) was the successor to the classic BMW 2002 (aka the 1600 or the New Class or the 02 Series depending on who is asking) and the first BMW to be festooned with the legendary 3-series badge on the back. Today’s E21 320i is a mix of good and bad — good in that it has a manual gearbox and comes with a cornucopia of spare parts, and bad in that the paint is iffy and clutch/transmission needs attention…however, the asking price is bargain basement for a classic BMW. Find this 1982 BMW 320i E21 offered for $3500 in Sacramento, CA via facebroken marketbark.
From the seller:
1982 BMW e21
$3,500
Listed
2 days ago
in Sacramento, CA
About this vehicle
Driven 191,000 miles
Manual transmission
Exterior color: Grey · Interior color: Tan
Fuel type: Gasoline
Good condition
Seller’s description
For Sale – 1982 BMW E21 (320i) Ascotgraumetallic / Parchment. 1.8 l M10 motor, 5 speed Getrag manual transmission 2xx,xxx miles, slick top, nearly rust free, several minor dents and paint is in poor condition, clutch / transmission needs attention, runs well, fun to drive, Bilstein shocks and struts with racing dynamics springs, front strut brace, 14×6 E30 rims with Falken Azenis 195/60-14 tires, 10mm ESC hub centric spacers, Hyundai front seats with matching upholstery rear seat, Coco mats. Sport front air dam, original glass, decent headliner, AC (not working), 2nd instrument cluster with 120 mph speedo; two additional sets of wheels and tires, 13 in sport basketweaves and turbines, original seats, new parts: door window seals, oil filter, air filter, new guibo, Planted seat rail adapters. Cylinder head replaced by Lubo’s in Sacramento 2018. $3,000. Just bought a 2001 Z3, don’t have room for both.
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I almost bought one of these a few years ago. I showed up to see the car and hopefully take a shot test drive. The car is sitting in a detached garage and the floor is covered in oil. The seller explained he started it the day before and it released all its oil right after he turned it off. It came with a second engine, but I ran away based on the lack of trust in the seller. Oddly, I still wonder if that would have been a better purchase than the Fiero I ended up buying and replacing the motor.