List of things to do this Winter: Finish garage wall! Can't do much when I have one of the walls under construction. And I need to plan the layout to allow me to work in the Winter. The original M20B23 engine is on an engine stand and more in the way than I expected. COMPLETE!... Continue Reading →
The E21 suffers from a front-end shimmy between 50-60mph. This plagued the E21's reputation and led BMW to introduce a brand new front suspension design for the E30. I'll tell you about my car first and then get into the usual causes. My car had a shimmy from around 40mph and then it went away.... Continue Reading →
One of the first things people notice is that the 323i has a dual exhaust. It's the only modern BMW with one until the 1998 M Roadster arrived. The single tips on both sides give the car some added muscularity and I love them. The rest of my car's exhaust is also interesting. It... Continue Reading →
The original E21 320i and 323i wheels were 13x5.5" with an 18mm offset (ET). There were two optional "BBS style" wheels for special editions: a 13x5.5" ET18 and a 13x6.0" ET13. These sizes are slightly larger than what was used on the 2002 models. It's interesting that BMW did not give the 323i a wider... Continue Reading →
Here are the specs of my initial M20B28 engine build. I started with a standard M20 2.5 that was mostly complete but partially disassembled. A 2.7 crankshaft, connecting rods, and flat-top pistons came with it. The 2.7 rods and pistons are commonly used in turbo builds. I used the 325i rods and custom Wiseco pistons.... Continue Reading →
Could there be an easier engine swap than an E30 325i M20 into a E21 323i? Actually, yes: an S52 into an E36 is pretty plug and play. But this almost as easy. There are a few really good guides online, including the ones covering 320i swaps. They didn't always apply to my project so... Continue Reading →
Here's how I came about owning this 1980 323i. In 2014, I sold my 1994 E36 325is track car project for no good reason. I didn't have enough to keep my mind occupied so I decided to rebuild an engine. I've done almost everything else on a car but have never done a solo rebuild... Continue Reading →
Doug I.
E21 323i BLOG 