Scrapyard Rescue! BMW E21: Will it run and drive after 20+ Years?!

Hey everyone! We've been working hard to get our paint booth wrapped up to complete the 911! In the meantime we rescued a few fun cars! Including this 1981 BMW E21 320i! It has technically been off of the road since about 1990, but is believed to have last ran around 2000. Lets see if we can get it running and back on the road! Hope you all enjoy! Thank you so much as always for the incredible support! We are so close to the 100k and I can't thank you all enough! Let's continue saving these rides!
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[@donsrestorations]

Please do not ever stop having your family involved. That was just golden!! Thank you for bringing that old 320 back to life and saving it. It would be a great daily driver!

[@MapOfEurasia]

2x E21 and an Alfa Romeo Alfetta? 😱 That's a big score!!

[@lancehigdon8683]

I like that car I hope you can get it going

[@Retrobeemer]

Was only 10 years or so ago that nobody really wanted E21, except a few of us that know how great they are, but nowadays they’re pretty sought after. You can see by how many “is it for sale?” comments! 😀 M10 are such great engines too.

[@EngTecher]

I have one '80 BMW 320i automatic.

[@blackterminal]

I love the sound of the M20

[@Vaabuss]

You restoring my favorite cars

[@PapiDoesIt]

When I was stationed in Germany those 316 and 320 BMWs were everywhere! GIs could get one for practically nothing, patch a few rust holes and give them a tune up, and drive them until time to rotate back to the states. They'd sell it to a new guy and the cycle would repeat until it rusted to pieces. Thanks for the memories!

[@bigjay6743]

Probably one of the more reliable BMW ever made I always like the body style of the early 80s. Can believe someone would gust try to scrap it instead of selling it being in such good condition still.

[@4wheelsonmywagon733]

The Bmw M10 engine is legendary ‘strong’ - simple 4 pot. It formed the basis for Bmw / brabham F1 engine a 1500cc 4pot turbo - in qualifying trim think pushing 900 bhp. Nelson Piquet won the world championship in 1983 - powered by this engine...... in Europe the 320i was offered with the sweet 6 cylinder unit from around 1982 on.... all BMWs of thus era are worth saving 👏👏🙏

[@houseofno]

The E21 was pretty unique in the regard that unlike subsequent 3-series generations, it was NEVER engineered with a six-cylinder engine in mind. A sufficient number of 2002 enthusiasts complained that the added size and weight in the E21 diluted the performance of the M10. BMW then completely reengineered the front end structure of the car to fit a 2.0L and a 2.3L M20 inline six cylinder into the car. The entire front and rear of the E21 M20 car's (320i/6 and 323i) substructure is completely different from the M10-version of the car. I have yet to see any other BMW model since that had two completely different front and rear body structures for two different types of engines.

[@VraelFreorhe]

BMWs and Porsches are great and actually, the black one at the beginning looked nice but I got a soft spot for these Alfa Romeos Italian Beauties. I can't wait to watch it getting nice, clean and running again!

[@brucedewese7847]

I thoroughly love your kids. You can tell they love their Daddy and want ro be with You. I am a subscriber and love your channel. Keep it coming buddy !!!

[@blackterminal]

Your kids are adorable. Thank you for sharing this video

[@jeremywimer8842]

Great revival! Your attention to the small details definitely pays off. Someone must have got frustrated and gave up. Lucky for you! Looks like it'll clean up easily as well.

[@slowguy66]

A true bmw that’s awesome

[@apj341]

Had a '79 320i that smoked like a chain smoker. $700 purchase in 2001. Sold it a year later for $500. Weak and nothing but trouble. Replaced it with a 1984 533i with 250k miles on it. Got that e28 to over half a million miles, sold it off in 2010. Lots of tinkering and repairs, glad that's over!! Money 💸

[@eduardocertain2227]

BMW'S , PORSCHE'S you are doing just great buddy

[@franksicoli9890]

I felt that ratchet falling into the oil all the way in my soul.

[@andrethomas7096]

Right!! the moment it splashed I was like BRUH!

[@Timbobjr]

Just keeping the ratchet lubricated 👍

[@simp2234]

lube lol

[@konstantintomilin1826]

It is such a nice car! Hope it'll get restored and no one will try to swap an LS in it.

[@bryco32]

Super cute Littles BTW. Looks like a Handful! And man what a handful to be blessed with.

[@ryan99gsr]

I am so glad to see that car saved. It hurt to see it sitting there when I would go up there

[@elrealpirata]

OMG! I suggested you try a E21 for your channel and you did! Thank you so much, there are not that many videos on my favourite BMW and I have fond memories of my old e21 323i ♥️😊

[@Astra8676]

Yes dude, you are the man!!!!

[@Paul_VanGo]

Plug the dipstick hole. K-jetronic gets confused when it can pull air from unexpected places. And connect the hole in the valve cover, for the same reason.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

Sound advice

[@ryanstevens6010]

That engine sound - so familiar and it brings up good memories. I drove an '81 for years; it was bought by my dad, then used by my mom before I bought it. Tough as nails - that M10 is a great little motor and can take a lot of abuse (don't ask me how I know...) I sold it to a friend of mine and I believe that he still has it. Be careful with vacuum leaks. Pulling the dipstick was enough to cause mine to die but I don't know if that was due to the condition at the end of its life - I had cracked the block, but it still ran for years after the cracking took place; it was all my fault for not changing the coolant and blew the head gasket Fun fact - M10s with 100,000km, pulled from a junkyard, were used as the basis for BMW's F1 engine back in the '80s. They had no idea how much power it put out as their dyno only went to 1280 hp. It was estimated that it was putting out 1,500hp in qualifying trim - that's a thousand horsepower per liter. There was a shop near me called Dietel Enterprises that built a one-off 345i - it was an E21 3-series with the turbo 3.2l M30 from a grey-market 745i. Probably a little nose heavy, but I'm sure it was a screamer. I'd love to have another E21 but I don't know if I want it slow and familiar with the M10 or if I should get a 323i.

[@TripodsGarage]

That is a clean engine! What a nice find! Better keep it

[@pclayton5063]

Never going to run right with the dipstick out. Vacuum system. Always twirl the fuses in the fuse box on these old cars.

[@darrenmcgovern1969]

So true

[@zaraak323i]

No vent hose on the valve cover, either.

[@randyp6370]

If you need more content with no expense, I have a 96 B5 A4 that needs the typical valley pan gasket and cam plugs, and I live nearby. Love the channel, especially the different makes of vehicles.

[@study650]

Good video. The kids were having a blast.

[@toesuf94]

I would love to own that orange 320i!! What a sweet little car.

[@marksanzc.3115]

An awesome family that you have!!

[@norbertpecheq3427]

Great job,nice old car and probably cutest family at all...It´s love to watch....!!

[@carlwilliams2081]

Well done for saver those classic cars

[@robertsmith987]

your neighbors must love the cars all over the property

[@Felix24148]

Some home rust repair, some single stage paint, new tires, brakes, and some new rubber seals, a replacement catalytic converter, this could be a nice car to resell. Some BMWs are loved by die hard collectors. And this would make a great first car for a young enthusiast. My sister as a teenager was obsessed with BMWs. She even referred to an orange lawnmower we had as her BMW. If she could have had this car in 2004, she'd have loved it for years. And someone might just love it now if it's cleaned up and made mechanically sound.

[@cratecruncher6687]

Back in '84 I had a Porsche 928 suddenly running like a 3-legged dog. I pulled the injectors and jumped the fuel pump to run without the engine running. I then pulled up on the air plate and watched the fuel injectors fill eight of my finest beer mugs. One filled twice as fast as the others so I swapped injectors with another line. The problem persisted on that line and I realized I was in need of a new fuel distributor. Thanks for the memories of my misspent youth.

[@lateefcarrere1649]

Legend says that dropping your ratchet in oil will keep it in good working order forever - at least that's what has worked for me :) Another decent classic saved from becoming soup cans.

[@MPSuwanee]

I had an 82 320i. Loved it. Great car.

[@justgarage451]

Great car!!! great rescue... we will wait for the other two to be rescued!! with a good polish at the paint and the rims this car will be amaizing!!! also i love that sunroof!!!

[@littlecabinknives8954]

I had 1 of those orange bmws 20 some odd years ago. Just had to show your video to my kids

[@misterfeedback202]

I feel so confident of giving it a like even before watching.

[@chrishatton5114]

The little people are adhorable! Pretty beemer too!

[@CortinasAndClassics]

The bumpers are huge :O

[@KaptainKhaos1]

Sir, you are doing god’s work. What a rescue!!!

[@KaptainKhaos1]

Also, I might be interested in the Alfa one day...

[@Brock_Landers]

@@KaptainKhaos1 Absolutely. I can't wait to see the rescue of that Alfa. It's probably an old Spider.

[@KaptainKhaos1]

@@Brock_Landers pretty sure it’s the green Alfetta in the background but a spyder would be awesome too!

[@01AceAlpha]

Great find.....again..........I’m jealous, but very happy for you!

[@mikeobrien3744]

Nice. Great job figuring out how it works, and getting her back to life.

[@phillipgardner5836]

I love how informative your videos are, you really take the time to show us stuff lol

[@waltalbright]

Enjoyed the picture show.

[@robertbusin9983]

Great you saved it there a great little BMW.

[@frodestillingen]

Thats a good one for the Channel, its worth giving it the Porsche style resto 😊

[@ianformer]

Always know when a new vid shows up it will be fun, wholesome, family oriented, honest, real and completely unscripted. Thanks for posting up for all of us budget builderz.

[@manuelfondacaro9338]

I learnt to drive in one of this lovely grey 1981 320's, it was my grandpa's car, so rest asured I absolutely loved this video. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! \m/

[@dj7eight]

Cliff Painter? If so, i got it. 😉

[@SA-yb7mt]

Great! Good job saving these classic European cars. Unfortunately due to the cold weather and road salt here, old cars like these are a rare sight so good to see them around and saved from the scrap heap.

[@mos.f5810]

I had one BMW E21 320 with American Bumper like yours . It was a lovely car I had it since new in 1977 and sold it 1990 .

[@BrokePremiere]

THANK YOU MAN! I appreciate the shoutout! Also let me know when you’re selling that beemer...?😉lol

[@TheCardinalSpear]

Finally somebody that does euro revivals in America

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

You are the man!!!

[@tommink2577]

Score! The Getrag 245 in the 80-82 320i is super-valuable to 2002 guys doing a 5-speed swap. You could probably sell the trans for more than you paid for the car!

[@yodaistheone]

My respect for you just went up 100 percent when you said you change the oil before trying to start the engine. Very few people do that, and in my mind that is the least you could do before starting up a old engine. Keep up the awesome content, and i am sure your channel will grow like crazy. From a subscriber and fan in South Africa.

[@riobonito]

Sensational! These Bimmers are really cool, The E21 was the first generation of the BMW 3 Series. Accompanying it!

[@LSnium]

Today i went to go see this 1990 LS400 that was only for sale for parts on the internet and was nearby, it was intact and nothing seemed wrong with it, so i went over to see if i could purchase the whole car, just to find out they chopped it up into parts and thrown most of the car for scrap metal. Im so mad because they said the only thing wrong with it was it didnt run. It was a rare one too because it had a red interior.

[@donniebrown2896]

Feel your pain. We had a man and his two sons that bought 3 salvage yards. The newest vehicle there was,a '62 galaxy 500. The oldest was a Ford "c" cab truck. I got a head, complete for my '50 Chevy 5 window truck. Went back a couple of months later to buy some odds and ends. To my horror and extreme anger they were finishing the crushing of everything, I saw what was left of the "c" cab. Was not happy.

[@LSnium]

Oh my heart is stinging from that story. I wanna cry.

[@BasicChannelRomania]

Great job! I follow your work with Porsche and BMW. I also got two BMW E21 to restore. Respect from Romania!

[@sauluribe7082]

320 I. Once the most coveted prize for a lot of young motorists. Now the letters just stands for Breaks My Wallet.

[@hendrikl.3731]

Please do the Alfetta! 🇮🇹. Nice vids , go on...!

[@TheMurcury99]

You found some great cars there Michael 👍

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Incredible glad you saved them. Euro spec would look so clean on these.

[@samdodson2081]

KIDDES ARE CUTIES,,,,,,MY KIDS ARE GROWN BUT THEY REMEMBER SOME OF MY OLD TRUCKS THEY DROVE ON THE FARM.

[@chrispugh13]

Awesome video. I loved it when you were driving your kids around. Priceless memories for the kiddos.

[@unclerick8224]

Glad you got it running. Love the interaction with the kids. Memories they will treasure for ever.

[@yankee2yankee216]

Cute family! Obviously happy!

[@almclean4835]

A Beamer, knew it would run. Great to see the kids getting involved.

[@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904]

You were lucky to get it going and running ok! Bosch K-Jetronic injection DOES NOT tolerate sitting for a long time.

[@CK-br9mn]

M10 engine. Nice. Those Things are bulletproof.

[@video99couk]

One BMW that's not giving expensive error codes.

[@drazj]

Along with 3.0 csl, the nicest BMW ever

[@mrt7152]

Oh that is nice, these definitely need European bumpers. The m10 engine of that car is extremely reliable and good tunable. If you need any info on them feel free to ask.

[@Module79L]

I agree, those US-spec bumpers are ugly AF!

[@lakeshorerides]

Might be ugly but they are more useful than the euro bumpers. I'd rather have an ugly set of bumpers and not have to replace fenders or quarters in a small collision.

[@mrt7152]

@@lakeshorerides makes perfect sense what you say if you have often collisions, I would still go for the euro bumpers because the last collision I had was 14 years ago. And here in Europe everyone is obliged to have a car insurance. Anyone driving around without one, than his car will be confiscated. No idea how that works in the US?

[@brianeighties4481]

Those k jet injection systems can be a bit temperamental. This made my day!

[@sparkie5571]

mine hates my guts as well

[@CuoreSportivo]

I WANT TO SEE THE ALFETTA

[@jamcdona]

I've owned two of these, a 78 and an 83iS. I rebuilt the M10 in that one. Very easy to work on. These are cool cars, if you put in good seats and an iS steering wheel. Aftermarket suspension rubber sucks if you go cheap. Fun to see someone going through an E21.

[@pstreetgarage7304]

Nice save !!! Love seeing the youngsters all piled in there trying to steal the show.

[@mikemoyercell]

I used to have the same bmw. it was a 1980 e21 320i. Hennarot Red. It was my first BMW and I'd love to have it back. Being in PA it was in very rusty shape underneath but the paint was great.

[@Roger_Ramjet]

I like this channel. It makes me happy.

[@Brock_Landers]

Those M10 B20 engines were modeled after the M10 engines from motorsport history. The racing teams from BMW would set their 1.5L blocks out in the rain, they would literally urinate into them to weather and toughen the blocks before they were refreshed and put into use as motorsport blocks. The M10 engines were used in the BMW F1 cars and with a turbo they made 1500 HP...yep, a 1.5L 4 cylinder made 1500 HP. Wrap your brain around that fact. I have a 1997 Honda Civic with a fully built 1.8L DOHC VTEC 4 cylinder engine that makes 612 whp on a Garrett GT3582R turbo. I couldn't imagine making 1500 HP out of any 4 cylinder.

[@didzisdobe2557]

You are talking about the M12/12 turbo. The BMW M12/13 turbo was a 1500 cc 4cylinder turbocharged engine, based on the standard BMW M10 engine introduced in 1961, powered the F1 cars of Brabham, Arrows and Benetton. Nelson Piquet won the FIA Formula One Drivers' Championship in 1983 driving a Brabham powered by the BMW M12/13 turbo. It was the first Drivers' Championship to be won using a turbocharged engine. The engine also powered the BMW GTP and in the 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated form, the successful March Engineering Formula Two cars. For 1986, the M12 was upgraded into the M12/13/1. This version was claimed to have produced a maximum output of 1,400 hp (1,044 kW) in qualifying trim, which would make it the most powerful engine ever to race in Formula 1, turbocharged or otherwise.

[@jbailey2315]

OMG Michael, I love your videos.... but seeing you in a Minion shirt makes me love them even more!!!

[@williamcottam3719]

That's a true classic in Europe much sought after even in that condition would be worth a lot of money great to see you get these cars running keep em coming, love it.

[@Zillustration]

Flashback! looking at that engine reminded me of my 1975 2002, though it had the Webber carb. I'm currently nursing my daily driver through VA inspection: 1998 318i with 270K miles.

[@blackterminal]

Hand crank windows for the win. Almost never will need work.

[@Hangin_With_Shane]

Glad to see some new content! These older BMWs are pretty cool! Nice job, can't wait to see you put them up for sale...ha ha ha!

[@owen_03montero]

I seriously love this channel. I love saving old cars also.

[@gtnathan]

Love an E21!

[@paulmullins4439]

I hope I get to see more of this car great video enjoy watching keep the great work

[@thomasfrank280]

Looking forward to the Alfa.

[@jvgs920]

Great ! I like the logic in trying to identify and repair the engine . Good analysis and great to see this 320 come to life ! The car is worth it !

[@typhoon320i]

For TDC you can also look at the mounting flange for the cam sprocket. there is a line that will line up directly under the oil tube at the top of the head. that will indicate TDC

[@affordablevs]

Great to see this old BMW. They are getting harder to find. I am sure it will make a good little project. Keep up the good work.

[@keironastbury9399]

these BMW are coming rare get the other one too and restore them you'll make some dollar from that bro, great to see you all safe I'm just recovering from covid 19 and I don't want anyone to get it I actually died on the way to the hospital. ALL STAY SAFE

[@neubert500]

Love your family! You are a blessed man!

[@UHOH3300]

little tip from a serial E21 owner. m10 engines REQUIRE 1000ppm zinc or the cam and rockers will be wiped out. Use diesel oil like rotella or delvac or mobil1 15w50 to avoid this issue.

[@thewilliamss2392]

Love these these 80s BMW's well worth saving

[@dopeynightlifetv6859]

16:42 SHE'S ALIVEEEEEEE!!!!!! 💪

[@ordinaryJeff]

I used to own a BMW like that 320. 1975 315. It was in Germany, and the 75 over there was that same body style. Miss that car.

[@johnbarry731]

You’ll be well impressed with the Alfa if you can get it going. The engines in them sound amazing!

[@Duck_31]

What an amazing knowledge man. I envy u so much. Able to know what is wrong, what is sounding right and wrong, replace or fix the problem and getting to run it again. So nice