Despite having written for Barn Finds going on a few years now, I had never actually had a barn find of my own. Well, as I have always secretly hoped, my years of scourging through junkyards paid off when a yard owner clued me into a car he was asked to potentially tow away for scrap. Luckily for me, the price of scrap steel has dipped so low that the owner decided to hold onto a car he has owned for many years just a little bit longer – and that’s where I come in.
What you see here is a 1980 BMW 320/6, part of the E21 platform of 3-Series sedans. It slots between the venerable 2002 and the fan-favorite E30. While the US-spec E21 was a decent car, it didn’t necessarily capture the hearts and mind of enthusiasts, partly because it was saddled with a fairly anemic 4-cylinder. Fortunately, this example here is a European-market model known as the 320/6, and it was equipped with a carbureted 2.0L inline-six, providing some much needed punch. It also has the other Euro bits, like the slim chrome bumpers and H4 lighting. This one has an added bonus: as a UK market car, it is right-hand drive!
The seller emigrated to the U.S. in the early 80s. He had plans to get the car properly federalized, but when he saw the costs of changing the lights, bumpers and emissions equipment, and sticking steel reinforcement bars in the doors, he decided not to bother. Shortly thereafrer, the head cracked and the car began its long slumber. While he got as far as disassembling the engine down to the block and sourcing a spare head, the project stalled and the car was moved from garage to garage for the next several years. Fortunately, it has remained rust-free and has only 73,000 original miles!
The seller purchased the car with 25,000 original miles on it from his workmate at the Rolls-Royce jet engine plant in the U.K. The original owner’s name is in the manuals, along with maintenance records showing consistent fluid changes and inspections. The interior is in excellent condition with a factory 5-speed manual transmission. It does not have the desirable limited slip but I haven’t checked yet to see if it has the dogleg ‘box. Wishful thinking but you never know.
For now, the plans are to organize the various engine parts in the trunk and see where we stand for the cost of a rebuild and any machine work that needs to be done. My friends at Oxford Motorcars in East Providence, Rhode Island will be doing the bulk of the work and also providing storage services. As part of the deal, they went and picked the car up for free – which was hugely appreciated. My plan is to attack the project in stages; fortunately, all of the controls are manual so I don’t foresee too many electrical gremlins to sort. As you can see in the photos above, the nose took a bit of a hit and I’ve already sourced a replacement chrome Euro bumper which should be en route from the UK this week. Then, my body shop will have to do some straightening of the front valence.
Overall, I am very excited about the project. It’s a good lesson in being open to conversations and getting friendly with people who are “in the loop.” My friend at the salvage yard was someone I hadn’t spoken with in a few months, but he remembered me from when I removed a dashboard from an older 5-Series he had in his yard. In my call to him two weeks ago, I mentioned I liked older BMWs and he remembered the sale. At that point, he asked if I had any interest in a European-market BMW, which you can bet made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Euro market cars are the holy grail for those of us who pine for vintage BMWs.
One of the best parts of the process was getting to know the seller. He loved this car and it showed, keeping it safely tucked away in the garage for the many years it was stationary. He has moved all over the country with this little E21, and I can tell he was sad to see it go. But thankfully, he realized he wasn’t going to have the time to put it back together now or later and had the sense to send it along to an owner who cannot wait to hear this motor turn over once again (and to learn how to drive – and shift – from the other side of the car!)
Now, not many folks here know this, but I am a bit of a collector of OEM accessories. I can’t explain it; I just love them. I have no interest in aftermarket parts but if BMW sold it in their stores or in the parts catalog, chances are I want it (or already own it). Some of the goodies that came with this car are things like the original spare lightbulb above, along with OEM BMW brake dust cleaner spray and windshield washer fluid, just like you would have bought in your local dealer in 1980. This is the kind of stuff that hasn’t been seen in years by enthusiasts. Why would you? They were throwaway items once you used them up. I was positively giddy when he showed me what he had. There’s even an original antenna cleaner wipe packet!
Another score: the original shop manuals, in perfect condition. To the left you can see the owners manuals and other maintenance booklets, all as they would have been stowed in the glovebox when new. Even more amazing is that they are in exceptional condition, with no stains or torn pages. The care taken to keep this car and all of its various bits and pieces together, even as it was relegated to project status, blew my mind. So often these are the things that go missing once a vehicle falls out of daily use.
To the left, another cool Euro bit: the original safety triangle, stored in the cubby next to the power antenna in the trunk. Those are the original British number plates which will be making a return to the car once the bodywork is finished up. My plans are to bring it back to OEM condition, with the only deviations being a more sporting H&R / Bilstein suspension and some BBS/Mahle basketweave wheels from the 320IS. I’ll be sure to update the project as we go along and have my friends at Oxford take plenty of photos along the way. And thanks to all of our readers at Barn Finds, who helped keep me hopeful and optimistic that some day I would discover a barn find of my own!
This is SO cool, Jeff! Congratulations!!!! I didn’t even know an inline 6 came in this shell. You’ll have to keep us up to date as the project goes forward!
Thank you Jamie! I had been looking for something new but this was even better than expected. Price was right, too. ;-)
Good luck on your project Jeff. A rust free one is always a good start and one that is inexpensive is a big plus. Being in central Pa. rust bucket projects are a way of life. By the way I think that your car being right hand drive is cool. Always wandered what it would be like driving down the road on the passenger side, lol.
RHD or LHD?
It is RHD!
Jeff, don’t stress about learning to drive on the other side of the car, when I was 20 and in the Aust. Army I had to learn to drive LHD Reo and Studebaker trucks and in a RHD country it gets confusing at times. Both of my collector cars now, 62 Imperial and 77 El Camino daily driver are left hook and when you get in you just do all the stuff without thinking, the brain adapts automatically. Only problem is when I use the wifes RHD car I keep washing the windshield when I want to turn a corner, the indicator stalk is on the (wrong side) !
Tony C
I had a 1977 320 a number of years ago. Same body as US spec 320i, but with carbureted 4 cylinder. Basically a 2002 with a 320 body. Slimmer bumpers, etc. It had originally been shipped to El Salvador so the owner’s manual was in Spanish. Great little car–i wish I had not sold it. It went to a friend/enthusiast who owned several 2002’s. I hope he still has it and appreciates it.
A wonderful find. I am envious. As a BMW owner/driver since 1976 (my first BMW) I also collect BMW things-mostly scale models, brochures and a few unique old parts. I even hate to throw away removed maintenance parts of my old e34. Keep us advised. Nice job.
Thanks RDC – will do!
great find. this will be fun to watch and learn as you bring it back to life. would love to see some photos of the inside, trunk, underside, and motor area. thanks
That is my next assignment, Jim…track down some additional photos. I plan on visiting the car at some point this weekend.
thank you.
That is some special car you found. I remember these. RHD as well. Some of these Euro only editions with the 6cyl went to China and India. Of course, you would see them in England as well. To be honest, I can’t remember even hearing of one in the US. I’m sure you will do your research and see if any others are here. Maybe yours is the only one in the USA?
There are not many, that’s for sure. The 1980 models sort of pre-date the big boom in sneaking grey market cars in, which is more commonly associated with ’83-’86. That’s why there are a few 323i’s running around, which are fuel injected and have a bit more displacement.
That is right Jeff, I remember the gray market boom starting around 81 and it’s peak in 83/84. As for “ydnar” stating that there are “quite a few” of these in the US, well, I don’t know about that one…. Oh, RHD is a positive with this car. In fact, it makes the entire car seem just right.
I’m gonna have to stop scrounging and start scourging the junkyards so I can find a cool little gem like this. Scourging does seem more aggressive!
You wear more flannel when you scourge. That’s the key.
I may need to re-visit my friend the dictionary….;-)
What are the laws like now? You dont have to modify the car to meet US Specs anymore? Sounds like a great project.
After the car reaches 25 years old, I don’t believe you do. They’re certainly legal for import without modification.
Amazing find Jeff! Good things happen to good people.
Would love to see some interior photos of this great find.
About 18 months ago I purchased a true barn find 1975 2002 from it’s second owner. It was 19 years dormant with an engine that was blown. He was a past president of the national BMWCCA, and had owned probably a half-dozen 2002s. The one caveat that came with the purchase of his long-dormant ’02? I had to take all the parts he’d accumulated in his 30-year stint as a BMW 2002 fanatic. Needless to say the 5-pickup load stash of parts contained a gold mine of usable parts, most of which I sold off to other 2002 guys. I kept what I needed, and the sales of the parts nearly equaled the original purchase price of the car and parts.
Sounds like a great find, Rex! I will be sure to get some interior photos the next time I visit the car.
Great find, but there are quite a few 320/6’s here. I have personally seen some at the various shops I worked in in the Dallas area. I sure do not see the RHD as being a positive attribute. These cars are/ were highly sought after, almost as much as the 914/6. The maintenance could not have been very good, as it already has had major engine failure, records or not. Apparently cost is no object, as the cost to bring it back could easily exceed it’s monetary value. I’ll have to look through my dealer stuff, and see what types of tidbits I have. I know I have a set of Porsche leather drink coasters with the race cars engraved in them. It sure seems that with a little patience, you could have found a bumper here for a lot less money.
Well, I don’t really do it for the money. If I was, I would already sold it and made myself $200. As per the bumper – well, I have no patience! The cost of the replacement bumper has already exceeded the price of the car! Hell, I want this thing on the road this summer for beach cruising, no time to waste!
As per the RHD: I love it. I like cars that stand out at the shows (I’m already thinking of bringing this to The Vintage this year…..) I’m sure there will be a major learning curve, but what a story to tell the kids about someday. :-)
Patience my young Padiwon! It will pay off in the near future, I promise. It sure sounds like you are in the game for all of the right reasons. The best of luck to you. There is a great BMW recycler place in San Antonio called benz and bmw recyclers, they were bimmers and benz. Louis Jeminez is great guy for finding hard to get stuff. Tell him Randy from Dallas European sent you.
Way to piss in his Cornflakes ydnar.
No kidding!
Well Bob, Jeff is a big boy, and we had an intelligent conversation. Facts is facts. I’d hate for a newbie here to happen to run across a 320/6 and think he found a goldmine, only to find out he jumped in upside down. One mans trash is another man’s treasure, is an old saying and is very apropos to the old car world. My stuff is trash, but it’s my trash. I am not calling his 320/6 trash by any means, just making a point.
So you dismiss his excitement on the rarity.
You strongly imply that the RHD is a negative feature.
You opine that the maintenance was subpar.
You declare that it is a financial disaster.
You oddly start reminiscing about your own stash, thankfully briefly.
And finish by surmising that he spent too much on a bumper.
Not only do I not see a “conversation” I also don’t see a lot of “facts” I see one guy throwing his opinions out to the world.
Heck I don’t even necessarily disagree with some of what you said, but show some class. If you had offered this info prior to his purchase, it would be advice, after the fact it is (to repeat myself) pissing in his Cornflakes.
While Jeff has been exceptionally gracious, it is good advice for everyone commenting here to keep in mind the golden rule of commenting is that you never write something that you wouldn’t say to to the person’s face.
Get real Bob. I am by far the least negative guy here. Albeit, I will say, “hey, you shot yourself in the foot” as I try to help stop the bleeding.
Let Jeff handle his own affairs, unless you were elected as moderator, and then I’ll abide by “Bob’s Rules”.
What’s the matter I thought we all had the right to be offended?
It’s a shame you think I’m quoting my own rules, they are kinda the rules of common decency in society.
I need to add before dropping this altogether, I’m not judging you as a person. It’s pretty clear you’re a good guy and I agree with the “brothers and sisters” comment too!
I luv ya Bob! Iron sharpens iron. I tend to not totally consider others feelings at times, but Jeff took it well.
Randy, RHD in your country is most definitely a positive attribute. Many RHD GM Monaros, Chrysler Chargers, (Aussie ones) and Ford coupes, from the 70’s IE: Mad Max. have gone to the US and apparently you guys can’t get enough of them because they are soooo different and stand out in a crowd, just like your huge “yank tanks” do here, they draw a crowd every where we go in them.
Quote: Life’s too short to drive boring motor cars ! Unquote.
And a RHD BMW sure won’t be boring amongst all the “common” LHD ones !
Man! I just could NOT deal with the whole RHD thing. I mean, it’s cool and all to look at, but I can’t even write “cat” with my left hand, let alone change gears….
LOL I agree!
Great find Jeff. I guess I need to wander around RI more seeing that my son is moving to Providence. Once you get it up and running, you need to bring it up to German day at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline MA…
If your son ever needs tips on where to go for a good meal or sites to see, give me a yell! My wife and I are both transplants so we tend to act like tourists. And definitely plan a visit to Oxford Motorcars – they have an amazing shop and gallery of cars for sale!
I plan on stopping by Oxford Motorcars. 20 miles away from where I live, thanks for the tip. I love your BMW find! I used to own a 1982 320i 4cyl 4 speed. Did you used to have a white M3?
Congratulations Jeff! Cool car and story! I really like the Euro cars of the 80’s. The Euro bumpers look SO much better than the US bumpers of the time! My best friend drove a late 70’s or early 80’s Euro Porsche 928, all the gauges and warning lights were in German but still a LHD car.
congrats Jeff keeping myself subscribed to follow your progress
Never owned a BMW except for an Isetta but I do know lots of BMWs are over here in Australia and all are RHD..If you have any troubles with parts from Blighty, consider checking out Aussie for parts too…there are sure to be various wreckers here, though I personally dont know any [just moved interstate and far from city centres]. Bit of a google might pay off down the track if you need to search further a field..
Jeff, this is cool. It sounds like you found something that pushes all YOUR buttons. Randys opinion notwithstanding, good for you.
Ok Jeff, I apparently stepped over some folks imaginary line. Let me know if an apology is in order, and I’ll make it a good one.
No apology needed! Truth be told, I never make the wisest financial decisions on these types of things, but that would suck a lot the fun out of it for me if it became one more thing to sweat over.
But keep in mind, nothing I buy ever costs that much. And it takes me a few years to set it right. At the end of the day, I just like seeing cars come back from the dead while retaining some of the history that made them special in the first place.
Your instincts are definitely right – there are smarter ways to go about restoring cars – but I just haven’t found that way to be much fun (for me).
Thanks for commenting…maybe we can connect on some of the resources/connections you have that could be potential parts sources for me!
-Jeff
I would be happy to. I consider us all brothers and sisters here, and give advice accordingly. These says of “I’m ok and you’re Ok” tend to give people the mentality that they have a right to not be offended.
I have shot myself in the foot selling vehicles way too cheap in the past. I would have loved to have had you guys around, instead of my ex wife saying “GET RID OF IT”!
I’ll gather some intel and post it here as it comes in.
It’s fun to read about someone else who found their dream car. It’s stories like these that make Barn Finds a daily stop. Good luck with your project.
My favorite BMW guru says the bbl carb is a “four letter word” and there is a write up on a holley conversion.
This is the business he recommended for parts.
http://www.bimmer.com/
“there was a couple articles about replacing it with a holley. most of the other stuff would work from a reg 320i, usa.” except for the RHD
If you don’t mind asking your friend, here’s the approach I was thinking of: http://www.racetep.com/bmwweb.html
I was just going to go with a basic Weber carb kit, which is supposedly as close to a turnkey kit as you can find.
I sent it along, will wait for his reply.
He likes the Webbers, but says the Holley should be a lot cheaper.
I hope you have a lot of fun with this car, ydnar|randy
Nice rescue! Congrats! Will be great to see updates as you bring this back. The IS BBS wheels will be a nice period touch. Would be neat to see if you could find some period IS recaros to go in there. im sure there’s an LSD out there with your name on it too.
Martin, I have a lead on some E21 Recaros (that will need some recovering) that I am hoping my brother can rescue this weekend. Along with a new kidney grill!
What a neat buy! And at a real good price, whatever it was, there’s no harm done if you ever feel you need to move it on—I’m sure there are lots of BMW guys who would grab it quick because it’s so rare and interesting. And show up at a BMW meet in it and I’m sure you will get a lot of attention. These were the envy of BMW fans who couldn’t get them back then and had to settle for the 4-banger.
Speaking of which….the first BMW I ever drove was a 4-banger E21. It was refined and it handled better than 99% of cars I had driven up to then, but the power wasn’t that good. The 6 in your car should fix that, and as a straight-6 that’s fairly understressed it should be smoooth going down the road.
Good wishes for getting your new ride on the road. Of course we will need some pictures when it’s done.
Dolphin, you read my mind. I paid a very low price for a car I knew I would never have any issues selling if I needed to. Heck, the period Alpine stereo and equalizer is trading on eBay for more than what I bought the car for!
It will be interesting to drive this car for the first time. I think the 6 in such a light chassis is going to be a blast to drive. Thanks for the well wishes.
Jeff I read an article in a magazine that might help when you first get to drive your RHD car. It said that if you plan to drive a rhd car in a lhd country it would be a good idea to drive on the ‘left of the road as you normally would’ in this type of vehicle and then gradually, when safe to do so, try driving on the other side of the road as you gain more confidence before you depart on your trip? The more I read that the more I got the feeling something just didn’t quite stack up in the article! Duh! Heh, heh.
Tony, Oz
Please don’t wait until it’s finished before taking more photos.
You have my word, Marty. :-)
Great find! I would be so happy to run across a jewel like this. I am sure you will have a blast with it and looking forward to the progress reports
OH yeah, and im glad you dont let anybody come along and piss in the middle of your picnic …..just enjoy !
theres always one in every crowd…sometimes two or three
You may want to consider attempting to have this car titled and registered before you move forward with any other work. From what I read in your description the original importer did not federalize or legally import this car for use on our roads. He likely temporarily imported it for personal use, which would be a car that cannot be legally sold in the U.S. If there is no U.S. title, it cannot be registered without proper customs documentation showing it was legally imported.
Since it was never originally sold in America it must be legally imported through customs, and just because the car is 25 years old does not mean it is exempt. If the car was not 25 years old at the time of import, it is not likely the seller had the authority to sell this car for anything other than scrap. You may be able to register in Florida, their DMV seems to care little about the views of U.S. Customs and border control.
I guess this comment makes me number two to “piss in his cereal”. Personally I am of the belief that his cereal will taste much worse if he puts thousands of dollars into this car before realizing he will never be able to legally drive it in the United States.
Celk, I do have proof of Michigan temp registration. He did have the car registered with his local DMV when he emigrated to Ann Arbor. In RI, we do not need to provide title on vehicles over 25 years old: only bill of sale and a proof of prior ownership. Obviously, I have a BOS and the temp MI registration should satisfy any need for proof.
Those of you who live in states like CA have a much harder time of things. My daily driver has a certificate of destruction (!) in the history file from CA and my local DMV didn’t bat an eye. However, if I tried to register the car in MA, I would have had to have extensive work done by both the local police and a body shop to prove it was safe to drive.
While I appreciate the concern, I don’t anticipate it being an issue in my home state. And frankly, the one car in my stable that has a scrap title is one of the best cars I’ve ever owned, so I won’t lose any sleep at night if I have two junk titles in my collection.
LOL, big difference in offering advice over criticism.
I concur, this car will likely always be illegal. But the likelihood of anyone at the Federal level finding out is slim to none, State level will be easy to skirt around as it HAS been titled previously.
OJust to be clear, in my state (not California) having a temp registration does not mean you have a title. Temporary registrations are a dime a dozen here, pretty much all you need is a bill of sale while you “collect your other paperwork”. We are allowed two temporary permits per car per year, but don’t assume that means the car is titled.
I would agree, a slim chance of the Feds ever laying eyes on your VIN number. Sounds like you will enjoy the car and have a plan for registration, so I wish you good luck with the project. I love the Siennabraun by the way. That color matches perfectly with 1980 and looks great with a good polish and wax.
Nice find, as a Master BMW tech for almost 20 years before getting into the management scene I can say these are RARE. And RHD is no big deal. Driven everthing from CJ5 mail jeeps, Jags, TR,s and a RHD MGC , a half hour ride and you’ll snap right in. Just watch the left turns at intersections… it will be a little weird at first.
And yes, they look cool when you pull up curbside and the valet gets on the wrong side to let your significant other out. It is a hoot.
One of the biggest problems with LHD in a RHD country or vice versa is damn parking stations, etc. you have to get out and run around the car to get the ticket from the machine, the same when you leave to put the ticket back in and pay. Tollways can be a PITA as well unless you have a passenger, luckily we don’t have any in my state. You can talk to the guy alongside you at traffic lights when he says what a nice ride you have as well.
TC
Congrads. I’ve owned several BMWs and really enjoy the cars. This is a great find. The only thing better would have been a Baur Convertible. Keep Motoring.
Jeff,
Don’t let all the badmouth about the title scare you. I’m sure you have a good idea of what you’re doing.
In Missouri, I worked for a long time to get a title for a car on which I had no paperwork, and the state had no previous record holder on file, either in the computer or the state archives. Probably, they told me, because with no paper the car had not been registered or legally sold in more than 35 years and was “off the books”.
Over the course of many inquiries to everyone including local law enforcement, Highway Patrol, and state DMV employees, more than one of them told me my car was “never” going to be legally titled in Missouri. One actually recommended I remove the original VIN tag and apply for a “specially constructed” title and get a new VIN and title that way. I also remember another telling me in a thundering authoritative tone that out-of-state title services were illegal (as if Missouri DMV employees had any power whatsoever to decide what is or isn’t legal at the DMV in Alabama, Maine, Nevada, or anywhere other than Missouri!) Lots of people and low-level bureaucrats are very good at stating their opinions as fact.
It’s too late for a long story short, but I ended up getting a normal, clear, non-salvage “bonded” title with the car’s original VIN left in place where it belongs. The moral of the story is; listen to the advice of others, but not too much.
There are a lot more than several ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes. Exactly what is the proper legal procedure at the DMV? It depends on who at the DMV you ask. Someone at the state has told you something you don’t want to hear? Call back another day and talk to someone else. If mom says no, go ask dad. I’m an accomplished believer in that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again at a different DMV office across town. Letter and spirit of the law, and all that. As long as you haven’t stolen from or otherwise deceived anyone, continue to do what you know is right.
Hi Jeff – here is an E21 that may interest you. I don;t really think it’s an Alpina maybe a 320is with some Alpina stuff?
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-details.html?adId=1164083280
Be interested in how your project is going.
I had a 1980 320I, it was the fuel injected four cyl. I loved that car, it was fast (for an inline four), it handled great, and not too bad on fuel. At 280k miles on it, I gave it to my buddy that I originally bought it from. He drove it another 18 months, then his daughter got into a fender bender with it, and given the miles, he scrapped it. I would love to find another. Enjoy your 320!
Steve
This BMW’s registration number JHT382X is still listed on the UK government’s DVLA (Driver Vehicle Licencing Authority) website. It shows that it was registered in January 1982; the road fund licence (car tax) expired 1 January 1987 – UK car tax always expires the end of a month so presumably it left the UK late 1986. Also the site shows that the last registration document was issued 18 May 1983 – this would have been issued if ownership changed, or the owner moved address. Try this link – if It doesn’t work let me know and I’ll send other links to find this information: https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/VehicleFound?locale=en