E39 + E21 sold... Enter the E60 - Planet5 lives on!

Managed to shift the E21 last weekend for practically what I'd spent on it, so it's nice to get money back for hard work. It's also given me a wad to spend on my next Beemer and I have fancied an E60 5-series for a while now, so when a lad at work offered a grand for the E39 I decided to have a look for a newer 530d. On a good day on eBay I reckon the E39 could fetch about £1,200, so letting it go for a quick sale at £1k is fair does. I met him today and we did a nice, quick deal. There was no real reason to let the E39 go, everything still works and it has never really let me down, service costs have been next to nothing, but I have had it just over 3 years now and the only justification I can give to upgrading is pure E-number snobbery.

The 530d that I've found this week is a 2004 E60 on a 53 plate, so one of the earlier ones, but still benefitting from the full HID lights and facelift. As with its predecessor, it's an SE with a full BMW service history and 120k miles. It's also mint, but this time it's got full black leather and a silver M-sport interior, as well as a few other sporty bits. I had hankered after the full M-sport car, but they are still commanding 6k+ and I got this for a song, so I guess I can buy and fit M-sport bumpers at a later date, as I said I would with the E39, but probably won't get around to once I've settled into it, even though a guy in Warrington says I can have a purple front M-bumper for £100 if I collect, so just maybe. It does have upgrade wheels, but rather than M-sports it has the 18" (I think, maybe even 19s I forgot to ask) wheels from a 7-series, which look rather nice and a bit different.

I am off to collect it tomorrow, from the east-coast of Essex no less. I managed to get the train ticket booked in advance for just £36, that's all the way from Liverpool Lime Street to Euston, the tube to Liverpool Street and then a regional SE train to Manningtree on the Essex coast, which is a ridiculous discount. The car is already paid for via instant bank-transfer, the first time I've done that buying a car, so when the guy meets me at the train station all I need to do is sign the log book and I'm away, plus I won't need to carry any cash with me. That's if he meets me at the station at all that is, but they're a reputable seller and I received a receipt of purchase on Friday, so it seems all legit so far. The only down side to my cheap train fare is that it won't be a super-quick Virgin train to London and will take over 3 hours instead. The departure time is also 8am, but at least this gets me into Essex for half one in the afternoon and that gives plenty of time to do the 270 mile drive home, which I'm sure will fly by.

E21 316: Car sold...

Met up with Jake yesterday and did the deal. He was getting the train down on his own from Newcastle, so asked if we could meet him in Manchester with it to halve his train fare, which was fair does, it's only about 40 miles from us and was a good chance to see if the car was up for the Newcastle run before handing it over... 

Obviously it was and once I'd hit the M56 I was whipping past cars in the middle-lane with my Dad struggling to keep up in his Audi. Apart from getting a bit warm in the cabin, the engine was ticking along beautifully at about 3,400 revs @ 70mph and I did manage a few stints at 80mph @ around 4,000 rpm, but my right foot was quickly subdued at the sight of a steaming Volvo Amazon on the hard-shoulder - the stranded owner grimaced at me as the Bavarian stalwart roared past, but as we got into Manchester the car was just as sedate in the long traffic-light queues and turning a lot of heads! 

After such a charming run into the city-centre, public-transport showed its true colours and there was bedlam with the Trans-Pennine trains and Jake's arrival was delayed by about 40 minutes. After that the switchover went nice and smoothly, the car speaks for itself and I knew he was keen anyway,so we were back on the road home again in about half an hour with no haggling. I threw in the original 13" steel-wheels, the beige rear seats, the short SPAX springs and a few other bits and bobs including the black rear grille-panel. Jake is only 20 and has had a couple of slammed Mk1 Golfs, so he's well into the scene and I can tell the E21 has gone to the right place, where it will be equally coveted and, hopefully, seen out a bit more.

Of all my car projects, this one was by far the most popular. Bye bye little E21, you will be missed.

Last ever fill up. Took it into work up the motorway for a pre-run check and it was flying.  I threw the 16s on for the trip to Manchester and was expecting a bit of steering-wheel wobble with them not being balanced, but above 50mph the wheel became eerily calm and gave the best high-speed ride so far, even with those stretched tyres.

The highest speed (and most fuel in the tank!) since the day I brought it home from Surrey :)

Parked up in Picadilly station car park, where it drew quite a bit of attention. There were 2 parking-attenants in the place and both were suddenly drawn to it like a magnet, which was unnerving at first.

Timeless lines. Probably the only E21 out in the city that day and getting a lot of love from the Mancs.

The E21 shape just has to have deep-dish wheels - it's well worth the effort to get 9Js on the back.

Coombs of Guildford, endorsed by the Queen no less. Old Beemers famously outlive their dealerships, but I'm pleased to see Coombs is now Vines of Guildford, still a BMW specialist.

In the immortal words of Andy L. - "I do love a sticker". 

E21 316: Last week with the E21...

Quite a sad time this week as the car is now confirmed sold, but it's nice to see it will be going to an enthusiastic new owner, a lad called Jake from Newcastle ways. Quite ironic that the car doesn't leave leafy Surrey for 29 years, then in the subsequent two makes it's way through Liverpool (230 miles away) and then as far North as it practically can to 'Castle (another 175 miles)!

It will be very dearly missed, the handsome E21, not just for the sentimental reasons of it being the exact same age as me or the extent of work and restoration I carried out, but mainly because it is such an awesome car to behold. Time waits for no man and it would be even worse to see me SORN it, hide it away somewhere and let it fade away... it needs to be kept on the road so it can be enjoyed by both the driver and the public. Like any BMW old or new, the thing just loves to be driven and gets better and more rewarding the more you do. It's also great that other people like the shark-nose classic (and in some cases, rare but gratifying, actually get the stance scene :D) and appreciate the work that's gone into the project.

E21 Dub Club has had over 12,000 hits and a heap of good feedback and I would like to thank everyone who has checked it out, not just those who gave props props on the motor, but for those who found it useful and have been helped or inspired with their own E21s... hats off to you. Finally, a big shout out to Clint Warburton for his support - hope with all the space of the Ozzy outback you get to keep your E21 for the foreseeable future.

Never the less, a new project beckons, but sadly it's a bricks-and-mortar style project this time. That time has come again for me to flee the parents nest and give up my natty cars, though I'm sure another retro BMW will appear when the dust settles from this house!

Back in the car gallery at West Wal, where it's not been enough this winter....

Turning heads in Co-Op car park, Wallasey...

Built, not bought. Driven, not garaged. And simply stunning to boot,, even rocking the 15" Melber wheels...

Checking out the bad boy evil Angel Eyes in the tailgate of this Mini. The poor girl must have wondered what I was doing taking photos... obviously she hadn't seen the eyes approaching and got out of the way - it was flying in the cold air!

E21 316: Flared wheel-arches painted.

I have a buyer organised for the car, coming to pick it up next weekend. Just throwing up some recent pics of the painted wheel arches.

E21 316: Update + MOT Pass

After my disastrous few weeks I managed to get hold of a Bilstein strut-insert and get it onto the car along with the longer springs, meaning it was finally back on the road and in an state worthy of the MOT test. I cautiously rolled down to the test-station on Saturday and am glad to say the E21 passed with flying colours!

Bilstein damper is strong, but will be a pain with the short springs.

This was a relief considering the slightly dodgy seat-frames I made bolted through the floor-pan, which stuck out like a sore thumb when it was up on the ramps, along with the scuff marks where I've grounded the underside, but with the car at a more standard height off the ground this didn't see to bother them and there was no problem with the chassis at all.

Oddly, the guy told me that the split-pins were missing from the castle-nuts on my steering track-rod ends and this would actually be a fail under normal circumstances, but they could see I'd been working on it and decided to give me the benefit of the doubt. This was true, I'd had them off swapping the springs and hadn't bothered to replace the split-pins as they would be coming straight off again to put the short springs back. That was decent of them to let it go, as it would have been beyond frustrating to lose another week to something so trivial and shows just what a pain the UK MOT test is.

Folded up and with a 1/4 inch thick layer of
pallet-wrap to send as a parcel.

Spending on the E21 has been a bit out of control since buying the E30 seats and it is still in desperate need of the wheel-arches finishing off. By this point, I'm past what I can recoup if I sell the car. I'm still using my E39 as my daily, the E21 has had no use for nearly a month with no MOT and finally, due to a planned move, it's looking like I will have to let her go anyway, unless I can find somewhere cheap enough to store it. I had hoped to have the arches skimmed off and painted by the guy who did the respray, but money is tight so I will be buying a rattle-can and doing the best I can with them.

Thankfully, I've managed to generate a bit of extra cash to pay for the strut-debacle [this post], by selling some bits on eBay, like a battered old set of alloys, an E36 nose-cone and other bits I had lying around, as well as the original beige passenger seat from the E21 - I think I have enough seats for the car now. I hope the seat arrives to the buyer OK, as I had to practically shrink-wrap it to be able to send it Parcelforce [£27], pictured, as the original method of courier was just over £60!

My spare set of E21 ash-trays is not selling on the other hand and is still on the site here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181235987123.

E21: Deep 'Alpina' Style Front Valance on eBay UK

** UPDATE - This sold for the same £51 bid that was there on day one of the auction, but alas I missed the end.

I've been looking for a replacement chrome rear-bumper to get rid of the two minor, but ugly, dents on mine and spotted this -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121179262087?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

A super-rare for the UK deep front-valance / bumper, I think from the 'Alpina' models and it's genuine BMW. Probably going to sell for way over the current £50 bid, but I think I will be having a cheeky bid myself if it doesn't go stratospheric.

E21: Front indicators - a common problem?

Is your front corner-indicator not working, but the bulb and fuse are fine?

Mine wasn't and it turned out to be the metal live-clip that sits against the bottom of the bulb. Not the best of designs, connection is lost to the bulb if the clip is bent back slightly, causing the indicator to fail intermittently [denoted by faster clicking of the turning-signal]. The clip having a little corrosion or crud on it is also enough to stop the bulb getting a signal.

A quick clean up with emery-cloth and a slight bend forwards so it sits tight on the bulb was enough to get mine working solidly again. This could be a common problem, especially in the UK and Europe where grime gets pushed everywhere in an E21, so if your fuse and bulb appear fine, but the indicator won't work, you can bet it's the live-clip.

PROCESS:

1. Dis-connect the corner indicator wiring by sliding apart the plastic-clip located behind the headlamp under the bonnet and push it through the hole to the outside of the wing.

2. Remove the two crosshead screws holding the corner-indicator lens and lift the lens off.

3. Remove the two crosshead screws holding the indicator-housing to the wing. The housing should now slide forwards and clear the wing.

4. Use nose-pliers to remove the metal live-clip from where it sits in the plastic-housing.

5. Bend the prong [denoted by the arrow] in towards the other prong, bringing the flat-edge down.

6. Clean up the face of the prong and the metal-contact on the bulb with emery-cloth.

7. Replace the live-clip to the plastic-housing and reverse Steps 1-3 to re-fit.