If you’re looking for a new project car, junkyard digging is not the way to go. What you’ll find at a junkyard is almost always crap, smashed cars that have no business ever being on the road again. However, it is possible to find cars whose bodies are in good shape and could actually be saved. This 1977 BMW 320i could be one of those cars.
The original E21 3 Series was only sold in America as a 320i, meaning it came with the brand’s famous M10 four-cylinder engine. That little four-pot motor only made 110 hp but that was actually pretty good in America at the time especially considering the more powerful Camaro at the time only had 170 hp and the 320i was lighter and considerably more nimble.
This red 320i actually seems to be in pretty decent shape, with no serious body damage and relatively little rust. It looks like it needs a new hood and grille but those are easy and cheap items to replace. While this is obviously not where most enthusiasts want to start, this car could be had for pennies on the dollar, making it a very cheap place to start.
There’s no info on whether or not the engine runs but even if it doesn’t there are plenty of old E21 and E30 engines on the market for pretty cheap that can be had for this car. The entire car only has around 170,000 miles on it, which isn’t bad for a 40 year old car. So if you an enthusiast on a very tight budget and want a project car, this charming but pretty rough E21 BMW 320i could be an interesting project for you.
[Source: Autoblog]
