BMW 318. 1766cc 1980

BMW 318 E2

Impeccable. In perfect state of functioning.

The BMW E21 (sold as Series 3) was a tourism of segment D designed by BMW to replace the famous series 2002 as the 1602, el 2002ti o el 2002 Turbo; typical of the 60's and early 70's. In 1975 the car company, Munich Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) decides to launch this series of cars, though at first with little success as it stepped slightly to the tastes of the time.

Engine

Incorporate engines mounted longitudinally, of great hardness, and peculiarly inclined about 20° to the right. Although they are finicky with the carb, especially the Pierburg 2B4 (replaceable by a Weber DGV 32/36) and 4A1 (replaceable by a quad-body V6 engines).

• M10 Engine:

Main article: BMW M10

Designed by Baron Alex Von Falkenhausen is the engine used by BMW in the 60's, 70's and 80's with a production that lasted twenty-five years (1962-1987). When you enter the E21 received new devices of power/power and small tweaks of the design, improving the ratio power output/consumption.

This engine is not overly sporty, but in exchange, it supports the treatment, more hard, making it ideal for daily use. Account with a block of four in-line cylinders and eight valves with camshaft driven by chain. Produced with displacements ranging from 1400 to 2000. In the E21 is equipped with a power range going from 75 HP (E21 315) up to 125 HP (E21 320i). While between 1962 and the early years of the E21 with this engine lived in a splendour of gold, from 1978 began its decline confining him inside the most economical models in the range, however, would last ten years more in production to be definitely replaced by the modern M40 and M42.

• M20 Engine:

Main article: BMW M20

Six-cylinder in-line with the 12-valve belt (less robust than the M10), from 2000 cm3 up to 2700 cm3. Was in production for eighteen years (1976-1994), and along with the M10 and the M30 are the parents of motorization modern BMW.

When adapted to the M10 for the design of the 320i (4 cylinder, 125 HP) was that it was very difficult to carry beyond the M10 while maintaining a durability and reasonable consumption, so that needed a mechanical top. The M10 was planned to reach the 2,000-cm3 (normally accepted as the limit of commercial for the four-cylinder engines). As at the time there was no technology to make a four-cylinder engine more powerful while maintaining the capacity and reliability they opted for a mechanical six-cylinder because it allowed them to achieve displacements and higher yields. It had a inline six that featured in some of the series top (Series 5, 6 and 7), the M30, however this engine is too big and heavy to maintain stability in the simple and lightweight chassis from an E21, so he had to create a new engine. The objective was to design a "6 in line" lightweight and compact, that it was perfectly compatible, in weight and dimensions, with the chassis and the space of the E21, and in addition able to provide the client with models with more than 125 HP.

The project was a success being the 320/6 the second E21 best selling behind the 316. Although this engine was introduced in the 3 Series in 1977, was fully developed during the era E30 from 1983. The success was so rodundo that made this architecture in the most desired in a 3 Series.

The two generations of E21, before and after the introduction of the M20:

• The first with 316/1, 318, 320 and 320i, only with engines M10.
• The second with 315, 316/2, 318i, 320/6, 323i, apart from the M10 engines with M20.

For more information and greater accuracy to consult the main articles M10 and M20.

Power systems

Carburetor:

• First generation, Solex 32/32 DIDTA: 316/1, 318, and 320.
• Second generation: Pierburg 1B2, 315; Pierburg 2B4, 316/2; Solex 4A1, 320/6.

Injection:

• Bosch K-Jetronic for the 320i and 323i.
• Jetronic Bosch for 318i and 320i/2(only USA).
• Bosch K-Jetronic for the 320i/4cilindros(USA).

Note: the engines carburetion usually carry an air intake round black and very characteristic.

Equipment additional extras that did not come from series

This model was particularly disadvantaged in terms of the standard equipment already which was very poorly equipped.

• On models lower than the 320:
  • Metallic colours
  • Front 4 headlights
  • "Headrest" for the rear seat
  • Double courtesy light
  • Light, trunk, etc

• In all the models:
  • Lock for the glove box
  • Aluminum wheels (sport, Alpine or BBS)
  • Double light in the ceiling
  • Windows rear folding
  • Sun roof
  • "Spoiler" rear rubber
  • Frames chrome bezels
  • Shift knob, sport or Alpine
  • Air conditioning
  • Power steering
  • A limited-slip differential
  • Gearbox 5-speed or automatic
  • Right mirror (manual or electric)
  • Adornment of the model for the grill (only for 320 and 323i)
  • Seats Recaro leather
  • Rearview mirror right models pre

Gearbox

The E21, of series, wore a gearbox 4-speed manual long (up to 170-180 km/h) with a fourth direct 1:1. However, there were two more options.

• The box ECO:

Also called Overdrive, kept the four relations of the standard box but we added a fifth "superdirecta" to highway without having to rush the engine to go 120 km/h.

• The box Sport:

It consisted of a box with four relationships are short, and a fifth direct 1:1 with what you'd get performance more sporty. It is mainly used in the 320 and 323i racing or regularly. It is the most quoted today.

• The box Car:

The E21, it could be purchased also with a box of 3 gears automatic mechanical operation.

Details and curiosities

• Unusual electrical system the rear-view mirror (which calls attention to the join-window manual).
• Starting in 1980, included a digital clock with display of red located in the lower half of the cuentavueltas.
• The instrument cluster is lit by three lamps of orange in place of retroiluminarse.
• The wheel series has four buttons of horn.
• Carburetors extremely complex.
• The central console of the passenger compartment (knobs in the climate control, radio and ashtray) converges clearly to the driver, giving prominence inside the vehicle, the lighting of these elements, instead of by lamps direct are made by optical fiber.
• The accelerator pedal is large, and lever (type truck).
• The gear lever is small, round, mashed and flat on the top face, giving a profile of the piston (like a syringe).
• The button that activated the emergency lights (Warning) has a tendency to break down and jump only, and does not return to its original position. This is part of a defect, as to be off the dock is always in tension, so that, with the passage of the years due the cap that holds it in place. Although fixed easily by taking it out and straightening the metallic leg that should keep it in place, and that is that when folded out makes it disengages.
• Design of morro original: the top of the hill is ahead of the bottom (the height of the bumper) giving a profile of aggressiveness and of the snout of a shark. The nose is not straight, but seen from above converges slightly pointed toward the center. The four round headlights placed step-by-step (the inner most developed with respect to the exterior) and finished off in the center of the grill with the typical "kidneys" highlight that character and give the appearance of exclusivity.
• The general aspect is quite difficult to locate in a specific decade, because it has traits that had the cars of the 60's, 70's and 80's.
• Among all the models the range the best seller was the 316, that between the stage 1.600 cm3 and up to 1,800 cm3 with a total production of 337.024 cars.

Series models

This table lists the whole range of models E21 series were manufactured from 1975 to 1983 with their respective engines, and equipment:

4 in line

• Basic equipment:
  • 315 engine 1.6 L-75 HP (horsepower, or HP - horse power), the more economic and late.
  • 316/1 engine of 1,6 L 90 HP replaced by the 315 in 1981.
  • 316/2 engine 1.8 L 90 HP, with horsepower and torque curves, improved, replaced 316/1 and to 318 in 1980.
  • 318 the same engine that the 316/2 but with a few horses more.
  • 318i version of the front-lowered the 320i.

• Equipment superior:
  • 320 is the front higher which led to the M10.
  • 320i first E21 in lead injection (Bosch K-Jetronic), resulted in two models: the 318i and 323i.

6 in line

All were produced with the equipment above.

• 320/6 122 HP, has a carburetor quad body.
• 320i/6, 128 CV, is a model late during the transition to the E30.
• 323i reaches 143 HP and is the most powerful of the E21 conventional, replaces the 320i.

Models sold in the U.S.

• 320i equal to the 320i European with M10 engine 2.0 i, but with some variations typically american in the engine as it is the catalyst and in the body depending on the laws of the state, as bumper-federal, side lights, rear position and indicator/buzzer not wearing the safety belt fastened. Also in the dashboard 3 warning lights of overheating, oxygen sensor (indicates when you need to change it) and a seat belt. The front lights are not the standard German but are commonly used by all cars in the US. And turns front are slightly larger than the germans to build a vision of the swing from the back of the car.
• 320i/2 carries a engine of 318i with 101 HP and the same body that the 320i us.

Special Models

Among others, it produced the following special models:

• 323 Alpina C1, modification very potentiated the 323i.
• 323 Schnitzer Turbo, showed the best acceleration.
• 328 Alpina B6 is the E21 more powerful than it could be purchased as car from circulation. Manufactured several types of B6 which had an engine M30 528i modified to fit in the engine bay of a 3 series. The most powerful of them developed 218 HP
• 335 Härtge, the displacement is highest.
• Some racing models up to more than 500 HP that ran in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the late 70's, while rubbing shoulders with BMW E26 M1 and the Porsche 934 and 935. These did not come to public sale or homologaron for circular. Among them, the Silhouette of the team IMSA.

Technical characteristics and mechanical models