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Re: 1979 320i gotchas

> 
> From: mcintyre@domain.elided (David McIntyre)
> 
> I'm trying to find an inexpensive, fun alternative to my '92 318i
> for autocrossing, etc., next season.  I don't want to put the wear
> and tear on that car.

Actually I would probably race the '92, it will be competitive, it 
will handle better and it will probably break less.  320i's are not very 
competitive in their stock form.  Street Prep. 320i's can be decent (Jim 
Valdez I believe finished 7th at the Solo nationals this year) but there 
are many better cars to autocross.  Now that I said that, I've been 
autocrossing one for 7 years and have been very competitive locally and 
just love my car:)

> 
> I've found a '79 320i, which I can get for $900.  It has 124K miles.
> It seems to be in reasonably decent shape.  Acceleration is quite
> good.  The body has a little rust here and there, including some on
> the rocker panels below the doors.  The very front of the hood is
> dented, as if someone did a half-assed repair a long time ago.  The
> interior is ok, but that doesn't matter much to me.  The car is
> currently driven daily.

Sounds pretty close to the condition of my 320i that I use for autocross 
and driver schools.

> 
> When I grabbed the front wheels and pushed and pulled, there seemed
> to be a little play.  Does this mean the wheel bearings are completely
> hosed, or is a little play ok?

I've been battling this problem for years.  It seems that twice a year I
have to tighten the axle nuts one position to get rid of the play in the
bearings.  About every 2 years I change the bearings (as preventive
maintance) and they look fine when I take them out so I guess they just
wear a little bit.

  I've also had bad ball joints and bad strut bearings cause play when
pushing and pulling the tires.  The easiest way I have found to check the
ball joints is to have someone else rock the tire while you look
underneath the car and look and see if the ball joint is moving side to
side.  It helps if you use you hand to feel for any clunking. I would
recommend that you just change both ball joints (i.e. both control arms,
~$120) if you are going to autocross the car.  I would also check the 
Guibo donut on the driveshaft for cracks before I would autocross the 
car. (don't ask me why I know:).
		
> 
> I'm not sure with my hectic schedule and the owner's schedule that I
> can get it to a real mechanic, so I'm looking for obvious problems
> that I can detect myself.  For $900, I can afford to put some $$ into
> it to make it fun for autocrossing.

For $900 I would probably buy it myself.  However if you don't do your own
work on the car its going to cost you some bucks to get a $900 car into
shape if you have to pay someone else for the labor.  From my experience
the first thing you should get after taking care of any safety issues and
getting good tires is a ltd. slip differential.  320i's are essentially 
uncompetitive for autocrossing without a ltd. slip.

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Walt Barie (wgbst4+@domain.elided, barie+@domain.elided)
Graduate Student
Dept. of Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

'79 320i DSP Solo II and Drivers School car
'80 528i

Of course what I say in no way reflects the views of the University....
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