Non-Affiliated September 2022

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jc72
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Non-Affiliated September 2022

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topher800
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Location: Marshall, CO

Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

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topher800
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Joined: Nov 24, 2009 9:44 AM
Location: Marshall, CO

Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

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topher800
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Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

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BMWCCA2
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Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

Post by BMWCCA2 »

It's hard to think of a worse car BMW ever produced beyond a US-spec E12 530i.
If you didn't have to live through that era, you can never imagine.
SeattleGuy
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Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

Post by SeattleGuy »

BMWCCA2 wrote: Sep 30, 2022 8:03 AM
It's hard to think of a worse car BMW ever produced beyond a US-spec E12 530i.
If you didn't have to live through that era, you can never imagine.
Haha what was the car in question? Link expired.
AFAIK they were fine once you yanked the Thermal Reactors. But at the time you had to have private people do that. Other than that I don't recall any material differences between them and my '81 528i, which was a fantastic car. I think the '75 '02 also had them and perhaps the '76. Horrible.
BMWCCA2
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Re: Non-Affiliated September 2022

Post by BMWCCA2 »

A long time ago Peter Bohr from Road&Track called me for information on an article for his Used Car Classics series. He was bent on highlighting the E21. I told him not to bother. He called back and asked what I would recommend and I suggested a story about how BMW took one of their worst cars, the US Thermal Reactor E12, and turned it into one of their best, the E12 catalyst 528i. Comparing your '81 to a 530i several differences are obvious. Among them the 5-speed transmission and the catalytic converter replacing the thermal reactors (we called them Terminal Reactors). Among other memorable traits of the early E12s were intakes blowing apart. The fix was hose-clamps and glue. Even the pitiful A/C was slightly improved in the 528i.

We've been all over this here before. Many contend that removing the reactors made the 530i a bargain. Other than the fact that it was illegal to do so back then, sure. But as a factory change, the 528i was the far superior car.

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