EVO1 325iS

Ram3on

Member
You boys are not going to believe me, but I have two 333's and with Niel we have 3 333's - that was always the plan, fancy all those 3's together......OK, without being intentional, I know the boys will be 'green' after this, my 333 was the original 'prototype' car when Tony Viana and his team fought the fight to getting E30 M3's to the SA shore (all with racing in mind), but was refused, so then, initially without consent from BMW AG, they, as BMW SA, approached ALPINA and the 333 concept was born.....and this is the actual car !!

......in this magazine 'SHE' was still a 323, the car that the 333 was derived from, was sent from Germany to SA as a 323, after being sorted by Alpina, originally only having the 323 powerplant but tweeked by ALPINA (this you can see from the AG number plate) shipped to BMW SA as an ALPINA half breed, not fully an ALPINA, only certain parts played with!!

The South Africans were not happy as the 323, although now more powerfull, nothing compared to the S14 M3 power, and then, so to speak 'back to the drawing board' and 'bang' only engines they had available with the desired power was the 733 motor.....history in the making :inlove:

This is the car today :praise:


Wanted to share this with you guys, all these facts were passed onto me from the second owner Peter Kay Eddy (remember him? after BMW SA - Tony Viana (everyone will remember him?)

So, just a big :ty: to all the 'old school boys' who gave us something wothwhile, against all oods, just because they would not take 'NO' for an answer !!! :praise:

I will still post a complete thread on these machines cause they are very dear to my heart and also include the correct facts, with pics and BMW SA documents, seeing that this was just a quick little wright-up, when I saw the """"any 333i's in this forum"""" :roflol:

Please feel free, to add anything you might think I have missed!!!

 

Ram3on

Member
@ herr bmw....I nearly forgot, the other 333i is a 'Henna Red' one.....but she is in serious need of some TLC :cry: .....but I'll give it to her in any which way I can :inlove:

When Niel333 started to look to getting a 333, the 'RED' one was one of the cars we looked at, and as everyone knows, they were not easy to come by, so I saw this car, with all it's flaws and troubles and 'needed to save' it, been at it now for nearly a year and it has turned out to be a mamoth undertaking, but we'll get there :thumbs:

Will get some pics together and tell the story....seeing that there seems to be a lot of interest surounding these 333's :idea:
 

KAKA

///Member
I think a detailed thread on the 333s is now a must!!
I will definitely subscribe!
Awesome car u got!
One day I will own one!!
 

MikeR

Well-known member
:thumbs::thumbs: that EVO is nice mate

@Ram3on - I remember your car mate - I was there when Tony tested on the old Kyhalami I think mid 85 ? (my mind is one of those things I Miss the most), I had the fantastic opportunity to ride in it, as I had one of the original 6 cyl 323's that came in from Germany and was invited to come see that beaut 333 :inlove: I just did not have the capital to up grade but would lovingly touch the 333 bad and dream :praise:

Would luv to get hold of one now and restore it to its former glory. :thumbs:
 

triplethree

New member
Oi! don't forget about me!

I see your White 333 has spoiler grilles :) don't lose them - like ever, they are SA only covers for that MTech1 Front spoiler, Europe only had that option with foglights, they never realised we would need that room for AC kit :) Actually quite a few bits and bobs that are localised and not on that deviated parts list, rather look after them all!


Cheers from Trip #101
garaged and well looked after :)


333
 

Ram3on

Member
@triplethree ....I am working on a guy that has the 'original' moulds for the 'fog light' grills to make us a 'few' extra ones, cause one of my trip3's is broken :thumbdo: let you know if I ever come right with this oke, cause it's like pulling teeth to get him to comit !!
 

triplethree

New member
Ram3on said:
@triplethree ....I am working on a guy that has the 'original' moulds for the 'fog light' grills to make us a 'few' extra ones, cause one of my trip3's is broken :thumbdo: let you know if I ever come right with this oke, cause it's like pulling teeth to get him to comit !!

I got my set of new "spares" grille covers from same! stashed in my collection of bits, my original ones are still fine thank goodness, surprising cos they seem a little fragile. Missed out on a bootlid badge a while back, pretty miffed about that :) both Alpina and BMW SA part number NLA ages ago. The iS badge was still available, bought one of those cos it was cheap! keeping it for when I can find a nice one :) If you didn't notice the iS deviated parts list had an incorrect p/n for the iS badge. Also 2 sets of the MTechnic decals on the skirts and spoilers, was also cheap.
 

Ram3on

Member
How did you miss out on a badge?? I would kill for a 333 badge, even went so far as to getting in contact with an American supplier that currently produces badges for BMW's but also a 'long shot' ....my badge was stolen the same week in which I got the car all those years ago and to date no luck yet in finding a replacement one!! Now I need two others as I have aquired another 333 project to restore to former glory....but that's going to be a hell of a project because she has been badly abused :facepalm:

following is a pic of the front spoiler, so you can just imagine how the rest of her is looking !!!




The only upside is that every part that matters is still there, even as far as the original shocks (which can be reconditioned) :inlove:

I will post a full 'thread' when this project starts, from stripping her down to nothing and the whole building process from the ground up to completion!
 

Ram3on

Member
@ Sabretooth ..... out of all the BMW's I've owned, I have to admit that the 333 is by far the favourite, once you've had one, you will not only love and like it, but you will 'live' this car! It's so 'raw' that it is 'pleasantly 'refined' Some people will think of me 'strange' but they have such an individual personailty and specific characteristics, they are temperamental, even a tad difficult sometimes (much like another species we associate ourselves with!!) but for those rare times that all 'is in sinc' it is an experience you will yearn for, time and time again :excited:



then there is another ..... albeit an afterthought,to compete with, not only our beloved 333's but the E30 M3's in Europe, in my opinion, one of the best cars ever built, well 'yes' it is a bit of a 'bastard child' born out of.....let's say ' sheer jealousy' and a 'healthy' dose' of serious competiotion, still very much alive today between the two best know firms associated with our BMW brand.......which is.......wait for it...... The E30 323i AC Schnitzer !!!! :shocked: Not many people even know of the cars existence here in South Africa, but, there was 'three' brought to this very Southern tip we all call home, by our, still agents for ACS, JSN, the first one especially made in Germany for then DP / Owner of JSN Snr. John Stavros (RIP), that specimen was sadly sold to a airline pilot who took the vehicle back to London, the second of which, was crashed and scrapped and the last one, of which I know, is safely under lock and key, undergoing some TLC.....waiting to be shared with all you Fanatics at a later time :fencelook:

something to ponder over at this late hour :rollsmile:
 

triplethree

New member
Ram3on said:
@ Sabretooth ..... out of all the BMW's I've owned, I have to admit that the 333 is by far the favourite, once you've had one, you will not only love and like it, but you will 'live' this car! It's so 'raw' that it is 'pleasantly 'refined' Some people will think of me 'strange' but they have such an individual personailty and specific characteristics, they are temperamental, even a tad difficult sometimes (much like another species we associate ourselves with!!) but for those rare times that all 'is in sinc' it is an experience you will yearn for, time and time again :excited:



then there is another ..... albeit an afterthought,to compete with, not only our beloved 333's but the E30 M3's in Europe, in my opinion, one of the best cars ever built, well 'yes' it is a bit of a 'bastard child' born out of.....let's say ' sheer jealousy' and a 'healthy' dose' of serious competiotion, still very much alive today between the two best know firms associated with our BMW brand.......which is.......wait for it...... The E30 323i AC Schnitzer !!!! :shocked: Not many people even know of the cars existence here in South Africa, but, there was 'three' brought to this very Southern tip we all call home, by our, still agents for ACS, JSN, the first one especially made in Germany for then DP / Owner of JSN Snr. John Stavros (RIP), that specimen was sadly sold to a airline pilot who took the vehicle back to London, the second of which, was crashed and scrapped and the last one, of which I know, is safely under lock and key, undergoing some TLC.....waiting to be shared with all you Fanatics at a later time :fencelook:

something to ponder over at this late hour :rollsmile:

Yip, JSN 323T! where did that one end up? The only way I could think of replicating the badge is to use an e23 733 badge and an E30 318 one, there is enough meat to trim and make good, then use that to make a mould copy, bit of work though. There is an Alpina number listed for that badge too, so I reckon it was probably also sourced ex Alpina. Too much trouble as mine is still OK!

cheers
333
 

Ram3on

Member
JSN323T was taken to London and since then, never heard from or about again !!

That's a plan for the badge......going to see if I can have it done....will posting :rollsmile:
 

///MALCOLM325

///Member
@Ram3on - Your IS looks absolutely stunning. I saw one that looks identical to yours on a trailer being towed by an Isuzu bakkie on the N1 yesterday close to Midrand.

Good read up about the 333 history. :thumbs:
 
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