The *Mostly* BMW Garage Bolt-On
- Thread starter davidstutler
- Start date
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Haha - well the E28 is at Alex’s hangar right now in Erie. You should go take a look! It’s been in Denver the last five years I believe.
The Alpina Touring is #6 of 136 made for the Japanese market. Really pumped to get it. I can import it officially in 13 months.
Boosted1
Well-known member
Great addition to your old garage.
I like it.
I like it.
M-technik-3
Well-known member
Nice E28, hope that's a keeper. Intensive wash system is a nice touch on it. Honestly like it with out the M5 Shadowline kit gives it a real vintage look. Do you plan to leave the M System wheels naked?
Racing Dynamics still has a some NOS stuff for E30 and E28's. I recently purchased two sets of driving lights, one for my M-Technic 1 E30 and one set for my E30 M3 as spares.
Racing Dynamics still has a some NOS stuff for E30 and E28's. I recently purchased two sets of driving lights, one for my M-Technic 1 E30 and one set for my E30 M3 as spares.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
I'm not a naked M-System fan, so I have a set of Throwing Star covers on the way. I love M-System/Throwing Star combo on the E28, especially with a Euro bumper setup. I also have a set of Borbet Type B that are in mint condition I may run when it arrives.
Good to know about the NOS RD stuff! I'll definitely need to hunt that down.
Wait, Alex/hangar....are you talking about Alex McCulloch? I love reading his work in Roundel every month!
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Yep - that Alex. I've lost count on the number of deals we've done. He always has something cool and with me being 8 hours away, he always has one of his guys ready to bring something and pickup something. It's a dangerous cycle
dubber
Well-known member
Car and home updates are both epic. Nice work!
tig
Well-known member
I don't know how I missed this thread before. Subscribed!
You have great taste in vehicles.
You have great taste in vehicles.
rmckee
Well-known member
Wowzers. Impressive in every single regard, and hugely inspirational! We've got 5 cars for 2 of us at the moment and our neighbors always ask if we have a secret team of drivers hidden elsewhere in the house. One little girl was out walking with her mom and goes "why do you have so many cars?" ... I asked her how many toys she had at home and why and she said lots because they each were for different things... I said exactly! Same reason we've got these all.
Current stable is a '97 F-250 7.3L, '99 TJ Wrangler (fully built/locked, I've had it since I got my learner's permit 15 years ago), '12 B8 A4, '17 WK2 Grand Cherokee, and a '20 Camry that's only here to be a flip soon as the title clears... but I've been eyeing a Cayman S and my wife wants an S5 Sportback. We need more covered parking, that's for sure.
Keep up the great work, look forward to seeing what else cycles through the garage.
Current stable is a '97 F-250 7.3L, '99 TJ Wrangler (fully built/locked, I've had it since I got my learner's permit 15 years ago), '12 B8 A4, '17 WK2 Grand Cherokee, and a '20 Camry that's only here to be a flip soon as the title clears... but I've been eyeing a Cayman S and my wife wants an S5 Sportback. We need more covered parking, that's for sure.
Keep up the great work, look forward to seeing what else cycles through the garage.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Thanks! I believe I've seen your cars on MyE28 - is that right?
Thanks! Funny enough, we have a new neighbor next door and she asked my wife the other day, how many cars does he have stuffed in that garage? Is that what he does for a living?
The Audi S5 Sportback was on my list for a while - a buddy of mine had one and loved it. I previously had an A7 S-line - similar cars.
Ha - that approach typically fits me because I've had less time to fall in love with a car. It's not a hard-fast rule by any means - just typically how things go.
The stable has undergone a few changes since I fully updated the thread in August. I sold the E39 Touring to an internet car buddy - one who has very similar taste in cars. That one is scheduled to be picked up any day now - off to its new home in the Northeast.
I sold the 2013 Jeep Wrangler - which was slated do be my winter daily - and bought a 2017 330i Sports Wagon (F31). I had one last year and loved it - sold it to get rid of the one car payment I had. When I paid off the Jeep a few months back, it dawned on me that I could now get back into a wagon with no payment - so I did. Silver over Brown - M-sport package, track handling package, driver assist - fully loaded. It's been a Canadian car so it's got a ways to go on getting her fully decontaminated
The E28 M5-build arrived as well - what an absolute hoot to drive. The car has undergone a couple major builds in its life - the first included an S38 transplant, full M5 interior, the works. The second Euro-ized it - full Euro bumpers and headlight cleaning system. It was once dyno'd in the 350 range I believe - and it shows. Sounds great, handles great and pulls incredibly hard. Had a chance to take it to the KC All-euro meet a few weeks back and it got a lot of attention.
I also won a BaT auction for a '95 BMW M3 in my dream color, Avus Blue. Sweet, sweet car. Very tight handling - another blast to drive. Sitting here next to my other coupes.
And just this week - I found a '93 850ci 6-speed that is better than my '91 6-speed in just about every way - so I pulled the trigger. I just listed my '91 for sale yesterday. For those that might be interested - here's a link to the listing on Bimmerforums.com.
Coming:
Going:
So - here in a couple weeks, once the '93 850 arrives and the '91 leaves, the stable will be:
1972 Ford F250 (double green)
1988 BMW E28 M5-build (Alpine)
1993 BMW 850ci 6-speed (Calypsorot)
1995 BMW M3 (Avus)
2000 BMW M Coupe (Cosmos)
2003 BMW E46 Touring (Japan)
2017 BMW F31 Sports Wagon (Silver)
Throw in there the 1997 E36 Alpina Touring that's being stored in Japan until next year, and I have my hands full!
Mpower5266
Well-known member
Wow youve been busy. Haha.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Haha - not as busy as you! You have your hands full with your new additions!
Mpower5266
Well-known member
They havent been that bad, and Mama is kicking ***. I even went to a car show last Saturday.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Spent this weekend trying to get prepared for the winter - given that the forecast showed snow for today.
The F31 I just bought was originally a Canadian/Michigan car - and it's three years old, which means I knew the paint would have seen some tough winters. And even after a claying shortly after it arrived - it was absolutely covered in pinhead sized rust spots.
Shown here:
I used my Griot's Iron and Fallout remover and doused each panel and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. The iron specs turn purple after a minute or two. Here's a shot after about four minutes:
Then after 8-10 minutes:
After which time I would agitate the panel with a soft brush, which kept the liquid on the surface. I'd then agitate again with a magic eraser - which allowed me to see the cleaned surface beneath.
A few weeks back I found a set of 19" OEM wheels and winter tires on Facebook Marketplace and quickly snatched them up. Those went on yesterday and now the car is in full winter mode.
The F31 I just bought was originally a Canadian/Michigan car - and it's three years old, which means I knew the paint would have seen some tough winters. And even after a claying shortly after it arrived - it was absolutely covered in pinhead sized rust spots.
Shown here:
I used my Griot's Iron and Fallout remover and doused each panel and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. The iron specs turn purple after a minute or two. Here's a shot after about four minutes:
Then after 8-10 minutes:
After which time I would agitate the panel with a soft brush, which kept the liquid on the surface. I'd then agitate again with a magic eraser - which allowed me to see the cleaned surface beneath.
A few weeks back I found a set of 19" OEM wheels and winter tires on Facebook Marketplace and quickly snatched them up. Those went on yesterday and now the car is in full winter mode.
Arclitgold
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2017
- Messages
- 317
That’s one **** wagon
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
M-technik-3
Well-known member
We might be getting one finally.
https://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-m3-touring-spy-photos/#slide-2259989
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
I'd settle for a 340 - even though an M3 Touring would be killer. In reality, the wagon is plenty quick - especially compared to what I'm used to driving - but would love some rumble.
We might be getting one finally.
https://www.autoblog.com/photos/bmw-m3-touring-spy-photos/#slide-2259989
I saw that a while back and thought they had confirmed we won't be getting it. I'd love to be wrong and I would be in the line to buy one if we ever got it - enormous front grilles and all.
Nice, but it will need one of these:
https://www.thedrive.com/news/37132...he-2021-bmw-m3-and-m4-is-already-in-the-works
https://www.thedrive.com/news/37132...he-2021-bmw-m3-and-m4-is-already-in-the-works
M-technik-3
Well-known member
It sure will. The out going F30 M-sport wagon has great zip for a 4 cylinder turbo, being how portly BMW's have gotten. Having the new 8 spd has made a huge difference.
Mpower5266
Well-known member
The f31's are really growing on me. I may sell my e91 for one. I really wish we got the F11 in the states, I believe that is the best looking wagon on the planet when done right.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Hooboy, has is been a LONG time since I posted. If I were guessing, I thought it had been about a year - but looking back, it’s more than 2 years!
As one might expect, a LOT has changed in my world, both in the garage and out.
Starting with the garage, I left off about 18 months after I got the addition done. Other than a desire for it to be about 10 feet longer and wider (as is always the case), I’m happy with the space still.
I’ve come to realize that while it’s fun to jam the cars in (I’ve had as many as 8 cars across the two garages), it’s far more enjoyable to have some working room on the floor. I’ve settled into a spot where I have four cars of mine and one space for my wife. I also still have the extra garage down the street where my ’72 F250 lives - out of the weather.
The one significant addition to the garage was in the bathroom. I play baseball in an 30+ men’s league and once the garage was done, I regretted not putting in a shower in the half bath we built. Nights when I get home from baseball I have to trudge through the house in my dirty uniform to make it to the upstairs bathroom. Not great.
So I decided I would see what I could do about adding a shower. On the opposite side of my garage bathroom was a mostly unused corner of the original garage. So one day I cleared it out and envisioned what it might look like to extend the bathroom into that space. Here’s the tape on the ground for me to visualize.
From there, I had a plumber out to determine what it would take to tie the plumbing into the drain and ultimately how much concrete would have to be removed. He looked at the space and immediately said “just build a platform and put your shower in there”. Brilliant! Three weeks later, I was showering in the garage after games!
Originally it looked like this - the wooden box is where I was envisioning the opening into the new shower “room”.
Framed (showing from the old garage).
Hole cut into the bathroom (showing from the new garage)
The only other change to the garage is a basic rearrangement that allows for better parking and floor space. Photos of this below.
This time last year we started entertaining the idea of doing another home build. We’ve been in this house for seven years, and that’s about when we get antsy for a new large project. We bought a lot one street over and I designed house with 5 garage bays, two of which were double deep. I had some GRAND plans in mind - taking all that I learned with the addition and applying it. Sadly, when the bids came back, it was going to be more than a million to build …. so those plans are on ice.
We may revisit the options down the road, and I’ve already designed a four car plan that might be easier to build, but for now, we wait.
And then last year I decided after spending 24 years in the consulting and business ownership space, I was going to take a job with one of my long-time clients. To say it’s been an adjustment is more than an understatement - but after 5 months, I’m still here. The biggest change has been the $$$, so the car purchasing pace has … well, slowed
Which brings me to the car element of this update. When I found out it had been two years since the update, I went over to my trusty car spreadsheet to count how many had come and gone in that time … GULP. 30!
I have no desire to recap all 30 - or even a fraction of that - but I’ll hit some highlights.
Bought a couple “bucket list cars” - first was an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Amazing car - six speed - terrible sight lines when driving but easily one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever owned.
Had the opportunity shortly after buying the Vantage to buy back my ’01 996 911 Turbo in Lapis Blue. Sold it years ago with roughly 21k miles - basically a mint version. Bought it back last year with 31k miles - in better condition. And in car-guy fashion, I arranged for a road trip. The guy who bought my Vantage lived on the same side of the country as the 911 Turbo, so I had the car shipped to him and then he drove it to our meetup spot in Nashville. Sat and talked cars for a couple hours then went our separate ways. Amazing trip in two really amazing cars.
I’ve had three different BMW 850s since the last update - first a Calypso 6-speed followed by a Brilliantrot 6-speed followed by an Orient Blue automatic.
The Orient Blue 850 was a purchase off BaT - got a good deal on it but when it arrived, it had the worst orange peel of any car I’ve ever owned. About six weeks and countless hours wet sanding, I got it looking great.
During this stretch, I also crossed off another bucket list car - an E34 M5 Touring - in Avus Blue of course. I chased this car for over a year before finally biting the bullet and buying it. I flew out to New Hampshire, drove it to a friend’s house in New Jersey and then shipped it home. Enjoyed the hell out of it, but ultimately couldn’t hold on. I sold it to a close friend who loves it and drives it a LOT.
Also briefly owned an S54-swapped E46 Touring - completely crazy car that could easily satisfy any car person.
I also imported two cars during the last two years - the first was an E34 525xi Touring - an all-wheel drive E34 wagon. It was a fun project - beast of a car in the snow.
The other one I alluded to in my thread - a Japanese import - an Alpina E36 B6 Touring. I really enjoyed that one - and if my new desire for limited cars didn’t kick in, I’d still have it. It now sits in one of the more amazing collections I’ve ever seen.
Bought a P38 rover - didn’t love it.
Bought two 955 Cayennes - one Turbo and one GTS. Couldn’t make either work.
Bought a couple other 911s - a 997 Targa and a 996 C4S. Loved both but ultimately couldn’t hold on to either.
Last Summer, my reservation for my Rivian finally came due. I had a reservation on the new Bronco - a first edition - that I didn’t follow through on. Terrible financial mistake, obviously. So I pulled the trigger on the Rivian and drove it for four months. Loved it and would still have it if it weren’t for the cost. I hate having a car payment, so I sold it back in December.
I also had the opportunity to buy a car I’ve wanted for five years - an E34 M540i. It’s a Canadian market car - 1 of 32 - in Avus Blue, of course. The friend who bought the M5 Touring ultimately needed to make room, so I was the beneficiary.
So as of today, the fleet is:
1972 Ford F250
1993 BMW 850Ci
1995 BMW M3
1995 BMW M540i
2008 BMW 535xi Wagon
The daily driver is the E61 wagon - and so far I’m liking it. I’m running some Apex wheels I stole from my son’s E46 Touring and I have a set of F80 M3 wheels that’ll go on in the Spring.
I’ll do my best to stay up to date with this thread, now that the car frenzy has slowed. I just purchased a Vestaboard for the garage as well, so I may post about some home automation stuff I’m doing with it.
As one might expect, a LOT has changed in my world, both in the garage and out.
Starting with the garage, I left off about 18 months after I got the addition done. Other than a desire for it to be about 10 feet longer and wider (as is always the case), I’m happy with the space still.
I’ve come to realize that while it’s fun to jam the cars in (I’ve had as many as 8 cars across the two garages), it’s far more enjoyable to have some working room on the floor. I’ve settled into a spot where I have four cars of mine and one space for my wife. I also still have the extra garage down the street where my ’72 F250 lives - out of the weather.
The one significant addition to the garage was in the bathroom. I play baseball in an 30+ men’s league and once the garage was done, I regretted not putting in a shower in the half bath we built. Nights when I get home from baseball I have to trudge through the house in my dirty uniform to make it to the upstairs bathroom. Not great.
So I decided I would see what I could do about adding a shower. On the opposite side of my garage bathroom was a mostly unused corner of the original garage. So one day I cleared it out and envisioned what it might look like to extend the bathroom into that space. Here’s the tape on the ground for me to visualize.
From there, I had a plumber out to determine what it would take to tie the plumbing into the drain and ultimately how much concrete would have to be removed. He looked at the space and immediately said “just build a platform and put your shower in there”. Brilliant! Three weeks later, I was showering in the garage after games!
Originally it looked like this - the wooden box is where I was envisioning the opening into the new shower “room”.
Framed (showing from the old garage).
Hole cut into the bathroom (showing from the new garage)
The only other change to the garage is a basic rearrangement that allows for better parking and floor space. Photos of this below.
This time last year we started entertaining the idea of doing another home build. We’ve been in this house for seven years, and that’s about when we get antsy for a new large project. We bought a lot one street over and I designed house with 5 garage bays, two of which were double deep. I had some GRAND plans in mind - taking all that I learned with the addition and applying it. Sadly, when the bids came back, it was going to be more than a million to build …. so those plans are on ice.
We may revisit the options down the road, and I’ve already designed a four car plan that might be easier to build, but for now, we wait.
And then last year I decided after spending 24 years in the consulting and business ownership space, I was going to take a job with one of my long-time clients. To say it’s been an adjustment is more than an understatement - but after 5 months, I’m still here. The biggest change has been the $$$, so the car purchasing pace has … well, slowed
Which brings me to the car element of this update. When I found out it had been two years since the update, I went over to my trusty car spreadsheet to count how many had come and gone in that time … GULP. 30!
I have no desire to recap all 30 - or even a fraction of that - but I’ll hit some highlights.
Bought a couple “bucket list cars” - first was an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Amazing car - six speed - terrible sight lines when driving but easily one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever owned.
Had the opportunity shortly after buying the Vantage to buy back my ’01 996 911 Turbo in Lapis Blue. Sold it years ago with roughly 21k miles - basically a mint version. Bought it back last year with 31k miles - in better condition. And in car-guy fashion, I arranged for a road trip. The guy who bought my Vantage lived on the same side of the country as the 911 Turbo, so I had the car shipped to him and then he drove it to our meetup spot in Nashville. Sat and talked cars for a couple hours then went our separate ways. Amazing trip in two really amazing cars.
I’ve had three different BMW 850s since the last update - first a Calypso 6-speed followed by a Brilliantrot 6-speed followed by an Orient Blue automatic.
The Orient Blue 850 was a purchase off BaT - got a good deal on it but when it arrived, it had the worst orange peel of any car I’ve ever owned. About six weeks and countless hours wet sanding, I got it looking great.
During this stretch, I also crossed off another bucket list car - an E34 M5 Touring - in Avus Blue of course. I chased this car for over a year before finally biting the bullet and buying it. I flew out to New Hampshire, drove it to a friend’s house in New Jersey and then shipped it home. Enjoyed the hell out of it, but ultimately couldn’t hold on. I sold it to a close friend who loves it and drives it a LOT.
Also briefly owned an S54-swapped E46 Touring - completely crazy car that could easily satisfy any car person.
I also imported two cars during the last two years - the first was an E34 525xi Touring - an all-wheel drive E34 wagon. It was a fun project - beast of a car in the snow.
The other one I alluded to in my thread - a Japanese import - an Alpina E36 B6 Touring. I really enjoyed that one - and if my new desire for limited cars didn’t kick in, I’d still have it. It now sits in one of the more amazing collections I’ve ever seen.
Bought a P38 rover - didn’t love it.
Bought two 955 Cayennes - one Turbo and one GTS. Couldn’t make either work.
Bought a couple other 911s - a 997 Targa and a 996 C4S. Loved both but ultimately couldn’t hold on to either.
Last Summer, my reservation for my Rivian finally came due. I had a reservation on the new Bronco - a first edition - that I didn’t follow through on. Terrible financial mistake, obviously. So I pulled the trigger on the Rivian and drove it for four months. Loved it and would still have it if it weren’t for the cost. I hate having a car payment, so I sold it back in December.
I also had the opportunity to buy a car I’ve wanted for five years - an E34 M540i. It’s a Canadian market car - 1 of 32 - in Avus Blue, of course. The friend who bought the M5 Touring ultimately needed to make room, so I was the beneficiary.
So as of today, the fleet is:
1972 Ford F250
1993 BMW 850Ci
1995 BMW M3
1995 BMW M540i
2008 BMW 535xi Wagon
The daily driver is the E61 wagon - and so far I’m liking it. I’m running some Apex wheels I stole from my son’s E46 Touring and I have a set of F80 M3 wheels that’ll go on in the Spring.
I’ll do my best to stay up to date with this thread, now that the car frenzy has slowed. I just purchased a Vestaboard for the garage as well, so I may post about some home automation stuff I’m doing with it.
jbrentd
Well-known member
Man, I am glad I checked out the garage gallery today. With your latest update, I stumbled upon your build thread and love what you have done. And you, sir, have great tastes in cars.
Just curious, how hard is it to jockey the cars from the back through that single opening?
Just curious, how hard is it to jockey the cars from the back through that single opening?
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
The tandem setup is at times both my favorite and least favorite part of my garage. First, it's the only way I could have done it, so it's something I had to accept.
But I love how I feel encapsulated in the new space when I'm in there. Everything is tidy, new, laid out well, etc. But I hate having to move cars front to back. Normally, I'll move something to the front garage for a several day chunk of driving. It's not much fun to pull one out just to drive for a few hours.
But with the way they are currently parked, I can get either one out from the back without moving the other. If i have more than two back there, I can only get one out at a time.
Been subscribed to your thread for quite a while - love what you've done with yours as well.
jbrentd
Well-known member
Thank you!
Can you post some pics of how the top of your bathroom is finished? I have a similar situation and it's currently not being fully utilized for storage.
Captain_Slow
Active member
As the owner who maintains their own E60 535i, you must be a great friend. That's a lot of work to take on for someone else's car.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Do you mean the outside of the bathroom (slat board and plywood) or the inside (drywall and MDF trim)?
stubbsrodandcustom
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Messages
- 70
Beautiful cars and garage man. Always had a thing for a few of your bucket list BMW... M3 is on my list at some point also but those wagons are down right ****.
jbrentd
Well-known member
Outside, where you have your roof box stored.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
Ah - I don't have any photos but the top is just plywood or OSB. Same thing I did on the shower room.
TX4runner
Well-known member
You have a car addiction. And I love it!!!! So many cars that you have been able to sample since I last checked in pre-pandemic.
Then you know it can be a fair amount of work. I had actually planned to keep the car at a second home so I did a lot of preventative maintenance including:
rod bearings and oil pan gasket;
turbos and coolant and oil hoses;
motor and trans mounts;
radiator and some hoses;
Front control arms; and
coolant pump and thermostat.
I had already done all fluids, plugs, front struts, walnut blast of the intake, valve cover gasket, battery, ignition coils and other stuff.
Looks like I will be doing the transfer case fluid again along with an oil change, but other than that the only issues since I gave it away at about 150k miles has been the sunroof drains and the hydraulic tailgate (E61 535xi wagon). I had done some work before on the sunroof drains but had not replaced the upper rear hoses. It leaked, fried some modules in the spare tire well. Was able to dry out some but had to buy a couple of used ones and 1 new one. The tailgate needs some fluid, I think and I bought some of the special stuff to somehow get into the reservoir. And I bought a couple of tires and probably need a new set for the snow wheels.
Great cars, but they are old and most need some sorting out that can be many thousands if you cannot DIY and some of the work is fairly advanced DIY stuff.
Yes, it is a good family friend and they needed a dependable car but were not in a position to buy one.
I did remove the JB4 piggyback tune. That made the car more entertaining.
OP
davidstutler
Well-known member
There is apparently one thing I'm good at - consistently choosing January 23rd as the day I post updates
A lot has happened from a car perspective in the last 365 days, and instead of trying to encapsulate it all (10 car purchases in 2023), I'll focus on one fun purchase and document some other highlights in the coming weeks. A trick to keep me active on this forum.
As I mentioned in my last update, my work situation shifted in August of 2022 - when I took a job working at one of my old clients. The biggest adjustment was the pay - as I was no longer billing high hourly rates as a consultant. I figured that would slow down my car purchasing rate - it did not.
The biggest highlight from the car buying process from 2023 was the last one I bought - but I'll save that for another post. The best DEAL I got in 2023 is the topic of today's update.
I play in a men's baseball league in KC and one June evening, I was waiting for my carpool buddy to come pick me up for a game. I had 5 minutes to kill so I sat down to roll through my normal bookmarks - knowing I had to be quick. I wasn't looking for anything in particular - and that's how it always works.
This particular day, I pulled up the Bimmerforums 7 Series For Sale section - which only sees about 3-5 posts a week at most. Earlier that day, someone had posted an E32 740i - listed as a one-owner vehicle with roughly 130k miles. It was Oxford Green, which is one of my favorite BMW hues. So far, so good. At the end of the post, the price .... $750. Had to be a typo, I thought. As I went to click to send a private message to the poster, I noticed this for sale ad was his first post. SCAM! I sent the PM anyway. "Dear owner, blah blah blah you must have goofed on the price bblah blah blah". Sent, walked away and didn't think much of it.
Until the 4th inning of my game. I look at my phone and I see the response from the owner of this '94 740i - detailing his ownership and why he chose $750 as his target price. It matched what the local BMW dealer was going to offer in trade. He'd rather have an enthusiast have it. Bingo! That's me!
I immediately sent him payment via PayPal (truly) and then ran through my mental Rolodex on who I might know in his area, as the car was 1008 miles from me. Not only did I know a guy in the area, it was a good car buddy who has owned more than a dozen GREEN BMWs. He immediately offered to grab the car from the owner and store it at his place until transport could be arranged. A week later, it arrived in Kansas.
At its core, it was a GREAT starting point. Decent miles, one-owner, green, zero rust, etc. The interior presented as new, thanks to the sheepskin covers he had on the seats most of its life. But it was just that, a starting point. It leaked from every orifice, it was scary as hell to drive thanks to the completely worn suspension, bushings and the like.
Over the 6 weeks that followed, I touched every issue I could find. Suspension, brakes, leaks, interior, exterior - it all was brought back to its best condition possible.
I even went as far to throw on my throwing star wheels from my old E34 M5 Touring - what a difference it made.
As you can imagine, it's no longer a $750 car. In fact, in parts alone I'm well over the $8k mark - and it's COMPLETELY worth it!
I'm now in the process of converting it over to a Shadow Line trim set from Europe. And if all goes well, a buddy of mine will be bringing it to The Vintage in North Carolina in May.
That's today's update! I did it! And as a sneak peek regarding what else is in the garage currently, here's my key hook:
A lot has happened from a car perspective in the last 365 days, and instead of trying to encapsulate it all (10 car purchases in 2023), I'll focus on one fun purchase and document some other highlights in the coming weeks. A trick to keep me active on this forum.
As I mentioned in my last update, my work situation shifted in August of 2022 - when I took a job working at one of my old clients. The biggest adjustment was the pay - as I was no longer billing high hourly rates as a consultant. I figured that would slow down my car purchasing rate - it did not.
The biggest highlight from the car buying process from 2023 was the last one I bought - but I'll save that for another post. The best DEAL I got in 2023 is the topic of today's update.
I play in a men's baseball league in KC and one June evening, I was waiting for my carpool buddy to come pick me up for a game. I had 5 minutes to kill so I sat down to roll through my normal bookmarks - knowing I had to be quick. I wasn't looking for anything in particular - and that's how it always works.
This particular day, I pulled up the Bimmerforums 7 Series For Sale section - which only sees about 3-5 posts a week at most. Earlier that day, someone had posted an E32 740i - listed as a one-owner vehicle with roughly 130k miles. It was Oxford Green, which is one of my favorite BMW hues. So far, so good. At the end of the post, the price .... $750. Had to be a typo, I thought. As I went to click to send a private message to the poster, I noticed this for sale ad was his first post. SCAM! I sent the PM anyway. "Dear owner, blah blah blah you must have goofed on the price bblah blah blah". Sent, walked away and didn't think much of it.
Until the 4th inning of my game. I look at my phone and I see the response from the owner of this '94 740i - detailing his ownership and why he chose $750 as his target price. It matched what the local BMW dealer was going to offer in trade. He'd rather have an enthusiast have it. Bingo! That's me!
I immediately sent him payment via PayPal (truly) and then ran through my mental Rolodex on who I might know in his area, as the car was 1008 miles from me. Not only did I know a guy in the area, it was a good car buddy who has owned more than a dozen GREEN BMWs. He immediately offered to grab the car from the owner and store it at his place until transport could be arranged. A week later, it arrived in Kansas.
At its core, it was a GREAT starting point. Decent miles, one-owner, green, zero rust, etc. The interior presented as new, thanks to the sheepskin covers he had on the seats most of its life. But it was just that, a starting point. It leaked from every orifice, it was scary as hell to drive thanks to the completely worn suspension, bushings and the like.
Over the 6 weeks that followed, I touched every issue I could find. Suspension, brakes, leaks, interior, exterior - it all was brought back to its best condition possible.
I even went as far to throw on my throwing star wheels from my old E34 M5 Touring - what a difference it made.
As you can imagine, it's no longer a $750 car. In fact, in parts alone I'm well over the $8k mark - and it's COMPLETELY worth it!
I'm now in the process of converting it over to a Shadow Line trim set from Europe. And if all goes well, a buddy of mine will be bringing it to The Vintage in North Carolina in May.
That's today's update! I did it! And as a sneak peek regarding what else is in the garage currently, here's my key hook:
Wow! Great garage setup, and I love your choice in cars!
I can't believe that I just noticed your build. Fellow Porsche and BMW enthusiast here, I have a 944, an E60, E63 and E64.
I've been tempted to ****** an 8 series, but I have to get my garage situation sorted out first.
I can't believe that I just noticed your build. Fellow Porsche and BMW enthusiast here, I have a 944, an E60, E63 and E64.
I've been tempted to ****** an 8 series, but I have to get my garage situation sorted out first.