Re: So what other BMWs' have you owned?

Subject:

Comments:
: What led me to my e12? Good luck, some good fortune, and some historical advice. : See, my dad once owned an E12 (1975). He was a house builder and doing very well. He had just finished building our house, and had some spare cash. He had already owned MB's, Fords, GM's, etc... Bought a 1975 530i on Car and Driver's good word from the local dealership. He was the first owner in Edmonton, possibly Alberta. Enjoyed it thoroughly for several years, but once the fourth kid arrived, the 530i had lived its life but was running out of room. Needed a suburban. This was when I was REAL young. : I've grown up some now... But my dad hasn't really - he still lives vicariously thru me I think. About 4 years ago I told him I wanted a project car. My brother had just bought an '82 320i and I was thoroughly impressed and bitten by the bimmer bug. Dad found my project car - a '77 530i that was hit bad on the driver's side. He said it was repairable (I didn't see the car), and I told him to put in a bid. $1000 got the car, and quite a project it was (see the pictures). Bought one parts car for structural parts (rocker panel, B-pillar) for $100, bought 2nd parts car for $450 (complete and running with rotten body), and 3rd parts car I went halfers on with another guy from the local club ($125). Lots of parts, and won't ever run out, almost for sure. : What else led me to my E12? Well, after driving it for several summers and wrenching it myself, I've really learned to enjoy the style, and it has taught me a great deal of lessons, the largest of which is think about the damn thing before you get started... Style, Style, Style! I've taken my car to two driver's schools now (both have been a total riot), and it has been very reliable. : What else has made me believe in the power of the Bimmer? The folks that surround the car and have similar beliefs! Everyone on this board! All those cool people I meet who drive BMW's - and drive them because they're fantastic cars, and drive them for pure enjoyment. The year I got my car on the road was the year I helped form the BMW Club of Northern Alberta. They're a great bunch... : What other Bimmers have I owned? Let's broaden the question and ask what other cars have I owned... : 1) Bought 1978 Ford T-bird (very big) from my dad for the entire sum of $1.00 (it was a go-to-school and make it back car). : 2) 1988 Plymouth Sundance RS Turbo (a very fast car). This car I purchased after I finished school, sold the t-bird back to dad for $2.00 (double your money back - what a deal!). It's been a good car, and I've made my money on it - I still own it and it's still my winter driver (I live in Edmonton, Canada), and its very reliable. : That's all I've owned... What else would I own? I think everyone wants to own an E30 or E36 M3. I really like what BMW has done with the E46. I also think an early 90's 5-series would be fantastic, but for now, it would surely take a whole lot of car to beat my 530i in terms of reliability, cost of ownership, and fun... : Simply answered what brought me here? BMW's Rock! : : I'm more than a bit curious what led the rest of you all to the e12. : : Was it the style, the reliability? Did your folks own : : one when you were a kid, or did you see one racing? : : What would you own instead, given the rright circumstances? : : Me? : : I've had three before this one. : : #1 - My first BMW was a '69 1600. It was sort of a powder blue, : : I don't remember if it was the original color. I picked it up in : : 1988, if I remember correctly for $1000. A friend of mine had : : "restored" it following a rear end collision which made it crab : : walk a bit down the road. I made a few 500+ mile trips with her, : : and she started my love affair with the marque. : : #2 - My second was a '73 2002, black in color. I don't remember : : much about it except for when the back clip forcefully : : removed itself at around 80 mph for no good reason. I : : was uninjured, but took a bimmer break after that. : : #3 - A '75 2002, Colorado Orange in color. I bought this ride : : in Sacramento in '93 for $1800. It had some rust spots, but was : : mostly mechanically right with the exception of not wanting : : to happily downshift from third to second at speed, despite my : : efforts at double-clutching. Come to think of it, all my BMWs' : : have had this affilction. Is it something endemic? Later, I : : moved back to San Francisco, a city which doesn't really require : : a car if you work downtown. After a while it sat in my garage : : 26 days a month, and a great friend of mine who worked down near : : San Jose asked me in the winter months if he could use it for the : : commute. I said yes, fogetting that I hadn't been doing my regular : : preventative maintainence. A month and a half later, it : : threw a rod. At the time, I simply didn't have time to fix : : it and sold it for a pittance. : : And now, here I am with #4, happy as a clam with what I consider : : the best automobile I have ever owned, or driven. And this coming : : from someone who took his Ca. Drivers License test in a pristine : : Shelby GT350 (hint: My Grandfather was VP of Shelby American from : : 1963 - 1970). : : So, I have to ask... : : What brought you here? : :

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: