are you prepared to read? ok..... go
from the looks of it you are probably thinking, just another somewhat clean stock e30. but this car has a lot more meaning than what you may think.
what we have here is a 1986 325 alpine white/ tan interior.
when i was a child i spent a lot of time with my grandparents. who happened to own matching e30's alpine white/tan 2 door's one auto one stick. my earliest car memories involve me riding in the back seat of a e30. admiring the cars interior, smell and outside appearance. which to me was a thing of pure beauty at the time.
the car your looking at in these pics is the 5 speed.
so what this guy has his grandpas e30, who cares right? let me continue, this car was purchased brand new in 1986 by my uncle Joseph and was his prized possession in the short time he owned it.
sadly my beloved uncle Joseph passed away in 1992 after a long fight with HIV/aids. and my grandfather took possession of the car.
for a few years following the car wasn't driven, at all. it had been locked away in a garage until someone was ready to drive it again.
around late 1994 my grandfather started to use the car as a daily driver (when i then became familiar with the car) the car was garage kept, and serviced regularly by a bmw dealership. the car then became my grandfathers prized possession and a momento of his son.
nobody else got to touch the car, drive the car, wash the car or even think about getting between him and this cherished car.
as the years went by, and my grandfather became older and less mobile the car got driven less and less and shorter distances. still cared for with the same respect though.
in 2011 he passed the e30 to his other son Paul, who knew the cars emotional worth. and the amount of respect the car deserved.
paul drove the car on special occasions, and short weekend drives. but for the most part remained in a car port.
my uncle Paul had many medical issues, and had to have a live in care giver. but this was no normal care giver. it was a dear friend of his of 30+ years.
for reasons unimaginable, one day his care giver struck him down with three shots from a .38 revolver. he had no kids and no wife.
that makes 2 out of 3 of my family members who owned this car. a car with a history to my family that strings back to before i was even born.
the car landed in possession.
i hadn't seen the car in about two years and was unsure of the condition. to my surprise it looked exactly as i remember as a child. not a single tear in the interior not a single major dent. still running excellent.
keep in mind this car was driven, a lot. but also loved a lot. thats 296k miles on an odometer that stopped counting only god knows how long ago.
i always knew my love of e30's came directly from this car that was obvious. but where my automotive passion as a whole came from was unknown to me.
that was until i drove this for the first time. on the way to its new home.
my first car related memories are of this car, being in it or around it or just looking at it. In my mind it was a fabled luxury sports car that felt like the car knew who you were and knew how to make your day just a little better. sounds crazy i know.
i remembered how much my family admired this car. and thats when i got a small chill up my spine and realized, this is where it all started for me.
the nostalgia i feel behind the wheel of this car is surreal, and i think of the silly things like the stains on the package tray from me leaving crayons on it melting in the sun. to the more emotional things like my uncles driving this same car.
i have owned 3 other e30's and knew the car in my mind i was chasing after.
the classically distinguished smell of these cars has been a smell in my mind for over 20 years.
and to drive the car that began my heavily involved automotive passion is a thing beyond words to me.
i know this is a car that i will never get rid of, and plan on keeping in my family for as long as i can or as long as the car will let me. everything on the car works flawlessly, no check lights on the overhead, no leaks, no overheating. just a e30 that is complete and functioning the way it should.
im not saying the car is perfect, cause its not. timing belt is old. shift linkage is sloppy, throw out bearing makes a little noise. but to me its all i could ever dream of. its the car for me.
i will admit this car won't be driven as much as it should or as much as i would like to. and thats due to the sheer fact that this car the an heirloom to me. i honestly don't want to touch the car. i don't want to modify the car. i just want to give it what it needs and leave it be until the rainy day when I'm ready for this car.
its not everyday you get to own the car that created the lifestyle you live. or the car that played a key role in your childhood, or the car that was the prized possession of your loved ones. this car is all of that and more for me.
the fate of this car will most likely end with it sitting under a car cover in my driveway taken out and driven to the grocery store every other month. but that doesn't mean it will be forgotten or mistreated.this car is a family member in my eyes and will be treated as such.
i know its probably hard to imagine a e30 meaning so much to someone. but i think a few of you might get it.
thanks for reading.
from the looks of it you are probably thinking, just another somewhat clean stock e30. but this car has a lot more meaning than what you may think.
what we have here is a 1986 325 alpine white/ tan interior.
when i was a child i spent a lot of time with my grandparents. who happened to own matching e30's alpine white/tan 2 door's one auto one stick. my earliest car memories involve me riding in the back seat of a e30. admiring the cars interior, smell and outside appearance. which to me was a thing of pure beauty at the time.
the car your looking at in these pics is the 5 speed.
so what this guy has his grandpas e30, who cares right? let me continue, this car was purchased brand new in 1986 by my uncle Joseph and was his prized possession in the short time he owned it.
sadly my beloved uncle Joseph passed away in 1992 after a long fight with HIV/aids. and my grandfather took possession of the car.
for a few years following the car wasn't driven, at all. it had been locked away in a garage until someone was ready to drive it again.
around late 1994 my grandfather started to use the car as a daily driver (when i then became familiar with the car) the car was garage kept, and serviced regularly by a bmw dealership. the car then became my grandfathers prized possession and a momento of his son.
nobody else got to touch the car, drive the car, wash the car or even think about getting between him and this cherished car.
as the years went by, and my grandfather became older and less mobile the car got driven less and less and shorter distances. still cared for with the same respect though.
in 2011 he passed the e30 to his other son Paul, who knew the cars emotional worth. and the amount of respect the car deserved.
paul drove the car on special occasions, and short weekend drives. but for the most part remained in a car port.
my uncle Paul had many medical issues, and had to have a live in care giver. but this was no normal care giver. it was a dear friend of his of 30+ years.
for reasons unimaginable, one day his care giver struck him down with three shots from a .38 revolver. he had no kids and no wife.
that makes 2 out of 3 of my family members who owned this car. a car with a history to my family that strings back to before i was even born.
the car landed in possession.
i hadn't seen the car in about two years and was unsure of the condition. to my surprise it looked exactly as i remember as a child. not a single tear in the interior not a single major dent. still running excellent.
keep in mind this car was driven, a lot. but also loved a lot. thats 296k miles on an odometer that stopped counting only god knows how long ago.
i always knew my love of e30's came directly from this car that was obvious. but where my automotive passion as a whole came from was unknown to me.
that was until i drove this for the first time. on the way to its new home.
my first car related memories are of this car, being in it or around it or just looking at it. In my mind it was a fabled luxury sports car that felt like the car knew who you were and knew how to make your day just a little better. sounds crazy i know.
i remembered how much my family admired this car. and thats when i got a small chill up my spine and realized, this is where it all started for me.
the nostalgia i feel behind the wheel of this car is surreal, and i think of the silly things like the stains on the package tray from me leaving crayons on it melting in the sun. to the more emotional things like my uncles driving this same car.
i have owned 3 other e30's and knew the car in my mind i was chasing after.
the classically distinguished smell of these cars has been a smell in my mind for over 20 years.
and to drive the car that began my heavily involved automotive passion is a thing beyond words to me.
i know this is a car that i will never get rid of, and plan on keeping in my family for as long as i can or as long as the car will let me. everything on the car works flawlessly, no check lights on the overhead, no leaks, no overheating. just a e30 that is complete and functioning the way it should.
im not saying the car is perfect, cause its not. timing belt is old. shift linkage is sloppy, throw out bearing makes a little noise. but to me its all i could ever dream of. its the car for me.
i will admit this car won't be driven as much as it should or as much as i would like to. and thats due to the sheer fact that this car the an heirloom to me. i honestly don't want to touch the car. i don't want to modify the car. i just want to give it what it needs and leave it be until the rainy day when I'm ready for this car.
its not everyday you get to own the car that created the lifestyle you live. or the car that played a key role in your childhood, or the car that was the prized possession of your loved ones. this car is all of that and more for me.
the fate of this car will most likely end with it sitting under a car cover in my driveway taken out and driven to the grocery store every other month. but that doesn't mean it will be forgotten or mistreated.this car is a family member in my eyes and will be treated as such.
i know its probably hard to imagine a e30 meaning so much to someone. but i think a few of you might get it.
thanks for reading.
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