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I've been looking for a similar car for several years up here but as you can well imagine, New England weather and salt does bad things to cars. I finally settled on a 98% rust free example that I found up in Maine, but mechanically the car is shot. The car cost me $2k and it will cost me upwards of $6k (including the cost of the car) to have it overhauled and even remotely close to the condition yours is in, and I'm doing all the work myself!
Big congrats! Enjoy her, be smart and keep her stock-ish like you plan, and don't give her up to anyone any time soon!
Oh, and post moar pics!!!
1987 Toyota MR2: 20v blacktop screamer
sigpic
2013 Subaru BRZ: the new hotness
1991 318is Alpine White: sold
1989 325i Alpine White: sold
i love vintage car people (read = the people themselves are vintage haha) they are a different breed. sounds like an awesome husband/wife duo, experience, and car!
Great score! I wish more people would take care of their cars to preserve them for future generations. That's sounds like a similar story to how I came upon my convertible.
Great story, and Otto sounds like a guy you should keep in touch with. Old characters like him are few and far between, and just knowing them, and thier stories, better our own lives.
That, and he has a 2002 sitting in hi hanger on HIS airstrip!
Originally posted by codyep3
I hope to Christ you have looks going for you, because you sure as fuck don't have any intelligence.
2001 silver/Blk 325 cabby. SOLD
1988 Blk/Blk e30 factory wide body kit car SOLD
1992 DS/BLK 325 m-tech II apperance pack cabby SOLD!
2002 325xit Sil/blk. SOLD
2012 328i xdrive touring. Wht/blk. SOLD
2009 135 cabby. monacoblue/blk leather SOLD
2007 Z4m coupe. Silver grey/black/ aluminum. 1of50
2010 F650gs twin
2016 M235i cabby. Mineral grey/Red leather
I was a day late on this car. Once I got through to Otto (found on Autotrader) he mentioned someone was coming to see it the next day. I asked to shoot information to me on it's status and if it didn't sell I was on the next flight out. This was the last I got from Otto.
Definitely immaculate. Congrats!
No way! That's crazy you contacted Otto as well. I contacted him almost immediately after he posted the ad. He was getting a lot of interest from dealers and flakers and was pretty frustrated at the time. I guess I was the first person to come across as responsible to him. It was obvious that he cared very deeply for the car, and wanted it to go to someone that would appreciate it. Which I certainly do and will.
Otto's been pretty hard to stay in contact with. When I picked up the car, he told me he got a new computer so his e-mail address was changing (hey, he's 86, computers are like black magic). I got a few e-mails from his new e-mail address but he responds rarely. He's quite hard to understand on the phone as he has quite a thick German accent and the sound quality over phone is poor as it is. He and his wife invited us back out to visit anytime we're in Phoenix, and we intend to do so the next time they're out there. I'll take photos of him and his compound if we do. It's really a fascinating place.
Oh, and thanks for all the comments guys! I do consider myself extremely fortunate, and recounting the story makes me even more grateful. I'm proud to be the caretaker of such a great little car, and the thought of selling it at this point makes me sick. Any modifications I do are only to replace worn out parts and can be reverted back to stock if necessary. The old exhaust was in pretty sad shape, as were the control arms and shocks. Now they're new, and the car feels so alive. I love it.
Another thing I find to be unique are the options:
Moonroof
CD Changer
Factory Alarm/keyless entry
LSD
Grey cloth interior
Seems loaded for a 318is just with cloth. So cool, and everything works including the alarm/keyless entry.
Also, someone pointed out the NLA shift knob. It's pretty warn, and Otto dug out a replacement insert he bought years ago but never got a new knob to put it on. One of these days I'll get a new knob for the insert, and it'll be back to it's cherry factory-fresh state. Speaking of, I'll get the interior cleaned up and shots of it posted soon.
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