Update: The GF became my wife, and the car is now my daily driver.
My girlfriend is a pretty awesome chick. She insists on only driving manual transmission cars. The first time I saw her laptop, her background was some muscle cars. She wants a Datsun 240z, and/or a Mini. She is my navigator for road rally's. She knows a fair bit about cars, and has good taste. Unfortunately, being a broke college student, she has been perpetually relegated to family hand me downs. She drives a manual Honda Civic, which, while its a reliable, pleasant enough, gets you from a to b car, it is hardly inspiring to drive. We have been cohabing for several years, and as a former professional mechanic I have long been responsible for fixing and maintaining her car, and while a Civic isn't hard to work on, it isn't the most rewarding car to spend time busting knuckles on either.
She has long wanted a nicer car, but living in western New York, a Datsun or Mini would be a pretty terrible daily driver, and require a winter beater. And as awesome as she is, she has been, for the longest time, lukewarm at best towards the styling of the e30. She actively protested when I got my 87 325 2 door.
I don't get it either.
I have long been trying to talk her into an e30. A, they are great cars, that are a blast to drive, while still making a suitable daily driver, and B, I have too much e30 knowledge in my head and spare parts in my garage to have room for another project car. I frequently search the local area Craigslist's for e30's, just to see whats out there, and share interesting finds with my brother. He recently sent me a link to an ad for a black 4 door 87 325i local to him. It looked complete, and relatively clean. It was certainly all original, with red leather comfort interior, 13 button obc, power sunroof, and factory tape deck (including the head cleaning kit). It ran, but according to the ad, needed brakes to pass inspection. I showed the ad to my girlfriend to see what she though. I figured she would scoff, as usual. It was automatic, it was a 4 door, and it was an e30. Instead, she lit up, and asked gleefully "for me!?!"
We took the drive out to check it out right then. I spent a few minutes looking it over, and took it for a spin around the block. We made a deal, and drove the hour and a half back home with plans to go back in the morning with a trailer. I got a buddy with a truck to drive out with me in the morning, and we stopped at u-haul to rent a trailer. When we arrived to pick up the car, the guy came out nervously.
He lost the title.
I was furious. Who loses a title? Why didn't he call me to let me know? Why did he wait until THEN to check and make sure he had it!?! I angrily told the gentleman to call me if he finds the title, or gets a new one, and I would come back out to get the car, but was going to pay him less. He was apologetic, and agreed to knock money off the agreed on price.
Two weeks later, my friend in I ventured back out, another rented trailer in tow, with the assurance that the title was signed and ready to go. Fortunately, this time, it was, and minutes later, I had the car strapped down to the trailer, happy as could be.
Before I drove off, the gentleman asked if I wanted any of the spare parts he had. I said sure, figuring it would be the usual stuff, like used plug wires, and some random coolant hoses or sensors I wasn't really worried about, but figured I would take anyway. And I was mostly right. A spare afm, a used distributor cap, and wires from an eta engine (no impulse sensor). Then the guy says 'oh yeah, I have a rear body panel from a parts car I had', and pulled a Zender rear apron down from a pile of boxes. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
The car has some issues. It is long overdue for a date with paintless dent repair, and badly needs a full tune up, as well as various interior and exterior trim pieces that are broken or missing. The tires and brakes are trash, and the alignment is comically off. It is definitely getting a 5 speed swap this summer. But considering I got a running e30 in western NY for $1400, I am thrilled with the car.
EDIT: After wrapping on the manual conversion and head replacement, and swapping in my old suspension and wheels, the gf decided that the girls name is Mina, not Black Betty, so her name has changed. Apparently, Mina wasn't happy about it, because after a few hundred miles, she developed some pretty worrisome rod knock. The car is going in a whole new direction...
My girlfriend is a pretty awesome chick. She insists on only driving manual transmission cars. The first time I saw her laptop, her background was some muscle cars. She wants a Datsun 240z, and/or a Mini. She is my navigator for road rally's. She knows a fair bit about cars, and has good taste. Unfortunately, being a broke college student, she has been perpetually relegated to family hand me downs. She drives a manual Honda Civic, which, while its a reliable, pleasant enough, gets you from a to b car, it is hardly inspiring to drive. We have been cohabing for several years, and as a former professional mechanic I have long been responsible for fixing and maintaining her car, and while a Civic isn't hard to work on, it isn't the most rewarding car to spend time busting knuckles on either.
She has long wanted a nicer car, but living in western New York, a Datsun or Mini would be a pretty terrible daily driver, and require a winter beater. And as awesome as she is, she has been, for the longest time, lukewarm at best towards the styling of the e30. She actively protested when I got my 87 325 2 door.
I don't get it either.
I have long been trying to talk her into an e30. A, they are great cars, that are a blast to drive, while still making a suitable daily driver, and B, I have too much e30 knowledge in my head and spare parts in my garage to have room for another project car. I frequently search the local area Craigslist's for e30's, just to see whats out there, and share interesting finds with my brother. He recently sent me a link to an ad for a black 4 door 87 325i local to him. It looked complete, and relatively clean. It was certainly all original, with red leather comfort interior, 13 button obc, power sunroof, and factory tape deck (including the head cleaning kit). It ran, but according to the ad, needed brakes to pass inspection. I showed the ad to my girlfriend to see what she though. I figured she would scoff, as usual. It was automatic, it was a 4 door, and it was an e30. Instead, she lit up, and asked gleefully "for me!?!"
We took the drive out to check it out right then. I spent a few minutes looking it over, and took it for a spin around the block. We made a deal, and drove the hour and a half back home with plans to go back in the morning with a trailer. I got a buddy with a truck to drive out with me in the morning, and we stopped at u-haul to rent a trailer. When we arrived to pick up the car, the guy came out nervously.
He lost the title.
I was furious. Who loses a title? Why didn't he call me to let me know? Why did he wait until THEN to check and make sure he had it!?! I angrily told the gentleman to call me if he finds the title, or gets a new one, and I would come back out to get the car, but was going to pay him less. He was apologetic, and agreed to knock money off the agreed on price.
Two weeks later, my friend in I ventured back out, another rented trailer in tow, with the assurance that the title was signed and ready to go. Fortunately, this time, it was, and minutes later, I had the car strapped down to the trailer, happy as could be.
Before I drove off, the gentleman asked if I wanted any of the spare parts he had. I said sure, figuring it would be the usual stuff, like used plug wires, and some random coolant hoses or sensors I wasn't really worried about, but figured I would take anyway. And I was mostly right. A spare afm, a used distributor cap, and wires from an eta engine (no impulse sensor). Then the guy says 'oh yeah, I have a rear body panel from a parts car I had', and pulled a Zender rear apron down from a pile of boxes. Needless to say, I was thrilled.
The car has some issues. It is long overdue for a date with paintless dent repair, and badly needs a full tune up, as well as various interior and exterior trim pieces that are broken or missing. The tires and brakes are trash, and the alignment is comically off. It is definitely getting a 5 speed swap this summer. But considering I got a running e30 in western NY for $1400, I am thrilled with the car.
EDIT: After wrapping on the manual conversion and head replacement, and swapping in my old suspension and wheels, the gf decided that the girls name is Mina, not Black Betty, so her name has changed. Apparently, Mina wasn't happy about it, because after a few hundred miles, she developed some pretty worrisome rod knock. The car is going in a whole new direction...
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