I fall in love with the little details. Every car is made with its own details and characteristics which make it unique and each have their own story. It's history through the years, and what it has experienced are what catch my attention every time. While finding time for myself I tend to search craigslist or BAT for the next project. Lord only knows I don't need anymore cars, then again no one needs more cars. We as men tend to have the drive for more projects more cars and more passion. Just like Rob Siegel said "women like throw pillows, men like cars". Not that I was looking for a project but I wasn't not looking for one. I just like to search and see what's out there, compare prices, and see what's available.
One Saturday night while waiting for guests to leave the bar I work at I pick up my copy of "memoirs of a hack mechanic" and begin to read. A sudden rush of enthusiasm and energy came over me and suddenly I was looking for a 2002. I've always wanted a 2002 for this basic and classic design. A few videos of the small but nimble 4 speed transmission roaring up the street had me wanting more.
I was suddenly on Craigslist. Searching through the masses of junk cars I stumbled upon an ad. "2 classic Bmw 1975/6" my hopes shot up and I was in touch with the seller the next morning. I still wasn't sure if I wanted to purchase these so I gave the ole "I'm not sure if I'll get these yet, hopefully my fiancé doesn't chop my head off." The cars were in upstate New York and by no means we're they cherries. One car with a title the other without. As the seller mentioned his plan was to make one car out of 2 (this guy didn't know my hunger for BMW). We made an appointment to see the cars and I was on my way the next day. Seeing that the cars were 2 hours and 20 min away I took my fiancé with me. The two of us have been looking for wedding venues so we stopped my 2venues on the way which were short of our expectations. "Can we see the cars now" I promptly exclaimed, and Danielle agreed. We meet up with the seller who was in a white suburban at a gas station near some woods and a short bearded man approaches the window and says, "let's see the cars hop in my car or if you have 4x4 follow me we have to go through some woods and across a small creek... Hopefully she doesn't chop your dead off" now Danielle knew nothing about my "head chopping" conversation between "Brown" and myself and was a little nervous.
We follow the dirty suburban through the town of Saugreties NY observing the old rundown neighborhood. The 2 of us look at each other and say, "shady CL deal.. Seems legit". The road shifts from pavement to gravel... To dirt. A few turns later we approach the "small creek". Let me paint this picture. In the woods, in a my dads 2015 tundra approaching what looks like a beat up trailer home behind the creek. The creek dips down and then an uphill climb. Literally he perfect vantage point for a classic Craigslist hijack. The suburban rushes through the creek roaring its motor and creating a decent wave. Danielle drops her jaw and is thinking the same thing I am "this doesn't feel right" as I try to convince myself and her that "seems legit" is actually safe.
I get out of my truck and make small talk about how we'd get the car out as I try to think of a way not to get shot in the woods and how to turn this truck around. A reply from Brown reassures us that he can come pick us up and we'd leave our truck behind. Not happening. I grip the wheel put her in drive and blast though the 15 yard river convincing myself if something happens I can take him. "God I wish I brought my gun" won't stop going through my head. I step out lock Danielle in the car and check out the first 02. This is the car with the title, the originally Inka car has been poorly sprayed jet black, deflated dry rotted tires are slouched in the dirt. We continue to chat and I ease us that this might be legit. Guard still up I question him about the car and it turns out the car drove to this spot and was parked for 8 years under a tree. We returns to our vehicles and head a mile down the road to see the other 02.
"Wheew" a sigh of relief form both Danielle and myself. Back over the creek and into town we follow our new Craigslist friend. The second location is at his parents house. Two older gen jags are posted up in front of the property and two happy elderly people are eating at the table inside. I lock Danielle in the car and follow Brown behind the house. We chat for about 10 minutes and my phone I going wild with texts. "Are you there" "are you ok" "I'm scared" by this point Brown and I agreed on a price shook hands and I made plans to take the trip the following day with a trailer.
"We're not doing anymore shady Craigslist deals" Danielle firmly says, I laugh it off and reassure her it won't happen again. The following day i grab my buddy for the trip I meet up with Brown and a trailer for the first car. As it turns out Brown was a great human and helped me patch my trailer tire after catching a nail on the road. The second day the same thing, he drove the second 02 on the trailer and wished to see photos of them done. I dropped the cars off at my other property to store over the winter and will continue to work on them in the spring once I've attained the title for the other.
In conclusion, the shady Craigslist killer was a great person who lended a hand and wished these 02s to have a new start. Yes I feel silly for judging but hey, it's Craigslist right?
Anyway I got around to washing these 2 this morning and here are the photos of them, in happy to be part of the 2002 family. Here are some photos.
BMW_2768 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2786 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2769 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2516 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2766 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2498 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
mid wash
BMW_2791 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2797 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2798 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2799 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2800 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2802 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2803 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2805 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2807 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2503 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2811 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2787 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2783 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2781 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2778 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2779 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2777 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2776 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2774 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2772 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2815 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2765 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2766 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2797 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2796 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
BMW_2794 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
One Saturday night while waiting for guests to leave the bar I work at I pick up my copy of "memoirs of a hack mechanic" and begin to read. A sudden rush of enthusiasm and energy came over me and suddenly I was looking for a 2002. I've always wanted a 2002 for this basic and classic design. A few videos of the small but nimble 4 speed transmission roaring up the street had me wanting more.
I was suddenly on Craigslist. Searching through the masses of junk cars I stumbled upon an ad. "2 classic Bmw 1975/6" my hopes shot up and I was in touch with the seller the next morning. I still wasn't sure if I wanted to purchase these so I gave the ole "I'm not sure if I'll get these yet, hopefully my fiancé doesn't chop my head off." The cars were in upstate New York and by no means we're they cherries. One car with a title the other without. As the seller mentioned his plan was to make one car out of 2 (this guy didn't know my hunger for BMW). We made an appointment to see the cars and I was on my way the next day. Seeing that the cars were 2 hours and 20 min away I took my fiancé with me. The two of us have been looking for wedding venues so we stopped my 2venues on the way which were short of our expectations. "Can we see the cars now" I promptly exclaimed, and Danielle agreed. We meet up with the seller who was in a white suburban at a gas station near some woods and a short bearded man approaches the window and says, "let's see the cars hop in my car or if you have 4x4 follow me we have to go through some woods and across a small creek... Hopefully she doesn't chop your dead off" now Danielle knew nothing about my "head chopping" conversation between "Brown" and myself and was a little nervous.
We follow the dirty suburban through the town of Saugreties NY observing the old rundown neighborhood. The 2 of us look at each other and say, "shady CL deal.. Seems legit". The road shifts from pavement to gravel... To dirt. A few turns later we approach the "small creek". Let me paint this picture. In the woods, in a my dads 2015 tundra approaching what looks like a beat up trailer home behind the creek. The creek dips down and then an uphill climb. Literally he perfect vantage point for a classic Craigslist hijack. The suburban rushes through the creek roaring its motor and creating a decent wave. Danielle drops her jaw and is thinking the same thing I am "this doesn't feel right" as I try to convince myself and her that "seems legit" is actually safe.
I get out of my truck and make small talk about how we'd get the car out as I try to think of a way not to get shot in the woods and how to turn this truck around. A reply from Brown reassures us that he can come pick us up and we'd leave our truck behind. Not happening. I grip the wheel put her in drive and blast though the 15 yard river convincing myself if something happens I can take him. "God I wish I brought my gun" won't stop going through my head. I step out lock Danielle in the car and check out the first 02. This is the car with the title, the originally Inka car has been poorly sprayed jet black, deflated dry rotted tires are slouched in the dirt. We continue to chat and I ease us that this might be legit. Guard still up I question him about the car and it turns out the car drove to this spot and was parked for 8 years under a tree. We returns to our vehicles and head a mile down the road to see the other 02.
"Wheew" a sigh of relief form both Danielle and myself. Back over the creek and into town we follow our new Craigslist friend. The second location is at his parents house. Two older gen jags are posted up in front of the property and two happy elderly people are eating at the table inside. I lock Danielle in the car and follow Brown behind the house. We chat for about 10 minutes and my phone I going wild with texts. "Are you there" "are you ok" "I'm scared" by this point Brown and I agreed on a price shook hands and I made plans to take the trip the following day with a trailer.
"We're not doing anymore shady Craigslist deals" Danielle firmly says, I laugh it off and reassure her it won't happen again. The following day i grab my buddy for the trip I meet up with Brown and a trailer for the first car. As it turns out Brown was a great human and helped me patch my trailer tire after catching a nail on the road. The second day the same thing, he drove the second 02 on the trailer and wished to see photos of them done. I dropped the cars off at my other property to store over the winter and will continue to work on them in the spring once I've attained the title for the other.
In conclusion, the shady Craigslist killer was a great person who lended a hand and wished these 02s to have a new start. Yes I feel silly for judging but hey, it's Craigslist right?
Anyway I got around to washing these 2 this morning and here are the photos of them, in happy to be part of the 2002 family. Here are some photos.
BMW_2768 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2786 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2769 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2516 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2766 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2498 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickrmid wash
BMW_2791 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2797 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2798 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2799 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2800 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2802 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2803 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2805 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2807 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2503 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2811 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2787 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2783 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2781 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2778 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2779 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2777 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2776 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2774 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2772 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2815 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2765 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2766 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2797 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2796 by Peter Kaczynski, on FlickrBMW_2794 by Peter Kaczynski, on Flickr
Comment