A few years ago, when Pam and I decided to get another dog, I decided we needed a dog car first. Of course, I did. So the quest for an E46 wagon began. Like most of you, I wanted the unicorn 5-speed car, but a beautiful silver wagon popped up […]
Projects
Project 2002 – Part Two…
Rooting around underneath the Inka 2002, I’m wondering if maybe I’ve bit off more than I can chew. Nah. What better thing to do when you have one ratty project car than to pick up a parts car, right? Facebook to the rescue again. The guys at Baker and Baker […]
Sorting the E21
In three years, my BMW collection has grown substantially, and it’s a ton of fun to now have a group of cars that span nearly 50 years of BMWs history. I’ve even jumped into the 2002 game, but that will take a bit of work to become a drivable reality. […]
The E21 Shimmy… It’s all about balance
BMW tech guru, Mike Miller, has said that perfect tire balance is one of the keys to getting the dreaded front end shimmy out of the E21. As one who can be known for encircling a problem rather than facing it head-on, I’ve come full circle. And it is good. […]
Maybe you do need those stinking badges…
If it’s all about the patina for you, skip this short article. However, as our cars age, the hood, trunk and wheel badges take more than their fair share of abuse. With these badges plentiful and within reach of Amazon Prime delivery, it only takes a few minutes to freshen […]
Why I’m Not Buying a Set of M-Pars (just yet…)
Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of a set of 18” M-parallel wheels on the E34. Discussions go back and forth on the various FB pages, with some hating this wheel, and others loving it. But I’m not jumping on the bandwagon just yet, but not for the […]
Executive car – the E34 journey begins
Many people I’ve talked to say that driving an E34 five series is like driving a “big E30,” but that’s selling the E34 short. Not that I don’t love my E30s, but the E34, at least the 535 I’m driving these days, is a totally different contraption. Sure, the styling […]
Project 325iS, part one (and a half)
As I’ve mentioned here, the original 3 – the E21 was my first BMW crush. When the E30 hit the market, it became even more intense. I loved the square, minimal lines, and the new level of interior ergonomics and functionality. And the thought of a six, wow a six-cylinder […]
Staying on the Path
“It’s perfect now; you’re gonna love it.” Steve at Matt’s Alignment and Brake tells me with a big smile, handing the keys over the counter. I’d been anticipating this all weekend, as Roy and I didn’t make it back from the coast, dropping off the Z4 for top repairs in […]
Rescuing a parts car: the story of Lumpy
It all began innocently enough. I needed some parts for my 89 325iS that’s beginning to take shape, and a great potential donor car was just up the I-5 in Seattle. Somehow, don’t we always need more parts? The Bronzit four-door in question had its complete cooling system replaced, a […]