The Dream continues

It has been a few weeks since I picked up the Z3.  I’ve been driving it some, not a ton but that is sort of the plan.  I am just about ready to get gas in the car for only the 2^nd time and I personally have only put about 300 miles on it since I purchased it. (I set the odometer to play around).

Thankfully there have been no issues.  I had to get it back to the dealer for about 5 days total.  One of the hold outs on the car was having them replace two seatbelt brackets.  Part came in, seats came out (much more work than I expected) and they had a human error moment and needed to order a part for the seat.  Of course, it happened on Friday, part didn’t arrive until early Tuesday, but I had the car back Tuesday when I got home from work.  Good as new.

Struggling with what to do with the radio.  As a music fan I really want music while I drive.  The stereo is still the stock stereo with AM/FM and cassette.  The trunk has a 6 CD changer that I’ve had issues with.  It just won’t read CDs.  I know people think “Who cares” but it’s part of the car, I have CDs and I’d like it to work.  Trying to decide how hard I want to have it looked at?  The tape deck works fine, and AM/FM does the job. 

For Father’s Day I got a blue tooth FM adapter and played some with streams off an iPod nano (yeah, I know) and my phone I need to play with some, but I am pretty sure I am good to go. 

The volume knob on the stereo seems to like to turn only on occasion.  For example, when I “turn it up” I might have to spin it 5-6 times for it to go up 1 level.  Other times 1 turn has it go 1 level.

It is a 22-year-old car. I need to relax.

Last part on the radio I am wrestling still with updating the radio, but struggle with the integrity. Keeping it original.  When I say to folks “Would you put a GPS/Screen/Blu Tooth stereo in a 57 Chevy everyone quickly says “NO!”.  So, I sort of feel the same.

Otherwise the car has been a blast.  It been a little hot already in June and its hard sometimes to forget that you can get sunburnt (and I refuse to put the top up and use the AC!).

Fallen down the wormhole of YouTube videos and detailing of the cars.  Again, so hot and water bans in effect make me feel guilty but much of the work comes in the buffing etc.  I don’t have a shady spot to work in either but sort of want to just crank up the music and give it a bath.

Finally, as far as the run/drive etc.  I am not a “car guy” in that classic sense.  Its small and fun to drive.  I have always been “meh” on driving even saying if I didn’t HAVE to, I am not sure I’d want to.  This is changing that for me.  Its not the most comfortable car and I wouldn’t want to drive across he country in it..but runs for bread and milk are a whole lot more fun.

Some good news. - A dream come true perhaps?!

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted a BMW Z3.  I am not even sure where it came from.  I’ve always liked the look of them.  They are small, pretty impractical for day to day driving and especially in New England, not a car that I’d want to drive in the snow.

Still, they’ve always turned my head.  When asked around my Birthday and Christmas the #1 item on my wish list has been “BMW Z3”.  Sort of a joke as we are not the type of family/couple that would ever “gift” such things.

This year I have a milestone birthday and about a year ago I said to myself that the time was now.  I have friends that are buying boats, sports cars etc.  I thought “why not me”?  So I dug in my heels and started saving up money.  I told myself that I wanted to be able to drive the Z3 to work on said birthday.  I work hard, if I do this right it will be of little impact to my family and it will be “my money”.

As I started to really hunt I went back and forth.  “Do I really need this?”  “Do I really want this”? Where will I park/garage/get repaired etc.  All followed up with Yes, yes and we will figure that part out later.

A buddy of mine got a newer model Miata and came down to show it off.  It was the start of COVID and home shelter etc.  It was cold, but the top came down and we went for a ride, after a stop he tossed me the keys.

What a ride.  Wow.

Now, it’s a newer car (more $$ than I have/had in mind) and as nice as the car was it wasn’t really something I had lusted after for years.

So the hunt continued.

I found one in my price range recently and finally got up the guts to call and see about it.  A dealer about 30 minutes from me had one.  Part of me wanted to go thru a dealer for payment options and maybe holding them responsible for repairs at the outset.

I arrived at the dealership on a Saturday morning.  The car was “on the show room floor”.  I walked in and was greeted in seeing a silver (black interior) 1998 BMW Z3 i9.  I paced.

I looked at the front, the back the sides.

I paced

A few questions…until finally I said “Can I sit in it?”  With the COVID and business a test drive seemed to be out of the question.  I was not planning to buy if I could not drive, but I had driven 30 minutes and by god I was going to sit in it at least.

“Sure” the salesman told me. 

I cracked open the door and lowered my 6+ foot frame into the cabin.

I am finally sitting in one!

I acted like I knew what I was looking for, but overall for the age of the car it was clean.  No stains, tears etc.

I got out, paced some more and tried to make small talk.  I wanted to try this thing out!!

“Do you want to take it for a drive?”

“Dear god yes…as long as that is cool?”

The car was pulled out of the showroom and plates slapped on it.  The sun was out, top was down and it was running.

“Take a left out of here, head down about 2 miles or so and there is a church, turn around there”.

I put it in gear (manual..hello old friend) and did the slow roll out of the parking lot to a traffic light.  There I sat for what seemed like ages. Finally green and off I went.

It was a blast.  It is not the fanciest car, it’s not the fastest, sleekest etc. but I was driving a car I had been thinking about for 20 or so years.

The ride was quick (timewise) but I got that part out of my system.  It felt “right” it felt like “it is time”.

I pulled back in, parked it and got out and...

Paced

The salesman came out and could tell from my smile I was pretty smitten (I’m bad at poker too).

After some chatting I told him I was 99% sure this was the one.  I just wanted to go home, crunch some numbers to be 100% sure.

Was told to let them know Monday “lunch time” the plan……

Just so happened that I had Monday off (first day off during work week in 14+ weeks).

Once again I arrived and did some pacing. The car was outside now.  Facing a busy road…calling out to people “come and get me”.  So I paced. The pacing wasn’t as bad now since I was outside.  I was given the keys and I looked at a few more things.  The web, forums and YouTube can be a blessing and a curse.

It was at this time I found the car had a cd changer in the trunk (hey it’s a 1998 and the stereo has a tape deck).  I poked around the glove box (owner’s manual in there ..good) I looked for leaks, pressed some other random buttons.  Tried the A/C, noticed the cup holders are small.  One tech issue I noticed (another thing I can thank the web for getting me to check).  The good news is this issue is fairly common and thankfully repairable (something I’d be sure to make them handle if I were to move forward).

So, after not a ton of haggling I signed papers on a 1998 BMW Z3.

I did it.

Much more to come….hopefully all good stuff!