re: Getting into BMWs

[Felix Vicente <fvicente@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I got into BMWs when my sister turned driving age and decided she
absolutely had to have a car in Calypso Red. At the time in April of '92,
the only car other than the E30 offering a color close to it was the
Accord. It was decided that the difference between a year old '91 325ia
coupe and a '92 Accord wasn't all that much, and the BMW would be a safer
and longer lasting car to boot. (apparently, a base Integra was safe enough
for me, 'cause that's what I got.)

the car had quite a few growing pains that year, (curiously enough all
problems I've seen posted on the digest since I joined it in June)
including things like a leaky steering rack, an a/c that wouldn't turn off
with the car, and numerous other little gremlins. The dealership was a
major PITA- but the car was so good that we just didn't care. As soon as
the warranty ran out we stopped taking it there and found an independent
mech instead.

Sure enough, she kept the car until earlier this year, after racking up 85k
miles on it. She sold it to a friend of the family, and we still see the
car from time to time. The car is _still_ running so good that I
occasionally feel jealousy pangs- this despite me having a '95 325i (which
I paid for, BTW.)

Upon graduating from school, the first thing I did was run around town and
look for a 325 to sink my teeth into. I always hated black interiors, but I
found a blk/blk 325i that had low miles, and despite a repainted trunk lid,
was in great shape. I've been zipping around in it since. Thanks to the
digest, it's been BL/SS'd, and I'm working on X'ing it and perhaps dropping
an M3 suspension in it when some part of the current one goes on to the
great beyond.

She replaced hers upon graduating this year with a '95 525ia- once again,
calypso red. It too has had it's growing pains, most notably a new tranny
and rear diff, but at least they're still under warranty as the car was one
of the last E34s off the line (build date is 9/95, I think. can't remember
off the top of my head, but the car was leased 1/96.)

Now our parents are making plans to ditch their Acuras, and hopefully by
early next year I'll be able to drive a 540iA Sport around when I visit.
Soon the BMW love affair will be complete.

(Yes, I know it sounds like we're a bunch of spoiled brats. And, more or
less, we were. We spoiled them, too. We got 4.0s, honor rolls, engineering
degrees, and we stayed out of trouble. They thought we deserved it. So sue
me.  ;) )
- -Felix Vicente
Miami, FL (occasionally)
'95 325i blk/blk, BL/SS'd
soon to be Sharked, X'ed, cleared, and M3-muffler'd

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