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static667
03-16-2011, 06:28 PM
I kinda borrowed the idea from Dot for this thread. I hope he doesn't mind.

For the longest time, I had no real interest in cars. I was content owning an suv with intent on off-road modding. That all changed when my dad said, "Hey, come with us to VIR to watch the Trans Am race." I soon wanted a performance car. After a while, I got my first BMW. A '94 Boston Green 325is auto.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/static_667/IMG_0008.jpg

Great car. I drove the hell out of it. It served me very well for about three years until it got totaled. A diabetic guy passed out behind the wheel of his Ranger and hit me about dead center of my driver side front wheel. I estimate that he was doing about 50 mph. I was unscathed but a little shaken. It was a terrible day for me. I was depressed for a while. Through tragedy came a good thing. The insurance paid me $400.00 more than I had paid for the car three years prior. On top of that, I found a '95 325is with a five speed for $6k.

It was delivered Christmas Eve of 2006 and I was back in business, this time with a clutch. My '95 got me around for a good long run. This was my first car that I actually got to modify. The previous owner had chipped the car, which I was thankful for. Saved me a few dollars. I put a CAI in it along with Bavarian Autosport high energy coils. For suspension, I installed Bilstein OE replacement shocks and struts. I went with OE's because I was on a budget and I didn't want to go any lower or beat myself to death on crappy roads. After that, I upgraded from the OEM 15" bottle cap style wheels to 16" Kosei K-1s.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/static_667/tempsignature.jpg

I learned a lot with that car. It served me very well for many years. Unfortunately, cancer (read: rust) got the better of it. Almost the entire length of the top side of my windshield was infected. Rust had embedded itself under the seal and was eating away non-stop. I had had a rust spot repaired in the same area two years prior. Needless to say, they didn't do a very thorough job. I was facing the decision of either to borrowing money to do another repair or go ahead and borrow more to get another car.

I was hoping to get a 330. The ZHP was way out of my price range. After searching for several months, my dad found this car on craiglist. The guy was asking $7,900 for it. It has a nice clean record and has been professionally maintained since the original owner. The only issue was the sunroof wasn't working. He had a guy quote him $900 to put in a used cassette. After doing a little research, I found out that the sunroof can be repaired for about $50. Bargaining point. I met the guy, drove the car, and gave it a thorough inspection. Everything was in good working order. He said that if he were to have the sunroof fixed, he would be firm on the price. I offered $7,200 as is. He came back with "Since it's about a $900 fix, just make it $7." I was kinda surprised by that but accepted. There are still honest people in this world. So, I went to the bank the next morning, processed the loan, and picked up my car.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/static_667/IMG_0850.jpg

As stock as it gets. It's going to be a slow process as I don't have much money to spend on mods. I'm more focusing on paying it off than I am modding. The list is going to be a simple one though. But before modifications comes maintenance.

Maintenance:
Coolant system
VANOS
all of the usual stuff

Mods so far:
A & C pillar recovering
Wheels and tires (Yeah, they may have been left-overs but it works.)
Short shift kit (waiting to be installed)

Mod want list:
Tint
CAI
Mild suspension kit
Clears
Performance software

-Kyle

Johnmadd
03-16-2011, 06:40 PM
Clear markers in front and sides will make a very dramatic
change in look, you'll love it.

danewilson77
03-16-2011, 06:45 PM
Great story. Sweet whippage.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

spencers
03-16-2011, 06:48 PM
Your cars sure enjoy being at the beach or by some body of water!

az3579
03-16-2011, 06:54 PM
Clear markers in front and sides will make a very dramatic
change in look, you'll love it.

Oh come on man, I'm over here hoping he won't switch to clears like everyone else (almost) and then there you go... lol


Kyle,
It is a slow and painful process, I know. Getting the car the way you want takes lots of time and money. Of course you could sacrifice some more money for less time. :biggrin

spencers
03-16-2011, 06:55 PM
Oh come on man, I'm over here hoping he won't switch to clears like everyone else (almost) and then there you go... lol

Exactly. Amber Army FTW.

Mtnman
03-16-2011, 07:05 PM
i roll amber style myself...... Good write up so far static. I expect this thread to be updated regularly. Tax return season=mod season!

Johnmadd
03-16-2011, 07:14 PM
The side and bumper should be clear,or the bumper color matched, I also roll and like the ambers next to the headlights. Rears rcr or all reds in the back.

static667
03-16-2011, 07:21 PM
In some cases I have liked clears in others, not really. Color match on the bumper would be cool and a clear side marker would blend with the lines much better. I think I'll keep my amber corners.

kayger12
03-16-2011, 07:48 PM
Great write up, Static.


Droid X. Tapatalk. Use it.

pyreguy
03-17-2011, 03:46 AM
Excellent static!


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static667
03-17-2011, 05:35 PM
It's a work in progress. I have to figure out why the hell my passenger side fog light is just that. The little bugger always has moisture in it. When I replaced the old bulb, which shattered, I wiped out all of the moisture I could. I refuse to turn them on because I'll end up popping another expensive bulb.

static667
04-22-2011, 03:19 PM
BMW Performance ssk goes in tomorrow! Finally got a free afternoon and access to a lift. And that damn CDV is coming out, too. Unfortunately, I forgot to grab my power bleeder. I'll have to do a gravity bleed since I'm going to be alone.

Sent using Tapatalk on my rooted Droid. Wut?

static667
05-30-2011, 06:12 PM
Ah yes, preventative maintenance. I installed the ECS stage 1 cooling system kit today. Everything went in easily. Only took me a few hours and that was because I was taking my time. It's only the fourth time I've done it. Two were my previous e36s and one e46 when I was a mechanic in Charlotte, NC. It get easier every time.