New to you in central VaS

[Sailor]

Make that central Va
So new that I have not titled or registered the '04 ZHP I bought in North Carolina a week ago, so it sits in my side yard until Old Faithful ('96 328i,) my daily driver for the past six years, sells. We are very much looking forward to the wealth of info and richness of camaraderie found here. I love (most) BMW engineering, though my first love was that mid-50's MB Gullwing, and I went to sleep some nights dreaming of being a pit mechanic on their F! racing team. What other boy in Alabama at that time had Stirling Moss as his hero?
For over a year I searched many sources for an E46 M3, and knew nothing of the ZHF until driving one two months ago. I was hooked - the harshness of the M was absent, replaced by a firm but sweet responsiveness with all the power I need at age 73. My 328 returns right at a 30 mpg average, so the gas pump will see me a little more frequently from here on but it's a small price to pay. I like the E36 very much but the difference is substantial.
Some past rides were '56 Austin Healy 100-4, '62 Corvette, '60 Alfa Romeo, '55 Caddy coupe, '67 E-type Jag and assorted sedans, wagons, and trucks. Competition was always a strong attractor, and I went to many sports car races on both coasts, beginning in the early '60s. A brief stab at motorcycle racing exposed my lack of skill and money. Now the occasional sailboat regatta quenches that thirst. Five grandsons also give lots of satisfaction to the old man.

Best regards to all,
Sailor

[droman81]

Welcome from another central VA owner


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[Vas]

Welcome.

What part of central Virginia ?

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[danewilson77]

Welcome

:waldo

[fredo]

Welcome, sir. My first BMW was a 1992 325i e36. :thumbup

Please post pics of both rides whenever possible.

[Sailor]

Welcome.

What part of central Virginia ?

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Near Lynchburg (you can't get much more central than that!)

[Vas]

Near Lynchburg (you can't get much more central than that!)Nice. Not that far from me (I'm in Harrisonburg)

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[Sailor]

Welcome, sir. My first BMW was a 1992 325i e36. :thumbup

Please post pics of both rides whenever possible.

Nice. After driving, maintaining, and repairing a variety of machinery for over 50 years, I've come to appreciate quality of design, materials, and workmanship. In the mid 80's a buddy asked me to tune his '70 something BMW - can't recall the model, but I was impressed by the design, fit, and feel of the car. Now I say the worst feature of a Mercedes-Benz is the engine (because the one I had wasn't as good as the rest of the car), while the best feature of a BMW is the engine. So when i needed a daily ride and saw an '83 533i for sale in '04 for $2k, I bought it and eventually passed it on to my youngest daughter. First time she drove it any distance she was going back to college, and phoned me to say, "Dad, you rock! I'm driving up the mountain [to Va Tech] and didn't even have to shift down. All the other cars are in my mirror. This car is a torquemonster." Later I bought a 635 (project) and a 528 parts car. The ZHP has 134,000 mi and feels tight, but I'll go over everything and see what needs freshening up, and maybe apply my unorthodox diff subframe beef up ideas. Gotta tweak 'em a little just for fun...

[ELCID86]

Welcome from Stafford, VA


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[Sailor]

Very good Vas. The Valley has a well-deserved reputation for beauty and hospitable folks. A son-in-law is from Bridgewater and I'm familiar with the Harrisonburg area - in fact a couple of years ago I bought a Borla muffler for my E36 from a guy there. It's a little loud for an old guy, but when I drive under the bridge overpass on the road to my place and nail it in 2nd, it reverberates off that concrete and blows out some of the cholesterol in my arteries.

[Sailor]

Thanks Cid (I well remember waiting for that movie to hit the theaters in '62). I'm enjoying the warm welcome already, but am somewhat overwhelmed by the volume of good info available on this site. Hope I can contribute down the line. We pass not too far from Stafford on our way to visit in-laws in McLean - you are pretty close to the water, so any guy calling himself Sailor who has to drive an hour to get to Smith Mt. Lake is envious. But this car is so nice to drive that I will be looking forward to time behind the wheel.


Welcome from Stafford, VA


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[Vas]

Very good Vas. The Valley has a well-deserved reputation for beauty and hospitable folks. A son-in-law is from Bridgewater and I'm familiar with the Harrisonburg area - in fact a couple of years ago I bought a Borla muffler for my E36 from a guy there. It's a little loud for an old guy, but when I drive under the bridge overpass on the road to my place and nail it in 2nd, it reverberates off that concrete and blows out some of the cholesterol in my arteries.If you are ever in the area, let me know and we can meet up. Always enjoy meeting new members in person

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[johnrando]

Welcome!

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[Sailor]

Welcome!

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Thanks. You guys are killing my with with all the upgrades - you must be making too much money! Reminds me of what we used to say about why a sailboat is called "she" - because like a woman, the fittings cost more than the hull...

[ELCID86]

Thanks Cid (I well remember waiting for that movie to hit the theaters in '62). I'm enjoying the warm welcome already, but am somewhat overwhelmed by the volume of good info available on this site. Hope I can contribute down the line. We pass not too far from Stafford on our way to visit in-laws in McLean - you are pretty close to the water, so any guy calling himself Sailor who has to drive an hour to get to Smith Mt. Lake is envious. But this car is so nice to drive that I will be looking forward to time behind the wheel.

SML is on my places to visit/vacation. I hear it’s really nice. We need a maintenance day/meet up at Vas’... ;-)

[Vas]

SML is on my places to visit/vacation. I hear it’s really nice. We need a maintenance day/meet up at Vas’... ;-)I know I know

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[Oli77]

Welcome to the Mafia Sailor!

[Sailor]

Late fall in Virginia.
31509

[Sailor]

Welcome, sir. My first BMW was a 1992 325i e36. :thumbup

Please post pics of both rides whenever possible.

You got it (see above.) By the way, my youngest daughter lives in Austin, and they say it is not like Albany....