Cars

Cars. You either like them or don’t care so long as they work. People who don’t like cars can’t stand when people who like cars talk about cars. I can see the facial expressions of people change when I offer too much info in regards to cars. It’s the same with sports. Most people really don’t care.

I love BMW’s. They are sporty, luxurious, fast, and sexy. They can be affordable or expensive, depending on your approach. If you plan on paying a shop to do all of your maintenance, BMW’s can be pricey.

I also really like Porsches. I’ve never owned one, but I hope to in the relative future. A 911 for sure, maybe a 2002 C4S, or something.

My current vehicles are a 1999 M3, a 1999 323is, and a 2002 Xterra Supercharged 4WD. All come with 3 pedals. I despise automatic vehicles. I’ve decided that I will not own a non stick shift until I can afford something worthy, such as a PDK or DCT. But I’m not sure I can bring myself to do it.

Colorado is a state that almost mandates the necessity for 4 wheel drive. After 4 years without a true off-road capable vehicle, I finally bought something that can handle basically anything. Many hiking trails and recreational areas in the state require a good off-road car/truck to get access. I first looked at the Landrover Discovery I and II from the 90s-00’s, but they are so problematic and costly to fix that it was too scary. I wanted reliable yet rugged. Reliability in the car world is almost synonymous with Japanese automakers. They do it better than anyone. Used Toyota 4Runners are great, but they are expensive. 20 year old 4Runners can fetch $10K plus on the market. They are also very hard to find with a manual transmission.

I eventually landed on the 1st generation Nissan Xterra produced from 1998-2004. In 2002, Nissan introduced a Supercharged engine with more power. They offered it with a manual transmission for only one production year, presumably because sales were somewhere around 4%. Nissan also offered a special edition trim, with bigger 17″ gunmetal grey alloy wheels, and a 4WD option. Back in August of 2020, I was casually browsing Facebook marketplace and found an Xterra with every one of these options, including a stick-shift. I had been browsing for a couple weeks and was not aware this model even existed. I bought it, and have spent time and money making it nicer.

In January of 2017, while temporarily living in Greeley, Colorado with my girlfriend’s parents, I spotted a 1999 BMW 323is in Hellrot red from the corner of my eye on a random side street. It has become routine to pull over and “have a look” at ANY older BMW for sale on the side of the road. The excitement having a private viewing with no salesman or owner present is unique and rare for car fans. I have done this around 30 times in my life, but never had serious aspirations to actually buy what I was looking at. Usually these cars are in rough shape, have high mileage, are black or silver, have an automatic, and an ugly interior color. But this one was a little different. Off the bat I knew Hellrot red was a great start. It’s probably the best color for a non-M E36. But I don’t like black interior very much, especially with a red exterior. Peeking through the windows I saw two great things, beige seats and a stick-shift. Wow. What is happening? The car was fitted with the optional $900 “M package” which got you the better 3-spoke steering wheel and an M suspension, with a sportier front bumper. How many miles are on this thing? 132,500. Not bad. Man…this car is a great spec, and the price was only $3,700. This is before the E36 market went crazy. I called the guy, took it for a test drive, and bought it for $3,200. I have since spent about $5,000 in extensive parts, upgrades, etc. It’s a fantastic car with a great story.

But the best story is how I bought my 1999 BMW M3. This happened in January of 2020, but it all started on a cold March morning somewhere in Connecticut in 2002. I was 13, standing in centerfield, staring off in between pitches as I often do, and spotting an absolutely beautiful Estoril blue M3 coupe zipping through the parking lot. It was stunning. I had never seen a car in a color I liked so much. It was an instant dream car, but financially unobtainable for so long. Although my 323is is enjoyable, it’s not an M3. I really wanted the holy grail, the best color M3, in a coupe, with a 5-speed. I started looking in 2018, spending about an hour every day for months scouring the web for every E36 M3 available in the US. I had my pulse on the market. My father, who is responsible for my love of BMW’s, took interest. “Pete, I want one”. This was great for me, because I could now see if the hype was real, as I still had not actually driven one aside from a test drive here or there. On Autotrader one day, I found a 1998 M3/4/5, a 4-door, 5-speed car. It was Hellrot Red and also had dove gray interior, much preferable over black. It showed 108,000 miles and was for sale in Miami, Florida for $11,300. Based on my research, I knew that was a great price for a rare car, only 33 ever produced in that spec. I called the guy, offered him $10,500, overnighted him a cashier’s check, bought a ticket to Miami, and hopped on a plane. Keep in mind this is my father’s money being spent. I drove the car back Connecticut over 2 days, and delivered to my father. He has since put maybe 200 miles on it in about 2 years of ownership. It is in exceptional condition now, and worth about $20,000. The market for these cars has been climbing quickly. They are investments. I really knew after driving that car that I had to have my own. I continued searching, and finally found what I was looking for, a 1999 M3 coupe in Estoril Blue, with a stick, on Seattle Craigslist for $4,500. That is a very low price for an M3, so I knew it was gonna be in rough shape, which it was. But I still wanted it. I called the guy and of course, it was sold. I hadn’t checked Seattle Craigslist in a few days, which was enough time for someone else to scoop it up. I was pretty upset about it. It had been months since I’d seen “the one” for sale, especially at a low price. I knew I missed out. Fast forward 6 months, I’m on Craigslist, and I spot an entire M3 interior for sale for only $250. It was atrocious, but also so cheap. I showed up, and there it was, the same car I had seen on Craigslist in Seattle! Somebody in Denver bought it! I was stunned. I told the guy to sell me his car, but he refused. I was again thwarted. 3 months later he lists it for sale for $4,800. I text him trying to get it for $3K, which would have been a great deal, but he knows he can easily get his asking price. He sells to another guy, and I swing and miss again. But finally, finally I have some luck. Another 3 months goes by, and I spot the same freaking car for sale, only this time in Torrington, Wyoming. I message the guy and sense an air of desperation from the seller. He tells me he will take $3,000 if I come that night, because he has a job waiting for him in 2 days and he needs a plane ticket to Florida. I look up Torrington on Google Maps and realize that selling that car in 2 days is gonna be real tough. The town is 3 hours North of Denver and it’s Friday at 5PM. How am I gonna get this car home tonight? I enlist the help of a friend for a ride up there, in exchange for $200 cash. After crossing the border into Wyoming, a lonely feeling comes over you. There is nothing around for mile after mile. We finally arrive at the address, a dirt field next to Industrial train tracks. I could not have conjured a more eerie setting for this sale to take place. To make matters even better, the car won’t start unless you jump two wires together and the owner can not locate the title. He assures me he has it somewhere, and that he will mail it to me. I barely have enough gas to complete a trip around the block, so I go to a gas station and put a gallon into it. I actually thought about just filling it up, because I knew I wasn’t leaving empty handed. I tell the owner that even though it runs well, it’s a really rough car, and the no title and starting issue are a big disappointment. I offer $1,500, which he accepts. Incredible. I sign a bill of sale and hit the road for the long drive back. I hit 100 mph a few times with a smile on my face the entire time. I have secured my dream car.

Currently, I am nearing the end of phase 1 of my restoration on it. Once that is done I will get it painted. It will be a track car with a stock look on the outside. It’s been a lot of work but I’m excited to finally start driving it.

The other car in the family is a 2007 Lexus IS250 AWD. It belongs to my girlfriend. It’s also a great car, and the first Lexus I have ever driven extensively. But its an automatic. Yuck!