Uninvited Guest

So I’m selling my car. If you did not know, I’m the proud owner of a 1987 BMW 325 (Well technically it’s an 325es but it really isn’t. I’ll explain later) and I am parting ways with my nameless lady and you could possibly be the new owner of the best car I have ever driven. This was and still is my dream car but I’m giving her away. Why? Well there are things I learned along the way owning my dream car, but before I bore you with the car nerd specs and details, let’s go for one last joyride. 

I don’t consider myself a car guy. I used to think I was, but not so much anymore. I can change a tire and can change my oil, but anything past that I need a real man to fix. Despite my lack of mechanic skills, cars to me were just cars. A means of getting from point A to B. I couldn’t pick out a Corolla from a Fiesta. The only thing that mattered to me was if you had one, and I didn’t. High school is obviously when that sort of thing is the most important thing ever, but as far as cars as a whole, I was clueless. I didn’t really look at cars a different way until I realized most of the people around me did. All of my friends had their favorite cars and would talk about what they would get if they had money. My answer would always be a black Benz because that’s what my dad had when I was a kid, but year and model? Couldn’t tell ya. It wasn’t until I got to drive a car worth driving that I realized what cars could be. 

At the ripe age of 16, one of my best friends at the time, Brandon, received a new 2013 Audi S5 as his first car. Despite my own ignorance, anyone could look at the four chrome rings stamped on the grill and know that this was a nice car, let alone for a 16 year old. So when one day we were hanging out after school at his house and I had to leave early for basketball practice, and he said, “Just take my car,” I was surprised.

“It’s just down the street, but don’t drive it crazy.”

I nodded my head, still a goofy look on my face, “ Okaaay.”

 I took the keys, chirped the door, and dropped down into the low sports car, adjusting the seat until my knees weren’t in my chest while the automatic seat whirled quietly. After getting cozy, I had to text my friend because I had never used a push to start before. 

“Foot on brake. Press start.”

Easy enough.

 Put my foot on the brake. Pushed start. The engine shot alive with a deep growl that went into a throaty idle. My mom’s Toyota didn’t sound like that and I was whippin the Highlander like it was mine. I put it in drive and stomped the accelerator and did my first peel out, but in an all wheel drive car, it’s more of a launch than spinning. A minute later I got a text.

“Bro I heard you, slow down.”

That was my first time ever feeling that kind of excitement behind a wheel and I started to see cars a bit differently since then. They were an experience. Something that excites you and in some cases puts some fear in you as well. As I was awakened with my car love it wasn’t until later in my life that I found out my disposition to cars was probably genetic.

Like I said earlier when I was a kid my dad had a black Mercedes , but in a time my pops calls BK (before kids), he had quite a few cars in his day. His first car was a pick up that he worked on in high school that he lowered and raced other kids with. He kept it until he got to the league, then the first car he got was a 1989 black E class. Throughout his playing days he had many cars and stories to go with them, like how he would soup up his teammates cars, how some guy was scamming the players for detailing cars during practice, how he let Marshall Faulk borrow his car, or how he once had a car stolen the same day he bought it while playing with the Ravens. I didn’t know any of this until I was around 20 and we were going through his old stuff and I kept seeing pictures of crazy cars. It was like straight out of Paid In Full, seeing a clean whip and my pops just casually saying “Oh yeah I remember that one,” as we went through photos. Even now, he drives my car (the E30) more than me, so I guess my love of cars was destined to be. 

Now when it came to buying a car myself, I always had a fondness for the E30. The car is a classic for a reason and stands the test of time, from an era where luxury was synonymous with quality as well. This was a car that I had dreamed of owning since being in high school with my friends talking about the cars we would get in the future. The same car on the cover of Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia Ultra (that car is an M3 though). Before I bought the car, my car was a 2015 Toyota corolla that I shared with my twin sister. It was more so her car when I was in college but when I was signed to Arizona, she was in Ohio so I used it while I was there. She ended up getting into an accident and needed a new car so I offered to drive the car up to her and I would buy a new one. Before I made the drive, I was set on finding a car but I wanted something that was my own. So I hit facebook marketplace looking for something with character that felt like me.

What I found was a 1988 BMW 5 series that had close to 300,000 miles, a faded black paint job, duct tape on the seats and two of the doors didn’t open. Yes, I was a bit naive so forgive me, but my decision was made with good intentions. Despite the car’s countless issues, what it did come with was a stack of papers dating from 1988 of all of the work that was ever done to the car, including the original purchase receipt and window sticker. It also had a very sweet price tag of four bands, so my master plan was to put a good fair amount of money into the car then enjoy it as my own build. Stone, one of my best friends, owns the same car and so I knew they were quality cars but I was still in over my head. I did not know the most expensive car you could buy was an old beamer yet. There also was another problem with the car that needed to be fixed immediately. 

The car was a manual. At this time, I had no clue how to drive a stick. When I bought the car, the guy I bought it from was kind enough to drive the car to where I was staying, but once he parked it, the car did not move for a bit. I always wanted to learn, so in Jamell fashion, trial by fire was the solution I came up with. Every night when the traffic was not heavy and most of the people who lived in our complex were home, I would skim through some youtube videos then get in the car and start it up.

“Clutch in, put it in gear, give it a little gas, and ease off the clutch.”

Seems simple enough. By brute force and at the cost of wearing my transmission, I stalled my way to learning how to drive manual. It took me almost a week to learn how to put the car in reverse, but I got it down. By a month I had the confidence to take it down the street to finally give the car its first wash. I stalled out at two lights but I was proud of myself and of my black busted beamer. She wasn’t perfect but she had character and was the first car I ever bought with my own money, despite having made a decent chunk of change from playing. I enjoyed her but our time was short lived.

I found out that I needed to have surgery on my left ankle and I’ve had surgery on a broken foot before, so I assumed I wouldn’t be able to drive or do much for a fair amount of time. So a week before my surgery I sold my car for just as much as I bought it and went under the knife only to be walking three days later. I remember beating myself up so much after, but in reality it was a blessing in disguise dodging that money pit, and setting me up for my dream car. 

A few months later, I progressed far enough in my rehab to take some time off and finally drive the Corolla to Oberlin, Ohio from Phoenix, Arizona. Once I gave my twin the car, I caught a flight back with no idea of what car I was going to get.

 Then one day Stone sends me the link to a Bring a Trailer listing of a 1987 white BMW E30 325es. The engine had been completely rebuilt so it was no longer a true ES . Finished in original alpine white paint with beige sports seats, coilovers, a Dinan chip, M-tech steering wheel, 5 speed manual and was in great condition. The best part about the listing was two words.

No Reserve. 

“It would be crazy if you actually got this.” Stone texted with the link.

“I’m gonna bid on it and just check in on the last day.” I replied.

 And that is exactly what I did. The listing was up for a couple of days, sitting pretty low for a car this clean but on the last day things picked up. With 30 minutes left, I checked my bid to see I was outbid by someone by $100. Me and this guy go back and forth until a third challenger enters and gets the better of both of us. Still thinking I had a chance with seconds running down, I entered one last bid and didn’t look at my phone. With all auctions on Bring a Trailer, In order to win an auction, you have to hold the last bid for 2 minutes, and it was the longest two minutes ever. By the time I checked my phone I had already received a confirmation email informing me I was the new owner. I’m pretty sure I was at physical therapy when I won the bid and was ecstatic while doing toe exercises that morning. The wave of joy quickly went away as I now remembered I have to purchase a car and spend money on another old BMW. Then a phone call from the seller comes in and he asks me about shipping info and throughout the entire auction I never realized the seller was in Phoenix as well, and lived 5 minutes away from me. I sent the money and arranged to get the car the next day.

The owner lived so close to me that I skated to the guy’s house and when I got there, he greeted me and basically did what I am now doing in a long winded way. Lamenting the sale of his beautiful vehicle. The coupe was standing tall after he washed it for me, and we both stood in awe of the car, as he went over every detail of his baby. This man loved this car. Under different circumstances, he probably never would have sold it either, but he said his daughter was getting older and he had to make some decisions to help his family. As he handed me the keys, I could see that look on his face of pure bittersweetness. I spoke up.

“How about one last drive?”

His smile met mine, and we both climbed into the compact two seater and she fired right up. Bending through corners and pulling through gears, the almost 40 year old car had not lost a step, as he showed off his driving skills one last time before the beamer was no longer his.

We pulled back into his driveway and said our official goodbyes as he handed over the keys and all of the car’s history as well. I cranked up the car and my first time driving my dream car and I stall it instantly. I stuck my head out the window and we laughed about it, then I headed home.

It has been almost two years since then and I can say without though this is my favorite car I have ever driven in my life. It is pure fun, not to mention a head turner. People often ask me what it’s like being tall and this is the closest experience I can relate it to. Every time I drive this, someone always says something to me or wants to chat about the car. And it’s more than just looks. The balanced chassis of the E30 is unmatched and you can feel it every time you get behind the wheel. After one drive you can see how the M variant of the car is considered one of the best race cars of all time. The car is not fast or powerful by any means topping out at 127 horsepower, but the power/torque curve on this car stock is insane. It pulls hard all the way up to fourth gear and is a 5 speed that pulls you into your seat like an all wheel drive launch. It is responsive and does what you want it to do as soon as you do it. An analog experience that is hard to sell over paragraphs and something that can only be felt. And it truly is a car that keeps on giving. My first week owning the car, I got a ticket running a red light and I wish I still had the traffic camera photo to show how excited I was driving it.

The car is not perfect by any means but is in great condition and runs amazingly. I’ve never been let down by this car or stranded on the side of the road since I’ve owned it. If you have a heavy foot in this car you will go through tires quickly because it just wants to slide out on you when you tap on the accelerator, but with no real power behind it, you never feel like you’re not in control as you take a turn. It makes perfect sense why the E30 is the ideal car for “Spinning” in South Africa. Out of the box, it is just an amazing car but putting some work into it can yield insane results. There are so many builds featuring engine swaps or adding turbos that can give the E30 a nutty jump in power. I thought the power was plenty for me, so I couldn’t imagine driving in this chassis that is so light with no airbags and is about as thin as a beer can with insane power numbers. But even without all of that, a stock M20 gets the job done and stands the test of time, and truly is something that you have to experience for yourself, and you possibly could.

So why am I selling it if it’s so great? Well I have a few reasons. One is that owning two cars is expensive. Having to insure a classic vehicle for what it’s worth and finding insurance can be difficult if you are new to it. Not to mention regular maintenance and stuff that comes up when owning an almost 40 year old car. Lucky enough the E30 is a great car that is still supported by enthusiasts, so finding parts is never hard. Another reason is that I recently got a new job that requires me to move across the country and I don’t think I’ll be able to bring both cars with me on the move. I could leave it in Vegas but that leads me to my real reason for selling the car. I’m finished with it. For me cars are an experience. It is the time you spend in them that makes them special, the things you do in them, and the people you get to share those times with. Like sitting in the back seat of my mom’s white Corolla as a kid listening to The College Dropout. Riding in Stone’s gold Camry in 10th grade listening to Joey bada$$. Pushing Devin’s overheated Z3 up the exit ramp on the 215 in 110 degree Las Vegas Summer heat. Driving around in my grandpa’s Ford Ranger this past summer listening to the CD’s he burnt all the way up until he passed away. Most of my memories, good and bad, can be associated with or around a car, but those experiences are what make me enjoy cars to this day. So my experience with my E30 is finished. I drove it daily during a Phoenix summer with no AC or window tint until I finally got a second car. I took it on road trips. I drove it on an open course and got to really let it loose. I got to experience it with my friends. With my dad as he told me old war stories of his youth while shifting gears. I’ve fully experienced this car. I’m sure there is more I could do with it and have some more stories, but I think my time with it is up. Some would say to just hold onto this car and never sell it but to me experiences like this are meant to be shared, and I want someone else to have their own experiences in it as well. Besides I have plenty of more cars and motorcycles to buy along the way, so although I’m letting go of a good one, I’m sure the next one will be quite the ride.

I will be listing my car for sale on Bring a Trailer, where I bought it from originally. I will update this post with info about the listing and sale of the car as I prepare the car for its sale. Currently, if you want to reach out before I list it, you are free to. I have records of the car dating back to when it was originally bought in 1987, all the way up to now, along with two repair manuals, a BMW car cover and sun shade and some additional parts. Any and all questions are welcome. Hopefully you’ll get just as much fun from her as I did and hope she goes to another good home.

Please feel free to share this post and the eventual listing to anyone who might be interested in buying the car or having a good read. Thank you again for reading.

UPDATE: THE BEAM AUCTION IS LIVE! IF YOU WANT THE CHANCE TO OWN MY DREAM GIRL, FOLLOW THE LINK!