first was the dream...and then was the car

[skr]

I realy don't know why i'm posting this and realy don't know if i should post it in OT ,but it's all about E34 so, here goes.

This story is about me and a certan model of BMW we are all so familiar with. You guessed it, the E34. I had a thing for these cars for a looong long time. Back when i was around twelve (1991-1992) theese cars were absolutely rare where i live. I used to walk back from school and from time to time i saw one drive by, watch it as it passes and turn my head around so see it go. There weren't many nice cars around back then , but from the few that were ,this one i realy liked. Then ,when i was around 14 i saw one car that realy realy marked me. It was a white 525i ,with a tan interior, pristine condition ,parked on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant near me. For sale for around 8000 $. I remember stoping to look at it many times when i walked by. I studyed it a lot , loved how the lines flow on the sides , loved the 4 headlights, loved how it looked sitting there . And i was thinking to myself : "I'm gonna get one of those one day".Back then my parents drove a Renault 12 as did 85% percent of the people, so a 8000$ BMW was quite expensive and out of my league. But it was closer to the ground than dreaming about Ferraris and Lambos like most kids. I'm not saying i didn't like those but i wanted a 5. (didn't know that the body was called E34. Go figure...)
And this ideea didn't go away. It stuck with me all through high-school and it seamed more and more doable. My parents had a lot more money than they did when i was a little, i got my drivers licence, changed a couple of shitty cars and finaly in 2003 the time came. I had around 6000$ to get myself a car. And guess what car i wanted :) I started looking around for a 520i or a diesel in nice condition (absurdly high gas prices+ i wanted to drive it not keep it in the garage) . Looked at a couple of cars, one was realy beat up and the other didn't have it's papers right. And then, a friend of mine saw this car in an sales newspaper. It wasn't in my city and the add didn't seem right ,but i though : "Hey, let's just go see it". So we went to see it. The next morning i had a bag full of cash and a big smile on my face waiting for the seller to show up. 4 hours and some paper-work later the seller was saying something like: "Be nice to it and drive it carefully" . There i was, with a key in my hand and MY beautifull blue BMW in a parking lot. Opened the door, started the engine and drove off laughing...

I'm not realy sure what's the purpose of this thread, i guess i just wanted to share my experience with you, fellow board members. I whould like to thank all of the people who helped me during this time, you are a great comunity and you saved me a LOT of money and time, and realy made working on my car a lot easier.

[Torque]

[hugs skr]

But in all seriousness, I have been wanting a e30 since I was like 10 ... never really paid much attention to the e34 or other bmws because they were all so rare where i lived, and one of my neighbors had a e30. and then i came across a good deal on the e34 before i even got my licence :)

i still want a e30, but it's not as big of a want. e34 is close, and its a great car

[mzarifkar]

A man and his beloved car, it is a beautiful thing really

[DueyT]

Skr, nice to hear the story that goes along with a car!

You're right, something about an E34 that has it all...quad headlights, body styling line, stance...the whole package. IMO, the E34 and the E31 (840/850) are the two body styles that I think represent the height of BMW class and presence on the road.

Cheers,
Duey

[632 Regal]

i agree, mine was an unexpected uninspected unanticipated purchase viewed as a shear short term investment. Advice of investments like these heed a warning, do not take a long vacation trip with your kid and expect to be able to hand it over for any price.

[Bimmerman]

The E34 was the current model all through my high school years and a guy down the street had one, 525i, oxford green with tan interior, i loved it as soon as he got it. Took until 2004, but now I have one of my own (white with blue leather though) Driving with a smile ever since. Gotta love these cars! :)

[Alexlind123]

I had exhaustively researched all sorts of car, ranging from jeep grand cherokees to pontiac firebirds. When i finally discovered that a BMW was the car for me, i was first drawn to the 7 series e32, the 750 in particular. I had ridden in an e32 735 in 4th grade but didnt remember it well, i also rode along for a test drive in a black 530im when my brother was looking for a car. After a bit more research, i came to discover that a 5 series would be a better car for me with it being easier to park, more economical, cheaper to repair, and more fun to drive. I wanted ample performance, but knew that a 540 was out of my price range. I settled on a 535i, preferrably manual and began searching. Eventually i found the car i have now, and convinced my dad to spring for it (thats where the research came in handy). I could pull facts out of the air like "Did you know that the e34 had the shortest stopping distance fromo 60-0 of ANY sedan in 1990?".

[Cactuar]

I too have always wanted an E34.

Sometimes when driving it I still smile just knowing I'm riding in my dream car :) It's a great feeling of accomplishment.

I think it has to do with age too... for some of us youngsters it is quite an event.

[Zeuk in Oz]

My story is closer to Jeff's.
Was looking for a safe, european, manual, mid-sized car for the kids to learn to drive on and use as their first car.
Short list included E34, Saab 9000, Volvo 850 and various lesser French cars.
Then I test drove a delapidated 525i around 2 blocks and I fell in love with the rear suspension - wow.
I ended up buying a nicer one and it is still the best handling car I have ever driven - including E39s, E46s, W210s, - especially now with new thrust arms & 750 bushings.
Now my kids have to prise me out of it !
The vehicle that comes closest, IMHO is the new X5 diesel - just has to be my next car !