Parting is such sweet sorrow...

[billb]

My 318is left here last Saturday on its 550-mile trip to its new home in New York. I made the new owner make me one promise; when and if he decides to sell, to call me first.

In the garage, minutes before the new owner arrived (he flew in from NY with a one-way ticket). This would be my last chance to say goodbye privately.
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=97852

Just moments after his first drive in the car...before the last bit of cash changed hands. It was a good last ride. He knows how to drive a BMW properly, and I had just as big of a smile when we returned home as he did.
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=97855

And just before he hopped in the car for his drive home...
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/get-photo.asp?photoid=97854

Before he arrived that afternoon, I had:

changed the oil and filter (M1 15W50)
flushed and bled the brakes
flushed and bled the coolant
waxed the hood, roof, and trunk
re-blackened the shadowline
vacuumed, shampooed, vinylexed, windexed, and dusted the interior


And then it rained.

I'm gonna miss that car.

[GJPinAU]

I feel for you Bill, the 318iS is probably the only car in our stable worth any money these days.

Did you hear from him when he arrived home?

[billb]

I feel for you Bill, the 318iS is probably the only car in our stable worth any money these days.

Did you here from him when he arrived home?

In his words-

Bill

The drive back was fine—all in the rain(although mostly light) and the ‘is felt absolutely planted at 70mph and 30+ mpg!

I will stop by the independent bmw local guy re the SRS—he will I think give me an honest answer about whether the fix is worth it—I read the warning in the binder about certain E30 models requiring a direct tap to the SRS harness to reset—amazing!

I’ll let you know what kind of emission test results I get at inspection. No coolant drop for the trip!



Jim T

I had bled the system on Saturday, but made sure to tell him to check it at his first fuel stop, and to check it before he started out Sunday morning (he was overnighting in Virginia). So, looks like I bled it juuuussst right! Practice makes perfect, right?

Still sad to walk out to the driveway and it not be there. But, at least I'll soon be an E34 driver again (I'm "inheriting" my wife's 525, and we're looking for a Ford Taurus X for her). Decided on that over the XC90 Volvo. Thanks Bill R. for the ammo against the Volvo. Lainey wouldn't listen to me, but when I mentioned that Bill in Arizona didn't think it was a wise move, well then, boom-it was out the door. :)

[Bill R.]

In his words-

Bill

The drive back was fine—all in the rain(although mostly light) and the ‘is felt absolutely planted at 70mph and 30+ mpg!

I will stop by the independent bmw local guy re the SRS—he will I think give me an honest answer about whether the fix is worth it—I read the warning in the binder about certain E30 models requiring a direct tap to the SRS harness to reset—amazing!

I’ll let you know what kind of emission test results I get at inspection. No coolant drop for the trip!



Jim T

I had bled the system on Saturday, but made sure to tell him to check it at his first fuel stop, and to check it before he started out Sunday morning (he was overnighting in Virginia). So, looks like I bled it juuuussst right! Practice makes perfect, right?

Still sad to walk out to the driveway and it not be there. But, at least I'll soon be an E34 driver again (I'm "inheriting" my wife's 525, and we're looking for a Ford Taurus X for her). Decided on that over the XC90 Volvo. Thanks Bill R. for the ammo against the Volvo. Lainey wouldn't listen to me, but when I mentioned that Bill in Arizona didn't think it was a wise move, well then, boom-it was out the door. :)

Hi Bill, Glad you decided against the volvo.... I'm sure the ford is fine I just wish Ford would have driven a wooden stake through the taurus name...It was so many problems on the original taurus that i wish they would have named this new one anything else, even Edsel would be better, the Edsel X. Got a nice ring to it...

Strangely enough on a number of the newer fords that i'm working on there don't seem to many complaints out of the ordinary.. the newer focus for example, as cheap crappy little cars they seem to hold up very well and don't drive bad... I replace some rear wheel bearing hub assy on them up around 100k but i've been doing camry's lately with less than 60k on them and they are quite pricey since the abs is built into the bearing hub.

[Mr._Graybeard]

My dad gave up driving a couple years ago, and lucky me, I got custody of his '95 Taurus GL. I have to admit that I'd developed some grudging respect for the car. Maybe it's condition is the result of a gentle driver, but I know it didn't get a lot of maintenance either. The a/c works fine and has never been worked on. The brake rotors look reasonably fresh and the pads (original, I think) still look fairly meaty. The car has the 3.0 pushrod engine, which has been trouble free. I think Dad replaced the radiator at some point, maybe around 2001. The trans shifts fine, and I had the fluid changed (for the first time, I suspect) at 83K with the goal of keeping it that way. The only problem is that the muffler is going out. The odometer just turned 94K.

I'm not sure I'd like to do a lot of wrench twisting on it, but so far I haven't had to.

[ScottyWM]

I love the smile on the guys face! You know he's going to enjoy it. How many miles you got on the E34 now Bill?

[billb]

I love the smile on the guys face! You know he's going to enjoy it. How many miles you got on the E34 now Bill?

"Ginger" has 155,900 on her. Just getting broken in!