Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/5/19 1:08 p.m.

So last weekend the wife got caught in a 15-car pile-up thanks to an icy bridge and an out-of-control truck and trailer. She's ok, but her beloved E36 (actually her first car ever) will not make it. In fact I've already literally towed it out to the back pasture.

Within a few days I pounced on a replacement. It's a 2002 BMW 540i with 147,000 on the clock. It has some dings and scratches and needs a couple maintenance items but I was able to score it for less than half of Challenge budget.

Here's the kicker: I literally just was approved by the Public Service Commission for my driver-for-hire license. So I'm pretty sure I need to shave my head and get a sweet pair of leather driving gloves, right? 

(Yeah I know it was a 7-series in the movie, but close enough for me.)

rslifkin
rslifkin UltraDork
2/5/19 1:10 p.m.

Amazingly enough, my E38 7 series came to me with a pair of BMW branded leather driving gloves included.  It doesn't get more perfect than that!  

NickD
NickD UberDork
2/5/19 1:11 p.m.

In reply to Ed Higginbotham :

Man, it's sad how quickly they ran that film series into the ground. The first one was so good, every one after that was trash. And the less said about the reboot, the better.

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/5/19 1:11 p.m.

In reply to rslifkin :

That's amazing! Sadly, I'll have to source my own.

rslifkin
rslifkin UltraDork
2/5/19 1:25 p.m.
Ed Higginbotham said:

In reply to rslifkin :

That's amazing! Sadly, I'll have to source my own.

The ones I've got look just like this except with the letters BMW pressed into the leather instead of the logo: https://www.bavauto.com/bmw-driving-gloves-8016215052x

MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt PowerDork
2/5/19 2:36 p.m.

Very nice score!

AngryCorvair
AngryCorvair GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/5/19 2:39 p.m.

dang, V8 E39 for under a grand and it's not a total POS?

Duke
Duke MegaDork
2/5/19 2:40 p.m.

Cheebus!  A kilobuck?  And it wasn't actively on fire when you bought it?  That's amazing.

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/5/19 3:24 p.m.

Not actively on fire, but there's a coolant leak, the trans is in limp mode (initial scan returned a bad solenoid) and the Vanos could do with a service. After getting those things straightened out I think it'll be quite the car! I'm pretty excited about it.

Professor_Brap
Professor_Brap HalfDork
2/5/19 3:25 p.m.

I vote e36 cart. 

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/5/19 3:29 p.m.

In reply to Professor_Brap :

And then chop off half the roof an make a pickup!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ UberDork
2/5/19 3:31 p.m.

If I can get my hands on a French police car can we have an exciting car chase?

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/5/19 3:33 p.m.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Only if I (like in the movie) am not bound by the pesky rules of physics.

Stealthtercel
Stealthtercel Dork
2/5/19 5:04 p.m.

I look forward to hearing about a time when Mrs. H. sends you to the market with a highly specific shopping list, and you say, "You're very precise" and she looks you straight in the eye and intones, "Transportation is a precise business."

Meanwhile, condolences on the E36, and do keep us informed about the rehabilitation of the 540.

DWNSHFT
DWNSHFT Dork
2/5/19 5:46 p.m.

I'm still scratching my head over a Florida license plate and snow on the ground.  ;-)

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/6/19 7:46 a.m.
DWNSHFT said:

I'm still scratching my head over a Florida license plate and snow on the ground.  ;-)

Tell you what, I am glad I hadn't spent the time and money to get it registered and inspected in MD yet. I was just about to when this happened. Procrastination pays, kids!

Stefan
Stefan GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/6/19 11:22 a.m.
Ed Higginbotham said:

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

Only if I (like in the movie) am not bound by the pesky rules of physics.

I can be the disheveled and bemused French detective...

Ransom
Ransom GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
2/6/19 11:45 a.m.

In reply to Stefan :

Pink Transporter?

pinchvalve
pinchvalve GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/6/19 11:50 a.m.

Why dump it in a field, can't you get scrap value for it or something? Or are you starting the BMW ranch art installation? 

Ed Higginbotham
Ed Higginbotham UberDork
2/6/19 4:26 p.m.
pinchvalve said:

Why dump it in a field, can't you get scrap value for it or something? Or are you starting the BMW ranch art installation? 

The field is just the staging area. There are some valuable bits I'm going to take out and then it's going to the crusher. Have to get some other projects out of the way first.

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/7/19 6:20 a.m.

I passed on a 735 manual car a while back. I have a little bit of regret but ultimately the manual would have been a problem as I am the only one in my family that can drive it. 

Toyman01
Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/7/19 6:59 a.m.

Sorry about the car. Looks like prime Lemons fodder to me. Jump on the hood a few times and cage it. 

I have these gloves. They work very well for driving. 

Amazon Link Leather Gloves.

We expect pictures soon. 

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 Reader
2/7/19 8:21 a.m.
dean1484 said:

I passed on a 735 manual car a while back. I have a little bit of regret but ultimately the manual would have been a problem as I am the only one in my family that can drive it. 

I see that as an advantage, not a problem.

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