From rice to nice...

"Allayn" (d3xn2o) 03/10/2014 at 18:50 • Filed to: None

5

17

The 1991 Honda Accord EX may not be considered a thoroughbred race machine but in the eyes of a 17 year old boy with a fresh license and a new clutch to burn, this was a McLaren F1.

After learning to drive stick in this car, it eventually became the source of experimentation and modding.

I would rip out the intake box just to hear the "noise" which led to cutting out the Cat and welding in a straight pipe. The car was ungodly loud, paired with my brisk driving habits, or as my buddy constantly reminds me "driving like your hair is on fire", the clutch needed fixin' as did the brakes, fuel pump too, can't forget the cooling system, and of course the ignition system needed work.

Okay the car was a certified piece of junk, but being one of the only guys in my senior class to own a car and have it drive somewhat decent, it was good enough for me.

It was very ugly though.... Sigh

Plenty of tickets and moving violations occurred while owning this piece of junk.

Eventually the Fuel and Ignition systems gave out completely, seriously both at the same time, the car obviously wanted to die after the torture I put it through.

The Accord's suicide attempt eventually led to the local police deciding to tow and kill my car, and just like that my turd was gone. Took a week to track down the lot my precious was being held and as a testament to my luck in this specific instance, never let your car sit for more than a day at impound. Belly down lacking wheels and tires, windshield shattered from the weight of 3 cars stacked on top, somehow it was confused for a junker... Then again it was a junker so not much of a mistake but it was my junk and I was upset.

After my initial shock wore off they offered me $300 for the title to which I gladly accepted.

On to the next...

The 2005 Honda Civic EX *The Civic*

Honda boy, that was me, I would accept nothing less than a fully equipped Civic at this point in time.

5 Speed Manual, Gun Metal, and of course a 2 door, because you know "Sporty".

I absolutely adored this car, it smelled new had Zero quirks, of course until the inevitable happened, MODS.

Intake, Exhaust, Drilled and Slotted Rotors, Radio w/ Subs and can't forget the HID's.

I was Pimpin', but better yet my girlfriend at the time wasn't embarrassed to be seen in the thing.

This meant I was able to get lucky in it... Its a small car maybe lucky isn't the best term.

12,000 Miles a year was the limit on my Lease Contract to which my actual 20K per year laughed at, either way I was screwed when the lease was up...

But then I spotted her...

2003 Honda Civic SI

Some tricky financing magic and my lease agreement was broken leaving me free and clear to purchase this she devil in a tiny black dress.

Still a Honda boy, she made it even harder now with a DOHC 2 Liter and 160 hp!

It was Fast for me and oddly enough making her the first car i ever truly named.

Olivia's story is a tough one filled with plenty of ups and downs, figuratively and literally. Eventually the downs turned this once "Boy Racer" into a proper car enthusiast, not from the love of this car but the hate that brewed over time.

Pictured is my actual vehicle... This was taken 24 hours after my first ever experience detailing a car. I did good and I was damn proud. 8 hours after this photo a head on collision put her in the shop for a month.

The accident was not my fault and it caused more issues for me than I care to remember.

Olivia was never the same after the accident, plagued with electrical issues it made me loath Honda and the entire community as a whole.

Toward the end of my ownership and paying far more then I'm willing to admit, I finally gave in, dropped a few hundred fixing few issues it had. Eventually sold the car to a friend, sure it was sad seeing her go but I needed to move on and grow up a bit.

I used the money from this transaction to purchase something a whole lot different...

1998 BMW M3 Sedan

At this point I've had plenty of experience driving a BMW, considering my sister owned an E46 which I borrowed on occasion. My E36 M3 solidified my thoughts on the "Honda Boy" mentality I once had which was complete and utter idiocy. Brand loyalty makes no sense and the amount of money I've wasted over the years figuring this out makes my head spin.

Sadly because of this car I also stopped naming my cars. Too much sentimentality is brought when naming something so it's better if I stopped.

The M3 came to a very quick and sudden death one night, currently it sits in my garage awaiting its fate in the form of cutting wheels and hammers. Although I only owned this car for a very short period of time it did make me realize that I loved RWD cars and displacement really is no joke.

The Hunt for a replacement began...

During this hunt I drove a 2000 Ford E350 Refer Van. It was Ugly, White, Slow and Reliable. The Ford was temporary and I wasn't done with Bavarian Motor Works yet...

2000 BMW 540i/6

Cue the band, Successful find!

I've always loved the E39 and this beauty only solidifies that admiration for this body style. With close to 300 hp it never leaves you asking for more, the perfect amount of grunt on a daily as well as being both sexy and quite functional. Gone are the days of driving a slow car fast while hopelessly avoiding the fuzz. I learned it's a much more enjoyable experience to drive nice cars that are fast, slowly.

My E39 has a 4.4 liter V8 which makes a noise that causes that "Fizzing Sensation" in my pants.

However as much as this car gets me all weak in the knees it too will eventually go, making way for an upgrade through the range, regardless of year make, to something a little crazier and just as German.

If anything is to be learned from the years it would be to keep my mind open and never finance again. The world is full of cheap exciting cars, the future is bright and my wallet is cringing.

For the love of motoring and the thrill of going fast I will never limit myself again...

Reigntastic > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 18:55

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Really nice article, I enjoyed reading it. Could maybe use a little bit of formatting changes, but it's easy on the eyes and fairly direct.

So.... what happened to that E36?

Allayn > Reigntastic 03/10/2014 at 19:04

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Appreciated... I have tons of thoughts running through my head so it's tough getting them out sometimes, i'm learning as I go and the Feedback is again appreciated.

The E36 does Run and Drive however the insurance company totaled it after a hit and run on New Years.

Parts came in and my buddy will be fixing her in the next few days.

She will live to slide another day!

AM3R > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:04

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Funny, I'm about to buy a sub $5k E39 540i/6. Any words of wisdom?

Reigntastic > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:07

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Damn, that's gotta be heartwrenching. Where was it damaged? Do you have any pictures?

I'm very happy that it's getting fixed, I really like those cars. Been eying a few myself, even.

Allayn > AM3R 03/10/2014 at 19:08

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Check EVERYTHING!

I've spent close to $3500 just on fixing her up.

Mounts, brackets, brakes and such...

It's worth the hassle.

Motor mounts seem to be a common issue, due to increased torque from the V8 over the I6.

Check the Drive shaft support bearing for noise and depending on the mileage it may be worth the $$$ getting it replaced along with the guibo *Flex disc*.

Good luck and happy motoring!

AM3R > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:12

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Thanks! I'm gonna be taking it to my mechanic after I call the seller. 125k (aka the age right after all the big stuff on BMW's go out) and the asking price is $4k. Needs a rear window regulator, new tires, and an alignment. Needless to say, he won't be getting $4k haha. I have my E90 to drive so I should hopefully be saving money on any problems that arise by DIY'ing.

Allayn > Reigntastic 03/10/2014 at 19:22

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Damaged on driver front...

This is the best image I have of the damage - http://imgur.com/6xFXex7

The location of the damage made things interesting when it came to opening the hood so we got "creative". http://imgur.com/bFSKLcH

Reigntastic > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:25

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Oh, wow. I'm sorry man, that's awful.

N51fanatic > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:25

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To this day I can not understand why honda didnt put the RSX-S motor in the EP3. It was painfully obvious that the ep was woefully underpowered. This was a real head scratcher.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:26

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Nice car history!

I have the same engine as you!!! I have a 99 740i...

I did the headgaskets on it

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthre…

Allayn > AM3R 03/10/2014 at 19:27

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$3500 seems fair if the body is in decent shape.

I got lucky with my pick up, body was mint.

Allayn > N51fanatic 03/10/2014 at 19:29

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Agreed!

I did leave out the bit where the tranny, which is made of glass, exploded on the highway which sparked another mod... A K20A2 6 Speed Swap.

Still under powered but a lot more fun to drive with a shorter gear ratio.

Allayn > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/10/2014 at 19:36

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That just doesn't look fun at all haha

N51fanatic > Allayn 03/10/2014 at 19:38

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i would have killed for an EP with the RSX drivetrain. The pre facelifted ep, not the one with the uppdated altezza lights.

Story was a good read, nice job. I enjoyed it.

Allayn > N51fanatic 03/10/2014 at 19:52

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Olivia was a Pre-Facelift

I ended up retrofitting Face lift Depo JDM Replica headlights which looked amazing

Great little car, I just couldn't deal with her anymore

wiffleballtony > Allayn 03/11/2014 at 16:13

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I feel your pain on the sudden damage to the cars. My brand new Mustang experienced two accidents within a couple months. Both times it was damaged in a parking lot while I wasn't present.

Allayn > wiffleballtony 03/11/2014 at 20:05

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It's the worst feeling coming out and finding your baby smashed

The Feels man