I bought a clock today! With a thing attached to it.

"Noah - Now with more boost." (antriebverliebt)
08/15/2015 at 00:09 • Filed to: None

1999 Q45T (Y33 Cima), 115k miles, two previous owners. This isn’t actually my black/plastic wood interior... but you’d have no idea if I didn’t tell you! This heap was definitely garaged, babied, and driven by people without friends, spouses, or dogs. I didn’t expect to buy a “no drinking/eating in here” car in this price range, but I totally did. WTF? Proper DSLR photos to come. And yes, its SO nineties in here. Just look at those massive, randomly arranged buttons! And that gear selector! Oh yeah.

This is my second car. My first car was a 1989 635 CSI, a total death box. But incredibly cool. I didn’t want to take it off the road and sell it, but I had to. It was a dangerous, high-mileage rust bucket. That was two years ago. And something very strange happened on the drive home - I saw a 635csi for the first time in over a year. What an erie coincidence. They are outrageously rare in the US. I’ll take that as a sign from the universe that I need an E24 project. Anyway... here’s the one cell phone photo I took before the sun set.

Safe at home! I keep looking out the window in disbelief. The color is “pewter,” a slate gray metallic. I’ll do a full oppo review when I can actually drive the thing legally... sometime in September most likely. Now it’s time for title/registration/RMV purgatory. I bought it at an out-of-state dealer (A cool place. Impeccably clean facilities, only sold used sports/luxury cars. I bet this heap was a trade-in. This place had it all - Maserati, AMG, supercharged Jags, etc. My cheap Dastun was parked in a “dark corner” of the lot... next to a V10 S8). This state requires the dealer to do a state inspection (or have one done) as part of the used car sales contract. What a rule! The owner obviously hated it. We were talking cars while I waited and he said something about the Gov’t sucking all the profit out of used cars. But hey I got a bunch of free work done. Score! Their state is WAY more serious than mine about inspections, apparently. Ours are a joke. A “support your local garage fee.” That is the upside. The downside is that I probably can’t drive it until September because I’m waiting on three different government-operated systems: Two state departments of motor vehicles, and the mail... let the detailing begin.

DISCUSSION (23)

dogisbadob > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 00:25

How much did you pay for it?

Birddog > dogisbadob
08/15/2015 at 00:30

Damn! Rude..

Birddog > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 00:34

So what’d pay for it?

The Japanese Panther needs some love..

Noah - Now with more boost. > dogisbadob
08/15/2015 at 00:38

500 6-packs of craft beer.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Birddog
08/15/2015 at 00:40

About 100 lunches for 2 at a nice restaurant.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 00:42

4 Gs? NP

Noah - Now with more boost. > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/15/2015 at 00:43

a tad more but yep! today was pure luck.

Amoore100 > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 00:51

Beautiful! All the wants...someday I will own a Cima, whether an actual one or its Infiniti counterpart...

Noah - Now with more boost. > Amoore100
08/15/2015 at 00:58

You will!! And it’s everything you expect + more. I was giggling like an idiot all the way home.

Shark-Attack > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 01:21

E24 owner in to say I love these things, congrats! Sorry your e24 ownership wasn’t the best, find a low mileage project, you won’t be dissapointed.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Shark-Attack
08/15/2015 at 02:11

Oh it was still a blast! The noise... and it was 1/200 5 speeds in the 88/89 year, lots of fun. I’ll get another!

Shark-Attack > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 02:18

Jealous of the 5 speed. Though I have been pleasantly surprised at the responsiveness of the auto. It’s a pre electronic (1985), so that may be part of it.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Shark-Attack
08/15/2015 at 02:30

Whoah that’s fascinating! I’ve never driven an older auto, I need to try. The long shift throw on the 5 speed was comical, it made my friends’ MT outback had a short shifter. 170K mi, all done in the rust belt. Never broke down once! The last of the overengineered BMWs. I’m hooked.

mr2gud2u > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 09:20

Congrats! Great looking car. Back in the day I owned a 1st generation Q. I loved it. Make sure the get the timing belt changed.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 09:28

you might like this

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/sharknose-1716…

Noah - Now with more boost. > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
08/15/2015 at 10:03

Mmmmmmm period engine mods. I be that thing sounds ridiculous.

Noah - Now with more boost. > mr2gud2u
08/15/2015 at 10:10

Nice! Those are actually faster than this lol. And its a timing chain! Thankfully

mr2gud2u > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/15/2015 at 10:45

yeah that 4.5 was a great engine, but there was never any aftermarket support for that engine. Kinda sad lots of untapped potential.

Noah - Now with more boost. > mr2gud2u
08/15/2015 at 11:48

I love the way those first gens look too, so strange! Especially the rear end.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/16/2015 at 09:58

Like ripping silk.

Noah - Now with more boost. > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
08/16/2015 at 10:05

SO loud. At least one of my 3 future E24s will have the IE headers and a loud exhaust setup...

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > Noah - Now with more boost.
08/16/2015 at 10:08

Nice! The one in my article has a full AC Schnitzer exhaust system.

Noah - Now with more boost. > G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3
08/16/2015 at 12:54

There are just so many vintage parts to buy. I also want a period-correct blaupunkt.