I dare say this stupid car is aging gracefully

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 08/18/2020 at 14:37 • Filed to: None

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My car has seen its fair share of shit, and it’s getting old and a little crappy, and isn’t really clean. But it rained yesterday and I used my “new” wheel brush I bought ages ago (but never used) specifically to clean the awful caked up brake dust from my stupid StopTech pads off my wheels. Now my wheels are mostly de-crudded. *Hate* that I let them get cruddy. Covid times!

So I went for a little blast of a completely unnecessary, asshole but responsible drive before shopping at the grocery store with the well-lit garage, a half mile from my house. And damn if the car done went a nd made me happy anyway.

I’ve been virtually shopping for cars I have no intention of trying to buy right now, to get something supposedly less stupid. But if there’s any time to easily live with a slightly tempermental, but nonetheless well modded up, and PAID OFF  car, it’s when I’m working from home during covid times and only driving to the occasional errand. It’s totally practical enough for that *and* my wife’s CX-5 with “I get political for animals” and “imagine” stickers on it is at my complete disposal as my comfy practical cruiser because she’s driving even less than me. Good enough!

The only thing is at some point there needs to be a decision made to stop throwing money at it that will not really impact resale value . I need to replace the crumbling rubber trim around the windshield (new part is sitting in the box in my garage!) and I’m also pretty sure my shifter bushings are shot. I think I can replace those too. Those little piddly things keep adding up!

But really, right now w e don’t gotta do shit about buying cars. Might as well relax and have fun with the stupid one that’s lived an interesting life.

E90M3 > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:41

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I sort of want a new car, but my E92 is paid for and I really don’t want a car payment, or to see that amount of cash to disappear from my account. 

phenotyp > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:48

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I still think these are the best-looking BMW coupes post-E36 era.

Ash78, voting early and often > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:52

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87% of Oppo is like: “Is that brand new?”

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:53

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I had the sedan 8 years back. So wished it had the coupe front end every time I saw it.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 14:56

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These cars have aged very nicely.  It looks great...hope the powertrain has been kind to you.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 15:02

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Sounds like its motorcycle time 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 15:03

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Why buy a new car when you could buy another one?

E90M3 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 08/18/2020 at 15:06

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Nope, first off I have no desire to own a motorcycle. Secondly, I don’t think my girlfriend would approve and I would like that relationship to continue.

E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 15:07

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It’s already annoying enough maintaining two cars.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 15:12

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I can understand that. It’s certainly not for everyone 

E90M3 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 08/18/2020 at 15:13

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Friends in high school had dirt bikes, so I’ve ridden one of those before and it’s just not for me. I know that’s different, but the desire to get a bike of any sorts isn’t there. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 15:19

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Wait, what is the other one?

E90M3 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 08/18/2020 at 15:22

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I’ve got an E90 M3 and an E92 328i, I figured pretty much everyone here knew that.

Textured Soy Protein > Ash78, voting early and often 08/18/2020 at 15:23

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It’s a big improvement over the car it replaced.

Textured Soy Protein > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time 08/18/2020 at 15:23

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Funny that BMW did exactly this on the M3 sedan.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Ash78, voting early and often 08/18/2020 at 15:37

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i t’s getting old and a little crappy, and isn’t really clean

Mark me down as confused at this line

LastFirstMI is my name > phenotyp 08/18/2020 at 15:38

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E46 would like to have a word with you 

phenotyp > LastFirstMI is my name 08/18/2020 at 15:53

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It can say whatever it wants; I’ve never thought it was as good-looking as the 30, 36, or 90.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 15:59

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=)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 16:01

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I forgot about the E92. 

Textured Soy Protein > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 08/18/2020 at 16:08

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It’s a 2011, there are various little things that make it feel slightly clapped out even though I keep up on fixing it, and it’s been a while since its last wash. But since we’re past pollen season the rain and then de-crudding the wheels made it clean-ish enough to look decent in photos.

Textured Soy Protein > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 08/18/2020 at 16:09

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It’s been not completely trouble-free but not crazy. It’s more just the overall BMW-ness where some little shit or another breaks and it needs to be fixed, and there’s often something new that decides to do that. 

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 16:11

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The newest car I own is a 2009 and it certainly looks much more dated than your car. Your car does look really clean ...but pictures can be deceiving too.

LastFirstMI is my name > phenotyp 08/18/2020 at 16:21

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I’m shocked that, in the vastness of the internet, there is a person that disagrees with me. I’m stunned.

Those are all great cars, so I can’t really argue though.... and I always loved how my black  E92 looked in a Batmobile kind of way

Tripper > E90M3 08/18/2020 at 16:51

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I’ve got the itch bad, but no space (which is really only kind of a problem) and the cars just aren’t there right now. Been almost two weeks since I have seen something like “oooooooooooooo, lemme look further into this”

Tripper > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 16:53

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Hey you have a paid for, 3 series equipped with a hydraulic steering rack in a great color . Pls keep forever.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 17:49

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That car looks great.  I love the blue, BMW always has great blues.  And the wheels look sharp on it.  

Textured Soy Protein > Tripper 08/18/2020 at 18:02

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The only thing is the awd means that hydraulic steering rack has a very slow gear ratio. 

If I had unlimited funds and parking space I could see myself keeping it indefinitely, and turning it into some kind of German wannabe GT-R by adding a big turbo, big brakes, a rear LSD, and assorted carbon fiber bits ‘n bobs like a front lip and high kick trunk spoiler .

But there are of course the various real-world concerns that come with driving it forever and also DD’ing it. And among other things I could go for something comfier with an automatic transmission, active cruise, and vented seats. This is of course not a particularly much needed thing in covid times while I’m driving so little. 

phenotyp > LastFirstMI is my name 08/18/2020 at 19:03

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I never cared for the E46. All I can say, there.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 19:14

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I also have a 2011 BMW (though a 5) and many people still think it’s brand new. Small things here and there, normal preventative maintenance, but nothing catastrophic yet.

Though ventilated seats would be super nice...

cberg > Textured Soy Protein 08/18/2020 at 19:39

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There are manual Bimmers & Hondas with active cruise.

Textured Soy Protein > cberg 08/18/2020 at 20:30

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I actually want the auto for my next DD. When the world is back right side up again I’ll be dealing with DC area traffic. I’ d rather not have to deal with the clutch while crawling along the beltway from my office in Virginia back home to Maryland. In the before times that 15 mile, mostly highway drive took a good hour or more. When shit is right side up again I’ll only have to go into the office 3 days a week but still, it’s a slog.

My current front runners for whenever I eventually do get a new car are a Kia Stinger GT2 RWD, or Mercedes CLA 45 AMG with the dynamic package (it’s the only way to add the much needed front LSD to that car) with the friggin Kia being the more comfortable, well-equipped option, lol.