Well.... Sad day indeed, but good at the same time!

[Lehmannmws82]

Well, I now have more time to focus on the hobby now... A little story

In October, I purchased a 1988 BMW 325i Convertible, as a project, all my train funds and busy hands became focused on my new car to work on. Well tonight, I had a car fire, so the car is now resting in peace. Thank god I only spent 1500 total on the car. Sad because my wife got really involved on working on the car as well.

Anyways, I got a bunch of stuff to get busy on in the train room... Just wanted to share a story. Its funny how this hobby keeps dragging me back in.

[wm3798]

"Its funny how this hobby keeps dragging me back in."

So what you're saying is you were attempting to put a decoder in the BMW... and it all went downhill from there?

Lee

[sirenwerks]

So now you have some good memories. And trains! Welcome back, resistance is futile.

[SD70ACe]

Welcome back to the dark side! Next time you rebuild a car let me know. I have one that needs some tlc just please omit the fiery death at the end please!  ;D

[delamaize]

Me thinks NMRA Sabotaged your BMW.... ;D

Welcome back to the dark side.....we have cookies!!

[FloridaBoy]

Lehmann, As a fellow car guy, I feel badly for you, and can feel the pain of your loss.  It reminded me of a moment about 15 years ago, when I decided to drastically reduce the size of my garage layout, had a few bucks, and was deciding whether to build a '32 hiboy roadster in my garage.  My neighbor model railroader buddy was restoring a '65 Mustang and it looked like a snap.

I had gotten rid of my large high maintenance layout, and was seriously thinking of a smaller 3x5, while thoughts of that Deuce a la Home Improvement was dominating my thoughts and dreams. 

All I thought was a few turns of a wrench, since it was going to be a kit car and after reading Street Rodder magazines, it just looked like a money more than labor proposition.  I went to a local body/hot rod shop and talked to the owner who in so many words told me that after a couple of months, he would be happy to take over and correct what I did, as it involved welding, a lot of experience, etc etc none of which I had.

I hurriedly built a new medium layout, and after getting the frames, benchwork and surface, I laid the first mainline and got a train running, kissing the surface of the new layout constantly.  If or when I ever get into the money, I will buy a hi-boy already done, after imagining me driving on the open highway in something that I built.

I miss having a hot rod, but later compensated in purchasing a 97 Torino SHO with a quattrovalve fuel injected V8 Yamaha racing motor.  That is enough for me for quite a while. 

Build your layout with fun and abandon, as from my perspective, I can see that Deuce had I started it would have been one expensive questionable pile of metal.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[davefoxx]

Wow. That thing still had its factory smoke after more than 22 years?!  You've got to hand it to the Germans.  They make great cars.

[Big4Man]

Only $1500 ???

Yep, I'd say you were just getting started......


This comment from a past and present Beemer owner. 

Dan

[delamaize]

Actually I had a BMW when we first got to germany, lasted just short of a year, then my wife decided to ignore the temp gauge while on the autobahn. the water pump failed, followed by the thermostat failing and closing. Then to add insult to Injury, she thought you turned the heater OFF when your car is over heating, so she did. Yeah, umm..she popped the head gasket, and warped the head something fierce. I was able to have the head decked to true it up, and redid the head gasket. then the timing belt slipped on the first start up and I bent the valves on the 3rd cylinder.  : > I said enough was enough, I bought a junkyard running longblock from the post junkyard with about the same milage as my car, swapped all the needed parts over and fixed it for good. my wife didn't trust it anymore, eventhough it was HER fault that the thing overheated to begin with. so she bought a new car, 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman S, and gave me her old car, 2005 Toyota Matrix XRS, and forced me to sell the bimmer. I miss my BMW.

here is a picture:
1991 BMW 316i (E30 body style) Euro Spec.

thing only had like 70,000 km on it.  

[Kisatchie]

...You've got to hand it to the Germans.  They make great cars.

I had two, count 'em, two Volkswagen Golfs. Both self destructed after the warranty ran out.

[Iain]

My hot rodding experience is with a Ford pickup.  I took my old (actually newer than my new) Ranger, pulled the head and replaced with a Volvo DOHC head, added a turbo, new exhaust, intake, alloy pistons, and nitrous.  I also dropped the automatic tranny and stuck a six speed on there from a wrecked Mustang.

Man, that baby moves.  The only issue I had was when I was just about redlining going down a strip one day when the head gasket blew out.  As I had just had the thing apart, I figure I screwed up with the gasket somehow.

[Mark5]

I drive a 1980 VW Scirocco ... And some other VWs

My nephew had about 400,000 miles on his Golf when he sold it.

[John]

My dad had one of these when we lived in Bavaria in the early 60s .. it was an ex Munich Polizei car .. no one on the Autobahn could take us    .. he got rid of it before we left in 65 ..

[Mark5]

That's a wild ride John!

[davefoxx]

I had two, count 'em, two Volkswagen Golfs. Both self destructed after the warranty ran out.

Kiz,

Remember the movie, "Top Secret!"?  Not long after the scene in the following link, the Allies hop back into this exploded German truck and drive it off like nothing happened.  It's still smoldering, if I remember correctly.  Ergo, the memorable line, "You've got to hand it to the Germans.  They make great cars."  Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video clip of that scene.

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DFF