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This is my storied Bimmer past, much more of an adventure than I had planned
(And I guess I wouldn't have it any other way...)

(Click on any thumbnail to see a larger picture)

The Beginning: 1984 E30 318i, Henna Red - My first BMW
Details: 110bhp 1.8 liter SOHC four cylinder (low on torque); 5-speed Getrag transmission (notchy when cold); Cloth interior (rare for California: the dopey salesman said, "California car owners don't like cloth interiors." Yeah right...); Solid disc brakes front, drums in the rear (ugh); 195/60 HR14 Pirelli P6 tires (wonderfully sticky!); Alloy wheels; Two-position manual sunroof (A "mandatory" option, as the dealer put it... Well, this is California after all!); Foglights (sorta ugly, since they weren't integrated); Four-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo; It took a little while to get used to the body styling 'cause I liked the design of the E21 (and the fact that my brother owned an E21 320iS...); This was one of BMW's first moves into the aerodynamic designs that were so pervasive in the 80's
Additions: Rear trunk lid spoiler, but I didn't get it painted (mistake...); Aluminum brake dust shields for the front wheels (another mistake: I removed them not too long after realizing this)
Good: My first BMW; Pretty fun to drive (always characteristic of BMWs, especially compared to my 1977 Toyota Corolla); Full size spare tire (a rarity nowadays) with an alloy wheel; Problem-free and reliable, unlike my brother-in-law's E30: It had numerous ills and basically fell apart (though he didn't take care of it as meticulously as I did of my E30)
Bad: Somewhat spartan amenities for an $18K car (a new BMW for $18K? Wow!); Though revvy, the engine definitely needed more punch to it
Ugly: 1985: It was broadsided and totalled by a UPS truck that ran a red light; I walked away without a scratch...

The Successor: 1985 E30 325, Cinnabar Red - My move into the six-cylinder big leagues
Details: 121 bhp 2.7 liter SOHC six cylinder (lots o' torque, but an insanely low redline: 4850 rpm!); 5-speed Getrag transmission (still notchy); Cloth interior (hey, two for two!); Solid disc brakes, front and rear with anti-lock control--the first year BMW offered them as standard equipment (they do work!); 195/60 HR14 Pirelli P6 tires (love 'em!); Alloy wheels; Two-position manual sunroof (That "mandatory" option again!); Non-integrated foglights; Four-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo; Cruise control (useless, in my opinion); The debut of the now ubiquitous center high-mounted brake light; The Cinnabar red paint was much better in color than the tomatoey, Italian red of the previous car
Additions: Added a rear trunlk lid spoiler again, and didn't get it painted again (Duh!)
Good: The torquey six-banger made this car even more fun to drive; Full size spare tire; No mechanical/electrical problems: reliable (at least for the short time I had it)
Bad: The low redline: you always had to be wary to upshift or the rev limiter would kick in and you'd be hung out to dry; Still somewhat spartan amenities, though I began to realize: "Driving is not about gadgets."
Ugly: 1987 and history repeats itself: A Dodge Colt runs a red light, broadsiding and totalling my car in one motion; Again, not a mark on me...

The Thoroughbred: 1987 E30 325is, Alpine White (I changed colors to change my luck: that didn't really help...) - A 125mph race horse
Details: 168 bhp 2.5 liter SOHC six cylinder (an absolutely terrific engine); 5 speed Getrag transmission (still notchy); Leather multi-adjustable sport seats (very good support, though I would've preferred cloth, 'cause it grips better in the turns); Lowered, sports-tuned suspension; Vented front disc brakes (solid ones in the rear) with anti-lock control; front-mounted oil cooler (which explains the large air ducts in the front air dam); Trip computer (fun to play with, but an unnecessary gadget); Eight-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo (nice, but I could live without it); 195/60 HR14 Pirelli P6 tires (they should've been 205/60-15s or 215/60-15s, but I still loved 'em) with gorgeous BBS alloy wheels (the spare too--very unusual and appreciated); Two-position power sunroof (of course); Body-colored rear spoiler and front air dam (watch out for those curbs!) with integrated foglights (finally); BMW Motorsport leather-trimmed steering wheel and shifter; Cruise control (still useless); The bumpers were still chrome and made the front and rear rather bulky looking, but were probably stronger than today's plastic-over-steel bumpers
Additions: Not a single thing
Good: A classic, benchmark BMW: powerful, nimble, and completely civilized; The quickest and fastest 3-series that I've ever driven: 125mph down the Lincoln straight that parallels the LAX airport! Whoa! Without a doubt, my favorite (what's that saying about "Power corrupting absolutely?")
Bad: The Bosch Motronic ignition/fuel management system failed on two different occasions, both times requiring a tow to the dealer: it was repaired under warranty; The power antenna started to bind: It needs to be meticulously cleaned and maintained... or else!
Ugly: 1990: My car is rear-ended (while stopped at a red light) and totalled by an old geezer in an Oldsmobile moving at 30+mph (he didn't even step on the brakes!); I'm unscathed, but very demoralized...

Last of the E30s: 1991 E30 318is, Bright Red - Back to my four cylinder roots (actually, I couldn't afford another six-banger: the dreaded home mortgage...)
Details: 134 bhp 1.8 liter DOHC four cylinder (low on torque, but absolutely craves the redline!); 5 speed Getrag transmission (notchiness finally gone!); Multi-adjustable sport seats (Leatherette, er, Vinyl, but I had grippy seat covers which help immensely); Lowered, sports-tuned suspension; Vented front disc brakes (solid ones in the rear) with anti-lock control; 195/60 HR14 (why not 15s??) Goodyear NCT tires (nearly as good as the Pirelli's!) with those same gorgeous BBS wheels (spare tire too!); Two-position manual sunroof; Four-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo; Driver-side airbag standard; Oddly, the shift knob and boot were leather, but the steering wheel wasn't (an assembly mistake?); Body-colored rear trunk lid spoiler and front air dam with integrated foglights; Now the bumpers were body colored as well, making the entire package very clean and well-integrated -- Arguably the best looking design in the E30 family design history (aside from the terrific E30 M3)
Additions: Repco Metalmaster brake pads (the stock pads were too soft and released way too much dust); K&N air filter; 205/60 HR14 Bridgestone RE71 Gatorback-like tires (after the NCTs wore out)
Good: A good all-around performer; considerably less power and torque than my 325is, but handled better due to the lighter four cylinder engine and resultant better weight distribution
Bad: The stock brake pads; Blew the head gasket at 30K miles, but repaired under warranty; That same sticky power antenna
Ugly: 1994: Victim of a hit-and-run (broadsided and totalled yet again); Not a scratch, but seriously wondering about my luck and future with BMWs

The New Generation: 1994 E36 318is, Bright Red - My current car (keep your fingers crossed!)
Details: 138 bhp 1.8 liter DOHC four cylinder; 5 speed Getrag transmission; Vented front disc brakes (solid ones in the rear) with anti-lock control; 205/60 HR15 Michelin MXV4 tires (awful "performance" tires!) ; Alloy wheels; Two-position power sunroof; Six-speaker AM/FM/cassette stereo; Integrated foglights; Driver and Passenger airbags standard; Fold-down rear seats (they sure helped when I needed to jam that six-foot Christmas tree into the trunk!); Stylish and more aggressive body design (at least for BMW), though I do miss the round, glass headlights -- Those plastic headlight covers are taking a beating!
Additions: Dinan performance PROM (engine now 150 bhp); K&N air filter; Repco (now PBR/Axxis) Metalmaster brake pads (because of those same darn soft stock pads!); 205/60 HR15 Yokohama A509 tires (much, much better than those totally lame Michelin "tires")
Good: Handles even better than my E30 318is, thanks to the 50/50 weight distribution; Engine performance improved with Dinan chip and air filter, though it still needs more torque; One-touch power windows; No more greasy binding power antenna!; Reliable so far
Bad: The car cost as much as my E30 325is, but with less performance and sport features and that's very disappointing; The stock brake pads; Several minor recalls (repaired under warranty); Tiny glovebox (bring back the E30 glovebox!); Oddball and overly complex climate controls; Cheapo plain steel wheel for the full-size spare tire (no!!); The foglights are rather difficult to change without damaging or breaking the release tab... Needs a redesign!
Ugly: Not a thing so far... Everything's running fine...
The Future: Stainless steel brake lines; Revised intake and exhaust system; Sport suspension; New wheels?? The Adventure Continues...