jrcho88
06-25-2010, 10:07 PM
WARNING: This post might get long, and filled with long-winded stories that you may find boring.
As a few of you know, earlier this month, I became a recent graduate of Cornell University. It's a surreal feeling to be done with college; it seems as if the past 4 years, I've been living inside a virtual "bubble" where you can do anything, regardless of how retarded it is, and the only excuse you have to give is, "Hey, it's college" and everything is justified. Anyway.
I'm originally from the West Coast, so I couldn't bring a car up to school, so last year, I decided to buy one, and it happened to be an E34 - 1995 525iA with 139k on the clock.
Now that I'm done, I needed to make a road trip across the country because I've accepted a job offer in Vancouver, BC - which also happens to be my home town.
My E34, really, is probably the dregs of the forum, with no real rare or desirable characteristics to an E34 enthusiast. I don't want to rag on my own car too much because I love it to death but here are some highlights from an enthusiast's point of view:
- 525 :nono
- Auto transmission :nono
- Value Package (vinyl seats, no full OBC, etc) :nono
- Oxford Green/parchment (the least rare E34 color combination) :nono
- Bottlecap wheels :nono
- Peeling clearcoat on the roof and trunklid :nono
- Some rust near the gas cap :nono
- And an owner who couldn't tell you the difference between a brake pad and a brake rotor until he purchased the car :buttrock
But hey, it was the first car I bought with my own money. This $3000 purchase from a year and a half ago still runs great, with - basically new front and rear suspension components, both arms/bushings, radiator, thermostat, expansion tank, coolant sensor, front/rear brake pads and rotors, etc.
Aside from minor problems that do not affect the car's performance, it ran well enough for me to take it on a 3000mi journey across the country.
To prepare for the trip, I did the following:
- Seafoam top-end cleaning
- ATF drain/refill with synthetic ATF
- Swap out the shitty vinyl seats for the leather heated ones (came in handy as it was 30 degrees in Yellowstone)
- Power steering fluid drain/refill with synthetic ATF
- Completed the auto-rx cleaning cycle, and refilled with 5w30 dino oil.
The trip took me and my gf through Buffalo -> Cleveland -> Chicago -> Lincoln, NE -> Douglas, WY -> Yellowstone -> Seattle -> Vancouver in 9 days, with us staying 2 nights in Yellowstone.
I have to say that the roadtrip experience in an E34, even mine, was an absolute blast. No mechanical issues. I got great fuel economy: I averaged slightly over 30MPG throughout the trip using 93 gas and running a TMS chip. Engine was responsible and produced enough power to feel comfortable driving up inclines at high speeds. It was comfortable, and it was simply a blast to drive.
If the 525iA (the consensus pick for the "least interesting E34") is this enjoyable to drive, I cannot even imagine what it feels like to drive a 540/6. NOW I WANT ONE
Now that I've completed the trip safe and sound, I just wanted to take some time to appreciate the E34 vehicles for the fantastic machines that they are.
Also, I want to thank the forum members for helping a complete noob such as myself diagnose and solve issues when the E34 throws a temper tantrum once in a while.
Though my E34 purchase was a fluke one (and given my lack of mechanical knowledge it was probably not a smart purchase), I have learned so much already, and one day hope to buy a 540/6, and be knowledgeable enough to contribute on the forums as well.
Once again, thank you.
Here are some noob pics I took of the car in Yellowstone:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs089.snc4/35830_774965525715_428844_43301885_3825289_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs049.ash2/35830_774967352055_428844_43302054_2176654_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs049.ash2/35830_774969472805_428844_43302254_4161160_n.jpg
As a few of you know, earlier this month, I became a recent graduate of Cornell University. It's a surreal feeling to be done with college; it seems as if the past 4 years, I've been living inside a virtual "bubble" where you can do anything, regardless of how retarded it is, and the only excuse you have to give is, "Hey, it's college" and everything is justified. Anyway.
I'm originally from the West Coast, so I couldn't bring a car up to school, so last year, I decided to buy one, and it happened to be an E34 - 1995 525iA with 139k on the clock.
Now that I'm done, I needed to make a road trip across the country because I've accepted a job offer in Vancouver, BC - which also happens to be my home town.
My E34, really, is probably the dregs of the forum, with no real rare or desirable characteristics to an E34 enthusiast. I don't want to rag on my own car too much because I love it to death but here are some highlights from an enthusiast's point of view:
- 525 :nono
- Auto transmission :nono
- Value Package (vinyl seats, no full OBC, etc) :nono
- Oxford Green/parchment (the least rare E34 color combination) :nono
- Bottlecap wheels :nono
- Peeling clearcoat on the roof and trunklid :nono
- Some rust near the gas cap :nono
- And an owner who couldn't tell you the difference between a brake pad and a brake rotor until he purchased the car :buttrock
But hey, it was the first car I bought with my own money. This $3000 purchase from a year and a half ago still runs great, with - basically new front and rear suspension components, both arms/bushings, radiator, thermostat, expansion tank, coolant sensor, front/rear brake pads and rotors, etc.
Aside from minor problems that do not affect the car's performance, it ran well enough for me to take it on a 3000mi journey across the country.
To prepare for the trip, I did the following:
- Seafoam top-end cleaning
- ATF drain/refill with synthetic ATF
- Swap out the shitty vinyl seats for the leather heated ones (came in handy as it was 30 degrees in Yellowstone)
- Power steering fluid drain/refill with synthetic ATF
- Completed the auto-rx cleaning cycle, and refilled with 5w30 dino oil.
The trip took me and my gf through Buffalo -> Cleveland -> Chicago -> Lincoln, NE -> Douglas, WY -> Yellowstone -> Seattle -> Vancouver in 9 days, with us staying 2 nights in Yellowstone.
I have to say that the roadtrip experience in an E34, even mine, was an absolute blast. No mechanical issues. I got great fuel economy: I averaged slightly over 30MPG throughout the trip using 93 gas and running a TMS chip. Engine was responsible and produced enough power to feel comfortable driving up inclines at high speeds. It was comfortable, and it was simply a blast to drive.
If the 525iA (the consensus pick for the "least interesting E34") is this enjoyable to drive, I cannot even imagine what it feels like to drive a 540/6. NOW I WANT ONE
Now that I've completed the trip safe and sound, I just wanted to take some time to appreciate the E34 vehicles for the fantastic machines that they are.
Also, I want to thank the forum members for helping a complete noob such as myself diagnose and solve issues when the E34 throws a temper tantrum once in a while.
Though my E34 purchase was a fluke one (and given my lack of mechanical knowledge it was probably not a smart purchase), I have learned so much already, and one day hope to buy a 540/6, and be knowledgeable enough to contribute on the forums as well.
Once again, thank you.
Here are some noob pics I took of the car in Yellowstone:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs089.snc4/35830_774965525715_428844_43301885_3825289_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs049.ash2/35830_774967352055_428844_43302054_2176654_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs049.ash2/35830_774969472805_428844_43302254_4161160_n.jpg