The end of the road for the Bronze Bitch

Well as those of you know I had contemplated selling my beloved BMW 325is for sometime and moving into a Porsche.

After much debate in my mind to justify such a move the decision was made to go ahead and do it.

The big selling points were the mileage of the two cars: the BMW had almost 250k on the clock and the Porsche has only 180k despite being an older car. Reliability was a major factor as well.

While I have taken many "Sunday" drives in the BMW, I haven't taken it on any trips since it seems that I was always getting the car into order to make it more reliable. The Porsche on the other hand was driven across the state, into Oregon and up into British Columbia by my father in law in the 4 years that he's owned it.

Seems I need something capable of such reliability in the next month. Seems that my wife's company will be moving up their move to a new location and we won't be able to carpool after November. Additionally I would like to be able road trip with the Porsche...........I'll be joining the PCA and want to participate in drives and other local events.

The interior of the Porsche is in better shape as well. Good carpeting, good condition of the leather on the seats, no cracks in the dash and all the little bits works. The E30 was in good shape except for a wear in the leather on the drivers seat and the shift boot being worn. There were some interior bits that needed replacing, but nothing major.

The body is another consideration as well. The Porsche has bad paint on one fender, but otherwise needs no bodywork. The E30 however did have some minor dings and and dimples in the body and one fender had a small dent that with the proper tools can be hammed out and massaged back into shape. Fortunately I have a friend that has been an automotive painter for 20 years and will paint for free if I supply the paint.

I love the E30, but I really wasn't all the sad to see it go. I was concerned that it would go to someone that wouldn't take care of it, and that was something I had control over. After all I didn't need to sell it someone that I thought would treat it badly. Fortunately it has gone to a good home. After all it is a car. An object. Something that like all other material possessions will come and go in our lives. Will it make a difference that I had it? Probably not. Did I have fun with it? You bet. Maybe not to the full extent that the car was designed, but I had fun with it.

I look at the Porsche from this perspective as well............I have always wanted one. Who hasn't really? Well I'm taking this as the sign that this is the time for me to own one. Sure it's not the one that I want, but it's a sign non the less. My ideal is a mid 1980's 911, but for now the 944 will be a good introductory. I've driven Porsches before with my time as a car dealership employee years ago, but ownership will be a new thing and I look forward to it.

The Bronze Bitch leaves for good
This is not the actual Porsche I've bought, but this is the colour and the same style wheels and black leather interior.

Vintage Races-Pacific Raceways

So back into the swing of writing. Far from professionally, but writing none the less.

One of my many car show adventures this year was the Vintage Races at Pacific Raceways (the old SIR for those of us old enough to remember it by such name) and this was really quite something to see as far as races go.

I went down there with my father in law and he wants to take the free parking so this means we walk a bit. It's summer and the weather is good so walking is good.

Next is the entry. WE walk down the road and right past the entrance and straight into pit row. There is no fee for us that day. Seems the year before he couldn't believe how much it costs to get in and his friend Bob Morton of his was racing and tells him "next year just walk into the pits like you belong" so that's exactly what we did.

My father in law is a big Ferrari fiend. Not sure why. Ok so they are fast and they have pretty impressive uber sports car line up. Really though, how many people do you know that own one? Really? I know absolutely zero and so does my father in law.

Back to the story. He's immediately drawn to a rather large tour style motourhome and full awning with a few cars under it and several people gathered around table. He's drawn to the 1957 Ferrari 250TR. I have to admit that is a nice car. I think I was born in the wrong decade. I'm not much for sports cars made past the 1960's. They just lost something in the 1970's and beyond.

Back to the story...........the 1957 Ferrari 250TR.........this one is owned by Jon A. Shirley . Jon Shirley took best of class and best of show at the 2008 Pebble Beach with his 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta. This same car also took best of show and a first in class at the Kirkaland Concourse in 2008 as well.

There were a lot of vintage cars of different classes and makes: Corvette, Mustang, Camaro, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lotus, Talbot Lago, Porsche, BMW, Lola, Elva, Triumph, Alfa, MG, Fiat, Austin Healey and the list just keeps going.

There were many car clubs in attendance that day as well. Among them were the BMWCCA, and the PCA.

Some of my shots from the day:

Porsche 356C BMW 2002

John Shirley's Ferrari

Rover TC A unique cooler fan set up in a Porsche SpyderThe "original" clubmanthe very rare Piper

My lack of writing lately and October

Well the end of the summer has finally come. I feel as if I haven't got anything to show for it. I did quite a bit, but have yet to post anything about my good weather adventures.

Flog me now and throw me in the brig.

So now that the weather is taking a turn for the worse here in the Pacific Northwest this should provide me with ample time to post about all the things I've seen and done over the past few month.

You've read briefly of the E30 Picnic. You've read of my tough choice to sell my prized little bronze kraut kruiser and head back to the roots of German automotive engineering and lust.

While I consider my next several post I also look toward the coming October. HALLOWEEN! Yes it is my Christmas. The one day that I truly get excited for.

It's not about the dressing up. I do like the idea of puting on a costume, but I don't like to actually do it. I have a few. So this year I'm going to dress up in something that I got last year and didn't get a chance to actually wear as a costume (although I did wear it on a regular basis IRL). I have my official Kevin Smith merchandise Mooby's Fun-Ployee shirt and name tag. This year I will be going out as Randall Graves from Clerks/Clerks II fame.

The thing that really excites me about Halloween is the decorating. I don't get trick or treaters at my home, but I do like to decorate. Apparantly I'm pretty good at it too. Last year a Jehovah's Witness knocked on my door to preach to me about the evils of Halloween and that I would go to hell for celebrating the devil's day. Whatever.

Poor little parishoner is so misguided about Halloween and it's origins. Either way I didn't have the time nor wanted to take the time to explain to him. I just decided that he should know that per the posted signs at each drive to my condo there was no soliciting allowed.

I'm hoping to top last year. Last year was pretty good though. I promise I will keep everyone posted about my Halloween decorating and get to posting my other stuff as well.

cheers all.

Tales of the Bronze Bitch.....the end of the road

Well the final decision has been made. My beloved 1987 BMW 325 is will no longer be calling my carport home.

After several mental lists and discussions with the Mrs. I've decided to sell the Bronze Bitch.

We've had a great run and had some fun in the past 4 years. I certainly have learned a thing or two about this amazing car for better or worse.

My main motivation is that it's getting up there in mileage. It has somewhere in the neighbourhood of 250,000. This is just a guess-timate. The odometer didn't work when I bought the car. The previous owner had told me that he had put close to 30k on it or more since the odometer had stopped at 198,000 miles.The M20 engine that this car comes with is good for about 300,000 miles with average care and feeding. The body is in great shape with the exception of the clearcote that has come off the the hood and roof. With all the work I've put into it there are no coolant/oil leaks.

Together we've seen some fun places in the sun in the Western half of the state and enjoyed some BMW club events. We've proven that a 22 year old BMW is still a match for some newer cars with cockier drivers out on the road and we've seen just what a well powered/handling German built automobile can do when shown some TLC.

So what will take the place of the Bronze Bitch you may be asking. It will be German. I love German engineered cars! Some people have fetishes, some people have drugs and I have German cars.

At least two people out there know the answer. The Mrs is one and Militant Ginger would be the other.

A short back story is in order before the reveal: my father in law came to Washington state in the 1960's with the intent of building race cars and working in the race industry. Never happened. He got married had kids and became a printer. He never lost that dream though. Over the last 38 years he's restored 2 Studebaker Hawks and one Studebaker Avanti. The two Hawks are long gone but he still has that Avanti.About the same time I bought the Bronze Bitch he purchased a 1986 Porsche 944. I was shocked. My father law, though an admirer of foreign sports cars had always bought American. He was looking to complete a part of that 38 year old dream.

Now 4 years later he is looking to reinvent that dream a bit. He was looking for something newer and sportier. He started looking for another Porsche. Six months later he has finally purchased a 2000 Porsche Boxster.

This is where our stories intersect. My FIL now having an extra car on his hands needs to do something with the 944. My brother in law has a Mini Cooper S and my sister in law and her husband have two kids under 5 so their rides are SUV's. That leaves me. My FIL and I have always had a passion for sports cars.

To further the back story, I have known my FIL since 1986. The Mrs and I met our freshman year of highschool and dated a few times during that period. In that time I met my future FIL and got to see what a car enthusiast he is.

Back to the story, my FIL has an extra car. What to do with it? I'm the one that gets the question: hey dummy, you wanna buy my Porsche?He calls a lot of people dummy, and it should stop, but that aside I of course want it. So several months and some reasoning in my head has decided that I will take over ownership of the FIL's 944.

So shortly the little red kraut kruiser will adorn my carport and the Bronze Bitch will call home to someone else's driveway. I just hope that the next owner will see it's potential as I still do and continue with providing some TLC or maybe turn it into a track car.

I have no doubt that the Bronze Bitch will continue to grace the pavement for a few more years and prove that it's still a menace to other motourists.