Guys and gals, I have just found this site within the past few days while searching for info about our latest acquisition: 2003 325i 4-dr in Topaz Blue. Most car purchases are big investments but to me this was more than that, my reputation was at stake. I am "dyed in the wool" Chevrolet to this day, and my wife has always accepted that and never once tried to change it. After being with her for 22 years (married 15) I felt she deserved to drive what she wanted after having to drive either what her parents or I put her in over the years. Now there has not been a time that she hasn't rode around in a nice car, whether it was her 72 SS Chevelle, 86 IROC, 98 Tahoe, 2001 Suburban, or even some of my 68-69 Camaro's. However, they were never THE car she has always wanted.
We looked at all types of cars and she said that her preference was either a Lexus, Benz, or BMW. I laid down the law on the Jap crap and told her it had to be either the Benz or BMW. So the search was on, and after looking for the right car that was used and was in primo condition I gave up, that is until I didn't get a paper one Sunday this past August. I checked the local paper classifieds on-line and found this car for sale locally. I called the seller up and after listening to her for awhile I told her not to show it to anyone until I got there. I told my wife that I would be back that a friend needed some help with an engine in a car & to keep breakfast warm. When I got there it didn't take me 5 minutes to realize I had found the car we wanted as this thing had lived a pampered life. According to the owner it had seen rain maybe 10 times in the 4 years they owned it and they never even installed the floor mats! They had been sitting on a shelf in their garage since the day they bought it! I left a deposit and came back two days later with the rest of the money in hand. A friend of mine went with me to get it so my wife wouldn't have a clue that I bought her a car. When I got it home, she was inside taking care of our son and I told her that I needed her help moving some cars around in the driveway so I could help my friend change the oil in his Trans Am. She was first out the basement door and she just broke down. She could not believe that the car was hers and hers only. Since then it has been nothing but roses around here!!!
Since I cannot stand to leave any vehicle bone stock I decided the easiest thing for me to do was change the wheels and then the stance. I bought a set of replica 19" Hartge wheels in 8.5" & 9.5" widths and had the windows tinted. I loved the wheel/tire combo but not the stance, so I have ordered a set of Eibach springs to drop it just a little, not enough to stiffen the ride but to give it the right "rake". I love big"n"little wheels & tires with a slight "hot rod" rake. These pictures were taken today as it looked like it was going to rain so she drove my Suburban to work and left her car at home. Go figure........ Anyways, I am waiting for the suspension stuff and will get that fixed as soon as it arrives. The only other thing I want to do is add a small rear spoiler to the decklid and maybe some kind of chrome tips on the exhaust. Other mods may come down the road once the extended warranty expires. I may be asking a lot of dumb questions in the really near future so don't flame me as I have no clue as to what makes these cars tick..............................RatPack.........................................
We looked at all types of cars and she said that her preference was either a Lexus, Benz, or BMW. I laid down the law on the Jap crap and told her it had to be either the Benz or BMW. So the search was on, and after looking for the right car that was used and was in primo condition I gave up, that is until I didn't get a paper one Sunday this past August. I checked the local paper classifieds on-line and found this car for sale locally. I called the seller up and after listening to her for awhile I told her not to show it to anyone until I got there. I told my wife that I would be back that a friend needed some help with an engine in a car & to keep breakfast warm. When I got there it didn't take me 5 minutes to realize I had found the car we wanted as this thing had lived a pampered life. According to the owner it had seen rain maybe 10 times in the 4 years they owned it and they never even installed the floor mats! They had been sitting on a shelf in their garage since the day they bought it! I left a deposit and came back two days later with the rest of the money in hand. A friend of mine went with me to get it so my wife wouldn't have a clue that I bought her a car. When I got it home, she was inside taking care of our son and I told her that I needed her help moving some cars around in the driveway so I could help my friend change the oil in his Trans Am. She was first out the basement door and she just broke down. She could not believe that the car was hers and hers only. Since then it has been nothing but roses around here!!!
Since I cannot stand to leave any vehicle bone stock I decided the easiest thing for me to do was change the wheels and then the stance. I bought a set of replica 19" Hartge wheels in 8.5" & 9.5" widths and had the windows tinted. I loved the wheel/tire combo but not the stance, so I have ordered a set of Eibach springs to drop it just a little, not enough to stiffen the ride but to give it the right "rake". I love big"n"little wheels & tires with a slight "hot rod" rake. These pictures were taken today as it looked like it was going to rain so she drove my Suburban to work and left her car at home. Go figure........ Anyways, I am waiting for the suspension stuff and will get that fixed as soon as it arrives. The only other thing I want to do is add a small rear spoiler to the decklid and maybe some kind of chrome tips on the exhaust. Other mods may come down the road once the extended warranty expires. I may be asking a lot of dumb questions in the really near future so don't flame me as I have no clue as to what makes these cars tick..............................RatPack.........................................
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