Nice article! I'm by no means an expert in cars. In fact, I wouldn't the first thing about servicing a car, however I bought my first car a few months ago. From the first time I test drove it, I was in love with it. A shining black, 2002 model 318ti. All black leather interior, the back seat leather was still in original condition, and the front in very respectable condition. The ODO read 150,000km, a reasonable distance driven for a 10 year old car, and it's previous owner had that same passion for the car in which I have recently been instilled with. He was quite emotional letting it go, but seeing as though he 'upgraded' to a late model Peugeot, he couldnt justify keeping the Beemer. It wasn't, though, in perfect condition. A few cosmetic issues needed attending to. First and most obvious was the front badge. Like a knight without it's armour, the car's badge has been mostly scratched off, leaving a silver circle with the feint engraving of BMW remaining. That, along with a rear window which needed re-tinting, wiper jets that didnt work, a power window switch that was broken, and very poor and rusted looking bolts holding the wheels on, I managed to negotiate the car down to (what I thought) was a bargain price. After the papers were signed over, and the keys handed to me, I assured the seller I would take care of it, and I drove off. With my brother in the passengers seat, my first drive was a scary one. Not wanting to do anything to harm my new investment, I drove home as if I was my 80 year old grandfather. Now I have fixed some of the pressing issues that came with the car, I have gained my confidence and have started to allow myself to truly appreciate the joy of driving such a special car. |