Travels with BMW - the 4-month review

Four months ago I said good bye to Fahrvergnügen and my fourth VW, a 1999 MkIII Jetta after the reverse gear decided to unexpectedly quit on me.

And I said hello to the company that produces The Ultimate Driving Machine - BMW - specifically a 1986 325, previously owned by my best friend, Alex.  I'd already had plans to purchase the vehicle this spring, but I wasn't prepared the drop the minimum $4-500 for a used transmission for the Jetta.  In a switch, Alex and his family had gone from being a BMW family (all three drove one at one point), to a VW family.  Me, the long time VW driver was going over to BMW.  My buddy had bought a 2003 TDI Jetta Wagon, and hadn't driven the 325 much since then.

For me it was a good fit - small sedan, used, affordable, and even with a 2.7L 6-cylinder engine - fuel efficient.  And I was still keeping with the German engineering to which I'd become accustomed. I'd had a little experience driving a BMW, but this was my first ownership and long time driving experience with one.

Alex was storing the car at his cottage and came up with a battery and some other odds and ends for the car.  With some help from my son Karu and I, we soon had the battery installed, and after two cranks, the BMW roared to life.  We had to create an ad-hoc hanger for the muffler, as the original bands had rusted out, so a couple of s-hooks and chain stood in.  Not long after, I took the car on its first journey to Gravenhurst to drop off my son.  Within that first day, my love for the car began.

For a 27-year old car, it is still in amazing shape (partly owing to not having been a winter driver) and drives amazingly.  At highway speeds it is a capable and comfortable cruiser - once I shift into third gear, nothing else matters! :)  The engine always sounds commanding and you feel like you have total control of the road.  Being an older car, there are few bells and whistles.  BMWs of yore could ordered basic to fully loaded.  This particular example was bare bones - 5 speed transmission, manual windows and sunroof, power mirrors, power locks.  No A/C, ABS, or any kind of traction control gizmos. But again, this was the kind of car I craved - uncomplicated yet capable.

The interior is laid out very well.  All the gauges are easily readable, controls are in logic places.  It is also amazing that there are sensors on this car that many current vehicles still do not have.  An overhead display can tell me if brake or headlights (hi and low beams) are out, if the engine oil, coolant or washer fluid is getting low. The seats are very comfortable, and being in the car for a longer period of time isn't torturous.

This particular BMW was designed for efficiency and was also known by the "Eta" moniker which stood for efficiency. This rear wheel drive car had a lower number rear differential, 2.93, to make the car efficient, especially on the highway.  I've been averaging around 7.7-8.0 L/100KM, which brings us into the mid-30 MPG range, which I found particularly interesting for a car of that era.

Within a few days, the car visited my mechanic Egon.  He too remarked the car was in very good shape and only needed new brakes & rotors and a fan resistor pack for it to pass inspection.

Since I took ownership, the only real problem I've had was the starter going bad.  Otherwise, owning the car has been a routine and happy experience.  Every time I'm behind the wheel, I'm looking forward to the trip.  I do admit I had some trepidation going into the winter, as I had very little experience with rear wheel drive.  However, some searching online found some tips, especially adding some weight to the back of the car.  This took the form of a large patio stone.  In slippery conditions, I do find the car is tail happy, but it is very controllable with the right amount of steering and throttle input. Through the winter, I've had few issues driving and have felt very confident.

Maintenance so far has been easy - oil changes are easily done without having to jack the car.  I did check the valve clearance at New Year's and changed the spark plugs - again, with a little research pretty mundane tasks.  I plan on tackling the timing belt and water pump soon.  Just today, I finally solved the niggling problem of only having my speakers work on one side of the car - now all four work properly!

Although owning a car this old might not be everyone's cup of tea, I'm enjoying the hell out of it! It's also been fun getting approving looks, especially from newer BMW drivers and fellow E30 owners and positive comments all around, even from my students.  I think Ferris Bueller said it best...