21 June 2005. Blog entry by Bimmerman.

I received a call from a friend asking me for my opinion on getting a 1996 e36 318i. He drives a heavily modded Mitsubishi Evo 6 with suspension as hard as rock (that's the only thing I remember!). While happy with it, he knows it is not suitable for his new sales function that involves long distance travel and probably the need to drive customers. Hence his decision to buy a "cheap BMW" as a second car. With his budget, he was also persuaded to try a 1995 e34 525i. He was surprised that the "heavy and old" looking car drove much smoother (besides being in better overall condition) and handled better. Knowing him, its almost pointless talking about maintenance, build quality and ride quality. An image-conscious late 20s fast-and-furious party-maniac bachelor will almost always enjoy the e36 more. Even if I can convince him the e34 is a better buy, he'll probably come back after a few months (maybe weeks after he sees some modded e36) cursing! So I told him a BMW is still a BMW - just get whichever that excites him more (but look for a 6 pot e36 instead). The rest can be upgraded!

 

18 June 2005. Blog entry by Bimmerman.

It's been a month since my last post as work and other commitments have kept me occupied. Likewise, the car has been neglected too. Oil change is overdue - I normally do this regularly at 7000 km intervals using Castrol Magnatex semi-synthethic. The "Inspection" warning light has been showing for more than a month and the service indicator is down to 2 green bars. Not to mention that the car hasn't been washed for 2 months. Anyway, the car continues to run flawlessly and I'm sure it will despite the recent slip in its maintenance and care. After the next service, provided there's no major work required, it's time for my next upgrade - a new set of wheels to replace the tired looking stock 15-inchers. I'm on the lookout for a nice set of AC Schnitzer Type I wheels.