In December of 1987 Car and Driver tested the brand new BMW M5.  They had much to say.

The EPA city rating for the car was 10mpg.  It went 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, making it the fastest production sedan in the world at the time.  Top speed was found to be 147mph.  The engine sounded great.  It ran like stink.  But it cost $48,470, and they couldn’t get over that.  ALMOST $50,000!  Only the well heeled need apply.

Sure, adjusting for inflation that’s over $84,000 in 2008 dollars, but depreciation has a way of leveling the playing field.  That’s why Leah and I will soon be (mostly) proud owners of a 1988 M5.  For three grand.  But before anyone thinks I got away with robbery, I will point out that time has other ways of leveling the playing field.  It’s rusty.  The suspension is shot.  The transmission needs a rebuild.  The paint is gone.  When you look up “project car” in the dictionary, you will find this one smiling back at you.

It’s as big a risk as a $3k car can be.  The transmission is rare and expensive to work on, but even that pales in comparison to the costs of working on the engine.  A ballpark figure of $10k is used whenever the word “rebuild” is whispered.  In all likelihood it will take $18k to transform a $3k car into a $15k driver.  And it will take time.  Boy howdy, will it ever take time.

But, it will be an adventure, as will trying to drive it home from the Bay Area this weekend with Leah.  I haven’t made too many crazy decisions in life so far, but this is certainly one, which I view as a positive.  Leah views it as vacation.  We’ll call it even.

If anyone has some free time on monday afternoon and wants to come pick us up near Yreka in Northern California where we’ll inevitably break down, please let me know.

Maybe it’s about how being safe and healthy is most important.  Maybe it’s about why you shouldn’t get attached to material possessions.  Maybe it’s about why other people shouldn’t take blind left turns into moving traffic.  Maybe.

Of course all of those things are true.  I’m safe.  It’s just a car.  People shouldn’t drive like idiots.

Hopefully this story will even have a happy ending.  With repairs “only” reaching $5k, and no structural damage, PEMCO didn’t total it, and I will have my car back, and in one piece in just two weeks.  Still, it’s been a major, stressful headache during a season which I needed neither additional stress or headaches.  But for the next two weeks I’m driving a rental car, and THAT has been the lesson.

The 2008 Dodge Avenger is the shittiest car since the 1989 Ford Taurus. 

I feel like I’m driving a damn Rubbermaid container.  The engine and steering are so disconnected they might as well be at a phone center in Bangalore.  Right now, I’m not even mad about the feds bailing out the banks, I’m just furious that they gave $25B to American car companies so they can produce more of these excuses for automobiles.

Twelve years ago, in Dingolfing, Germany my 528i rolled off the line and was shipped to New Jersey.  In the time since, with the notable exception of a few cars like the Corvettes, virtually zero domestic cars have come close to matching up.  Sure our economy is in the crapper, and Detroit is probably bearing some of the worst damage, but until they get it together, which may be never, look elsewhere.  In the meantime, I just want my car back.

the other day alan and i were talking about work. he has a tendency to flee his office as soon as humanly possible while i, on the other hand, frequently find myself confusing my house key and my work key because i seem to split my time pretty evenly between the two. last week, i worked late a few nights, and so endured the wrath of alan’s unapproving gaze when i arrived home at 11pm on thursday, my third late night of the week. those of you in any sort of serious relationship know the look of which i speak, the furrowed brow, silent and closed lips, eyes accusingly glaring from under one raised eyebrow.  the ‘you’re in big trouble, missy’ look.

from ‘the look’ i gathered he was not thrilled with the busy week.  i waited until friday evening, when we both arrived home at a time early enough that neither was sleeping, to broach the subject. i thought i had a slam-dunk argument: he’s gone three nights a week, every other week, in the summer.  first for two nights of bike riding/racing, then for one night of church meetings. for me, three nights seems much more rare, and i go out of my way to attend his races because i enjoy celebrating with him.  during busy week, i had even made the effort to head to the eastside to have lunch together so that we would be able to hang out and catch up. with this information in hand, i was ready to call him out for flashing the look of disapproval.  then i heard his side. and actually listened.

according to the alan, he was not upset because i was at work three nights (that meant he was able to work more on the bathroom project), but because i was spending so much time at work that i wasn’t able to do the things i enjoyed.  i countered with the argument that i enjoy work, and had a lot of great events going on that week that he might have enjoyed as well. alan closed the conversation with the idea that work things, however great they were and however much they reflected my own passions, were still work for me.  when was i finding time to peruse a used bookstore, walk around greenlake, go to lectures or events that i enjoyed, when i was at work all the time.  he cared, he said, about me having the time to be me. umm…the only possible response to something like that? hugs. and the realization that once again, this large, hairy man has my best interests at heart. i pray that i can do the same for him.