Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
    4,903

    E46 for an older gentlemen, maybe too old, maybe too frail.

    I am selling my enthusiast-maintained ZSP and get a text this morning about the car on a local NextDoor neighborhood app my wife used to place the add last night.

    Gotta share this story. Texts to meet at a parking lot. Show up, and a older lady comes out of the passenger side of 2017 Honda Civic. She says she is the one interested in the car. So I say this is for you? and she turns and points the the Honda and says no, for my husband. The older gentleman had been stuck in the driver's side of his car since I had arrived. "He takes some time to get out, but he's coming".

    It's for him. The guy is ~75 years old and he tells me he "wants a toy". So I turn the conversation towards the idea that the car is low, tight, a bit hard, and may be difficult for him to get out. He brushes it off. He wants to drop the price by %500 but I don't budge because brand new brakes, new tires, and second set of winter tires/wheels. So he says OK. Sits down in it very slowly. Realizes its a manual.

    Note to self: Don't assume people know what 5MT means in the title of he add, only knuckleheads like you do!

    Soooo, he smiles and starts to dig that a lot. I ask if he is comfy with clutch, brake, accelerator etc... says "i'll get used to it, done it before". He asks to see the engine. Show him and we talk. He is not much of a gear head and not too knowledgeable about cars or BMWs but he "wants a toy". So I tell them it's a sporty car, it's well-maintained, etc.. All along thinking no way he can drive my car. Are we gonna wreck? Is he going to know what to do? Man is old you understand? he moves real slow.

    After 10 minutes of question I offer to take them on a ride so they can feel the bumps and the tightness of it all. Wife says go on along and just drive him back home. OK. I drive him around, he digs. He can tell the suspension, the chassis, the whole thing is not your 1960's Buick. It's hard steel German engineering, tight, made for rolling well. He is not interested in speed at all. We talk about cornering and 50/50 weight distribution. He is lost. So I take a sharp righthander and he smiles and laughs and says I want it. I am buying this car, now when can we meet to go to the County Clerk to buy this car?

    He is in love with the car. Doesn't understand what he is getting. Just wants a "garage queen", "will never take it out in the rain, or snow". I don't think he will we drive it much at all. So we stop in a parking lot and trade places. He doesn't know were reverse is (feel like testing his skills in reverse where there is nothing behind us is the safest at this point), I show him, can't find it, I push on it with him and he realize the strength it takes to push it left. He evntually gets it in. ... smooth back 10 meters. First gear, yup, we go ... all good. Then on the road (stall #1), then long first gear to a stop, then heavy foot first to fourth, "You are in fourth", . but at 35 mph then decide he should go to third... rev high but clean. "I think I will leave it in third a lot". good idea.
    I then had to remind him about the clutch and neutral when we arrived at a stop sign and again, when we arrive at his house.

    Talked a lot more. Wife is not into it all, but man, he is.

    Will update if this comes through but isn't that weird? He absolutely loves it wants it and got his jellies from driving this car. He wants to own it.

    Should I sell it to him if he calls back?
    Last edited by Oli77; 08-25-2018 at 01:32 PM.
    325i, 2005, 5MT, Silvergrey, leatherette, Sport package; CDV delete, KONI STR-T & KYB Excel-G, Weisslichts, Stewart H2O pump

    328i, 2010, 6MT, Spacegrey, dakota leather, M-sport packages; has a 330 intake but no tune - yet
    http://s900.photobucket.com/user/othibau/media/Junesig.jpg.html][IMG]http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac208/othibau/Junesig.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Great story

    Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
    4,903
    Well he just called back and said that this was probably "too much car for him", "too much he could handle". He is 82 years old and may get confused with the clutch and all that. I feel for him. What a nice guy. Car is still for sale.

    But my favorite part was

    Me: "so, what made you inquire about a BMW, you like these cars, you've owned some in the past, you've researched this car"?
    Him: "I just want a toy".

    Dang! Maybe I want to keep this car till I'm 82!!!!
    325i, 2005, 5MT, Silvergrey, leatherette, Sport package; CDV delete, KONI STR-T & KYB Excel-G, Weisslichts, Stewart H2O pump

    328i, 2010, 6MT, Spacegrey, dakota leather, M-sport packages; has a 330 intake but no tune - yet
    http://s900.photobucket.com/user/othibau/media/Junesig.jpg.html][IMG]http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac208/othibau/Junesig.jpg

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    3,130
    Oh man. Grating story. The "I just want a toy" guys are the worst when you've poured your soul into getting a car just right. Hope he likes his Plymouth Prowler.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    18,064
    Great story... great patience by you.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Austin TX
    Posts
    7,606
    +1. Hope you find the right buyer soon.
    2005 IR / black / 6MT
    157,000 miles

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    San Sebastian, PR
    Posts
    471
    Quote Originally Posted by Oli77 View Post
    Dang! Maybe I want to keep this car till I'm 82!!!!
    I have always planned on keeping mine and driving it when I am 82.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    Adolfo

    2004 330Ci ZHP Orient Blue Metallic
    2002 ///M Roadster Steel Grey Metallic
    1988 325is Zinnoberrot
    1974 2002 Atlantik Blau
    2015 X5 ///M Sport Black Sapphire Metallic (Sold May 2018)
    1999 323i Alpine White (Sold June 2010)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    VA/DC
    Posts
    14,445

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Lexington, KY
    Posts
    4,903
    LOL, he probably spends his Saturdays going for joy rides in cars he likes.

    Car is not getting much traction on the sale front. Thinking craigslist is up next.
    325i, 2005, 5MT, Silvergrey, leatherette, Sport package; CDV delete, KONI STR-T & KYB Excel-G, Weisslichts, Stewart H2O pump

    328i, 2010, 6MT, Spacegrey, dakota leather, M-sport packages; has a 330 intake but no tune - yet
    http://s900.photobucket.com/user/othibau/media/Junesig.jpg.html][IMG]http://i900.photobucket.com/albums/ac208/othibau/Junesig.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Fort Bliss, TX
    Posts
    50
    Still selling? Link?

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