Well, technically it was found for me.
Back in Colorado, I owned a BMW 328is for a year or so; it was easily the best car that I had ever owned. Fast, comfortable, excellent handling... and it could even seat four in a pinch. We had to sell the car after we moved to Maine, though, as we were trying to become more financially responsible.
Fast forward a few years, and my wonderful wife (now in charge of finances after I left her with no money in the bank account when she tried to pay for gas one day) has gotten our finances in shape. Knowing my passion for cars, and that the automatic Saab is slowly sucking the life out of me day by day, she authorizes money to be spent on a car that I will enjoy. At first, I look for inexpensive BMWs - old E36 325is models. It's tough to find a clean one, though. Then, a used Technoviolet M3 comes up for sale in Windham. I've always had a thing for the violet M3 cars, ever since my first BMW CCA autocross when I rode in one. Could this be the perfect car?
I looked it over, and the owner mentioned that it was a salvage title. Uh-oh. Still, it looked pretty good. Knowing that my judgment on these matters is historically poor, though, I arranged for a pre-purchase inspection. Which turned up over $3500 of needed repairs. Ouch.
The folks at Autowerkes, though, were nice enough to steer me towards another M3 for sale locally, a 'gem' as they put it. Way too much money, though.
And then my wife surprised me by saying that we should go for it. Financial responsibility was thrown to the wind! A little bit of negotiation later, and it was settled.
The car is indeed wonderful. Every day is a joy now, every opportunity to drive somewhere a gift.
The right car makes all the difference.
