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I sold my e36 to buy this e46 – a 2004 330 CI.  I didn’t like the early e46 models but they were refined over the years.  This was the last model and I still think it’s one their best designs.  It had good power but I also kind of regret not buying an M3.

I tried to have some sense of financial responsibility so I shied away from the M3.  I didn’t own a home at the time, so I didn’t think I should spend even more on a car.  But now that I’m settled in a home with 2 young kids, I wish I bought the fast car back then!  Although, I drove this car so hard I probably wouldn’t be here if I had the M…

The 330 had good power and it was joy to drive.  The shifting was as smooth as could be and it handled like no other.

Although, there was always a part of me that missed how the e36 drove.  The e36 was more traditionally German and everything was stiff from the pedals to the steering, which I loved.  I believe this is when BMW really went from being a “driving machine” to being another luxury car.  They had to complete against the smooth and easy driving Lexus and Acuras of the world and became much more of a status icon than driver’s car.

In any case, this was my favorite car I’ve owned to date.

I bought this car used and it was hard to track down the 330 with this particular dark blue color.  When I found one, it was in good shape but the paint had some blemishes.

So I did what I do and read and read online forums and researched some more.  I ended up buying a Porter Cable random orbit buffer and lots of high end products.  I must’ve spend 2 days detailing this car and my hand were vibrating for a few more.

This is a before shot:

And this was after an aggressive abrasive, a minor abrasive, a glaze, a sealer and a wax.

When I was young and single, I was able to do this one a year.  But all of these products didn’t go to waste.  I’ve used them many times over the year with great results.

My father drove Mercedes and his first baby was his ’69 Porsche 911, which I totally understand.  The story goes that he bought it on my parent’s honeymoon in Germany.  He told her he’d sell it when the got back home and make some money, but he still had it 20 years later!  As with most financial things, he would’ve been right too because that car would be worth quite a bit today.

But this post is about my first new car.  I’ve always been a fan of BMWs ever since I was a kid.  My mom drove an ’88 325, which has also become a popular car again.  I learned to drive on it, but my first car was my uncle’s ’79 Honda Accord hatchback.  It was actually a cool little car but it was really for my brother.  I got my other uncle’s ’84 Toyota Celica.  I really liked it, other than it was gold with a tweed interior, but like most young kids, I totalled it in a few years.

I then bought an ’85 1/2 Toyota Supra and drove it to the ground.  I always liked the Supras when I was younger and was able to have one later.  It served me well up to 215,000 miles, but it’s also one of my great car regrets.  In retrospect, I should’ve bought a Datsun 240z for dirt cheap at the time.  Like most young kids, I wanted some as new as I could have, so I looked at the mid 80’s Nissans but didn’t like them and didn’t think to look farther back.  So, maybe I’ll correct this during my upcoming mid-life crisis.

Getting back on point, I was fortunate enough to be able to buy the car I always wanted- the E36 (328IS).  I still remember the feeling I had when I first drove it.  I lived in Marina Del Rey and drove it down PCH to Manhattan Beach.  I loved it but I was also a little embarrassed to park it front of places because it seemed too nice for me and I’m not a showy guy.

These pictures are right before I sold it in 2004.  I regretted selling it for a little while because I took care of it and it had low miles, but I became a fan of the e46s.