Meanwhile, on Gasoline Alley . . .

January 3, 2022

Just 2 miles from the famed Brickyard, home of the Greatest Spectacle In Racing.

This thread will be updated regularly with updates on our own car and motorcycle projects we're working on here in our spare time, and whatever else rolls in the door. The space belongs to my buddy Mike and we have a year before we have to consolidate into a space about half the size of this, but in the same building.

Meet Mike:

And his bike:

A shot of the shop . . .

Except for the Dolphin Grey BMW and one of the parts cars, these are Mikes cars.

E46 M3

He also has a couple of 540i's - the green one on the lift in a shop pic, and this one with 25K original miles.

Then there's this gem . . .

And this . . .

We have lots of fun in our sandbox!

January 3, 2022

I like that Karmin Ghia...don't think I ever saw an orange one.

January 3, 2022

1 minute ago, Skywagon said:

I like that Karmin Ghia...don't think I ever saw an orange one.

The original owner GAVE that to Mike. . . The Back Story . . . The original owner sold it, with the condition that if the buyer ever sold it, they had to give him the right of first refusal. About 4 years after the sale, he bought it back and the WHITE car was now ORANGE! I guess it was painted for some Halloween promotion or something. So it sat in his barn for years . . . and he gave it to my buddy, knowing he would get in back in shape. The engine is locked up.

January 3, 2022

Tonight i was doing a oil service on my E34 M5 with 148K:

January 3, 2022

Here's the project I just finished up: 2016 GS 53k:

Local senior rider sheared the output shaft of the transmission.

Did a number on the swing arm too:

Picked up this 25K mile engine and transmission:

And so it Began . . .

January 3, 2022

Here's the bike running before tear-down - look for the growing oil puddle on the floor . . .

January 3, 2022

This GS is a Triple Black came with all the options, including factory lowered suspension. That was going to be too low for Yours Truly, and our own GS off road rider extraordinaire @twistyguy had some standard height Factory ESA shocks laying around and he hooked me up! :5170:

@Boxflyer I think was as excited about this project as I was! No sooner had I told him about it, and suddenly I was receiving links to Boxflyer™ approved parts. :18:

Apart from miscellaneous parts/fluids/hardware (probably 10 packages of MM's from Max BMW), the major bits I bought:

Swing Arm

Engine and Transmission

Driveshaft

January 3, 2022

First start up:

As Roy Mercer would say: "It run like a sewing machine"! :4322:

January 3, 2022

it seems all Karmin Ghia's have their nose dented in at some point, not sure if I ever saw an unrestored one without that dent!

January 3, 2022

The Ghia is the subject of continuing conjecture in the shop - after we're winding down from the day's projects, and now with drinks in hand, attention turns to what project to do next. And more importantly, to what degree. There's been some half serious talk about making it electric! No really. That would give the Ghia some power she's always lacked, and no doubt out in CA (if not elsewhere) we think there would be quite a bit of interest.

But the Ghia is a survivor, with her original top and interior. So thoughts are often more about the scope of the project. Mike and I are known for" project creep", and we're trying to get better at heading that off. At the least, there's a sense of obligation to the previous owner to at least get the car running. So that would be the minimum. From there, we have a few other stages of preservation that continue on to restoration. Where to draw the line, as it were.

And it's not as if there aren't other projects that need attention. And remember, we're weekend and one or two night a week warriors. And we need to move the shop in the coming year.

Here's Mike looking for some original white paint.

January 3, 2022

18 hours ago, Indy Dave said:

The original owner GAVE that to Mike. . . The Back Story . . . The original owner sold it, with the condition that if the buyer ever sold it, they had to give him the right of first refusal. About 4 years after the sale, he bought it back and the WHITE car was now ORANGE! I guess it was painted for some Halloween promotion or something. So it sat in his barn for years . . . and he gave it to my buddy, knowing he would get in back in shape. The engine is locked up.

Gotta love when a car gets "GAVE". When I first moved back to the states, a barely just met neighbor asked me if I wanted the MGB under the tarp, I said I wouldn't pay for it, he said, no problem, so I got GAVE a 77 MGB. All I had to do was install the starter, get a fuel pump and 'viola, car ran. I ended up pulling the fuel tank and getting it cleaned and lined, drove that little car on and off for over a year.

Then, 2011-12ish, guy at work is taking a gig overseas, ask me if I want his 1990 750il, I said, I'm not paying for it, he rips out the title, signs it and hands it to me (GAVE). I pick up the car from his house, drive it 'round for 'bout a year, then trade it to get my daughter a car (I had to get her a stick, my requirement for a first vehicle).

Now,......I'm waiting to get GAVE something else, .........it'll come, maybe a bigger tractor,......ugh, ugh, ugh

January 4, 2022

I "sold" my old Honda Magna V45 to my friends kid, his first motorcycle, it ran, needed a battery and a fuel hose. I told him I can't give it to him, it has to be a sale so he appreciates it. $5.

He picked it up with a trailer, starts to get in the car to leave, I hold out my hand, ahem, cough. He says, "you're serious?"

Dang right, $5!

He fixed it up that week, sold it, bought a Harley. Proud of that kid. That was 4 years ago? On his second Harley now, part of a local law enforcement motorcycle club (he's a prison guard, max security), totally embracing the lifestyle.

Also had an old Jeep Grand Wagoneer, listed for $500, kid shows up with mom, asks if I'll take $350. No, no,can't do that, make it $300. He gets wide eyed, mom starts smiling, I told him use the $50 for gas, don't beat on it you'll break it, and off he went, happy as a lark.

Feels good to "gave" vehicles.

January 4, 2022

Never got given a car, but have bought a number of them cheap back in my only drive a beater days. My next door elderly neighbor got to the point where my looking in on him just wasn't enough and had to make a call to his daughter who lived out of state. Charlie was declining fast after loosing his wife the previous year and after his daughter came for an extended visit he was moved to an elder care facility (he hated it). Anyway when he passed the following year I wanted to buy the 1977 Chevy Bellvue window van from his estate which he had used for camping but had sat for years. It was in very good shape given it was 30 years old, but his daughter wouldn't take more than $50 from me for it. Drove it as a utility hauler vehicle for about three years but decided to get rid of it. NADA had it's value at $1,500 and a guy at work wanted it for the V8 engine block for his drag car. I decided to give it to a charity co-founded by the Gillespes and ex-Packer Bart & wife Cherry Starr. It went to Rawhide Youth Services dedicated to helping at risk youth get their life on track and give them life & job skills. That $50 ultimately had way more than a 30 fold increase in value.