What's going on here...

At close to high noon today, I finally jumped into what should be a long term commitment. No, not the kind you're thinking of dirty-minded fools! I got myself a new car. Or rather, I got myself a new old car. A second Bimmer and big brother to Winny. More on Winny later.

For those who are wondering what the heck an E34 is, fyi its a 5-series BMW made from 1988-96. My latest acquisition in particular is a 1993 model 525i. E34 refers to the body shape while 525 signifies that its a 5-series equipped with a 2.5 liter 6-cylinder engine. Wondering what the "i" stands for? That's "idiot" which I'm sure some of you will say for wasting my money on a worthless piece of junk. While at some point buyer's remorse will surely set in, it hasn't for now the simple reason being that no money has changed hands.

I agreed to meet with the seller in the untamed territory of Carmona, Cavite a place I had only intermittently passed through on the way to somewhere else. And compounded by the fact that I was going to meet up with a complete stranger, it was not a time to let one's guard down. I was already planning for what to do in the various worst case scenarios (i.e. how much ransom to pay and the like) until the seller, a guy named Raffy, arrived. I knew it was him as he was driving the car described in the classified ads. To my pleasant surprise, we got along fairly easily since we both understood BMW cars; a mutual respect earned while discussing a few technical bits requiring some expertise. After the obligatory test drive, I asked to view the paperwork and for this, he invited me to the nearby family compound. All seemed to be in very good order and so after a little negotiation, we struck the deal and sealed it with a handshake. The documents will be prepared and we have agreed to meet at my bank on Tuesday to consumate everything...