A famous bro' in the movies...

Sergio's brother was in a really great movie with no less than Academy Award winners Robert de Niro and Jonathan Pryce. Watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h736Xkifoyo&NR=1

Introducing...

Having been laid low for the past few days by my worsening cold, I had no way of getting into a proper Christmas celebration. This was compounded by fact that the weather also changed for the worse. On the 25th, a heavy fog set in which disrupted airport operations and as a result we suddenly had overnight visitors. My in-laws were to depart from Manila and should have transitted to San Francisco via HK. But because of the poor visibility in HK, their flight was held back and hence missed the onward connection. No problem with having visitors for Christmas but by the time they got to our flat it was late, the temperature was in the low teens and everyone could hear my coughing and sneezing throughout the place. Not the ideal formula for a restful night.

Fortunately, the fog lifted enough by the next morning to allow normal flight schedules to resume and so after Tina took them to the airport, the rest of the day was spent tidying up and then watching DVDs.

For some reason, the idea of coming up with a name for the car kept popping up in my head the whole time. Some of the more corny choices I thought of were RESty (for Restored; also probably the most obvious choice but reminded me of a former boss), RESurrecion (as in Car Resurrected), REServado (Reservations Needed), REStricto (Use Restricted to Jowin) and other even weirder variations. My cosmopolitan nature thought RamESh and RamsES exuded the required masculinity but in the end they were just too exotic for my taste. I wanted to stick to my method of having a name based on the plate's three letters but no matter how hard I tried, I just could not come up with anything appropriate.

And then this morning, while continuing to wallow in bed after waking up as is my usual practice, it suddenly hit me that the car will be called SERgio. Quite clever if I may say so myself. I'm still able to base the name on the plate's letters even though its in reverse and most importantly gives off a robust, macho image. Very fitting.

Sergio it will be then...

More goodies...

Today, Christmas Eve, turned out to be a very nice winter's day here in HK. Clear, sunny, but dry and cool. The sort of weather which makes people go out and do something. It would be a good time to be driving around in a convertible even if a few layers of clothing might be needed.

Unfortunately, the jump from the warm Manila days to the sudden low temperature of the past week has caught up with me and I woke up this morning with a cold. Actually, it wasn't just the weather. I have been out and about almost everyday since I arrived and the season's festivities were capped by a dinner party last night at a friend's house. After going home very late, I could feel that it was not going to be a Christmas at full strength. Another friend is hosting lunch today and I had to beg off at the last minute, for my own sake. Going to miss that special spread though.

But all was not lost. While resting at home, I was buzzed by our building concierge to inform me that three more parcels have arrived. My hood shocks came all the way from Florida, rear spoiler from Taipei, and foglights from China. Together with the previous deliveries, half the world's continents were represented by my suppliers. It amazes me what modern commerce and communications are capable of given the right infrastructure. These days, distance is no longer a limiting factor in terms of access to either buyer or seller. In fact, things have gotten to the point wherein the ones nearest you do not necessarily mean they will be the most cost-efficient option. I still remember the time when in making long-distance telephone calls, not only had callers go through an operator, but it was a given that the farther the other party was, the more expensive the call became. Contrast that to today when calling the US from HK is almost 20x cheaper than calling the Philippines.

Goods and services have become mere commodities, a fact which a number of businesses still refuse to recognize to their detriment. Up to ten or twenty years ago, manufacturers held sway over consumers. In an era when anyone can reproduce anything, the balance of power has shifted towards the consumer. For instance, I visit stores and see big-ticket items which are way cheaper now than when I first arrived 25 years ago. Considering my income level then, its a wonder how I was able to afford necessities such as furniture, food and clothing.

Enough of the economic insights for the meantime. Just want to acknowledge that Santa is really being very nice to me this Christmas, maybe the result of me being a very good boy the whole year round...

Some goodies have arrived...

Santa, disguised in a green HK Post uniform, arrived a few days early and delivered some keenly anticipated packages to our flat. First came a small box all the way from Latvia. With a return address in northeastern Europe, how could I not suspect that it was sent from the elves' workshop. Or maybe some branch of it as subcontracting these days is truly a global phenomenon. To top things off, it was exactly what I had wanted, a pair of of crystal clear fender lights.

Next came a very big parcel which opened into four smaller ones. Lo and behold, it contained my new headlights! A pair of the smiley low-beams to go with the pair of sealed high-beams, also exactly what I had ordered.

Now if only Santa would listen to my pleadings to erase those charges from my credit card...

Look what I saw...

While walking around the TST area in Kowloon this morning, I chanced upon this magnificent brute. I noticed it parked under some scaffolding and it instantly crossed my mind that if this were in the Phillipines, cement droppings from above would be used to reinforce the carbon fibre and aluminum bits of the Ferrari body. But this being Hong Kong, there is a high degree of certainty that this sort of thing will not happen as its clear to contractors of the responsibilities they bear. None of this "Park At Your Own Risk" stuff in public roads. Of course, if the Ferrari were parked INSIDE the construction site, it would altogether be a different story.

It would be a great pity if any damage occurred to this kind of car. Had I been fortunate enough to own it, there is no way I will tempt fate by parking on that spot...

Plane, trains, buses, and ferries...

Yesterday I decided to fly back to Hong Kong where I have lived for what is now a quarter century. First came over in December of 1984 so this flight was an anniversary of some sort and I could not help but think that it served as a symbolic reminder of how time flies.

I was greeted upon arrival in the evening by an earlier than usual winter cold spell and the temperature down to 10 degrees Celsius in our area. Coming from the balmy Manila weather at the moment, I did not even have a light jacket on. But being the experienced traveller that I am (checked the weather before leaving), I asked Tina to meet me at the airport and bring a heavy coat for the 15-minute bus ride from the airport to our building.

Whilst on the bus, it made realize that in the time I have stayed here, I have taken many more plane rides than private car rides. People may find that hard to believe but its true. Most of my commutes are through ferries, subway trains, buses, and the occasional taxi. Walking is really the most convenient way to get around in the city. Another unusual thing would be the fact that the resort area I lived in for a very long time, did not even allow private cars onto its roads. Residents went around by shuttle bus, special taxis, bicycles, or simply by foot. For those able to afford it, a limited supply of petrol golf carts was available, each one costing close to the price of a new 1-Series. And you bought them used at that. This system was possible because the resort was located in an enclosed cove which, for reference, would be geographically comparable to Puerto Azul in Cavite. Land access was limited through a toll tunnel and to pass through required a permit applied for in advance. Aside from the franchised shuttle buses, permission to enter is only given to commercial vehicles delivering supplies or conducting removals. Under no circumstances are "drive-ins" allowed, the only exception being for official emergency vehicles. It takes less than a minute to pass through the tunnel area yet the toll is equivalent to PHP300 already. Imagine imposing an amount like that back home. The only other transport alternative was by sea and for which a 24-hour ferry service was operated. To get to the office, it was a 25-minute voyage to Central. I take some pride in being able to say that on a number of instances, I was able to travel by sea, land, and air in a single day. I would take the ferry to go to work in the morning, then hop on a bus or train to go to the airport in the afternoon for an evening flight to somewhere. Not too many get the chance to do all three within a short period of time.

Except for a brief period when an expat friend suddenly got relocated and temporarily left me his car, I have never felt a need to have my own. Hong Kong is definitely not an ideal place for private car ownership. Aside from the fact that there is little distance to drive to, the public transport network is very extensive, very safe, and will get you to your destination much faster. Priority for road usage is given to buses especially during peak hours, a notion which may trigger an overthrow of the government if imposed in the Philippines!

Despite providing most of the mass transit system, the HK authorities do not stop anyone from buying a car. However, it does impose a heavy price on the owner, the logic being that private vehicle users must pay for the privilege of clogging up the roads and contributing to environmental pollution. Another idea guaranteed to incite civil insurrection among even the most placid of Pinoys. The so-called first registration tax imposed on brand new units can exceed 100% of the value of the car while the annual registration for a typical late-model BMW will start from US$1,000 per year. If we think gasoline in the Philippines or even the US is expensive, try the equivalent of close to PHP100/liter or US$8/gallon at current market prices. Monthly parking costs almost the same as renting a decent house in Metro Manila. Bringing your car for repairs to the neighborhood "talyer" often is more than what the "casa" would charge back home. And don't get me started on the price of a basic car wash service...

No turning back...

This truly is a point of no return. Its now been six days since being checked-in to the paint shop and my car has reached what is probably its worst possible condition. With just a few more things to be taken apart, very little of what identifies it as particularly mine remains. I would not hesitate to say it is indistinguishable from any other car headed for the junkyard.

But I take heart from the positives, not the negatives. The work is proceeding very nicely ahead of schedule despite the fact that the shop is full. There are a couple of high-end restorations being done, together with the more typical retouches and accident victims. I actually did not expect that they will reach this stage in less than a week. Even though it may be too early to arrive at a definite conclusion, I am building confidence that I indeed chose the right paint shop. Let's just hope that the weather continues to be fine and dry as it has been the past couple of weeks. Anyway, the rainy season is finished and I think the odds are in my favor.

A much bigger positive is that there is no indication of any rust buildup. Sure there are a few dots here and there, but for an almost 17-year-old car, its amazing to find it this pristine. Which reinforces my belief that I lucked out and picked a very good one. Add to that the build quality BMW is known for and I should be able to continue enjoying its use for some time still...

So, after three working days in the paint shop, this how my car looks like. Unrecognizable. Hoodless, windowless and totally unfurnished. I asked the guy doing the disassembly if he was sure he could put it all back together again after a month and he just replied with a confident smile and nod. He better not lose any of the things he removed...

All mine now...

The past week was busy yet fulfilling because I was finally able to address some major issues and more importantly, see and feel the difference in the car. Nothing like progress to keep one's spirits up.

First, some of the parts I ordered from European Motors have arrived. These are mostly for the lights as I intend to replace all the lenses and fixtures. They are showing signs of age. In my opinion, changing them will have the single biggest dramatic effect on the appearance of the car. Nothing beats a full set of crystal clear lenses which sparkle in the sunshine. I was also able to get a copy of the Owner's Manual, albeit a bookbound photocopy. Bear in mind that this is no longer in print, therefore in very limited supply and difficult to get (meaning expensive) which is why a lot of older cars no longer have them.

Second, I finished having the suspension raised. The car was lowered by the previous owner, and while it indeed looked very sporty, I felt that the constant scraping of the underbody on humps, bumps, and even going in and out of my garage was not worth the aesthetics. I brought it to Cruven Sucat and had it raised 1" by adding lifters instead of going back to stock coil springs. In doing this, I am able to keep the Eibach Pro-Kit springs which came with the car. On the way home, I could immediately notice that the harshness of the suspension and steering feedback was gone making the car much, much more pleasant to drive in Manila's less than perfect streets.

Third, I checked in the car to the paint shop where it will stay for the next 6 weeks or so. I have decided for the work to be done by Carchitect, a specialist car paint shop in the BF Paranaque area.  Painting will be the single biggest task of Project E34. I am keeping the original color, Orient Blue, as I have always been partial to dark colors. I think they give highest possible shine to a car, a very high priority item for me. It will be a complete repainting, in and out, and it was welcome news when the shop advised me there was no need to totally scrape the old paint off. The underlying basecoat was still good and this saved me a little moolah for other things. The next few posts of this blog will concentrate on how this portion is coming along.

Lastly, the transfer of ownership process has been completed. I was very much surprised earlier this morning, a Sunday, when a courier delivered my new Certificate of Registration from the Land Transport Office. I thought it would arrive later on in the week and the worrier in me feared it might even be lost in transit. Now that its with me, I couldn't help but admire my own name in the space labeled Registered Owner...

And you think I'm crazy...

Whilst going around the different repair shops in the south of Metro Manila, I came across a few examples of BMWs undergoing much more extensive repairs and restorations. I have no idea of who the proper owners of these cars are, only that there is some comfort to me in knowing that others are doing the same thing and in a much bigger scale. Among the less mechanically minded reading this, I am certain it all appears as junk.

For instance, in the first two pictures it would have been impossible to have recognized the car as any particular brand, with only the steering wheel emblem being the giveaway. Its actually a '70s era 5-Series and due to the age of the car, it will most likely take at least another year or two to bring it back to its former glory. But I would love to get the chance to see the result. Projects like these are undertaken for the love of cars and not the financial outcome. People think that only expensive cars get this kind of treatment but it will be a surprise to find out that a number of the most common models plying the streets just 20 to 30 years ago have also been extensively restored. Go no further than to any of the local car shows and you will not believe the job some people have done.

Its not my intent to make mine a show competitor but if in the future an opportunity arises, maybe I will think about it. As time passes, its only natural that more and more E34s will cruise up to the great highway in the sky and therefore its nostalgia value will increase.

For now, its best to enjoy it a daily driver just as it was meant to be...

Driving Miss Winny...

The last few days have been a rollercoaster ride. On the the one hand, there are a number of times when I feel very much down because I see the scope of what needs to be done. How I wish that everything could magically be finished by the time I wake up the next morning.

I have actually made good progress this past week having had the steering column bolts tightened (to eliminate some of the loose steering feel) and most importantly for me, started on a detailed cleaning of the interior. My inner neat freak dictates that this is something which cannot be put off much longer even though I realize that when I have the car repainted, most of my work will be undone. But now that the inside is so much cleaner, it does make a tremendous difference, after all this is what you see when driving. The interior grime accumulated over the years has been removed and the grayish instrument panel letterings have once again returned to being white.

Still, a lot of the time has been spent running around various shops for advice, quotations, and schedulings. It gets really frustrating when I cannot immediately get the information I want and even more so when work cannot proceed because of the inavailability of the required parts. This is the main drawback of having a European car in the Philippines. Eventually, what is needed does arrive but it can take at least a couple of weeks for even relatively common parts and up to a couple of months for those which are more exotic.

Now, the good part.

Since getting the yet unnamed 525, my two other cars (Winny the 323 and Ziggy, my Hyundai Tucson SUV) have been kind of neglected in the garage. I do the cursory cleaning for both but they have not really much moved from their spots the past week. So I decided last night to take Winny for a spin and Wow! I realized what a really good Bimmer should be. The handling and power are really noticeably different and no amount of description on my part will fully explain the driveability of the car. I remember that when I first got Winny, I kind of questioned what was the big deal about BMWs considering its premium price over similarly equipped brands. It seemed to me then that the handling was a struggle and engine responsiveness poor, not to mention a number of niggling problems. Then, I had almost all of the front suspension components changed, tuned the engine, replaced the fluids, cleaned up the small issues like dents and dings among others. A six-figure sum of money was spent in doing all this but I have to say it was well worth it. I am not ashamed to admit that I will scrimp on expensive wheels and audio setups, which probably also gives an indication of my age. But when it comes to maintenance, my friends know that I do what's needed plus a bit more. I recall that when I was leaving the repair shop, the owner told me that most people will question whether it was the right thing to do but forget that what you get in return is good as new and should be problem-free for some time. Exactly my philosophy.

I had Winny undergo a full diagnostic scan the other week, just to find out if there are still some leftover issues needing to be dealt with. After all, its a 9-year-old car. Very much to my pleasant surprise, the results showed a total lack of faults and this really impressed the guy doing the scan. He has even gone to extent of posting on the BMW Car Club website that its "One of of the cleanest cars I've ever scanned! So clean internally and externally you can claim it to be brand new".

One proud owner here and reinforces my resolve to get the 525 done...

Warts and all...

The problem with used cars is that...they're used. Sometimes people assume that after buying one, there is no need to do anything else but drive it away. Of course, it is always good to have a relatively problem-free car. But depending on your personal standards (or even the lack of it), there will always be some sort of issue to take care of. The self-maintaining car has yet to be invented. I always want mine to be like they just got out of the showroom, in the best possible condition inside and out. No car will ever be brand new again no matter how well restored and this is clear to me. Like they say, either you're a virgin or not. No two ways about it.

Now that I've had the car for a few days, I can see its problems more closely. I still think that I got a very good car considering its age, the key phrase being "considering its age". Since my goal is to have it as close as possible to when it came out of the showroom, there will surely be a lot of work to be faced. When I mention my plans, some people who have seen the car have said that there is no need to do those since it is good enough anyway. But good enough is really not good enough for me.

Some of the items to be addressed are:

- repainting (inside and outside)
- return of suspension setup to stock (from lowered)
- engine tune-up
- power steering fluid leak
- cracked or cloudy headlight and tailight lenses
- frayed hood insulator
- refurbishment of door sidings and rubber door seals
- interior detailing
- refurbishment of trunk fittings
- replace tires
- various electrical checklight warnings (from rear tailights)
- interior squeaks and rattles

I'm sure that this list is not complete and as time passes, it will grow longer. Given all these, one may conclude that the car must be in poor health. Again, I have to emphasize that as things stand, the car will keep running for some time still by just doing routine maintenance. The engine, transmission and brakes are in excellent working condition as are the suspension and cooling system. There is no body rust. Most of what will be fixed are the result of normal wear and tear. Plastic and rubber parts get brittle. Paint fades. People often forget that the harshness of Philippine weather takes a heavy toll on cars. Imagine what would happen if you were constantly exposed to rain, heat, high humidity, dust and pollution, often all at the same time. No amount of detox will help for sure!

Just a thought for perspective...

At least one down...

The damaged rim:

After being repaired:


After fighting all urges yesterday to just sit back and admire my new car, I am proud to report that I actually got a number of errands done. I was able to attend to my other banking transactions, drop by the grocery, and even visit my tailor. Did I fail to mention that I also had time for a late snack of my now favorite Razon's halo-halo, albeit at the Paseo de Santa Rosa branch in Laguna. I admit that there were at least a couple of much, much nearer outlets I could have gone to, but where's the excitement in that?

I had a perfectly good reason though to travel that far for a halo-halo. I needed to do a post-repair test drive. One of my major concerns was that the car came with a damaged front right rim. The topmost picture does not do justice to how bad it actually was and being on the steering end, the safety angle was something I wanted to address at once. The thought of just buying a new set of shoes altogether had crossed my mind but these are original BMW BBS mags and it would be a waste to just let it go. Besides, with a lot more expenses anticipated, I could surely use the money for other needs.

So late yesterday, after the turnover and loading a full tank of gas, I went to a nearby tire shop whose services I once used to repair a puncture. WalterWheel is well-known and highly recommended for magwheel repairs. Having arrived at the shop past 4pm, my plan was just to get an estimate and schedule the work for another day. To my surprise they said they could do it immediately and after agreeing on what I thought was a reasonable price, I told them to go ahead.

Sometimes I cannot believe what small, local shops like this can do. If abroad, you would expect to see a whole array of modern equipment to tackle a similar problem but in this case, the rim was literally hammer-beaten, welded, sanded, and painted in the backyard. And to think the guy did nor even bother to use ear or eye protectors. Wearing a tanktop at that! Just all in a day's work for them. Without any tinge of sarcasm, I take my hat off to the fortitude and constitution of these men.

Anyway, the finished product is in the lower picture and as you can see, this particular wheel is almost good as new. In fact, it now looks better than the other three but I'm not too worried about the unmatched look since I plan to have them all repainted anyway.

One problem solved...

First public appearance under new ownership...

The body shell is in good overall condition:

No signs of an accident:

Interior is basically intact:

Engine bay is clean:

And so there you have it! The latest addition to my small garage. Engine seems very strong, no signs of accident damage, and definitely not a flood victim from the recent heavy typhoon. Not bad for a 16-year-old car with 123,000 kms on the clock, don't you think?

After all the excitement of today, I'm not not really in much of a mood to write. Much rather go for a late night spin up and down SLEX...

Looking for the "one"...

Today marks the official start of Project E34 and auspiciously coincides with the beginning of a new month. Not that I'm particularly superstitious but I guess you can't go wrong having the stars line up in your favor. Surprisingly, I slept well last night though woke up a little bit earlier than usual. Since I have some time in my hands this morning, its a good opportunity to recall the process of looking for the "one".

The search for any good pre-owned vehicle is always fraught with difficulty and inconvenience. People naturally assume this will not be the case for a higher-end model and especially less so for European cars. In my experience, let me say clearly that this is absolute nonsense. Sometimes I think that shopping for a European used car is an even worse ordeal due to the fact that there are fewer offerings in the market. Not that all are bad, but the great majority of the cars I've seen puts into question my sanity in wanting to buy one. There are a number of instances which made me wonder why the owner spent a large amount of his money in buying the car only to subsequently convert it into a rolling garbage dump. A few want to have an antique car before its time. Even among those whom I thought would know better, I get disappointed for one reason or another. Maybe my standards are set too high but let me say this. The last two cars I have sold after personally using them for some time, were bought by the first people to actually see them. There were the usual grumblings about price during the initial phone call and I'm certain they first visited the cheaper ones only to get turned off by what they saw. I believe a premium price warrants a premium condition and contrary to what some may believe, brand alone is not enough. There is no doubt in me that I would rather have my well conditioned Hyundai than a beaten-up BMW. I also believe adding a P200,000 set of wheels and tires to a P500,000 car does not make it worth P800,000. Or even P700,000 for that matter. Accessorizing does enhance the value of a car but never to the full extent of the cost of its accessories.

Going further on the matter of accessorizing, some are done without putting thought on mechanical or technical suitability.  This happens most often on wheel setups wherein the largest tire size is the primary consideration regardless of its effect on the driveability of the car.  Even worse are instances when magwheels with the wrong offset are installed.  This results in the tires rubbing the fender which leaves long-term issues with possible body damage and compromised safety. 

This may sound unexciting, but I am always wary of cars which are setup for "performance". While they may be aesthetically attractive, the risk that a previous owner has used the car for racing is very high and any unseen accumulated damage will always be hanging over the new owner's head. I intend to use my cars just for regular daily driving and therefore see no need to give priority to performance enhancing components. I have nothing against those who have a need for speed but will leave those tracked cars for others to enjoy if that is what they are after.

So how did I end up with not just one but two of them?

First of all, buying brand new is a non-starter for me because the hit would I take on depreciation alone is something I am unwilling to accept. Its one thing for a P1million car to lose half of its value over time but an entirely different issue when its a P5million car. The write-off can already be enough to buy you a decent piece of property somewhere. The key then is to find one which presents good value.

I'm afraid to say that I cannot properly describe in words what comprises good value. The stockbroker in me probably guides my instinct in looking for it. A good starting point would be to scour the ads for the going rate of the particular model you want. Even more importantly, do see different cars no matter what. Don't be lazy. Do the legwork. Looking at them through pictures posted on the internet or working the phone is not enough. Some of my biggest disappointments came from cars which looked great in pictures. After a while, you develop a feel for the car you're after.

It also helps to be patient, a trait which my wife will easily attest as being totally out of character. The process of acquiring my two Bimmers took months although the people around me did not even notice that I was looking. There were numerous times when I decided to abandon the search out of frustration only to revive it with the following week's edition of the classifieds.

I instantly knew that the two cars I ended up with were the "ones". I first saw both in meet ups with the owner. In both cases, I arrived at the designated meeting place earlier than them and as the car was driven up, it just struck a chord. It will be a surprise when I say that both were also on the lower half of the price scale. Some will call it luck or even love at first sight but I don't think so. I happen to think that its the result of knowing what you're looking for.

Not that there won't be any problems...