My First Drive to School.

Ok, so I can finally drive to School! I finished the new fuel tank install in the E30 yesterday, so I am good to go.

I left the house at 6:00, and pull into the quiznos across the street at 6:20 (sophmores can't park until spring). I get out, and hear what sounds like water boiling. Turns out fuel is dripping on the exhaust, and catching on fire a little bit each time. Great!

So, I grab the extenguisher out of the trunk (always be prepared), sit down on the curb, and wait 20 minutes for the exhaust to cool. The birds were singing, and I finished my homework.

I walked into school a little later then usual, but still early. I told everyone that I had almost had car-ba-que, but decided I wasn't hungry. Got some wierd looks, and went on with my day.

Then, this afternoon, a few friends came with me after school to get some food. I then proceded to rip out the back seat and fuel pump (once again, always be prepared). Figured out the idiot at autozone had sold me the wrong permatex for the fuel sending unit, so it's spewing fuel. Called dad, and Gary is on the way with a trailer now.

Walked back into quiznos, and tell friends that I just pulled the fuel pump, an what the problem was. Astonished looks all around!

It's fun being a car nut!

Nicely done. My first drive to anywhere was not nearly that eventful, or in nearly that cool of a car.

ah, highschool..

I still remember being called into the vice principles office for doing burnouts in the school parking lot in the Aerostar minivan. He basically said he was surprised that it could do that, but I still needed to cut that crap out.

yeah, I was a bit of a dumbass back then...

Leave the back seat out. Mom may sleep better at night...

My first drive to high school was in a brand new Ford Pinto. That's before we knew that the gas tanks exploded.

Kramer wrote: Leave the back seat out. Mom may sleep better at night...

Keep the smell of gasoline in the back seat, that will keep the girls out.

jrw1621 wrote:

Kramer wrote: Leave the back seat out. Mom may sleep better at night...

Keep the smell of gasoline in the back seat, that will keep the girls out.

And Mom will sleep even better!

We just finised loading the car on the trailer. Everything went well.

Yay Tommy!

sounds like fun.....there is the time i tolkd my parents that i was stuck out of state on sunday night with a broken clutch pedel...and how to drive a 15 mits at normal speeds to my grnadmothers house in 1st gear in a 81 sprirt all this around 10pm on a sunday night....could not go to scholl the next day though tell my dad showed up to drive the car how without a clutch home....

Nicely handled Tommy.

Tommy Suddard wrote: We just finised loading the car on the trailer. Everything went well.

I'm just jealous that you come from a car family. Yeah, just call someone to bring the trailer..

I was the only gearhead in mine when I was a young man, and always ended up paying for towing-or wrapping it in duct tape and trying to nurse it home.

Tommy, I always wanted to ask..what do your classmates think of the E30? Do people think you're a rich kid because you have a BMW, or do they realize how old the car is? I think I recall you saying that the other car guys your age were more into Japanese iron, I was just wondering what kind of reaction you were getting from everyone else.

Well, most people think "rich d-bag" when I say BMW at school, then they instantly think street racer when they see that it's older and lowered with wide tires.

Once people get to know me, they think its really cool, can't believe I work on it, and want one. I've had several kids and a teacher tell me they want to drive it. I'm also an anomaly, because I drive stick. Only one other kid I know of can drive a stick.

I have one friend that saw it today and said "dude, you know your springs are all broken, right?" There are still a few that think its the same thing as their mothers beat up Camry.

Apexcarver wrote: yeah, I dumbass

Fixed.

The fuel sending unit uses goop to seal instead of a seal or o-ring? Weird...not what I would have expected from zee Germans!

Bryce

No, I made a block-off plate because I'm running two pumps now (to keep it from starving on the track) and there are two sending unit holes. I'm replacing it soon with a junk sending unit, so I will have a proper seal.

(If it weren't for the fact that you were trying to NOT have your car burn to the ground, I would call a show off... 10 min car repair in a Quizos... And THEN to be picked by a GRM trailer? Geez- just trying to attract attention, aren't you...

The best part is that you can be the driver on the European HS trip. Nobody else will be able to. Including the teachers and parents.

Well.

Unless YOUR parents go. But then you wouldn't have a bus, you'd have a fleet of Minis...

E

alfadriver wrote: The best part is that you can be the driver on the European HS trip. Nobody else will be able to. Including the teachers and parents.

?

Tommy Suddard wrote:

alfadriver wrote: The best part is that you can be the driver on the European HS trip. Nobody else will be able to. Including the teachers and parents.

?

Most high schools at least when I was young did a european trip, oftentimes for the music kids or some other group. Rentals over there are usually if not always sticks, which apart from those of us gearheads most people don't know how to drive.

Ah, I see. We are all going to Germany next summer.

Tommy Suddard wrote: Well, most people think "rich d-bag" when I say BMW at school, then they instantly think street racer when they see that it's older and lowered with wide tires.

ROFL! I didn't have that problem when I was in school..I drove Triumphs though, and people kind of knew they weren't Jags or Astons.

Tommy Suddard wrote: Once people get to know me, they think its really cool, can't believe I work on it, and want one.

I'm actually getting to the point where I'd like an E30. I was driving an E21 when they came out, and I thought they were ugly (except for the M3, because box flares make almost anything awesome). But I miss having a BMW around, and the E30s are the only ones cheap enough for me at the moment. And NASA's got that spec class...

Tommy Suddard wrote: I've had several kids and a teacher tell me they want to drive it. I'm also an anomaly, because I drive stick. Only one other kid I know of can drive a stick.

One guy? Even among the other young folks who like cars? (and yeah, I remember that I specifically asked about the folks who aren't car folks in the previous post.. ). I guess a lot more of the older used cars had manuals back when I was your age..even a lot of the American cars had them back then. They had this weird shifter on the steering column.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGoG55S5_Fo

Then again, considering the crates your dad brings home, you've probably already seen a couple of those.

Tommy Suddard wrote: I have one friend that saw it today and said "dude, you know your springs are all broken, right?" There are still a few that think its the same thing as their mothers beat up Camry.

They'll always be there. They're the people who pull out in front of you when there's no room (and a thousand other stupid things). They don't see a car as any different than a washing machine or a stove.

And good luck getting the pumps sorted out! Are you going to try to drive it to school again, or are you just going to wait until you can install the new sending unit?

Tommy Suddard wrote: Ah, I see. We are all going to Germany next summer.

http://www.bmw-museum.com/2/webmill.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Museum
http://europeforvisitors.com/germany/cars/nurburgring.htm
http://www.germanfoodguide.com/

GRM after school meet in the parking lot? Were I...wherever you are, I'd drag the Mini AND the ms3 out for that. Interesting concept, since both cars are manual and not rated for towing.....

friedgreencorrado wrote: And good luck getting the pumps sorted out! Are you going to try to drive it to school again, or are you just going to wait until you can install the new sending unit?

I'll just use the carpool, I only drove today because I had to stay afterwards (shooting soccer for yearbook). For my regular errands, I'm now unfortunately stuck with the E30 M3. My life is so hard.

My high school sucked. There were maybe, maybe, two people who had a clue what I was talking about when I said "front wheel drive" or "headers." Yes, it was that bad.