How it all Started

Used 1996 BMW Z3 1.9
$9,500

Ok so the title of the AD wasn't that attractive. It was a little over my price range and then I read the words in the ad.

that's when I saw the Mileage....What 37,325?? this can't be right. The the next part I saw was '1-Owner car'. Oh well now this is even better. A Car that is 1 Owner, Low miles and obviously if he has the Car Fax he can back up his story. I called him and talked with him turns out he was in the Air Force and is now living in Florida, he no doesn't drive the car much and it sits in the Garage. SO it just needs to be driven. We make a deal to discuss it more and me and my Step Father will go down and look at it on Tuesday if we think it is worth it.

I ask if $9500 is his bottom price and he tells me to come up with a number and propose it prior to coming down just to make sure I might be in the ball park before driving so far. (3 and a half hours, one way)
So we decide to do a little research, look at Kelly Blue Book, put in the mileage and then try to determine what it matches, Excellent 3% of cars are in this shape ($7825), Very Good 25% of cars are in this Shape ($7565), Good 75% of cars are in this shape ($7230) Poor (well I don't want a car in this shape). So I decide on $7800 I think if it is as described and has minor aging wear then with it's low mileage and garage kept story it should be one of the top 3% of vehicles out there, MAYBE Higher.

Now I decided to call back and ask him what he would consider and what we had decided. Since the car was in good shape, and if it matched what he had said and the Car Fax came back clean I was willing to go top dollar on the Kelly Blue Book Value and offer $7800. At this point I am not sure what he was thinking However he said "That is a little lower than I want but I will have to talk to my wife about it and get back to you." Well it was Halloween Night, It was also 5:30pm when I talked to him. We were getting ready for the Trick or Treaters and we were sitting outside BUT in the back of my mind I was waiting for the phone call and him to say WELL I will take $8500 or something like that. However the phone call never came. I waited and waited and finally it was 7:20pm. I was getting worried and Scared that I had insulted him and he wasn't going to call back.

You see I really wanted this car at this point I felt it was a too good to be true car and i had hoped that he would call back. But I now thought that I had insulted him, that I had bid too low and that I had made this BMW turn its back on me and drive away.

So I decided to call back at 7:30pm, I talked to him and he said. Oh sorry I hadn't called you back with it being Halloween and all BUT I talked with my wife and $7800 would be the LOWEST that I will go. So If you come down here and see it and it isn't to your liking I can't go any lower then that.
Well, that Tuesday we went down there, We met him at his work and test drove the car. he went over every inch of the car with us. told us all the quirks, showed us little cracks in the back plastic support that you will never see, showed us how the top goes up and down. He then opened the Hood and showed us the engine, he hadn't cleaned it, and told us I wanted you to see this as it has been sitting here JUST to make sure you see any sign of leaks and didn't think I was hiding anything. WELL there was nothing. The engine had road grime on it BUT not bad. Not 15 years worth and maybe 37k mile worth BUT that's nothing.

SO we got the cash out, made the Transaction and Drove it Back to Tampa the 3 and a half hours and sat it in the Driveway. My Thought was WOW what a BUY this car is in fantastic shape and I really feel good about it. Now as I go through the car and fix the VERY Minor things I will document them and show you what I have done. This car has everything included, the original window Sticker, the BMW Welcome Cassette Tape and Demonstration CD. the original Airbag Stickers, ALL manuals, original Maintenance books and tools. EVERYTHING this Car Came with is with the car and in good shape. I will be touching up the few minor things that will make this car EXACTLY as it was when it came off the showroom floor.