May 31, 2016 will be a day I relive in my head forever.
It's the day a part of me died inside as I listed my 1991
BMW E34 M5 for sale on Bring A Trailer (BaT). The buyer could see I was in
agony over the ordeal of selling my prized collector car, and he
understood. He made me a promise: If or when he parted with the car, I'd have
the right of first refusal.
Recently, I was at a party celebrating my sister's
engagement when I received a text message that nearly made me drop my phone:
"Hey, I'm going to move the M5 on. Phenomenal car, but I need the garage
space for projects. Want to check with you for interest before I list."
I showed my wife the text and she said, "Just buy the
stupid thing. I'm sick of hearing about it. Buy it."
Opportunity just called, and I had to made a choice whether
to answer the phone.
Life happens
It's been about a year since that black M5 rolled out of my
driveway for the last time as I told myself not to cry.
My life has changed a lot in that time. We moved across the
country to Minnesota, bought a house, one kid's now in pre-school part-time,
and we are once again living close to family.
I'm living a completely different life now than I was when I
owned the M5 and lived in Portland, Oregon.
Now back in the Midwest, I've put large emphasis on spending
weekends with my wife and kids. Whether that is going up north to the family
cabin to fish with dad and build sand castles with the kids or going to the
Minnesota State Fair or the local splash pad, it's all about making memories
with the family
.
Everyone tells you that your kids will grow quickly, and
before you know it they'll be young adults. How right they are. It feels like
just yesterday that we had our first born and I was terrified I was going to do
something wrong and break her.
Someday, sooner than later, hanging out on the beach or
watching dad water ski won't be considered fun.
I'm sure that day will be here long before I'm ready.
There's another
Prioritizing family while I'm not working or volunteering
has led me to neglect the toy I still do have: the blue-on-blue 1990 Nissan 300ZX my father and I share.
It was my uncle's car before he passed, and now my father and I are its
caretakers. To us, it's priceless.
The sad part is, it's now July and it's still sitting in the
garage, covered, tires overfilled with air to avoid flat spotting, hooked to a
trickle charger from its winter slumber.
I haven't touched it since the snow melted. It's a sad
reality, but there's only so much time. Like everything in life, it comes down
to choices.
Let it go
The current owner graciously gave me a few days to think it
over. He put about 7,000 miles on the car since I last saw it, and most of them
were highway miles. The maintenance is up to date, and nothing major has been
done to the ol' girl.
I've been twisted over selling this car since the day I
listed it for sale. Just ask my wife, she'll roll her eyes and tell you all
about it.
The reality is I'm in a different place in life than when I
bought that car, and I'm certainly not in the right place to buy it and
actually drive it.
While the want is real, I'm rational enough to recognize it
would be one expensive ITB-equipped trophy in my garage next to the Z, which is
in itself an expensive trophy.
I thanked the current owner for being a man of his word, but
passed on buying my E34 M5 back.
Hopefully, someday my son or daughter won't read this and
scream at me.
Adulting isn't always fun.
source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1111461_to-buy-back-the-old-toy-that-is-the-question
by Joel Feder
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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