Life Lessons From An Old BMW
Have you ever sat back to think about just how much your interest in BMW affects other parts of your life? For me, the trips I plan, how I spend my weekends or evenings, what media I consume, and what projects I take up all have something to do with BMW. Either in the form of actually being about BMWs or approaching something completely unrelated in a similar way that I would a BMW. One of the more pervasive aspects of my interest is how much it has forced me to research, learn, plan, and meticulously execute, especially if it means I can be self-reliant. Recently, I’ve noticed that need to exhaustively research has come out in even the most mundane tasks. This week, we’re going a bit outside the box and talking about how a love for BMW has affected other parts of my life to offer some introspective insight that you can apply to your own interests. | | | | | Just the other night, my girlfriend and I were talking about the air fryer we received as a Christmas present. Specifically, that it isn’t the one I would have picked. Not that I’m unhappy with the gift, believe me. The things I’ve air-fried already have been amazing. No, my issue is that a different approach was used to purchase it than I would have used. I’d have looked at the size of the frying compartment, the availability of replacement parts, and the brand. This one was clearly the first search result under ‘air fryer home kitchen appliance’ on a search engine. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s just so vastly different than how I’d have decided on a specific product. It made me realize that how I buy pretty much anything is after looking into all of my options, comparing them to my needs, reading owner reviews, checking out their brand, and finally going to a site to purchase the exact model I’ve determined is correct. That attitude, I’ve begun to notice, comes straight from my deep-seated BMW interest. | | | | | With BMWs, particularly with older generations, being self-reliant, making the right calls for parts, knowing what to purchase so you get it right the first time, and spending a great deal of time researching is key. I research, plan, and execute everything I do not because that’s who I am, but that’s how I’ve been trained by my E30 to make decisions. Rationally, logically, and precisely attacking each choice so my outcome is exactly what I want. That is something the E30 has hammered into me. | | | | | This approach is partially thanks to the overall cost of this hobby. Often, a mistake isn’t something I can afford to make unless I can accept that my BMW will be stuck in the garage until I’m finished fixing my error. It’s also thanks to an attraction to quality that my BMWs have come to instill in me. I won’t just go for the cheapest or first solution to my problem, I pick the right solution that checks all my boxes. | | | | | Take, for instance, motorcycles. Anyone who knows me would likely agree that I’m not a ‘bike’ person, to which I would also agree. However, when I decided some years ago that I would like to get into motorcycles, I knew that whatever I bought would have to be exactly what I wanted the first time. I like classics, old-school machines. I enjoy more of the look, feel, attitude, and character of my automobiles than I do performance capabilities. Could I achieve the scrambler/cafe-racer build I had in mind with a Honda or Yamaha? Sure, but is that what I really want? Would I feel like I had spent my money well if I bought something that checked a few boxes on paper, but maybe sacrificed perfection for immediacy? No, I don’t think I could justify that. | | | | | So, I waited. I settled into the idea that by knowing what I want and not making any compromises, the bike I purchased would be one that would make me enjoy stepping into that hobby rather than regret spending the money and time on it. As it turned out, that patience rewarded me with exactly what I wanted. To the surprise of no-one, it was a BMW R100 RT airhead that might as well have said ‘I’m the one’ when I first saw it. | | | | | I’d like to point out that I didn’t buy the bike because it's a BMW, I bought it because I had a specific build in mind and applied the discerning nature my other BMWs have taught me to decide on the perfect bike. It makes sense, then, that the standards I applied to what I wanted from a bike ended up being met by a BMW. | | | | | And just like that, almost a year ago, I bought a stripped-down 1984 R100 that was little more than an engine attached to a chopped up frame. I knew that this was the perfect bike for me and had the exact qualities I wanted rather than a close facsimile without any of the spirit. Now, months later, I’m in the final stages of finishing the project, which segues naturally into what a mechanical interest does to other facets of my life. | | | | | Years ago, before I was fully introduced to vintage BMWs, I thought I wasn’t capable of the kind of patience I feel I have now. Even things I enjoyed, I rushed through with excitement. I didn’t have the ability to understand that the process is just as fulfilling as the end product, that the anticipation and daydreams about finishing are just as gratifying as actually completing the project. I would blow through a model kit, assembling it as quickly as possible, only to find that my source of entertainment was now over. Or I’d receive parts for my Nissan Z cars and barely have them out of the box before my wrenches were in-hand and I was under the car. | | | | | However, as I look at my bike project nearly completed, I think about the fact that I could have likely put it together it in a few weekends, probably even ridden it some at the end of last season, but I didn’t. Not for lack of interest, but rather quite the opposite. I’m extremely interested in bikes now, particularly this one, and have only come to be that way because I took my time. I have enjoyed every small change, every bit of welding, planning, researching, tweaking, and fiddling. Sure, the bike could be ready to ride by now, but what’s the hurry? I’m having fun working on something way outside of my comfort zone, discovering a new hobby, and approaching it with the same determined patience I learned from my other BMWs. | | | | | That attitude is persistent everywhere in my life now, all thanks to the passive lessons I’ve received from my E30s. Nothing is finished until it’s exactly right, nothing is right unless it’s been exhaustively researched, and no problem is too difficult to solve without a plan. Whether the problem is as small as ‘what air fryer should I buy’ or as big as ‘how do I wire all these lights and sensors,’ a patient plan of attack is always used because my BMW has taught me that to achieve the result that makes me happy, I can’t just pick the first result that gets me close. | | | | | It all goes back to ‘do it right, do it once.’ More than that, it means enjoying the process as much as the result. If you do the research, spend the time planning, and make the right purchase, you’ll find that part of the job is just as rewarding as the final product. It helps you slow down, appreciate your self-sufficiency, stay clear-headed, and enjoy every part of whatever you’re doing for a more fulfilling experience overall. I think that is something that comes particularly easy to those of us who enjoy BMWs. We can appreciate craftsmanship, the choice of quality over cost or time, and the gratification of everything coming together in a perfect end-result that we can more fully enjoy. For me, that’s what BMW exemplifies and what my E30 has helped me apply to my life outside of my garage. | | | | | So, what about you? How has your BMW enthusiasm affected other parts of your life or your character that you might not have considered? We’d love to hear about your stories. As always, reach out to [email protected] and you may find yourself in another future edition of Turner Motorsport Weekly. Have a lovely Sunday, everyone. See you next week. | | | | |
