One Last Ride
Since I bought the E30 I’ve always wanted to take it on a significant road trip. Not just a journey throughout Ireland, but overseas, preferably to Europe. Having completed the majority of the restoration work midway through 2019, I began to shape plans for 2020 to take the car abroad. Players Classic looked romising, and maybe even Worthersee.
However, a certain pandemic would have other ideas and any prospect of travelling became an impossibility. Fast forward to spring of this year and with restrictions easing, I logged onto the Irish Ferries website once more and booked some tickets, knowing that if my plan to sell the car occurred, I’d have at least enjoyed it on one major trip.
I’ve always been quite particular about my cars and the E30 more so than the rest. Having refrained from driving it in rain for the better part of two years, I was keen to keep it that way. Once moisture enters cavities and chassis rails, only movement of air will dry them out and with this car spending most of its life stationary, it would take weeks to fully dry.
So as luck would have it, when the Friday before the cars maiden voyage to Goodwood Motor Circuit arrived, the national weather forecasts showed nothing but thunderstorms. Disappointed, I unpacked the E30, loaded the daily 2-Series and drove that instead. Call me weak. I don’t care.
Just one month later and with a fresh dose of vaccine in my arm, I logged on and purchased tickets to the UK once more, determined that, this time, the car would make it across the pond. With Google Maps set to Bicester Heritage and my weather app looking somewhat positive I was optimistic I’d get away with a fantastic weekend on the road.
Old cars are an interesting thing to travel in and are something I’m adverse to having daily driven a 1990 E30 for over a year. My latest one handled the journey with ease. Save for some sporadic showers, I cruised down to Caffeine & Machine wondering why it was even crossing my mind to sell this car.
I parked up, gave the car the once over with quick detailer and ordered some food delighted that at last, I could properly enjoy the E30. Knowing its days are likely numbered as a replacement looms on the horizon, it felt good to achieve a significant personal goal with this car.
Location: Caffeine & Machine, UK