Quote:
Originally Posted by Themoog
Mine was at a local car show last summer not far from my home. It's a once a month casual affair where all sorts of odd ball cars turn up - things that you remember from being a kid or teenager. There is the odd supercar etc but mainly 'different' vehicles.
Anyway, I went and parked nearby and walked to take a look about. After a short while I noticed people actually looking around the X5 like it was part of the display.. Ace.
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I was into the "classic car" scene in the mid 90's, after I bought a '66 Chevelle to restore (initially). I joined a local Chevelle club and attended its' monthly show, which attracted quite a few of oddball/supercar type cars as well.
Since I was trying to do a "restomod" job on mine, keeping the "survivor" look of the exterior, and upgrading the running gear (upgraded the fresh 327 engine, added new suspension parts, and a three-speed TH350 transmission replaced the worn-out two-speed Powerglide), the powers-that-be in the club cast disfavor upon me and others that had the same outlook pertaining to their Chevelles (the top dogs had had their numbers-matching cars professionally restored, painted every few years, and trailered them to the shows...not my cup of tea). I organized a revolt, and the last I heard, the club closed down.
Meanwhile, also in the '90's, I had moved a mile or so from a local dragstrip, so I'd hear racing sometimes 4 days/nights a week, so my attention shifted in that direction (I had done quite a few passes in my '56 Chevy back in high school, winning my class once in '67, so I wondered if I might take up where I left off, 30 years prior).
So, my "restomod" Chevelle ended up as a drag car, modified to run in ever-faster classes over 12 years, before I parked it in '08, as retirement approached (and since I was closing my plant and layoffs loomed, it made the racing/upgrading/repair expenditures a thing to consider). The Chevelle (with modifications making it strip-only capable) remained in the garage until I swapped it for my X5 in '21, so my much-younger neighbor could make the Chevelle live again, and I'd get a desired & multi-purpose vehicle in return.
So, now, almost thirty years after I bought the Chevelle to semi-restore (I also semi-restored, and later sold, two Chevy C-10 pickups...a '69 and a '75... between '99-'05), and to use as an occasional driver (I bought 1966 Texas plates for it at a swap meet, and registered it as a classic), I am planning basically the same with my '01 X5. I had always wanted a'66 Chevelle, and always liked the E53 BMW, so in my mind, they're both "dream cars", to enjoy having around and fiddle with.
In a couple more years, I'll get "classic status" plates for it, and maybe park it at a local car show to see if anybody else recognizes it as a "classic design", like I do.
However, no conversion to a hi-powered race car is foreseen.