Long time no see

It's been quite a while since I last posted but it's late late night and I feel like wasting a few minutes instead of working so here I am.

Fall quarter was my first in "proschool", it was a little more work than I had anticipated although I don't think it would have been half bad had I not decided to do design work on the 2010 formula car. Grades did suffer, I slept little and was constantly stressed out. I happened upon two cars, a 1990 Volvo 740 16v and a '77 Volvo 242. The 740 I bought for the engine, at this point it has been parted out and sent to the scrap yard. I currently need to make only 100$ more on the parts to come out at no cost. The 242 is to become a turbo'd rally car slowly, it cost 150$. Volvo 240's are cheap, durable, and fun to drive/work on, I also happen to like the way they look which many will disagree with.

Then comes winter break, time to relax for a bit. It was nice to see some friends I hadn't seen since july, all together it was too short and I didn't get nearly enough done.

Winter quarter starts and now construction begins on the formula car. I incorrectly assumed this would be easier than the design phase...and instead it is still going, although almost finished. Again, grades suffered, I slept little and was constantly stressed out, seems to be a common theme in my life right now. I happened upon two more cars winter quarter, both with in a week of each other. First was a 1980 Volvo 244 for 125$, only 129,000 miles, manual tranny, perfect dash + a few other things, running a few weeks before I bought it. It won't run because of a dead intank fuel pump, very common on the 240 series. The second car was a 1970 BMW 2002. I bought it for the 5spd and a few other parts. This one was not nearly as cheap at 1000$, but I have made back ~35% of that and when it's all said and done I should be 600-800$ ahead and have a 5spd conversion, set of wheels, misc trim pieces, spare engine, and spare sub frames. The BMW will be gone by the time you read this and the 244 should be gone in a month or 2 depending on when I have free time in school.

Spring break was just a blur of 16 hour days working on the formula car and dismantling the 740 and 2002. I did get a lot done, just not as much as I had planned. Unfortunately I will be missing the first few Northwest Cup downhill races, depending on my summer events I may miss all of them which sucks but I haven't been out on the bike in so long it's probably better I don't embarrass myself.

Spring quarter is now in full swing and I'm taking a "light" load to help boost the grades/give me some free time for other important things like riding bikes and getting back into shape. Due to my last two quarters hectic schedules I have not exercised since summer and it suck balls, I can't wait to get back to trail running and biking.

Thats about it. One final thought though. I've had a running, and ever changing, list of what vehicles I believe realistically will be in "my stable" by the time I'm in my mid 30's. I figured I'd share, if anyone actually reads this please comment, if not it's just a good future reference to see what I was thinking about in the past.

1971 BMW 2002 w/S14 conversion
88-91 BMW 325i Turbo Stroker 3.0L M20
2010+ BMW 528d, stock
1991 Volvo 240 Wagon w/16v conversion
80's Volvo 240 turbo "rally" car
80's Volvo 240 Wagon w/LS1 engine
2011+ Scion IQ, stock

Just off that list, basically space dependent are
1970's BMW E9 coupe w/5spd & 3.5L M30 swap
1060's Triumph TR3b, stock
2010+ BMW z4 or Porsche Boxster Speedster

If I can somehow scrounge up a lot of extra cash
Ultima GTR, Rossion Q1, or Dodge Viper ACR

Notes about each portion
I already have the 2002 and I'm resto-modding it right now, s14 engine is probably 5-6 years away. The 1991 Volvo is my mom's car at the moment but will be gifted to me upon graduation, it does not have a 16v engine...yet. I've got the 77 242 in the process of turning into a cheap rally car. I'm on the fringes of buying a wagon which will eventually get an LS1 swap and make a sweet tow vehicle. The 325i will be my next project. I've always thought of the 5 series as the perfect balance between sport and luxury and soon they will begin importing the diesels. The Scion is actually a Toyota iQ, it gets crazy gas mileage and is a perfect tiny city car for when I don't want to ride my bike. Beyond that the E9 coupes are one of the most beautiful cars ever made and I've always lusted for one. The Triumph is a gorgeous and small roadster, perfect for cruising on nice spring/summer/fall days. The z4/speedster is just a modern version of the Triumph. The Ultimate GTR is a nutty supercar that can be had used for 60-80,000$ and currently holds many world records and the top gear track record beating out the Ferrari FXX Evo at 1:09.

Well there it is for better or worse, thoughts?