A is for Affordable, Z is for Zagato.

There comes a point in your life when you have a pretty good understanding of your transportation needs and desires. Is your car new or old? Sport or sedan? Train, plane or motorcycle? Of course this can change throughout the course of your life, but for most part there is a character car(s) for all of us. In light of a recent purchase of a 2003 BMW Z4 2.5L Roadster, I wanted to try and rationalize what type of collector I am currently, and strive to be in the future.

When the Stars Align

Like many car stories, this one starts with the spotting of a neglected car, sitting in the same place for ‘as long as I can remember.’ Right time, right place and a fair deal is all a car buyer could hope for. Much was the case with our subject car.

Dressed in a lovely Maledives blue on beige Oregon leather interior, it’s dash was also sporty in look and feel, having been fitted with the rare graphite finish. The tan top fit its package and the Zagato body design is what makes it iconic for BMW in the early to mid 2000s. Two engines were available in 2003- the 2.5i 185 HP inline 6, and the beefier 3.0i 225 HP V6 counterpart. Automatic and 5-speed manual gearboxes were offered in both the 2.5 and the 3.0 liter models, and this car happened to be an automatic in the smaller package.

No matter, as it’s no secret now that I enjoy the look of the car and what it offers a consumer wanting an entry level sports car with a budget spanning $6-18K. Myself and motoring enthusiasts Taylor Wrighton were hunting for small projects and something we could enjoy working on together. A stroke of luck in Sand City landed us a car that needed some cosmetic TLC and some attention to making sure of its safeties.

Honey-Do-List

First things first were addressing the brakes, tires and suspension. After sitting for a handful of years, pads and rotors were required. Although I was the third owner and only 44K miles on the odometer, a swap out of the rear springs and tires were also needed. No matter- Taylor was on the case making a list of all the things to do on the project. Interior and engine bay were made spotless. Even the investment of fixing the convertible top, that intermittently would decide to not work, was all part of the normal tidy up process.

Although the car was coming together quickly and with minimal resistance, there came a point to decide what to do with the car when it was finished. Might this have been something discussed before purchase? Absolutely. But being a BMW lover and at a price point that would serve as an investment, I really couldn’t afford not to buy the car. In a short amount of time, the Z was road ready and feeling happy to be back out on the back streets of Monterey.

Automotive Identity

Most of you know by now that work surrounds me among the top collectible classic cars in the world as a senior advertising executive with Sports Car Market Magazine. Through the path of Keith Martin, I am able to travel the country attending classic car auctions, car shows, rallies and events which comprise of mostly six figures to the multimillion dollar blue chip autos. Last time I checked, I fall a little short to be afforded the luxury of owning one of these classic cars, and I don’t see anyone leaving me a huge lump sum anytime soon.

Alas, I’m far from out of luck as there are many options for me that won’t break the bank and I have been very fortunate enough to ride and drive in many classic Ferrari, Porches, hot rods and muscle cars over the years. I still desire something of my own, but at what level and condition? Over the years I have interacted with many types of classic car dealers, investors, collectors, brokers, club members, racers and drivers. People in transportation, restoration and insurance. There are so many levels in this industry- just as many as there are people who enjoy this hobby. Am I now skirting around my original topic? Possibly. It might be due to the fact that my idea and personal vision of an enthusiast changes from week to week, and maybe because I can write another 1,000 words on the subject. To be continued.

Time to Move On

Both of us enjoyed driving the car, which I highlighted in my post about the Treasure Island Cars and Coffee event in SF. We also knew that it really wasn’t a long term fit for either of us. Why not?! I am a father of two which requires me to have a sedan first. Ironically, I drive a 2001 BMW 330i M-Sport 5-speed that has the larger 3.0 liter motor that this Z4 doesn’t. Taylor drives a 2002 BMW 325i and has a shop truck, with no room for a third to join his collection of motorcycles and projects. It was settled to start marketing the car to be sold.

A buyer was quickly found with little to no public promotion. A family friend was ready to purchase as soon as it was finished. The car will stay in the area getting most of its future service done by Taylor, and I was in the green after the deal was done. Enough to purchase a classic touring Ferrari? Not even close, but it does plant the seed for the next car to find its way into my garage and slowly move towards a spot on the lawn for the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance…hey I can dream can’t it?!

Project Restoration: 1982 Yamaha SR 250 – Part 2

Some of the best advice of your lifetime can be lost by a quick tongue or a set mind. It tends to be subtle, so you need to have your eyes and ears open along with your tongue tied back. What does this have to do with a motorcycle? More than you would think, as simple principles in life can go a long way to reaching your car collecting goals.

A few weeks back I wrote an anecdote on a purchase of an ’83 Yamaha SR 250. It was a simple bike purchased simply because of a missed opportunity on the one that got away. A knee jerk reaction to this lost deal that was all but sewn up. What transpired was a cosmetic restoration with a fresh take on a now classic.

Shortly after Part 1 the bike was ‘finished’ in the sense that it was safe to ride, mechanically sound and had a much more streamlined look considering the shape it was in when we bought it. Taylor Wrighton and myself had a few classic California Sunday sundown rides along the Central Coastline before we started discussing the future of the bike. At this point we were 50/50 partners in cost; parts and labor. Both of us enjoyed the bike and wanted to keep it in our fleet, but wouldn’t be crushed if it went to a new home and freed up cash for the next build. This is where that simple advise comes into play.

Although I was torn and seriously considered buying Taylor out of the bike and taking it back to my garage, I remembered a conversation I had with an ex-coworker and dear friend. He said, in order to get to what you really want in this industry, business and in some cases life, you cannot get attached. Buy it, fix it, sell it- then do it twice. That’s how you end up with your dream car or close to it.

It was then we both decided it was time to list it and move on to an even bigger project. But not before it got its close up and beauty shots on a crisp winter day in Monterey. We found some sites organically one afternoon on our way to Tioga Road in Sand City in the waning hours of daylight.

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The bike went to a new home this week, and we couldn’t be happier for our little victory. The new owner couldn’t be happier with the final product, and he was like minded enough to understand our vision. It was s successful puzzle piece in the big picture after countless conversations, late nights and bloodied knuckles. We did what we had set out to do and etched the first notch on our belts, setting the stage for much bigger things to come.

That same friend with the timely advice emailed me not a day after his words helped shape my decision. It was a quote from Henry David Thoreau- “Do what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it still.” These words still hold weight today, with me especially.

Project Restoration: 1982 Yamaha SR 250 – Part 1

“So boys, tell me- have you ever witnessed UFOs over the Monterey Bay? No?! Well the trick is having night vision goggles…”

A conversation like this should be of little surprise if you have ever purchased anything off a Craigslist ad. It only goes one of two ways- quick and easy or strange and awkward. This day, we were rewarded with the latter. Let’s back track a little from the UFO guy as I remind you of a post I wrote a month ago about my adventure in the Hollister Hills where I decided I would be looking for a personal road going bike. There was an itch I needed to keep scratching and after much research and soul searching, I had found the type of bike to make its way into my garage. A 2007 Triumph Scrambler was the object of my desire with its 1960s period paint scheme. The perfect transition from dirt to street and novice to Steve McQueen.

Well, sort of. There was the great bike within my budget located in Los Gatos, California, a small Northern CA town ranked 33rd wealthiest city in the United states. Contact was made, a time was set and in my mind this was the only bike for me. Not so fast say the Craigslist gods. On my way up, I got a message saying that the bike had sold the night before. Then comes the 7 stages of buyers grief- shock and denial, pain and guilt, anger and bargaining, reflection, the upward turn, working through, before finally acceptance and hope. We all experience some of these emotions when a deal doesn’t go down right, don’t we?

That’s when my co-pilot Taylor and myself met Don. After three storage units and a dozen basket case bikes later, we thought we had reached another dead end. He then mentions casually about ‘a few other bikes’ in another space that we might be interested in. We were willing to take the ride out to a location that has always been perceived  to be a deserted maintenance shed in Monterey.

After the decoding of a few locks, we finally got a glimpse of promise in our journey for my bike. But again, rows and rows of major projects which included total rewiring, engine and transmission rebuilds, missing tanks, missing wheels and overall rusty mopeds and bikes stacked side by side. Then, as if we were tied to the same rope, Taylor and I saw a bike tucked into the dark.

We pulled it into the light and give her a good look. We had some potential.

Our likely project came in the form of a form of a 1982 Yamaha SR 250, but at the time, we had little clue to its year and story. Neither did the owner. With so many in his collection, Don had a hard time remembering anything about any of them, except whether or not he had a clean title or not.

“Yep, that one is clean. And I never did any wiring on this bike…did I mention I was color-blind?!”

That might have something to do with the night vision goggles was my first thought. No matter, we had agreed that it had promise and would be a fun project to get back on the road. Was it the turn key Triumph I had been looking for that I could take the course and get right on the road? No. But the investment cost was considerably less and our vision for its styling made us excited to load it up with little reservations.

To our surprise, Taylor and I quickly got the bike to turn over and crank after a quick cleaning of the carbs, fresh fuel and a charged battery. She sounded period corrected with its side pipe and it didn’t run too hot before we knew we could work on the cosmetics more than the mechanical. Our bike is still in progress, so check in for part two of this 1980’s moto project!

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*Free Wash Included- 1967 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe For Sale

It’s very typical to hear Californians complain about a little weather. Scared and defensive driving is also the norm when challenged with uncharacteristic rain or snow to the area. This is what we have been experiencing on the Central Coast after a two year long drought which has troubled our water resources tremendously. I digress, as this is a story about battling the elements!

On a blustery Monterey afternoon, I received my daily call from long time friend and budding classic car collector, Mike Veitengruber. Now Mike and I have attended countless car events together including this year’s Porsche Parade, the auctions in Scottsdale, Gordon McCall’s Motorworks Revival and even strolled the 18th green at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance. We also may or may not have polished off a few bottles of wine at some of the best eateries in Carmel and Pebble Beach. When Mike says he needs my help, It’s usually a win-win for the both of us.

OK- so we weren’t outside saving kittens from swaying trees, or getting power back to the homes of the masses, but we did shoot pictures for a 1967 Mercedes Benz 250SE Coupe to go up for auction on eBay Motors. This is a fine European example with the rare 4-on-the-floor transmission and some luxury options. 

Some of my favorite features include the correct Euro headlights, stainless steel exhaust and a color combo that any classic car owner would be proud to show off.

The problem on this day was finding a break in the much needed rainfall to get quality photos to post online. With he being in Pacific Grove and me in the Seaside highlands, we had a pretty clear view of the cloud break happening over the Monterey airport where his private hanger is located.

Once we arrived, we started kicking tires of some of his other projects in the shop, paying little attention to our small window of opportunity to shoot the car with sunshine. It ended up being a big wet mistake! Just as we pulled the sporty driver out of the 2,000 square foot building, mother nature showed herself again.

I’m sure it was comical watching two grown men laughing and yelling as we frantically attempted to get images of the car for the thousands of online searchers to see. After getting the essentials, we pulled the car back into the shop to take the remaining interior pictures- and to dry out finally.

By the end of the afternoon we had exchanged details about the car, expectations on its sale price and of course many stories in the meantime. Just before we left, the rain froze long enough for us to capture just a couple of dry shots on the blacktop of the compound. It did look great nestled in-between the hills of Carmel Valley, and I know it will look great in someone else’s garage.

The auction on this car ends this Sunday and can be found HERE.

Happy bidding!

Welcome To My Automotive Adventures…

Thank you for finding your way to my page, Steven Sports Car- Automotive Imagery and Adventures of Steven Kittrell. It really is just how it sounds- a journey through my travels in the automotive world which includes trips to Amelia Island, Monterey Car Week, the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Hot August Nights and the Arizona Auction Week.

But wait, there’s more! Follow me as I take road trips up and down the California coastline with all levels of collectors and automotive trailblazers. We’ll peak into restoration shops and dealerships, speak to classic car service mechanics and heads of  conours committees and race tracks around the country.

Looking forward to sharing my experiences with you and the automotive lovers in your life. As always, drive safe and tastefully.