Infidelity with consequences
Even the most dedicated partner sometimes fancies wild fantasies. If the temptation becomes too great, this can have far-reaching consequences. Femko de Jong knows all about it, since he was taken over by a BMW 318i Convertible in the color of love as an inveterate Golf driver. The adventure got out of hand and even resulted in restoration work.
Text & photography: Aart van der Haagen
Some people hop from one car to another. Others declare eternal loyalty to a particular model. And above average, it often carries a logo with two letters high out of it alfabet. Femko de Jong returned to the Volkswagen Golf for fifteen years and finally set his sights on a Cabriolet version. “This time a convertible. In the afternoon after purchase, my girlfriend and I spoke to her brother-in-law. He said that his son had just started trading special young timers and had a BMW E30 Convertible from 1993.”
There was still nothing on paper about the Volkswagen transaction. But yes, something with a commitment. What not to do? Take a look at the Bimmer. That did of course happen and De Jong was hopeless for the ax. “I wanted the BMW and no longer the Golf, so I asked if I could get rid of it. Fortunately, that turned out to be no problem. ” It was a four-cylinder BMW 318i Convertible from the last E30 year with a semi-electric hood (actually only the cover) and a delightful Individual interior with heated sports seats in red and black.
Micro level
Although Femko de Jong enjoyed his acquisition, certain details began to annoy him. "Things quickly got out of hand with the things I wanted to innovate." Without any experience, the third owner threw himself into a project that would intermittently span seven years. It went more and more down to the micro level to get rid of the imperfections. Strips, frames, rubbers, clips, that work.
Technically, the BMW turned out to be no problem child, except for the imitation quality exhaust. “It was welded somewhere with every MOT. At one point I was fed up and had a new one placed underneath. ” The welding torch also had to be used on the body. “I wanted to have parts sprayed anyway. The whole body had already been repainted once, but unfortunately not too neat. ”
It did not stop at that one paint job in 2014. In fact, in 2017 and 2019 the BMW 318i Convertible returned to the same address for the next phases. "A conscious choice, because this is how you come across things that you might have overlooked if everything had been done in one go." New bumper strips, sealing strips of the rear side windows and BMW emblems added the finishing touch. When you study this E30, you conclude that everything is correct. Completely perfected, he now lives a quiet life as an enthusiast car.
Also interesting to read:
- BMW 2002 Turbo - BMW 323i
- The number of vintage cars in the Netherlands continues to rise
- Balance between competition and daily use: the BMW E30 M3
A thorough cleaning already works wonders under the hood At the time, not many Dutch people dared to order such a striking Indivual interior 
The rust devil can also be seen in France 
Second round of refinishing in three stages
