Highlanders

On the way to Colorado from Oklahoma, Caroline was asked to pull more than her weight in hauling stuff up the hill. She also took a few knocks to her cosmetics on the trip. Some windshield trim popped loose at 80 mph as we hit some nasty crossing headwinds outside of Dalhart. In New Mexico she took a stone to a corner light, breaking the light. By the time we hit Pueblo she was so out of sorts with the heavy load, long hours at speed, and near 100-degree heat that she blew her water pump. All told, a painful journey for the little BMW.

Ouch!

I was able to find a decent BMW specialist right here in Evergreen, who was able to replace the water pump and thermostat. It only set us back $750!!! (Ouch!) That was a significant expense we hadn’t planned on, but it was necessary nonetheless. I was able to replace her corner lights with some mail order jobs from Abrahamsmotorsport, and now just have to make it to the local salvage yard to try and source replacement windshield trim.

Both cars are filthy right now, and I don’t quite have the gumption to clean them. We live about a 1/2 mile up a steep dirt road, so I’m sure they’d get dirty on the way home from being washed. We will move to the permanent home in July, and that home is asphalt all the way. I’ll be back in the “clean car business” soon enough.

Caroline did get some nice jewelry recently. Before I left OKC I had worked with the MOFOs on developing a grille badge like many other car clubs do. We came up with a really cool design and found a company – conveniently, in Colorado – to produce them for us. I was able to pick it up last week and install the badge when I had the front grilles apart for the corner light install. (Believe it or not, you have to remove the entire front grille assembly to get to the corner lights for the R&R.)

Next weekend I’m going to hook up with some of the local BMW enthusiasts for a predawn drive up Mt. Evans to catch the sunrise.