Tales of the 320i
By William M. Buffton
By William M. Buffton
TALES OF THE 320i
It occurs to me that I have been writing for a living for most of my professional career as a psychologist. This will be my first venture writing in
the automotive realm so please bear with me.
I have been a friend of Mike Miller for 15 years and it seems that I have been aware of his 1977 320i for most of those years. The patron
saint of said 320i would have to be “Our Lady of Perpetual Construction”.
What makes the 320i special to me is the fact that Mike is not a rich man. While anyone of means can write a check for the restoration of a
favored car, few can restore such a car to this level a paycheck at a time, and do the lion’s share of the work by themselves. Make no mistake;
this car is far superior to the car that came out of Germany in 1977.
To take credit for my miniscule contributions to this project, I hold the distinction of being both polisher and cheerleader. Additionally, I have an
extremely specialized skill (without which I am convinced the project could not have come to fruition), namely the ability to assist Mike in
mounting the radar detector sensor bracket when we were both stinking drunk (Ya can’t learn that in school, kids!)
For most of my acquaintance, the 320i was in primer with bits and pieces inhabiting the Tech Talk Garage.
Now, enough of my ramblings and on to the story:
In July of 2010, Mike asked me if I would be interested in coming along for the freshly restored 320i’s maiden voyage to Vermont and a live
Tech Talk session at Helmuts German Auto Service in Windsor, Vermont, home of legendary German Automotive Master, Helmut Blania.
Herein lies the story…
Day 1
We depart my house in Scranton, PA. at approximately 09:30 hrs. Pictures were taken to commemorate this event which involved Mike
strapping me into the 4 point harness while my wife wondered how I would ever fit. Temperatures were in the high 90’s and the car has no air
conditioning so this was a road trip from the old school. In honor of this event, I chose to wear my mechanical diver’s watch since the 320i is
most assuredly an analogue device as opposed to a digital one; no digital clock here and manual controls for everything. The car is a machine
which owes nothing to computers and rather responds to a skilled hand. It is my first encounter with roll-up windows and manual locking
doors in more years than I’d like to admit. Riding with the windows down and my arm out said window was a wonderful reminder of times long
past. The user friendly large Motometer gauges were a testament to the fact that BMW nailed the essentials in 1977.
Even from the passenger seat, I can feel the steering is both direct and precise. The other thing I can feel is the ever present trailing throttle
oversteer. The 320i hums along effortlessly and the temp gauge stays below half while the oil temperature never goes over 180 degrees; (at
least SOMETHING on this trip is cool). We soon cross the New York border and at some point we hit a rest stop where we go into sensory
overload from a plethora of “you can’t do that”…signs. The Valentine One Radar detector earns it’s keep by giving plenty of warning as relates
to New York’s Finest Tax Collectors. It is quite simply far superior to any such device I have encountered. We are cruising at 75-80 MPH and
the car runs like a fine watch.
The temperature is between 95 and 100 degrees as we pass through Troy, New York. We motor along close to the Vermont border and
decide to stop and eat as well as trying to get cool (with little success), but when we hit the Vermont border everything changes. For some
reason, rural Vermont is decidedly different from rural New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey in a decidedly positive way. Mike explains that
Vermont is a state whose ethic is to do what you wish and don’t try to push it onto others-I can appreciate that. Mike told me ahead of time
that in Vermont one can enjoy the sheer joy of driving without exceeding 65mph on back roads and indeed he is right. I make a mental note
to ride these roads on my K1200RS.
A few miles into Vermont, we encounter heavy rain and I am treated to a shower courtesy of the sunroof. During the entire trip, this is the
only teething problem.
We reach Bennington and I play tourist by visiting the Bennington Memorial Park and the Grandma Moses Museum; the museum being well
worth investigating. After the museum we head to Hemmings Motor News headquarters which is also a full-service
gas station and museum, for their Thursday Cruise-in and car show. Years ago when I was in the car business we had a term for cars that you
simply couldn’t stop looking at; that term is “Eyeball”. The 320i has eyeball. We are surrounded by muscle cars which is always a treat.
Additionally, there is a beautiful old right hand drive Packard Touring Saloon which was built for a lady in Australia. The noble beast served the
lady well for 40 years and somehow made its way back to the states. It bothers me that a maker of such extraordinary cars could have been
mismanaged out of business. Despite the 100 degree heat, I shamelessly promote the 320i by inviting anyone who will talk to me to come and
see the car; I am determined to make sure every judge sees and appreciates this car. One of my victims was a particularly attractive 50-
something woman who brought a wonderful original 66 911E that was owned by her father. She has made a point of keeping the car in
running condition and drives it about 1500 miles a year. FIRST BLOOD! Mike’s 320i wins best European car at the show.
We are met by Sam who is a friend of Mike’s and owns two M cars, an e46 Dinan M3 and a Dinan e39 M5. Sam wants a ride in the 320i and
asks if I would mind driving his M3 Cabriolet. I ponder this major imposition for several nanoseconds and finally acquiesce, because mine is a
life of service and duty calls. We dine at the Vermont House an 1860’s hotel, restaurant and pub and head for Sam’s country home which is a
story in itself. I simply can’t get enough of this place.
Sam is a superb host and makes us welcome. He is perhaps the only person I know who has more books in his house than I do. We cap the
night with Cognac and I am shown to my room which in the dark hides treasures I do not anticipate.
I wake in the morning to a spellbinding view of the sunrise and the pond which is only about 50 meters from the house. The scene is nothing
short of magnificent. After breakfast, we head east into New Hampshire to Vintage Sports and Racing where Sam and Mike are involved in the
joint restoration of a Golf Yellow 2002. Mario has quite a stable of BMW’s for restoration including numerous e9’s which are a personal favorite
of mine.
Ever the detail man, Mike checks to make sure every aspect of this restoration is on track.
We stop in a quaint restaurant in an old New Hampshire town and enjoy the local beer.
Once back at Sam’s I accompany him to a cabin that he built with one of his sons. He entered into this project in order to teach his son how to
build a house and I am struck at the emotional depth of this undertaking. We sit on the porch and discuss, argue and debate subjects from
politics to Attention Deficit Disorder. Sam comes from a wonderful intellectual tradition wherein people of differing points of view argue their
opinions and yet come out respecting each others position and remaining friends. I am struck by his intellect. If we were neighbors I expect
we would drink Cognac and argue every night.
Mike goes on ahead of us to Helmet’s and does a proper break-in service on the 320i. As it turns out, the car has not burned one drop of oil. I
choose to go with Sam who shamelessly asks me to drive his Dinan e39 M5 to Helmut’s-Ah duty calls yet again. Sam’s M5 is, simply put, the
fastest and best car I have ever driven. It is a hard muscled lighting reflexed commando of a machine with the grace of an Impala on the
Serengeti. If I never drive another car in my life I will consider myself blessed to have had this opportunity. I have also been trying to get Sam
to adopt me with little success.
We arrive at Helmut’s German Auto Service in Windsor Vermont and I finally get to meet the master himself. He is a soft-spoken man of great
humility and has forgotten more about German cars than most will ever know. Helmet is exactly the sort of man I would have given my right
arm to apprentice under when I was young and had yet to understand that as relates to mechanical skills, I am an incurable putz; (maybe I’ll
try to get Helmut to adopt me too). Mike does his usual stellar job holding Tech-Talk for the faithful and much was learned.
We go to the Harpoon Brewery and restaurant for lunch and then retire to Helmut’s home. Very uncharacteristically we pass the evening
making our aquaintenence with some of the Harpoon Brewery’s finest and call it a night.
I am not a fan of cats; however Helmut’s cat Bobo is an exception to the rule. This is a grungy shop cat that usually smells of automotive oil
and transmission fluid who simply likes people. Bobo allows me to sleep on his couch and we are both quite content. This is the only cat in my
58 years that I will miss.
Mike and Helmut are up early and I follow them out to the shop where Helmut is adjusting the valves. He allows me to feel the drag on the
feeler gauge and I finally get it as relates to properly setting valves. Being the genius I am it only took me 58 years to get this. I witness
Helmut in action with a seemingly impossible problem; the leaky sun roof. Cigarette in hand, he walks around the car from all angles. He
squats and looks again, and then takes a drag on his cigarette. He quietly announces “Mike, the problem is that the sunroof is 1 millimeter too
low on the driver’s side”. He proceeds to adjust the errant component and we now have one less issue to deal with (why can’t I do that?). I
can see where Mike picked up his skills.
We leave Vermont that morning and are soon in New York, droning along on endless interstate highways with little character. The high point
of the ride home is that the 320i hits 100mph in for the first time in 20 years which occurred before we left Vermont. On a stop at a liquor
store, I engage the owner in conversation and find out he is a German car enthusiast whereupon I shamelessly drag him out to the parking
lot to see the 320i.
In 4 days I have been in 4 states, driven on wonderful roads, met exceptional people and driven 3 fantastic cars. I expect I will always
treasure this automotive vacation.
The 320i has run flawlessly and returns to the Tech-Talk garage; Mission Accomplished.
William M. Buffton
416640
Pocono Mountain Chapter
It occurs to me that I have been writing for a living for most of my professional career as a psychologist. This will be my first venture writing in
the automotive realm so please bear with me.
I have been a friend of Mike Miller for 15 years and it seems that I have been aware of his 1977 320i for most of those years. The patron
saint of said 320i would have to be “Our Lady of Perpetual Construction”.
What makes the 320i special to me is the fact that Mike is not a rich man. While anyone of means can write a check for the restoration of a
favored car, few can restore such a car to this level a paycheck at a time, and do the lion’s share of the work by themselves. Make no mistake;
this car is far superior to the car that came out of Germany in 1977.
To take credit for my miniscule contributions to this project, I hold the distinction of being both polisher and cheerleader. Additionally, I have an
extremely specialized skill (without which I am convinced the project could not have come to fruition), namely the ability to assist Mike in
mounting the radar detector sensor bracket when we were both stinking drunk (Ya can’t learn that in school, kids!)
For most of my acquaintance, the 320i was in primer with bits and pieces inhabiting the Tech Talk Garage.
Now, enough of my ramblings and on to the story:
In July of 2010, Mike asked me if I would be interested in coming along for the freshly restored 320i’s maiden voyage to Vermont and a live
Tech Talk session at Helmuts German Auto Service in Windsor, Vermont, home of legendary German Automotive Master, Helmut Blania.
Herein lies the story…
Day 1
We depart my house in Scranton, PA. at approximately 09:30 hrs. Pictures were taken to commemorate this event which involved Mike
strapping me into the 4 point harness while my wife wondered how I would ever fit. Temperatures were in the high 90’s and the car has no air
conditioning so this was a road trip from the old school. In honor of this event, I chose to wear my mechanical diver’s watch since the 320i is
most assuredly an analogue device as opposed to a digital one; no digital clock here and manual controls for everything. The car is a machine
which owes nothing to computers and rather responds to a skilled hand. It is my first encounter with roll-up windows and manual locking
doors in more years than I’d like to admit. Riding with the windows down and my arm out said window was a wonderful reminder of times long
past. The user friendly large Motometer gauges were a testament to the fact that BMW nailed the essentials in 1977.
Even from the passenger seat, I can feel the steering is both direct and precise. The other thing I can feel is the ever present trailing throttle
oversteer. The 320i hums along effortlessly and the temp gauge stays below half while the oil temperature never goes over 180 degrees; (at
least SOMETHING on this trip is cool). We soon cross the New York border and at some point we hit a rest stop where we go into sensory
overload from a plethora of “you can’t do that”…signs. The Valentine One Radar detector earns it’s keep by giving plenty of warning as relates
to New York’s Finest Tax Collectors. It is quite simply far superior to any such device I have encountered. We are cruising at 75-80 MPH and
the car runs like a fine watch.
The temperature is between 95 and 100 degrees as we pass through Troy, New York. We motor along close to the Vermont border and
decide to stop and eat as well as trying to get cool (with little success), but when we hit the Vermont border everything changes. For some
reason, rural Vermont is decidedly different from rural New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey in a decidedly positive way. Mike explains that
Vermont is a state whose ethic is to do what you wish and don’t try to push it onto others-I can appreciate that. Mike told me ahead of time
that in Vermont one can enjoy the sheer joy of driving without exceeding 65mph on back roads and indeed he is right. I make a mental note
to ride these roads on my K1200RS.
A few miles into Vermont, we encounter heavy rain and I am treated to a shower courtesy of the sunroof. During the entire trip, this is the
only teething problem.
We reach Bennington and I play tourist by visiting the Bennington Memorial Park and the Grandma Moses Museum; the museum being well
worth investigating. After the museum we head to Hemmings Motor News headquarters which is also a full-service
gas station and museum, for their Thursday Cruise-in and car show. Years ago when I was in the car business we had a term for cars that you
simply couldn’t stop looking at; that term is “Eyeball”. The 320i has eyeball. We are surrounded by muscle cars which is always a treat.
Additionally, there is a beautiful old right hand drive Packard Touring Saloon which was built for a lady in Australia. The noble beast served the
lady well for 40 years and somehow made its way back to the states. It bothers me that a maker of such extraordinary cars could have been
mismanaged out of business. Despite the 100 degree heat, I shamelessly promote the 320i by inviting anyone who will talk to me to come and
see the car; I am determined to make sure every judge sees and appreciates this car. One of my victims was a particularly attractive 50-
something woman who brought a wonderful original 66 911E that was owned by her father. She has made a point of keeping the car in
running condition and drives it about 1500 miles a year. FIRST BLOOD! Mike’s 320i wins best European car at the show.
We are met by Sam who is a friend of Mike’s and owns two M cars, an e46 Dinan M3 and a Dinan e39 M5. Sam wants a ride in the 320i and
asks if I would mind driving his M3 Cabriolet. I ponder this major imposition for several nanoseconds and finally acquiesce, because mine is a
life of service and duty calls. We dine at the Vermont House an 1860’s hotel, restaurant and pub and head for Sam’s country home which is a
story in itself. I simply can’t get enough of this place.
Sam is a superb host and makes us welcome. He is perhaps the only person I know who has more books in his house than I do. We cap the
night with Cognac and I am shown to my room which in the dark hides treasures I do not anticipate.
I wake in the morning to a spellbinding view of the sunrise and the pond which is only about 50 meters from the house. The scene is nothing
short of magnificent. After breakfast, we head east into New Hampshire to Vintage Sports and Racing where Sam and Mike are involved in the
joint restoration of a Golf Yellow 2002. Mario has quite a stable of BMW’s for restoration including numerous e9’s which are a personal favorite
of mine.
Ever the detail man, Mike checks to make sure every aspect of this restoration is on track.
We stop in a quaint restaurant in an old New Hampshire town and enjoy the local beer.
Once back at Sam’s I accompany him to a cabin that he built with one of his sons. He entered into this project in order to teach his son how to
build a house and I am struck at the emotional depth of this undertaking. We sit on the porch and discuss, argue and debate subjects from
politics to Attention Deficit Disorder. Sam comes from a wonderful intellectual tradition wherein people of differing points of view argue their
opinions and yet come out respecting each others position and remaining friends. I am struck by his intellect. If we were neighbors I expect
we would drink Cognac and argue every night.
Mike goes on ahead of us to Helmet’s and does a proper break-in service on the 320i. As it turns out, the car has not burned one drop of oil. I
choose to go with Sam who shamelessly asks me to drive his Dinan e39 M5 to Helmut’s-Ah duty calls yet again. Sam’s M5 is, simply put, the
fastest and best car I have ever driven. It is a hard muscled lighting reflexed commando of a machine with the grace of an Impala on the
Serengeti. If I never drive another car in my life I will consider myself blessed to have had this opportunity. I have also been trying to get Sam
to adopt me with little success.
We arrive at Helmut’s German Auto Service in Windsor Vermont and I finally get to meet the master himself. He is a soft-spoken man of great
humility and has forgotten more about German cars than most will ever know. Helmet is exactly the sort of man I would have given my right
arm to apprentice under when I was young and had yet to understand that as relates to mechanical skills, I am an incurable putz; (maybe I’ll
try to get Helmut to adopt me too). Mike does his usual stellar job holding Tech-Talk for the faithful and much was learned.
We go to the Harpoon Brewery and restaurant for lunch and then retire to Helmut’s home. Very uncharacteristically we pass the evening
making our aquaintenence with some of the Harpoon Brewery’s finest and call it a night.
I am not a fan of cats; however Helmut’s cat Bobo is an exception to the rule. This is a grungy shop cat that usually smells of automotive oil
and transmission fluid who simply likes people. Bobo allows me to sleep on his couch and we are both quite content. This is the only cat in my
58 years that I will miss.
Mike and Helmut are up early and I follow them out to the shop where Helmut is adjusting the valves. He allows me to feel the drag on the
feeler gauge and I finally get it as relates to properly setting valves. Being the genius I am it only took me 58 years to get this. I witness
Helmut in action with a seemingly impossible problem; the leaky sun roof. Cigarette in hand, he walks around the car from all angles. He
squats and looks again, and then takes a drag on his cigarette. He quietly announces “Mike, the problem is that the sunroof is 1 millimeter too
low on the driver’s side”. He proceeds to adjust the errant component and we now have one less issue to deal with (why can’t I do that?). I
can see where Mike picked up his skills.
We leave Vermont that morning and are soon in New York, droning along on endless interstate highways with little character. The high point
of the ride home is that the 320i hits 100mph in for the first time in 20 years which occurred before we left Vermont. On a stop at a liquor
store, I engage the owner in conversation and find out he is a German car enthusiast whereupon I shamelessly drag him out to the parking
lot to see the 320i.
In 4 days I have been in 4 states, driven on wonderful roads, met exceptional people and driven 3 fantastic cars. I expect I will always
treasure this automotive vacation.
The 320i has run flawlessly and returns to the Tech-Talk garage; Mission Accomplished.
William M. Buffton
416640
Pocono Mountain Chapter
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
