short term wishlist

I actually wrote most of this before the posts of Gani and Frag. But it seems right that its only being posted now. This is sort of a synergy of the 2 previous articles. The cars on this list have a reason for being here. They're on my wish list (just like the STi is on Gani's) and they are all cars that have impacted me in my youth.

This is not a fantasy wish list, but more of a goal for the next maybe 3-5 years for myself. Meaning the cars and the plans in this post must be more or less realistic for me. Now I don't see this as a limitation per se, as I've always been a pretty practical guy. Of course I'd love to have a Bugatti Veyron and a Rolls Royce Phantom, but thats just dreaming. 

So within the next few years, I've been eyeing these cars:

1. A late 90s-2000 Toyota Hilux. 

This will be my workhorse. If I need a car to load something in, the pickup has the bed in the back to hold most anything (as long as secured properly). A high car, and outfitted with nice off road tires, it can go almost anywhere. Outfitted with a snorkel, and even floods are no match for it. 

Now I love pickups. With a passion. I've had the privilege of having 2 already, an Isuzu Dmax 4x4 and an Isuzu Dmax 4x2. Yeah, I know, 2 of them. Well one was my personal car and the other was a work car, though I didn't have them both at the same time. Also, the 4x2 was a company "hand me down". 

So why a Hilux? And why an old one? One is the limitation of funds. I can't just shell out over a million for a new Hilux. Budget for a workhorse pickup is around php350k-php450k. And from a quick scan on sulit.com.ph, well this fits the bill.

As seen in Top Gear, the Hilux is nearly indestructible. And we all know how easy it is and how cheap it is to find Toyota parts in this country and get a Toyota serviced, so extra points for those.

edit: if i had my way, this would actually be a Toyota T-100, a pickup my uncle had (same one that owned the FJ-40). I had a chance to inherit that car, but my dad backed off because the car was an import and he was worried about parts and service. we did have a white one in the office a while back, and that was tough as nails.

2. BMW e34 Touring.

The weekend traveler. Something I can take on a trip to Tagaytay or Batangas or Subic and I know everything I need will fit in it, and I can take a bunch of people with me as well.

I'm actually eyeing one right now, and am just saving up enough money to buy and restore it. I've looked the car over, verified the papers, and even had it checked by Klassik BMW (which is now a Hyundai showroom). 

Projected price is somewhere north of php300k, with repairs going somewhere north of 100k. If ever, I'll also want to repaint it.

edit: my love for the e34 stems from my dads e34 sedan. i've actually been on the lookout for an e34 for a few years now, and the touring just speaks to me for some reason. probably because i also loved my grandma's old benz td300 wagon back in vancouver. 

3. Mercedes Benz SLK or BMW Z3 late 90s-2000 

The Sunday car. I've always wanted a roadster and told myself I would have one before 35. So I literally have 5 years to get myself one. Crossing my fingers on this one (and working harder).

Benz or BMW? I can't really choose between the 2. The prices are very similar, with the Benz being maybe a little bit more expensive (unless I go with the 200, which seems kinda slow with only 134bhp). The Benz is the prettier of the 2, the BMW the more iconic (Brosnan James Bond). So it will all depend on what I see when I'm ready to buy, but the budget here is only around 1.5M tops. I know cheaper ones can be found, but I prefer local units. You never know when they decide to crack down on imports and grey market cars.

Now unlike the previous 2, it will take more time for me to be able to afford either one of these. By that time, maybe I can afford better, but right now these are it. 

edit: one of my uncles had a bmw z3, right after james bond came out. he brought it to the house during a family dinner, and it was just awesome. because the local models only went up to the 1.8L engine here, he indent ordered a 2.5L engine to put in it. his brother owned the ferrari 308 in Frag's post. 

Thats it right now, and I think the goals are very realistic in the next 5 years. Well, maybe not the roadster, but the pickup and the e34 seem reasonable enough.