Start of the daddy-daughter project car!

Hi,

My name is Steve and I live in Minnesota with my lovely wife Deb and my three adorable daughters: Elsa, Greta, and Ingrid. Last summer I purchased a 1989 BMW 325i coupe off of Craigslist for $200 including the tow. The previous owner sold it because it had a shot clutch and she was sick of dealing with the repairs needed by every 18 year old car. I replaced the clutch master cylinder and drove it for a month. I then parked until yesterday, when my daughters and I started fixing it up. My goals are to have a fun daddy/daughter project, introduce my girls to automotive repair and to restore the 325i to daily driver status.

Our first step will be to fix the body. The front fenders each have dents that will need to be repaired. The hood needs repainting. There is a rust hole under the clutch pedal, another in the valence under the tow hook and small rust spots in the trunk and battery/jack wells. A friend has loaned me his Lincoln MIG welder for the winter and a couple of other friends have volunteered to teach me to weld. Yesterday we removed the seats and trunk lining and next we will remove the carpeting and start cutting.

We currently have a Dodge Caravan named Van Go and an old Volvo wagon called The Duck. My girls want the BMW to have a girl's name. I am hoping for Leisl. I will let my daughters introduce themselves and argue for their favorite names.

Elsa: I am eleven years old and I am the oldest. I aided in removing seats, sound ending material, and holding the flashlight. I especially enjoyed sitting in the BMW once the seats were removed. I agree with my dad that the car's name should be Liesel (?), but if it is not that, I think it should start with either a "B", "M", or a "W". Perhaps "Maria"? Liesel is still my favorite, though.

Greta: My name is Greta. I am nine years old and in the middle. I like working on the project car because I get to spend time with Dad. We took out the seats yesterday. I never knew you could take out the back seats out. I think the cars name should be called Bergeta Martha Woper.

Ingrid: My name is Ingrid, and I am five years old. My birthday is November tenth. I helped take the seat out and carry stuff and take out stuff. My favorite part was taking pictures and sitting in the car. I love doing this, we should have fun. I think the car should be named Annabelle Sweetheart Eelana. Have a great time. Happy New Year!