Every year there’s always a big debate about what to carve into my pumpkin. My crafty wife has taught me her carving skills over the years to the point that I now feel about anything is possible. Faces have become boring, so I usually try to do my own thing. When it came time this year, my decision was a little easier. Some may say I’m obsessed…but I don’t know why :).
Work in ProgressFinished Product
If you want to give it a try, here’s the simple template I created. Just measure the face of your pumpkin, then print it out to size. If you want yours to look better than mine, make sure the inside line of the silhouette is the detailed side rather than the outside how mine ended up. It’s really not difficult with the help of the $4 toolkit from Walmart. Good luck!
This week’s overview of what’s happened in the M Coupe market.
Currently Listed: 59
S52: 35
S54: 24
Average Asking Price: $25,037.05
S52: $20,055.71
S54: $32,301.50
Most Popular Sales Listings
These are the cars that have been viewed most often this week:
2000 Alpine White over Black Naperville, IL – $24,500 2000 Imola Red over Black Clayton, NY – $16,5002001 Black Sapphire over Black San Jose, CA – $28,5002002 Steel Gray over Black Scranton, PA – $35,900
Best Deals
These are what I think are the best deals still available that are not already on the most popular list.
1999 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray Santa Rosa, CA – $12,5001999 Arctic Silver over Dark Gray Bedford, TX – $21,3002002 Titanium Silver over Black Pearland, TX – $27,0001999 Imola Red over Black Washington, DC – $25,000
Sold This Week
Here are the cars that appear to have gone to lucky new owners this week.
This week’s overview of what’s happened in the M Coupe market.
Currently Listed: 61
S52: 33
S54: 28
Average Asking Price: $25,206.18
S52: $19,910.78
S54: $31,258.07
Most Popular Sales Listings
These are the cars that have been viewed most often this week:
1999 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray Santa Rosa, CA – $12,5002000 Alpine White over Black Naperville, IL – $24,500 2001 Black Sapphire over Black Tulsa, OK – $19,4002001 Estoril Blue over Dark Gray Franklin, TN – $32,000
Best Deals
These are what I think are the best deals still available that are not already on the most popular list.
2001 Steel Gray over Black Oahu, HI – $16,000 2001 Black Sapphire over Black San Jose, CA – $28,5001999 Arctic Silver over Dark Gray Bedford, TX – $21,3002002 Titanium Silver over Black Pearland, TX – $27,000
Sold This Week
Here are the cars that appear to have gone to lucky new owners this week.
This week’s overview of what’s happened in the M Coupe market.
Currently Listed: 64
S52: 36
S54: 28
Average Asking Price: $25,100.85
S52: $19,798.38
S54: $31,539.57
Most Popular Sales Listings
These are the cars that have been viewed most often this week:
1999 Evergreen over Dark Beige Dillon, SC – $18,0002002 Black Sapphire over Imola Red Cincinnati, OH – $27,9902001 Steel Gray over Black Oahu, HI – $16,0002001 Estoril Blue over Dark Gray Franklin, TN – $34,875
Best Deals
These are what I think are the best deals still available that are not already on the most popular list.
1999 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray Santa Rosa, CA – $12,5002001 Black Sapphire over Black San Jose, CA – $28,5001999 Arctic Silver over Dark Gray Bedford, TX – $21,3002002 Titanium Silver over Black Pearland, TX – $27,000
Sold This Week
Here are the cars that appear to have gone to lucky new owners this week.
As promised, there was just no way we could hold ourselves to just one BBQ per year. This time, we included a drive too which will undoubtedly be part of every future BBQ. The day started early for Colby, Lindsey and Kevin who met at 10 AM in Loveland to start the drive up to Estes Park where Alex met them later. On their way back, my wife Jenn and I joined up with them at a little general store in Masonville from which we headed north on what most of us now call our new favorite road in Colorado: Stove Prairie. It was a beautiful day for a drive with blue skies, perfect temperature, and the aspen leaves turning a stunning shade of yellow. We probably would have appreciated it more if it hadn’t all gone by in a blur. After a “spirited”, grin-inducing drive up Stove Prairie, we breathlessly pulled to the side road where it meets up with Highway 14 in Poudre Canyon for a few photos. The group ended up including:
Alex’s 2002 Imola Red over Imola Red M Coupe
Colby’s 2002 Alpine White over Imola Red M Roadster
Kevin’s 2002 Alpine White over Black M Coupe
Lindsey’s 2000 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray M Coupe
Jenn and My 2002 Steel Gray over Imola Red M Coupe
The LineupStove Prairie and Highway 14Looking Back Up Stove PrairieI Love Steel Gray in the Sun!A Beautiful Day for a DriveReady to Move Out
Jenn then took over driving duties in Colby’s M Roadster, so he could take some moving photos as we drove through Poudre Canyon. They started in the front of the pack and worked their way back getting photos of each coupe.
Jenn Driving Colby's M RoadsterColby Doing His Thing
I had a tough time narrowing the photos down to even this many. The results are amazing:
Alex's Coupe Leading the WayMy CoupeBeautiful SceneryMy Turn for PhotosGetting CreativeLindsey & KevinLindsey & Kevin From the BackEveryone from the BackFun's Over
Alex’s buddy drove his car back, so he was able to take some nice photos as well.
My Favorite Shot of the DayAlex Making the Most of His Roof Rack
Some great individual photos were taken throughout the day as well.
My Steel Gray M CoupeMy Steel Gray M CoupeMy Steel Gray M CoupeMy Steel Gray M CoupeAlex's Beautiful ViewAlex's Imola Red M CoupeAlex's Imola Red M CoupeAlex's Imola Red M CoupeLindsey's Cosmos Black M CoupeLindsey's Cosmos Black M CoupeKevin's Alpine White M CoupeKevin's Alpine White M Coupe
We then took a few back roads to my house for some food, drinks and more photos.
Dream DrivewayDream DrivewaySide ViewStaring Down the RoadsterM Roadster IncludedM Coupe BacksidesThrough the WindowsAlex's and Kevin's CoupesThe GroupAnd I'm Spent…
Thanks to Colby, Alex, and my sister Lindsay for the great photography. I can’t wait to do it again.
If you’d like high res versions of any of these photos or want to see more contact me or visit Colby’s Flickr page or Alex’s SmugMug.
At the BBQ, parked in the sun next to Glenn’s pristine steel gray coupe, it became apparent I had some swirl marks. The previous owner of my coupe works for Adam’s Polishes, so I assume they were not left from him, but it did spend almost 3 weeks at a dealership and there’s just no helping cars there. Colby told me he’d polish it for me if I brought it up to his house in Cheyenne the next day. I couldn’t pass that up, so I told my wife I’d be back in a “few hours” and headed up around 11 AM the next morning after church.
When I pulled up, Lindsey was just finishing washing his cosmos black coupe (that had apparently driven through a large bee hive the previous day :)). He moved his car out of the shady corner of the driveway to let me wash mine. Colby went over to his shelves (plural) of detailing supplies and grabbed me a couple buckets, several styles of wash mits, a leaf blower, and microfiber towel. Being someone who has only ever used one bucket, one sponge and a shammy I needed a little instruction. I learned the following steps for a clean, scratch-free car:
Wash the wheels using their own bucket and a small round wax applicator with a pocket for your hand
Wash the rest of the car top to bottom with the microfiber wash mit
Blow dry with the leaf blower using the microfiber towel for any small drips it misses
These were all new ideas to me, but I have to say I’ve been converted. The idea of work smarter not harder holds true here. Before the next washing I went out and bought the wax applicators for the wheels and microfiber wash mit. Running your hand directly over the paint while inside the wash mit gives you an even greater appreciation of the coupe’s curves. I haven’t quite sold my wife on the necessity of a leaf blower yet, but I’m working on it :).
Typically the next step would be a thorough clay barring, but my paint was in nice shape so we skipped right to polishing. While Lindsey worked on clay barring his coupe, we pulled my coupe into the garage for a polish.
All Taped
Colby got out his Porter Cable random-orbital polisher and selection of Menzerna polishes. After a fruitless search for the painters tape roll Colby had been using earlier (found hours later in his trunk), we used a different roll and taped up everything we didn’t want polished. By this time, my “few hours” had just about expired, but I couldn’t wait to see what he could do. He explained the different levels of polish to me with each one being a little more aggressive. When the stage 1 polish failed to get out every single scratch, he decided he’d do two stages on the hood and roof where the swirl marks were most apparent, one stage for the rest of the panels, and finish with a sealant.
About 5 hours, a couple beers, and several calls from my wife later, it was complete. Lindsey helped Colby and I wipe off the final sealant with Colby’s “for paint” microfibers and pulled it out into the sun. Then just stared…for a while. The paint on this 8 year-old car looked better than either of my last two cars ever did, both of which I bought new. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the sunset off the mirrored reflection of my hood on the drive home.
I really wish I would have brought a decent camera (rather than just my phone) for before and after photos because the difference was pretty unbelievable. I thought it looked good before and the photos from the BBQ look stunning, but even my wife and later my mom thought it looked 10x better when I got home.
If you’d like to hire Colby’s remarkable skills and detailing products/equipment, shoot him an email at colbys.detailing@gmail.com. I guarantee you’ll be blown away.
This week’s overview of what’s happened in the M Coupe market.
Currently Listed: 74
S52: 45
S54: 29
Average Asking Price: $24,538.10
S52: $19,512.33
S54: $31,990.10
Most Popular Sales Listings
These are the cars that have been viewed most often this week:
2001 Steel Gray over Black Oahu, HI – $16,0002001 Black Sapphire over Black Pittsburgh, PA – $22,0001999 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray Santa Rosa, CA – $12,5002001 Black Sapphire over Black San Jose, CA – $28,500
Best Deals
These are what I think are the best deals still available that are not already on the most popular list.
2000 Oxford Green over Black Santa Ana, CA – $16,0001999 Imola Red over Black Washington, DC – $25,0001999 Arctic Silver over Dark Gray Bedford, TX – $21,3002002 Titanium Silver over Black Pearland, TX – $27,000
Sold This Week
Here are the cars that appear to have gone to lucky new owners this week.
Many people have asked how I determine my ratings. Well, the star ratings on the sale listings are really just my off-the-cuff impressions of the coupe and are relatively subjective, but I do have some rules I try to follow. Here are my general guidelines.
Condition
1 star – Needs significant body or mechanical work
2 star – Repaired salvage, in need of lots of TLC, simple mechanical issues
3 star – Average condition, possibly needing some mechanical or aesthetic work but nothing significant
4 star – Above average condition and well sorted mechanically
5 star – Like it drove off the showroom floor yesterday. Usually reserved for the ultra-low mileage and garage queen/show cars. I also need lots of good photos or to see it in person before I’ll give a coupe 5 stars.
Rarity
1 star – 1 of 100+
2 star – 1 of 50+
3 star – 1 of 25+
4 star – 1 of 5+
5 star – 1 of less than 5 I adjust the ratings somewhat based on how often I see them for sale. For example, I often add a star for alpine white and steel gray which are not super rare numbers-wise but don’t come up for sale very often. I also sometimes add a star for S54 coupes in color combinations also available with S52s. There are other instances when significant modifications justify increased rarity like an S50 engine swap or Dinan signature certificate.
Value
1 star – Priced way over what it should be and should never sell at asking price
2 star – Priced a little bit over what I think it’s worth based on year, condition, mileage, modifications, etc.
3 star – Priced in the neighborhood of where I would recommend someone to price it at
4 star – Priced at what I would consider a really good deal
5 star – Priced in such a way that the buyer is basically stealing it This is the most subjective of the ratings as different things are worth more to different people. Sometimes coupes to which I give 2 stars sell really fast and others I think are great deals sit on the market a while. Almost all my value ratings will fall between 2 and 4 stars with the only rare exceptions being those that are $10k over- or under-priced (in my opinion).
This week’s overview of what’s happened in the M Coupe market.
Currently Listed: 72
S52: 43
S54: 29
Average Asking Price: $24,293.88
S52: $19,470.75
S54: $30.946.48
Most Popular Sales Listings
These are the cars that have been viewed most often this week:
2001 Steel Gray over Black Oahu, HI – $16,0001999 Cosmos Black over Dark Gray Santa Rosa, CA – $12,5002001 Titanium Silver over Dark Gray Urbana, MD – $23,9952002 Titanium Silver over Black Pearland, TX – $27,000
Best Deals
These are what I think are the best deals still available that are not already on the most popular list. There are some great deals on black on black S54s right now.
2001 Black Sapphire over Black Pittsburgh, PA – $22,0002001 Black Sapphire over Black San Jose, CA – $28,5002000 Oxford Green over Black Santa Ana, CA – $16,0002001 Black Sapphire over Black Cincinnati, OH – $27,500
Sold This Week
Here are the cars that appear to have gone to lucky new owners this week.
