Paddle out. Even if it looks bad.
Porsche Justin Gabriel Porsche Justin Gabriel

Paddle out. Even if it looks bad.

I don't surf, but a friend once told me something about surfing that changed how I think about life. "Paddle out. Even if it looks bad." I'm in my mid-30s now, and I've spent way too many years making excuses not to pursue my passions — especially driving. We're not going to live forever, and if we don't do the things that bring us joy even when the opportunity is right there, we're bound to die even sooner.

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Analog Joy: Rediscovering Life Through My BMW E36
BMW, Opinion Justin Gabriel BMW, Opinion Justin Gabriel

Analog Joy: Rediscovering Life Through My BMW E36

Can you imagine what it’d be like to drive this in 1998? It was a year insignificant to most, but I was only 8 years old then. And it was the year my mom passed. I mention that because…well, I’m not sure. Maybe because it serves as a reminder that our existence is temporary and if I didn’t go for a drive today, I might not be here to go for a drive tomorrow. Morbid, but a fact of life.

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The E36 is “Down For It All”
BMW Justin Gabriel BMW Justin Gabriel

The E36 is “Down For It All”

Few things get me out of bed before the sun rises — the cat throwing up, the dog barking (whining) for breakfast, and any opportunity to drive my E36. Thankfully, on an uneventful Tuesday, it was something involving my E36 that made it easy to lift my head off the pillow, put on my glasses, and take my morning dump.

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3 Reasons Why the E36 M3 Increased in Price (and WON’T depreciate again)
BMW Justin Gabriel BMW Justin Gabriel

3 Reasons Why the E36 M3 Increased in Price (and WON’T depreciate again)

The U.S. E36 M3 (1995–1999) was neutered. While the European version had 321hp, the U.S. version only had 240hp. The E36 M3 also didn’t have rad box flairs like its race-bred predecessor (E30 M3) and it didn’t have an engine as special as the M3 that followed (E46 M3). So, why are prices of this“bastard-child” M3 increasing?

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