I Finally Got My Dream Car … And You Can Too. Here’s How.

Madonna.

Clive Owen.

Blur.

BMW.

If you were into cars in the 2000’s, you would know the exact short film I am referring to. “The Star” was the name of the short film that BMW created to promote their cars.

“The Star”, the BMW website, the photo gallery and the overall look of the BMW cars at that time, made me fall in love with cars again. Growing up, I did grow up around cars. My dad wasn’t the “get your hands dirty” type of guy, but he was the guy who reads Car and Driver and thick car handbooks type of guy. I am lucky enough that he would share with me every single new detail of cars that he liked. So yeah, he was a car guy and naturally, I also became one myself.

Starting with Madonna taunting Clive Owen, the short film continued on with the depiction of speed and agility both with the car and the swiftness of Clive Owen’s stick-shift work, with Blur on the background. I loved this video. I loved it so much that I spent my summer break creating a dedication website to it … using Flash (eek!).

A few years later, as I was a Junior in college, my eyes caught a more aggressive, muscular and sportier look of the BMW E46 series. The shape, the lines, the artistic wheels pulled my attention everytime it passes me by as I walk to class. Just like a punch on the back of my head, the tag on the back of the car showed the name of the model … the M3.

This car looked great from the front, the side and the back. Not all cars get to look great all around. It had a muscular look from the front with the fender flares, the wide stance with a larger wheel on the back and this slight wing tip on the top of the trunk that tells you that this car is ready to fly. Not to mention the quad exhaust (unheard of at the time) smack dab on the rear middle of the car.

What a dream.

Since the M3 release, I instantly was attracted to it. I started researching it , building it on the website and going out to find opportunities to test drive it on car dealerships. As the research became more extensive and I started talking to more “car car guys”, I got to find out more “dream cars” like the Ferrari, Lamborghini, the Mercedes SL 500 and so on.

And the dream lived on.

Here’s the funny thing about dream cars. They tend to continue to be a dream as long as you continue to make it a dream. Of course some of you may tell me, are you seriously thinking all of us can afford a car that costs the same as a house? Of course not. And I don’t think that may be a reasonable (or logical) decision for most of us. Which is also why not everyone has their dream cars. But there not all dream cars has a price tag of a suburban house in the Midwest. There are cars and brands that depreciate so greatly that gives you an opportunity to own one without you having to sell everything you have.

Yeah and how can I ever afford that?

This is what many people think about when they think about their dream cars. Or the luxury car that they have always wanted, but never could.

Money.

Most people believe that dream cars or luxury cars is all about having money. They forget that it also includes having a mindset.

When we have a goal to become fitter, healthier, crush debt, own a house, get a job or graduate college, we have a plan. That plan could look like, exercise 30 minutes a day, eat less carbs, or pay off more than the minimum charge on your credit card. These are all plans towards a particular goal that we would like to achieve. Today, all of these resources can be found on Google, YouTube or even TikTok. There’s even an app for it.

But getting a dream car still remains a dream because we don’t plan to ever having one. It remains in our dream, not in our mind.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that it is necessary for you to own your dream car, but if you are wanting one, have you considered how you are thinking about it? Have you evaluate whether you are adoing everything you can to own the car that you want?

This was the post that I placed on reddit’s BMW community. At this point, I’ve made a decision for myself that I wanted my dream car and that I am going to stop making it a “someday”. Someday means one day but may also mean… never. And if you say never, don’t regret it when you don’t have it. Moreover be jealous when someone else has it.

Once you are ready to make a step towards the car that you want, besides saving money for it, there are a few things that you can do to bring you closer to your dreams:

Join a community. Reach out to people who have owned the car that you want or a community for the brand. In my case, that was the Reddit BMW community and the BMW Car club of America. The question that I posted above received so many feedback and advice from real people who have owned one or those who are aspiring / fans to the brand, just like me. Here are their advices:

• [u/alialzain03] Do your research. Most “dream cars” are not particularly reliable or cheap to take care of. The reason they are beautiful, fast and technologically or mechanically advanced is because they push the boundaries beyond what is (or was)possible. And anything that are beyond their time may not (yet) be reliable. Your research will educate you with the common issues of the car that previous owners have experienced and how you can prepare yourself for it. Mentally and financially.
• [u/_MisterR] Know your limitations (financially and physically) and it will work in-line with your expectations of ownership. Great advice. This goes hand in hand with the variable that limits us from our dream cars. Money and Time. I did not decide to reach out to a Ferrari community so I can own the 360 Spider. I know that the 360, even though at $70k is now is a steal, it is not meant for me. I can’t fit my kids in the back and I am just not ready for the maintenance right now. But I do know that I can set aside money for a used sports car and budget for the repairs that it needs or will need along the line. I also know that I am in a physical condition where I can still learn to do my own oil change (even though I’ve never done it before) and while working from home, I can still have the time to do it.
• [u/theredfoxslover] Life is short. As long as you aren’t compromising any of your needs, fulfill your wants. Probably the best encouragement I needed to pursue my dream car. In my case, the main obstacle in getting my dream car is myself. I fear of what other people may think and I fear that I am making a mistake. But Life is short and “yolo”(you only live once). So if you are ready, and all the signs are pointing to the right direction, take the leap of faith and be ready for the ride.

Surround yourself with people who support your dreams and encourage you to be who you want to be. Getting your dream car is not about showing off to other people, it’s about fulfilling what you have always desired.

Read my article about fulfilling your desires here.

Look at listings. I know some people who would look at listings every day until they find the car that they wanted. For me, before I took a leap of faith that decided that my dream car will be a reality, it remained in my dreams. Instead of looking for the car I wanted, what I did instead was settle for a more affordable, more practical, more reliable car that I knew would be a safe bet. Again, I am not telling you to take out your savings to buy a weekend car that will give you problems in the future. If you need a daily driver to commute to work and back, get a practical, reliable car first to help you do that. But this article is not about that car.

Be true to yourself when you are looking for something that you want. Do not settle. Be patient.

Spend some time to look at the following places and find out the average price cars are listed and sold in respective to its mileage, model and year. Filter for what you want, not for what you can afford. The universe will figure out the rest. Here’s where I go to do look at listings for the car that I want:

• Carfax. I go here most often because the listings on carfax already include a free vehicle history report that tells you if the car has had an accident, how many previous owners and what maintenance and repairs have been done of them. Some even mention the name of the repair shop and their phone number so you can call them directly to really find out what has been done on it. The only downside is that most of the listings are from dealerships. And dealerships will post cars at a higher price (because they need to make profit). Plus they may charge you a documentation fee when you complete the sale.
• Carmax. Carmax is like a the “Walmart of Used Car Dealerships”. I’m not sure why Walmart have not decided to sell cars, but until then, we have carmax. They have an inventory of used cars from people that have sold to them directly or traded in their cars. They have a “haggle free” price that allows you to choose a price without them bugging you for extras to make you pay more. I like carmax if you are looking for a daily driver, but for a unique, “hard to find” cars, this is not the right place.
• Carvana. Carvana is like Carmax but all done over the web. Their inventory is shown online for you to see and you can zoom in and perform 360 views of the interior and exterior of the car. They also have an easy and quick checkout process that allows you to purchase on your phone or your desktop just like buying a book from amazon. They also offer returns and refunds when you don’t like the car as it is shipped to your home. I’ve heard that often times the car delivered may not be the same condition as you see in the 360 views (you can only do so much with a virtual experience). So be sure to be patient when it is not as expected.
• Facebook Marketplace. Last but not least, the best way to purchase a used car. From actual people, through a private sale. If you are looking for a unique hard to find car on a bargain, look no where else but to the person who have actually cared and maintained the car before you. “The Marketplace” as what people like to call it, is an easy way to connect to sellers through facebook messenger, an app that most of us are comfortable with, to ask questions, get photos and get a better understanding of what the person who owns the car is like. Connection creates trust and the marketplace allows you to have that not only with the car you want to purchase, but also with the person who owns it.

Set your intentions. Now this one may be a little difficult if you do not have experience or have not immersed yourself in the personal development world. If you have been following my articles, then you are ready for this. If you are new to the concept of setting intentions, think of it as preparing yourself spiritually for what is to come. Buying and owning your dream car may be a process that you have been thinking about or stirring in your mind for many many years. For me, it was a 15 year ordeal. I’d say that about 15 years ago, I saw the M3 and the Ferrari and told to myself (and a few friends in college) that one day, I will own one of these cars. Fifteen years in between, I may have changed my mind, convinced myself that it was impossible, doubted myself and then forgotten all about it.

Hey, we are all human. Things happen.

Setting your intention on your dream car means, telling yourself and a higher being (the universe or God, or both!) that I want my dream car to come true. And I will do whatever it takes to attract it into my life.

How do you attract a car into your life?

1. Be happy because good things come to those who are happy
2. Be patient as it takes time for you and the Universe to align with each other
3. Believe that you have what you want before you have it because for those who have faith, more will be given

https://www.etsy.com/DoBetterWeekly/listing/916651098/to-all-who-have-faith-more-will-be-given?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1608822893109

This is the secret sauce.

The reason why it’s difficult to understand how one can reach their impossible dream or own things that you would never imagine is because attracting your dream is an inside job. Nobody can truly explain how they were able to get it. They can tell you and show you but your results may be different because it depends on how you believe in the 3 things I mentioned above.

For me, the process was pretty awesome. It’s a story that I will keep in my heart and share to anyone who is willing to listen. Here’s what I did:

1. I wrote in my journal that I want a BMW E46 M3 because it’s a car that I like, the car that I deserve and the car that reminds me of who I am. I followed through by joining a BMW community on Reddit and on BMW Car Club of America to immerse myself with other people who feel the same way
2. Whenever I am in my garage, I use my imagination to envision what it would like to have the M3 right there. I would also go to Pinterest and search for images of M3s in other people’s garage. Just to get that image sink in.
3. I read positive affirmations to remind myself that money is available when it is needed and there is an abundance of it available for me and for everyone in this world. I use the Secret app to help me with this.
4. I determine a number that I am willing to spend for my dream car. This can be any number as long as it feels authentic to you. Then, brainstorm for ways to gather enough money to budget for the cost of the car plus sales tax plus repairs and maintenance. For me, I am grateful that for 15 years I have been investing in stocks that has split twice and gained in value. So I just needed to decide how much I wanted to sell. But if you are just starting up to save, setup an auto transfer from your checking to your savings for the total number of months to save towards that goal. Be patient, it’s worth it.

When I finally found an M3 near my area (I live in a small town in the Midwest where there isn’t much around), I give myself some space to see if this is the right one for me. Simply, I look at the pictures, did some research around the VIN and then meditated on it. I ask for guidance and see how I feel about it. When I was ready, I scheduled a test drive.

What happened for me was something that demonstrated true alignment. I test drove it on a Saturday, told the seller that I will not make a decision until next Saturday and that in between, we would need to setup a Pre Purchase Inspection. I scheduled an inspection appointment for Friday the week after, then I let that dream simmer. On Reddit, I shared the listing, talked to some people who just bought the same one. Received guidance, advice on prices, and most importantly it prepared me for the repair and maintenance to come. Everyone was very supportive and everyone have been there and was willing to help me if I had any questions. I prepared myself financially by budgeting for repairs and I prepared myself mentally by promising to be vulnerable when I don’t know what to do.

I also asked Reddit for a price on the 2002 BMW M3 that I was looking at. I asked this in a group chat to get people to converse and discuss of what they think. $13,500 was the conclusion.

Two days after, on a Monday, the car was sold … to someone else. I lost it. Or so I thought.

Three days later, I got a call from the dealer telling me that the deal fell through and the car is again available. Available for me, just as I intended, to perform an inspection on Friday (and keep the appointment) to then ultimately become mine on Saturday. Again just as it was planned.

Maybe this was a crazy coincidence. Maybe it was also a crazy coincidence that $13,500 was also the price that we finally agreed upon. But I believe that when we are dealing with dreams, we are dealing with forces in nature that may be bigger than ourselves. Everything that you do, and everything that you achieve won’t happen without the help of the universe.

There are no such thing as a dream. Only an unrealized opportunity to own it.

In summary, if you are ready to stop dreaming and start planning for your dream car, here’s what you can do today:

1. Join a community of people that owns the car that you want. Or at least the brand that you are interested in. Try Facebook Groups, Reddit, or do a google search.
2. Do your research. Look at listings online for cars that you want. Find out how much it is being sold for and how much it is being offered for. Ask yourself if you are ready to make the purchase be aware of how you feel when you have it.
3. Set your intention. If you pray, ask for it. If you meditate, think about it. If you journal, write about it. If you don’t do any of these, then consider what you can do to set your true intention. Whatever you do, believe that it’s possible.
4. Wait. Be patient. Sometimes the path reveals itself right away because you are ready for it. Sometimes, the path requires you to get out of your comfort zone to explore other possibilities to make sure you are ready for what you want.
5. Listen. Listen to your heart, listen to what other people say (supportive ones only) and be open to anything and everything that you see. Be willing to explore everything and find your own path.

I wish you best of luck if you are ready to get your own dream car. I also want you to know that I believe that you deserve it. 2020 has been a year of discovery for me. And I am sure this is shared among all of you in this uncertain times. I found out that I hoard money because I am afraid to lose it, I make decisions based on the fear of what other people think and I put myself in the jail cell of lack because I didn’t believe that I deserved to be rich in money, love and attention. Once I realized my own limitation, I was able to see with clarity what was possible. Then and only then, I could make the steps towards making my dream a reality.

As we approach the beginning of 2021, I wish that you also, may be able to attract whatever you dream of into your life.