Her Majesty - Queen Cleopatra!
- VELOCE MOTORSPORTS
- Mar 25, 2020
- 10 min read
I have recently been sharing some of my car experiences and the more I share the more I am realizing that while they are mostly car related or themed, they are actually life stories as well - maybe more so.
A lot of these experiences haven't just brought new horizons, challenges, knowledge and varying degrees of joy and learning opportunities. One of the greatest things from all of this has been meeting some of the most amazing people out there - a ton of which I have developed amazing levels of friendship and brotherly / sisterly love with.
As I write about Cleopatra - this 2000 BMW 750iL - her story really brings this home as my encounter with this car has led me to some of my most cherished friendships ever.
I guess I should start this story by explaining her name as I will be using it throughout the story.
I picked Cleopatra firstly because of the car's combined colours; the midnight Blue with it's royal hue and tone, the interior light tan leather with Blue piping, her chrome accoutrements, etc.
Then, there was the fact that this was pretty much the flagship car of her era, an Individual Optioned, fully loaded, V12 powered BMW 750iL. Thus, Her Majesty - Cleopatra.
This was quite an unexpected yet very rewarding adventure / journey. Without further ado, let's get started with the story.
Once upon a time, June 30, 2011 to be exact, a nutty Bimmerhead journeyed to Napa, CA where he met this amazing 2000 BMW 750iL for the first time. The car had been badly rear ended. The trunk floor was buckled, the trunk was unable to latch anymore. Even the rear doors were pretty jammed from the impact. I remember when I arrived at the shop where it was located, I told them I would call AAA for a tow to get the car home.
The shop owner looked at me with a bemused smile and asked why I didn't want to drive it home. Drive it home? What? Was that a joke? He told me the tail lights were intact and the car ran fine. Just WOW! So..... drive it home I did that day.
Soon after my arrival at the shop, the original owner of the car showed up in no less than a Corvette Z06. H.W. and I hit it off right away. We were both cars guys with a passion. He was just an incredible man, and I am proud and honored to say we became friends from that day forward. It is this incredible vibe with cars that seems to form a bond amongst petrol heads that I can't quite explain.
On a quick side note, H.W and I stayed friends for quite a while and kept in touch, so much so that when I did my US Tour in 2016, I stayed with him and his wife when I stopped in Dallas, TX for a few days.
I had previously driven BMW 7 Series of that era, but never a 750. That M73ITU V12 pulls like a bleeding freight train. And the ride.... oh the ride. It was sublime.
The car was also equipped with BMW's EDC Suspension which could be set in Sport Mode. The fun begins there in a different dimension. She pulls hard with almost no indication of a Red line or speed limiter - well, not unless you get to 155 MPH. It was incredibly smooth. The car was fully loaded with a bunch of other features.
I think this is a good time to share Cleopatra's factory build sheet with you.
VIN long WBAGJ0342YDDXXXXX
Type code GJ03
Type 750lL (USA)
Dev. series E38 (2)
Line 7
Body type LIM
Steering LL
Door count 4
Engine M73ITU
Cubical capacity 5.40
Power 240
Transmision HECK
Gearbox AUT
Colour NACHTBLAU METALLIC (453)
Upholstery LEDER NAPPAIECRUE M.DKL.BLAU (L7EC)
Prod. date 1999-07-06
Order options
No. Description
248 STEERING WHEEL HEATING
307 LT/ALY WHEELS/RADIAL SPOKE 61
345 CHROME LINE INTERIOR
358 CLIMATE COMFORT WINDSCREEN
403 GLAS ROOF, ELECTRIC
438 WOOD TRIM
455 ACTIVE SEAT F DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER
464 SKIBAG
494 SEAT HEATING F DRIVER/FRONT PASSENGER
496 SEAT HEATING FOR REAR SEATS
508 PARK DISTANCE CONTROL (PDC)
521 RAIN SENSOR
609 NAVIGATION SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL
640 CAR TELEPHONE PREPARATION
677 HIFI SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL
818 MAIN BATTERY SWITCH
925 SHIPPING PROTECTION PACKAGE
Series options
202 STEPTRONIC
210 DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL (DSC)
216 SERVOTRONIC
220 SELF-LEVELING SUSPENSION
223 ELECTRONIC DAMPER CONTROL (EDC)
245 STEERING COLUMN ADJUSTMENT ELEC
302 ALARM SYSTEM
319 INTEGRATED UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROL
352 DOUBLE GLAZING
416 SUNBLINDS
431 INTERIOR RR VW MIRROR W AUT ANTI-D
441 SMOKERS PACKAGE
456 COMFORT SEATS, ELECTRIC. ADJUSTABLE
460 COMFORT SEATS RR ELECTRIC. ADJUSTABLE
473 ARMREST, FRONT
502 HEADLIGHT WASHER SYSTEM
522 XENON LIGHT
645 RADIO CONTROL US
672 CD CHANGER BMW FOR 6 CDS
826 EXPORT SUSPENSION SETTINGS
845 ACOUSTIC BELT WARNING
850 ADD FUEL TANK FILLING FOR EXPORT
853 LANGUAGE VERSION ENGLISH
876 RADIO FREQUENCY 315 MHZ
992 NUMBER PLATE ATTACHEMENT MANAGEMENT
One thing I am NOT going to share with you is what this beauty cost me. First, you probably wouldn't believe me and secondly, you'd likely end up hating me😂. So..... moving right along with the story.
So, I got her home safe and sound. The following week, I went about getting her registered, taking her in for a Road Light and Safety Check and get her all legal to be on the road. By June 7, 2011 - she was all done as far as paperwork, registration and all that. This was where her story of resurrection began.
When I went in for the Road and Safety check at Ma's Auto in San Mateo, CA. The owner of the shop - David - asked me what my plans were for the car. I informed him that for now, I was just a happy guy to be able to drive this around and will just drive it as it is for now. Just had to figure out how to properly latch the trunk. I told him that I had checked on repair estimates and one of the lowest so far was in the $9K region. That sadly was not on the plate at the moment, even though I believed this car deserved it.
Here are some close ups of the amount of damage to the car:
David and I chatted for a bit. He informed me he had recently opened up a body shop and if I would be interested, he could repair it for a lot less as a project for the shop - as long as I wasn't in any hurry. The price he quoted was jaw dropping.... BUT, in a very good way. I agreed and so we set a date for me to drop her off.
I dropped her off with Ma's Autobody on July 12th, 2011. The tentative time frame to repair her was 30 days, but we left that window open as there was no time stamp on this project. I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had told David that if all we can do is make the car look presentable, that would be fine by me. Well..... did the guys at Ma's Autobody over deliver or what! Keep reading....
In the first week to two of her being at the shop, they started taking Cleopatra apart. They had to see the full extent of the damage. During that time, I had to start looking for parts as the deal was that I would provide the parts. I had a bit of a cache of E38 parts, but not all I needed. I had a trunk, but no rear bumper. This is where the story takes another interesting turn.
So, through contacts from a forum board, I was offered a parts car which had sustained front end damage. The catch was that it was located in Washington state and I was in San Francisco, CA. Well, what the heck! I was due a vacation and always welcomed an adventure so I agreed to drive up to WA to pick up the donor car. So..... off I go to Mukilteo, WA!
This was my first time that far NW of the United States. The trip was quite the adventure. Along the way, I got to visit friends in Bend and Portland, OR and then in Seattle, WA. Of course, I got the raised eye brows as to my mental state for doing this... LOL! 🤣 When I reached Mukilteo, I met with a young man and his Dad at their shop. Once again, it was instant friendship and bonding. They themselves had quite a few nice projects going.
I was invited to lunch at their place home on the coast of the Pugent Sound - who was I to say no. I cannot tell you enough how beautiful it was out there. The Navy has a base up there and I got to see a Nuclear Submarine go by. Also, it was the first time I had ever seen an American Bald Eagle! Those birds are huge and incredibly majestic. Oh what a day it was.
So, I picked up the donor car from WA and headed back down to CA. I was able to drop the car off by August 3rd at the shop. By now, Cleo (for short) was already on a frame machine and work had begun on her.
I was thrilled to see work had started on Cleo. They were already straightening out her bent rear end and getting to the point they could test fit the replacement trunk. The chap working on the car had about 20 years experience under his belt - he knew his stuff. Keep that in mind as we get to the next phase of this resurrection project.
I visited again the next week and there was more progress on the car. Actually a bit more than I expected, but I was SO not complaining. The rear had been pulled a bit more and things were starting to take shape. During this visit, I was asked if I needed the donor car. I explained that it was strictly a donor car and my plan was to strip it once they got the rear bumper off. They mentioned they might need a few other things from it, that was fine by me.
So....... come August 8th, I dropped by for a visit. I wasn't sure how to react to what I saw!
The donor car's rear was gone! Gone I tell you! Completely removed. I wasn't sure what to think. The shop explained to me that the chap working on the car figured out that not only was it easier and more efficient to just replace the rear clip, it would make for better and stronger repairs and save them needless hours trying to "pull" the rear. My response? "Okay" with a complete look of confusion on my face.🙄 It would all make sense later though.
Basically - yeah right - they had removed the rear clip from the donor car and done the same thing with Cleopatra's damaged rear clip - it had been cut out too.
Essentially, Cleopatra was getting rebuilt - from the rear end anyway. The rear clip was being replaced, right on the original factory welds. I remember someone commenting on the quality of the work and how strong it would as it was being hand welded.
I was about August 9th or 10th I paid another visit to Ma's. They were moving along at a nice pace I have to tell you. On this visit, they had made tremendous progress on the car. The Passenger side rear door now opened and closed with no binding at all. They were able to pull the rear quarter panel area out and they are now checking it for proper alignment and such. it was impressive.
Things were looking up for Cleopatra, I was thrilled to see all the work going on with the car. It was quite a joy to see a maestro at work. I was able to visit the shop again about a week and a half later. As usual, I was so so thrilled to seeing continuing progress on the car.
At the point of this visit, the replacement rear floor clip was of course already in place and they were now at the stage of finessing the body work on Cleopatra.
Mid August came by quickly, and Cleopatra had to be put aside for a moment as they had other projects to do. Sad, but understandable. I wasn't in a rush, just thrilled to see the on-going transformation of this car. It really was amazing thing to behold!
They had made a huge amount of progress on the car, to the point where she was now off the rack and just about ready to be prepped for paint work - sans bondo, sanding and all that.
I was able to visit Ma's Autobody again around the end of August. To my delight, Cleo was now getting prepped for her paint. My My! How far we had come in this transformation.
It was about another whole month before there was more progress on Cleopatra. I dropped by the shop around the 29th of September - still 2011 of course. I was a bit worried when I didn't see Cleo in the last spot I'd seen her. Well..... I shouldn't have worried. The reason she wasn't out in her spot is because they were getting her ready for paint! It was a big day for this Girl I tell you!
In fact, by the time I got there... the had already painted some of her parts like the bumper, side skirts, and some trim pieces.
By October 1st, Cleopatra was wearing her new paint. I can't tell you how incredibly happy I was at the sight of this car. It was quite a transformation from when I first acquired it back in June.
Fast forward - just a lil bit - we are now in October and she is finally being put back together, going through final stages. Re-assembly, waxing and polishing, sanding and all that good stuff. The end of the road was in sight. Oh Boy! I couldn't wait to see her back together again!
October 13th, 2011. That was the day! That was the day Cleopatra came out of surgery and recovery. That was the day she moved - completely re-assembled and under her own power. That was a day that I think I achieved a perma-grin / smile quite literally from ear to ear. That was the day I freaked out a bunch of auto body shop guys with hugs and smiles. What A Day!
Finally coming out into the light! YAY!
Off she went to the Spa for a lil TLC!
What an adventure! What a journey! What a transformation! My sincere gratitude to Ma's Autobody Repairs.
If you'd like to contact them, here is their link: https://www.masautorepair.com/
Well, I guess I should now share images of Cleopatra after her transformation right? 😊
Is this where the story ends? Oh no... not at all. As I mentioned at the start, this journey, this story showed me that while I was writing about cars and my experiences with them, there was a human side to all this that cannot be overlooked. What was it I said again? A life story.
I enjoyed owning and driving Cleopatra for a while. After she was repaired, I actually took her to visit with her former owner H.W, and his Wife. We took her out for lunch and got to hang out.
Eventually, Cleopatra ended up in the hands of another incredible enthusiast - J.P. Him and his family are now life time friends and extended family to me. And to think we all met because of this car - Cleopatra. J.P was kind enough to keep her name after he took ownership of her.
We have remained friends for quite a number years and I am indebted to him in many ways. Through the years of his ownership, we have shared even more adventures together with Cleopatra. From attending shows to weekends working on the car - and some of those weekends are a story in themselves! In our time of friendship, J.P. has come to stay at my place, I have stayed at his place. We have cheered each other with drinks, barbequed and cooked together. I have watched his kids grow and watched a your S.P learn to drive with Cleopatra and went on to take ownership of her. Imagine that, all this because of a car.
I hope you had fun reading all this - thank you if you made it this far. Hopefully you too have stories similar to this that give you fond memories, and a huge smile.
Here is Cleopatra as she looks nowadays ..... 😍😍
The End..... For Now!
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