The Journey of 2,000 miles…

David's Download: When a 13, 16, and 18 year old finish building a car, there’s only one way to celebrate: hit the road. Our destination? San Juan Island—the northern tip of Washington—for some whale watching. But first, there were many late-night sessions at Bill’s garage (with Bill kindly supervising, even while recovering from a serious injury) to get the 1989 E30 road-ready after sitting for nearly a decade.

The car made it—no tow trucks needed. Just a few roadside fixes and a lot of teamwork. We took the coast up, stopping at places like the Avenue of the Giants and Tillamook, Oregon and the inland route home through Bend, Oregon. Along the way, I was super impressed with how the boys and I pulled together to ensure that the journey went smoothly - at times with Liam and Isaac finding and navigating us to service shops and our limping the car in just minutes before closing time, including once on a Friday night.

Liam’s View: We kicked things off crossing the Golden Gate in perfect weather, chasing sapphire waters and coastal winds. Along the way, we stopped for oysters, tackled some mystery vibrations, and eventually made it to the island where there were pinball games, pizza, and cats; I even got to drive around the island in a manual truck before helping on the way home. Yeah, and we even stopped at McDonald’s (yuck - don’t judge).

Highlight for me: watching four orcas surface in a quiet cove.

Driving through Oregon.

Isaac’s Take: Rebuilding the e30 with my Dad and brother was already fun, but taking it on the road made it unforgettable. Once the car was (mostly) running, we aimed it toward San Juan Island in Washington. After late nights in Bill’s garage, tightening bolts and using hydraulic presses, the car actually made it—no tow trucks, just a few surprise pit stops. Driving through redwoods, over mountain passes, and along the coast felt surreal in a car we’d brought back to life. I helped navigate and find shops, but the best parts were watching orcas in the bay, touring a marine lab, and sharing an epic guys trip.

Epic final sunset in Bend, Oregon over the river where we stayed.

This was a journey of a lifetime for us. If you’re a parent thinking about tackling a big car project with your kids—do it. Build something. Drive it somewhere wild. The journey is the reward.

We are grateful not only for the friends who helped get us on the road, but also the new friends we met along the way who kept us on the road. And our trip would not have been as special without our friend and gracious host, Carolyn, who made us homemade bagels and granola, opened up the marine center for a private behind-the-scenes tour, and treated us like family in her breathtaking home(s) on San Juan Island.