E30 R&D... I need my head examined...

[DCColegrove]

Oh sure they need to have their cars fixed, and the occasional enthusiast will dump loads of cash on his M3, but I find BMW owners to be really cheap. But we're talking about two different groups I suppose.

Yes, I have found though that my customer base at the shop (B&C) has been pretty well trained... I take care of their car... It doesn't break and leave them stranded.

Most of the big time spending on the old e30s are guys in their early to late 40's that have them as weekend cars or garage decorations to compliment the 740il or new 550i they drive to the office....These guys wouldn't be caught dead in here.

Edit: Over the course of the day It has come to my attention that I have more detractors here than I had once thought... Come on guys.. Step up and cut from the front...you really don't know (the proverbial) jack shit.

[eric (^__^)]

Oh sure they need to have their cars fixed, and the occasional enthusiast will dump loads of cash on his M3, but I find BMW owners to be really cheap. But we're talking about two different groups I suppose.

[kishg]

And this my friend is whats wrong with America.

well said.

[der affe]

good god i was under charging!!!!!
i just used to go by the going rate a while ago. $400 for Port clean up, gasket match intake and exhaust, $150-$225 for chamber clean up, de shrouding valves and CC'ing, $150 to match intake mani W/O cut and welding.

i still made them get the head rebuilt after i disassembled it. i never got into grinding the seats/valves, installing bigger valves ETC. i hated setting up spring heights, so i usually outsourced that to the rebuilder too.

these were on Chevy's, Fords, and VW's though. never messed with a BMW.....YET.

[DCColegrove]

I can't imagine trying to make a penny off of BMW drivers.

Not old e30s anyway...

But I've been Servicing and Repairing BMWs for a living and doing well enough so far...

[DCColegrove]

it is not so much as a compete situation, than something you could offer. (if you can bend and notch it yourself). if someone wants a quality cage from a person who is in the BMW aftermarket industry, and they are willing to pony up, it will cost you $X and 3 weeks for delivery.

you already have a standard-ish pattern you go off of to start with each car you build right?

you could offer reworked heads, but cores are a hassle and not many want to pony up the $400 ish for the work, no matter what the gains.

I don't do the cages in house... I do have the paterns and templates though in Solid.

and Dude... I build heads, matched cams (by Dan Marx) and ported intakes to match out of B&C to the tune of about $3500 a pop.

[eric (^__^)]

I can't imagine trying to make a penny off of BMW drivers.

[der affe]

it is not so much as a compete situation, than something you could offer. (if you can bend and notch it yourself). if someone wants a quality cage from a person who is in the BMW aftermarket industry, and they are willing to pony up, it will cost you $X and 3 weeks for delivery.

you already have a standard-ish pattern you go off of to start with each car you build right?

you could offer reworked heads, but cores are a hassle and not many want to pony up the $400 ish for the work, no matter what the gains.

[DCColegrove]

do a "weld together" bolt down roll cage. the liabilities are far easier that way. that is how frameworks did it. everything prefitted and notched. they just bent them as they were ordered/needed. the instructions suggested (strongly) that it be installed/welded by a certified welder

Just no way to compete on that... I'll just continue to have them built in the cars I do myself.

[der affe]

do a "weld together" bolt down roll cage. the liabilities are far easier that way. that is how frameworks did it. everything prefitted and notched. they just bent them as they were ordered/needed. the instructions suggested (strongly) that it be installed/welded by a certified welder

[Stephen]

hmm, what to make. theres gotta be somethin that noone makes, yet theres a high demand for.

Not something youd be interested in, but someone should make startec knock offs. ~100 a a pair for the lenses, id think theyd sell like crazy.

At least id buy one.

[DCColegrove]

probably H&R, but i am not sure.
they came with the car. no real complaints with them.
i am going to get a spare pair of front strut housings and prep them for coil overs, so that would be the time to change it if it was worth it on a street (hard driven though) car

H&R is the top of the line (best shit ever) when it comes to spring steel.

There is no moving into that market and improving on anything.

[der affe]

probably H&R, but i am not sure.
they came with the car. no real complaints with them.
i am going to get a spare pair of front strut housings and prep them for coil overs, so that would be the time to change it if it was worth it on a street (hard driven though) car

[DCColegrove]

Mounting the links higher up on the strut is the prefered way to get better reaction out of them.

Do you know who makes them for Racing Dynamics?

[der affe]

speaking of sway bars........
i have the green RD sways on my car front and rear.
how does the RD front compare to a stock M-3 mounting on the struts?

same difference on a street car?