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

[Farbin Kaiber]

ouch. ^^^ brought DDM Tuning ITT.

[Epinephrine]

I stopped working on the e30 in 1998 (last Zen e30 was in '97) and started again just a couple of years ago (I dunno what I was thinking) but it may be time to move on.

You need to pass some of that "zen" you are smoking if you think you are going to get some sort of recognition or satisfaction (or even more funny, make a living) while making parts for E30's.

Just wait until DDM moves into the E30 market and rips off the designs for the parts you developed, and sells them for 1/5th the price. That should push your sarcasm level off the charts.

[BMWLA]

not here to defend but i think if you read his original post it would not be a suprise that you have not heard from or about him he said he quit the e30 scene like 10 years ago then came back.

I met dan in pomona at a track meet and was put off because he is a bit abrasive but he is a decent strait up guy i have come to find since the techs here know him and say hes the guy

[mikeedler]

I was the guy at end of the assembly line installing the window cranks...

The BMW evo seals are actually $5.95 at the dealer (just ask they keep a set under the counter) and they never cause difficult hood closure when they harden...

The rear brace is totally unnecessary and a $2.95 roll of bailing wire would do the trick even better...

We just do it all because we need the TIG welding practice...

well, since you want to come off as the ass-- fine! be it.

I work at a dealer over here and didnt find the new seals on my M last year all that expensive? and no, we dont have them under the counter, but I can get them in within 8 hours of ordering them if I want.-- and the set that was on my car before the paint never seemed to make it any harder to close the hood????

I was asking what you did at BMW AG just out of curiousity-- not a single person I have met over here in the last 14 years here (American) has worked for BMW-- just find it interesting that others were/are here and are interested in working for BMW-but whatever

I was never insulting you or your intelligence BTW

Its just that in the last almost 4 years on this site, I have never heard from, of or about you. Now you are here as the god of all of our questions-- and please don't forget, you know more than anyone out there

[DCColegrove]

You left out a few things why is that? i know its not because your bashful

Oh yeah...

I almost forgot...

I was an instructor for BMWs grease monkeys for a bit...

Then

I walked on water, raised Lazarus from the dead and hosed Mother Theresa...

[BMWLA]

(John isn't really stubborn and ornery he's just from another planet)

Okay... once again...

My early back ground was in aviation as a pilot and A&P mechanic. I was on the crew for a few pylon racers.

I also raced GTs... Datsun 510s... and had a shop "East Side Garage" in Saticoy, California where I fucked around building 510s and Zs for the track.

At BMW AG in the mid 80's I basically did destructive testing, then latter for BMW NA I did some technical writing and tech. rep. (this was near the end of my drinking career).

I then worked in several dealers as a tech the last one being Hal Watkins BMW... now Steve Thomas BMW (end of my drinking career...Apparently I beat up the general manager in a black out).

Since 1991 I have worked at B&C foreign car as a BMW tech and tuned under the name Entwicklung (evolution) Zen... I also do some out side consulting and sometimes work with Dan Marx (another tuner).

Maried 20 years to 3 different women (one while I was drunk sober for the last two)... 4 kids.

Education:

HS drop out with a GED and CHSP at 15...

AA in Photography / Photojournalism and AS Degree in Automotive Industrial Tech. Ventura, College...

In and out of the Navy in less than 12 weeks...

BA in General ED then a Masters in Psycologey from UCSB.

And I Surf...

You left out a few things why is that? i know its not because your bashful

[DCColegrove]

And Again

he asked a legitimate question. you talk a lot about working for BMW and some of us would like to know. it may strengthen your position as far as credibility. i know mason is a talented skilled stubborn ornery craftsman but i dont know shit about you. not dogging you, just curious.

(John isn't really stubborn and ornery he's just from another planet)

Okay... once again...

My early back ground was in aviation as a pilot and A&P mechanic. I was on the crew for a few pylon racers.

I also raced GTs... Datsun 510s... and had a shop "East Side Garage" in Saticoy, California where I fucked around building 510s and Zs for the track.

At BMW AG in the mid 80's I basically did destructive testing, then latter for BMW NA I did some technical writing and tech. rep. (this was near the end of my drinking career).

I then worked in several dealers as a tech the last one being Hal Watkins BMW... now Steve Thomas BMW (end of my drinking career...Apparently I beat up the general manager in a black out).

Since 1991 I have worked at B&C foreign car as a BMW tech and tuned under the name Entwicklung (evolution) Zen... I also do some out side consulting and sometimes work with Dan Marx (another tuner).

Maried 20 years to 3 different women (one while I was drunk sober for the last two)... 4 kids.

Education:

HS drop out with a GED and CHSP at 15...

AA in Photography / Photojournalism and AS Degree in Automotive Industrial Tech. Ventura, College...

In and out of the Navy in less than 12 weeks...

BA in General ED then a Masters in Psycologey from UCSB.

And I Surf...

I admire your design, but your game planning needs some work. If you truly thought that the average R3V buyer was going to jump at the chance to buy a $450 rear strut brace to put on their $1500 car instead of doing suspension, wheels or something else to it, you're delusional. Look through your development thread and you'll see the average age of someone who "wants one" is about 18 and is not very likely to ever pull the trigger on one.

There's a small market for a product like this as it is. I am part of your target demographic, but I still haven't seen anything to convince me that it's worth buying at all. Is it legal for specE30 or Pro3? How much does it stiffen the chassis? Who was your target buyer when you decided to build this? Why should I buy one for our track car?



Tim

I built it for me and I love what it does...

I don't know if it's e30 spec or pro3 legal...

It is built to keep the chassis from blowing apart... after,,, not as an alternative,,, to susspension and power-train upgrades.

[VacMan]

I admire your design, but your game planning needs some work. If you truly thought that the average R3V buyer was going to jump at the chance to buy a $450 rear strut brace to put on their $1500 car instead of doing suspension, wheels or something else to it, you're delusional. Look through your development thread and you'll see the average age of someone who "wants one" is about 18 and is not very likely to ever pull the trigger on one.

There's a small market for a product like this as it is. I am part of your target demographic, but I still haven't seen anything to convince me that it's worth buying at all. Is it legal for specE30 or Pro3? How much does it stiffen the chassis? Who was your target buyer when you decided to build this? Why should I buy one for our track car?

Tim

[blunttech]

he asked a legitimate question. you talk a lot about working for BMW and some of us would like to know. it may strengthen your position as far as credibility. i know mason is a talented skilled stubborn ornery craftsman but i dont know shit about you. not dogging you, just curious.

[DCColegrove]

LMAO, What a nice way of telling 2500 people to fuck off. LOL, priceless.

Not really, telling anyone to fuck off it just gets a little old explaining things over and over and over....

[E30Idea]

LMAO, What a nice way of telling 2500 people to fuck off. LOL, priceless.

[DCColegrove]

so, what exactly did you do for BMW AG?

and for the most part you are reinventing the wheel. hood seals that are "chinese quality" for almost the same price as the german ones?
a strut brace that isnt going to stop the rear ear really from pulling out of the subframe mounting point anyway- for over 400 dollars?- wouldnt 2 bolts with large washers do the same trick for under $5.00 and is there really any side stress put onto the shock mounting towers?

I have owned atleast 30 E30s here in Germany that require yearly to 2 year inspections and have never come across such a problem-- or heard a German friend mention it( I am not trying to say it doesnt happen)-- but is it really a problem that needs to be dealt with?-- BTW- I drive all of my cars pretty hard too.
I really dont see why I would need the parts you are "engineering" -- and I am not really trying to knock you- just asking for a reason behind these parts.

I was the guy at end of the assembly line installing the window cranks...

The BMW evo seals are actually $5.95 at the dealer (just ask they keep a set under the counter) and they never cause difficult hood closure when they harden...

The rear brace is totally unnecessary and a $2.95 roll of bailing wire would do the trick even better...

We just do it all because we need the TIG welding practice...

[mikeedler]

so, what exactly did you do for BMW AG?

and for the most part you are reinventing the wheel. hood seals that are "chinese quality" for almost the same price as the german ones?
a strut brace that isnt going to stop the rear ear really from pulling out of the subframe mounting point anyway- for over 400 dollars?- wouldnt 2 bolts with large washers do the same trick for under $5.00 and is there really any side stress put onto the shock mounting towers?

I have owned atleast 30 E30s here in Germany that require yearly to 2 year inspections and have never come across such a problem-- or heard a German friend mention it( I am not trying to say it doesnt happen)-- but is it really a problem that needs to be dealt with?-- BTW- I drive all of my cars pretty hard too.
I really dont see why I would need the parts you are "engineering" -- and I am not really trying to knock you- just asking for a reason behind these parts.

[Wishno87]

Will you continue selling the parts you have already developed? I need a front cross brace sometime.

[z31maniac]

The fact is that an E30 is a low dollar car nowadays. You can get a clean 325is for 4k.

A clean well-sorted one. I paid $4200 for mine and it has SSR's, GC track kit, Sparco Milano seat (that I was able to sell for $800), Sparco bar, Eibach sways, ZImmerman Rotors, DINAN chip, etc etc etc.

Needed a few maintenance items and some very minor rust, but I'm super happy with my purchase.