Willkommen : The BMW automobiles of the cast and friends of Hardtuned.

Bill's Current 3 series "lemonade"

failures include - master cylinder, multiple warning lights, traction control and more.

Serg's E36 M3

Commentary by Serg '98 Four Door M3. Cold air intake, X brace and checkout the red calipers. Serg sold the M3 and moved on to Land Rovers. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . ..

I picked up my cherry '98 arctic silver M3/4 on Thursday November 20th. It needed tires so I called around. One place in Los Gatos, CA (which at this point shall remain nameless) quoted me $580 mounted and balanced, with roadhazard warranty, on 4 Yokohama AVS ES100's (225 front and 245 rear). They were not the cheapest but I had em do some flat repair in the past and it was all good. So I go there Friday (Nov 21st) and have em do the tires. They tell me that their regular tire mounter is busted, but they have another one. I ask them "Will it damage my wheels?" They tell me "No, it won't"... I then wait around and watch em mount my tires.. the tire "mechanic" is having a hard time on 2 of my wheels. He is literally beating the old tire on the wheel with the machine... I am not happy... Anyhow long story short, they manage to gouge 2 of my wheels. I had the car less than 24 hours at this point and it was alrady damaged! AAAAGGHHHH!!!! So they tell me that they will fix the 2 wheels. I call back and their solution is to come by, drop off a wheel and come back the next day to swap the wheel back on and give em the other one (all along using my spare). OR.. they tell me I could leave the car there for 2 days and they will get it done.. um, you damaged 2 of my wheels and you want me to leave the WHOLE car with you for 2 days? I don't think so!! I tell them that I expect a partial refund and they said ok. So last Sunday the 30th I drop off the 2 wheels. My ends up in my girlfriends garage with my spare on the front and the spare from her 2000 323i on the rear. She graciously loanes me her SUV.. again.. (Thanks Jean!!) Well I get a call on Tuesday that the wheels are in. Then he tells me that the shop that was refinishing them missed a nick. AAAARGGHH.... So they send em back and I am still waiting... Yesterday at 2pm I am told the wheels have arrived and I can pick them up in the afternoon! Oh boy! I want my car to be driveable again! Please! I was happy to hear that... then at 4:50 I get a call from them and the voice on the other end is real quiet... I can tell something is wrong.. I say "Now what's wrong??!!" ... He tells me that the paint was not quite dry and their "touchless" tire mounter scratched 1 wheel. AAARRGGHHH... Angry does not describe it! I never yell at them or call them names, but I am SOOOOOO pi$$ed off! So I go down there to pick up the one good wheel (so they have less to damage) and I am shown them and BOTH are now scratched lightly.. (however the finish looks very very good!!) So I am told they will be ready today or Friday at the latest. I call today and am told they will be ready tomorrow as they want the wheels to cure a little more so they don't scratch em again.. ok fine.. I tell em I want the partial refund. The manager says "ow much are you expecting?" I tell em I want half my money back ($290) and he says "And that will do what for you?" ????? what the @#$*?! I tell em they have had the wheels for 5 days now, my car is out of comission and I had to borrow transportation! I can't believe this... Anyhow they agree to give me 1/2 my money back when I pick up the wheels. So now my car has been beached LONGER than I have owned it, as I won't be driving it till saturday morn when I put the wheels on.. I just PRAY they don't scratch em again! This is NOT the way I want to start my long awaited M3/4 ownership! I just HOPE I have my car back together this weekend so I can drive it!

serg 535is:

Serg's transportation until summer of 2003. Features: Dinan, lower gearing, bigger brakes, AVS Sports, intake, B&B Triflow exhaust, Its had the beat inside, and tint.

Bill 1990 E30 M3
	17" motorsport wheels, springs, shocks, bars, msd ignition, DTM exhaust and more! Juan Montoya drives an E30M3!
sold 4/5/02

1978 BMW 530i. Serg. Bad 2nd gear and questionable starter.

1978 BMW 320i. First Serg BMW. New paint. Burned a bit of oil.

In my opinion, the bestcompany car of SG. AVS Sports. 70k miles in 2 years.

company car of SG, following the M3. 540i Sport 6 speed.

Bill's E46 Dealership Story 12/2003

"BMW of San Diego = Certified A**holes!" I went in and attempted to do the deal over the weekend for a 325i, and learned that my sales rep at BMW of San Diego and his "sales manager" are both lying a**holes. Bottom line is that they were typical used-car sleazebags who just happened to somehow end up selling BMWs. Basically the sales rep did not listen -- when I told him BEFORE coming in exactly the deal that I would be willing to do (including my trade, drive-off, monthly, etc.), he assured me that it would be no problem and they were "dealing" on the cars, etc. Well, I go in prepared to buy, and he wastes two hours of my time (and my wife's) and his sales manager comes back a deal more than TWICE as expensive as what we talked about before I agreed to come in. I guess they thought they could try to roll me and I would bend over -- whatever. At that point, we walked. So clearly United Auto/Penske has no standards when it comes to the people they hire, and I will never do business with BMW of San Diego! I would encourage others who value an honest business transaction to avoid them as well. Car salesmen liars? Who would have thunk it? And ironically enough, my wife and I wandered over to the Mercedes dealer next door, and we can do WAY better on a new C-Class than on a used E46.