Bay Area Resources

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YBNormal

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Suggestions for body and mechanical sources to build a decent DRIVER - I will be in the area shortly on other business.

Money Tree is no longer on life support, but $16K concours paint job or $10K leather interior are not on the menu (blue velour great shape).
 
Many of the folks I've dealt with in the Bay Area are perfectionists when it comes to these cars (which is great for me but sounds like it is not your approach).

Two good people to talk to are Dave at Ottowerks who built my car and has owned one since the 80s himself, and Don Lawrence (SFDon) who is extremely knowledgeable (and will probably pop onto this thread). I've also heard good things about Phaedrus on the maintenance side but I don't think they are builders and haven't tried them myself.

On bodywork/paint, my budget was $10k and I spent over $20k due to rust issues. I wouldn't personally put a lot of dollars into mechanicals even to make a driver that was not fairly sound, and once you have something partially apart it is difficult to put it back together without fixing what you can see. That said, Will at Will's Auto Body on Geary has worked on a number of european cars in the 60s/70s vintage and did great work for me.

Good luck and keep us posted on progress.

-John
 
Thanks, John - the Usual Suspects I talked to are also in the "perfectionist" category, which I understand from a business perspective. There are a few places locally but none with the resources near S.F. and L.A.

On another front, there is a vehicle change on my signature. The 330i was sold to none other than Sunnyvale Motorcars, the consignment lot that made the front page a year ago when they loaded up the remaining stock and vanished! I was a victim (car sold, not paid) but compensated in full by the DMV Recovery Fund.

Never would have consigned a car but for a good friend who went with them and was paid - he may have been one of the last before they quit paying and stonewalled everyone. They rolled up the lot around Dec. 1 last year and bailed....but they're all in jail now.
 
I just searched for Sunnyvale Motorcars... wow. The Yelp reviews just say it all. Google street view still has a photo of the full lot. I grew up nearby and worked at the Home Despot down the road (assuming its still there) when I was in high school. Glad to hear you got your money!
Oh, sorry, I can't help you out with your question since I moved out of the area decades ago. But, why the bay area? Unless my memories of driving down the coast are failing me, you are near SLO - wouldn't there be more shops to the south?
 
NorCal resources

I am looking for mechanical and body work, interior doesn't need much save for carpets and switches, some of which I can do. I am familiar with the SoCal shops but want to look at other options.

I signed up for the Cadillac driving event at Sears Point on Dec. 4th, a good opportunity to check things out in the area. We lived in San Jose for 25 years, still have friends and do business there.

The Central Coast is literally and figuratively the Mason-Dixon line of CA - UPS Ground arrives next day in Los Angeles from Santa Maria or to the Bay Area from San Luis Obispo, very handy.

S'vale Motorcars - the Yelp ratings were as expected for a used car lot when I checked before dealing with them. Nearly all the complaints were the usual ones from buyers with a sprinkling of idiots - "Gee, they didn't tell me I had to keep making my payments(!)". But in October things went downhill fast, many of us not paid for sold cars. Those who lived nearby and pursued them aggressively did get checks, all NSF. One individual who received several bad checks was told "we'll overnight a cashiers check" only to receive an empty FedEx envelope! Law enforcement did not want to get involved (civil matter) until much too late - several locals tried in vain to get them to intercede. I tried at the county level only to complete the "circular tri-fecta" and be referred back to where I started.

But it all ended well for most of us - the DMV Recovery Fund is not widely know was established for cases exactly like this.
 
When I lived in Monterey I had some work done on my 74' Chamonix (never should have sold that one) at Classic Coachworks. They were very good and despite not being a BMW specialty shop, knew coupes extremely well. But...they are expensive, just goes with the zip code.

I know he is further from you, but you can't beat Don Lawrence in SF. I had a auto to 5spd swap done on the chamonix and a MS II and engine on another coupe done by him; top notch work at a reasonable rate.
 
Its a start

Thanks for the suggestions - I had a great talk with SFDon who really helped me sort things out. I'll get the 3.0 lump running and drive it til it drops, then replace with an M30B35. Meanwhile I'll see what other needs I can accomplish with help from local sources.

Nothing wrong with the body that a few pounds of Bondo and 2 cases of Rustoleum won't fix......KIDDING!!
 
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