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I finally got the car back together as a roller in March 2016 and this is where it gets good. I knew at this rate it was going to take me 5 years to put the car back together and I wanted someone trustworthy to just put parts back on the car and get it completed. A local guy was recommended to me but I was cautioned to be very diligent setting expectations with him from the get-go because he could go down a rabbit hole and bill hours. All three of his references (which I talked to) warned me about this. But otherwise his references said his work was high quality and knew his stuff. He and I agreed on a game plan whereby the car was not destined for Pebble Beach, but rather I needed someone to put the car back together for me using the boxes of parts I had. He estimated the project at around 100 hours without any changes but it would be time and materials. I agreed on the 100 hours and that I could afford that if I spread it out over a few months.

He came and took the car and he had other projects ahead of mine. I provided an infusion of cash up front per his requirements to start the job. About 6 weeks after getting my car things got started. I received some pics of the car in his shop, but no status on work or project. I requested updates on the work progressing and I got sporadic replies like “sorting out the wiring harness” and “working on the exhaust design”. I also asked for updates on billed hours against the money I provided, and stupidly had some cash available so I sent more before I spent it on something else. The weeks dragged on and I would have to call multiple times and send emails to get a reply. It was always apologetic for not getting back to me, but would tell me they were working on the car. After I heard “sorting out the wiring harness” for the 3rd time in an update, I got upset and demanded an account of activities. This one dim photo and about 4 others of my parts were all I had to show the car was in his shop at this point, and nothing really showing that work was getting done.

The report I received showed 47 hours billed to the project and the engine wasn’t even in the car, interior wasn’t in, trunk wasn’t completed. In fact not much of anything had been done but they did discover the reason I had a persistent oil leak all these years after my engine rebuild in 2005. The upper timing chain cover had a crack where the distributor mounts. The breakdown of the hours on the project included 4 hours to unload my car and the boxes from the truck and trailer, over 5 hours “designing” a custom exhaust, time spent ordering parts from BMW and looking through realoem, over 12 hours media blasting, painting, and reassembling the front subframe and suspension. I was told this work included the front steering knuckles and strut housings but that was not true. Just media blasting and pressure washing the front subframe was 7 hours.

I called a halt and time out to the project and was extremely angry. 3 months had gone by and despite persistent attempts to communicate and get status updates, I got one update in a big chunk that showed they had been pissing away the money I fronted them with nothing to show for it. I told them I wanted the drivetrain in the car with no further hours billed to me, and then we would re-assess. I was told in no uncertain terms to come get the car and all my parts on my dime or start getting storage fees assessed. I just wanted to get through this uncomfortable fiasco without any further heartburn and he said he’d refund the remaining balance (about $900) in my account when I got the car. A few weeks later when I was able to arrange a Uhaul trailer rental and get my wife’s Sequoia, I drove the hour and a half there early Saturday morning by myself and retrieved the car. I found it filthy and most of my parts stacked in the car and around the shop. The motor was in the car, but no drivetrain as I had asked. Whatever. Fuck this, and fuck you Larry and Jenny.

Here I am on the way back home with my baby safe, trying not to let the anger consume me. The Sequoia is loaded with boxes of parts and misc, I think I got everything, but haven’t gone through it all. The car is full of stuff too, including the trunk. (edit: I didn’t get everything, I didn’t get the original exhaust which while I wasn’t going to re-use it, would have proved very helpful later as you’ll see.)

The car has been in the garage safe now, but no progress especially as I recover from my biking accident. I’m supposed to meet a guy next week that came recommended and he’ll come to the car with his tools and work on it over the winter. He works on a BMW race team as their mechanic and has a very reasonable hourly rate. We’ll see if I get a good feeling about him, but apparently I suck at checking references and trusting people.  The original goal was to have the car done sometime in late 2016 but that ain’t happen’ now. Met the guy who is interested in reassembling the car for me. He stopped by my house to see it and talk through what needs doing. He’ll be much closer to track progress for myself in person and quoted a very reasonable labor rate. This could be workable… he is a mechanic for one of the Continental Tire IMSA teams running a BMW. I’ll post updates when he and I get the car to the garage he’ll be working in over the winter.

I took on some minor stuff to feel satisfaction at making progress. Attached the rear spoiler, trunk lid toolkit (mostly empty unfortunately), trunk interior panels, and Hirschmann antenna mount. I also ordered a bunch of misc parts and shit that totaled to an exhorbitant sum. The hood vents up near the windshield use little clips, 8 of them, that are $5 each. Mine are rusted and cruddy so what the hell. That’s just one example of bmw’s vintage parts gouging, but for some things like new C pillar vents, they are nla so I’m screwed.