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      06-28-2012, 09:17 PM   #1
cobradoc
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New Owner Intro, Engine Failures, and a DFW Shop Recommendation

All I can say is "Wow!". I just drove back from Dallas to Houston after picking up a 2006 Sapphire Black Z4M coupe. I've owned an Audi TT, Porsche Boxster, Honda S2000, Lotus Elise, Porsche Cayman S, and most recently a 997 S, but I have to say I REALLY enjoyed that drive today. I can't really say which car I've loved best, but I can tell you the Z4M combines the visceral rawness of the Elise and the comfort of the Cayman S quite well. The high revving nature of the S54 also reminded me of the S2000 except that the S54 has some really nice grunt down low. (Anyone who's owned a S2000 knows you have to drive it like you hate it to squeeze out any power from the F20C.)

In the last 6 months, I've lost out on 3 great deals on Z4M's because I was too slow. I've also traveled to see a few that weren't in great shape or had compromises I couldn't accept for the price. When I saw this one so close I put a deposit on it immediately. It had extended leather, navigation, the upgraded sound system, heated seats; it was virtually fully loaded. The price seemed too good to be true too......


oA_800 by wtavee, on Flickr

And of course it was to good to be true, but through no fault of the dealership. More on that in a bit. Before I came down, I combed through every online BMW forum to scout out independent BMW shops in Dallas to perform a PPI. I stumbled on one named Clownshoe Motorsports operated by a guy named BJ Myers. (He goes by the username "loftygoals" on the bimmerforums) He posts quite a bit over there and seemed quite knowledgeable about the S54. He's built countless engines and done some crazy transplants too. Also, he named his shop after the car he races, a 2002 Z3 M coupe. How could I not go to him? Anyway, he did an incredibly thorough PPI including engine compression testing for a very fair price. BJ kept me updated throughout the process with multiple calls and emails. The car seemed to be in great physical and mechanical shape except for a small leak around the constant pressure valve and the fact that it had yet to undergo inspection II, which I already suspected anyway. I thought I was getting away with an incredible deal until he got to the VANOS.


photo by wtavee, on Flickr


photo2 by wtavee, on Flickr

All of you S54 experts and former E46 diehards probably know what’s in the above picture. Turns out I had the dreaded exhaust cam hub failure. For those of you who don’t know, this is a problem described in great detail on any of the E46 forums. Actual frequency of failure is anyone’s guess, but I only saw one or two mentions on this forum. I’m not sure if it’s because we don’t have the overall average mileage that the E46’s have or if the part was strengthened in the Z, (Although, the part number is still the same) but I was lucky enough to be a victim. Thankfully, the broken tab was wedged in there so we didn’t have to go looking for it and I still had one tab intact. I’ve read you can have catastrophic engine failure if both fail.

Anyway, this is where BJ’s shop really shined. He knew I only had two days in town, so he overnighted the part from BMW ($900!!!). He replaced the hub, adjusted the valves, serviced the VANOS, replaced the leaking constant pressure valve, removed the CDV, changed the oil, filter, and plugs, bled the clutch, and performed some preventative maintenance in the form of updated VANOS bolts – all in one day so that he could get me out of town this morning. He sent me an email in the middle of the night at 12:30 AM saying that he just finished up a test drive and that everything looked great. That, my friends, is service. On top of the excellent work, BJ’s a really nice guy too who is truly passionate about cars and the S54 in particular. He almost got misty eyed talking about it. He’s got a great shop (with a bar) and all kinds of BMW’s getting some serious performance work done in there. I rarely take the time to write an endorsement, but then again, I rarely have a customer experience like that. I just wish his shop was a little closer to Houston. Including the cost of the hub, BJ was VERY fair with his pricing and was probably on the low end of the pricing spectrum of good independent mechanics. I don't know how long that'll last though considering that he just opened up his shop a year ago and he's been getting busier and busier.

In the end, the Z wasn't the steal I thought it was in the beginning, but I still thought it was a fair deal including the cost of the work that it needed, so I went ahead and purchased it. I have no doubt that the dealership was not aware of the problem as the car drove fine and wasn't making any strange noises according to BJ. I'm sure they don't make a habit of inspecting the top end of all of the engines that go through there without any signs of a problem.

Anyway, it rained on the way down to Houston so I’ll get pics up after I wash and wax it. Sorry about the long post, but I’m really enjoying this car and I had to tell people about the wonderful service at Clownshoe.

Last edited by cobradoc; 06-28-2012 at 09:49 PM..
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      06-28-2012, 09:31 PM   #2
beta
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Great story and congratulations on the new purchase! When you mentioned the name of the shop, the Z3 Coupe immediately came to mind. As you said, after that how could you not go to that shop?

This is exactly why you get a PPI, and the shop not only did a great job finding the problem but went above and beyond to get it fixed for you. To me instead of a bad story I see this as a perfect beginning.

I wish someone made an upgraded exhaust cam hub, I'd definitely replace mine preemptively.
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      06-28-2012, 09:35 PM   #3
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Congratulations on your purchase. It was indeed a wise idea to get a PPI done. Hate to see the vanos issue, but at least you caught it before catastrophic failure occurred, and the tab was still in place.

You'll definitely rest easier and play harder now that it has been properly serviced, I'm sure.

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll have to keep them in mind since I'm in the DFW area!

Welcome to the club!!
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      06-28-2012, 09:37 PM   #4
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Glad to hear you had a good experience in the end. How many miles on the car?
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      06-28-2012, 09:39 PM   #5
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Wow. Nicely optioned find, and from a glass half full perspective this was caught before it became a nightmare. Sounds like a great shop!

I'm also glad to see you think the Z4M is such good company with your list of prior cars. Most of us think so, but doesn't hurt to add another voice to the "yes!" club around here!
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      06-28-2012, 09:43 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dubsesd View Post
Glad to hear you had a good experience in the end. How many miles on the car?
It had just under 54k miles. Also in reference to beta's statement about an upgraded exhaust cam hub, there actually is one made by a "Dr.Vanos" out of Austin, TX that is cryogenically treated. We tried to get one of those, but he had ran out of production the day before and I was obviously on a time crunch. I don't know how proven it is, but it's right around the same price.

Last edited by cobradoc; 06-29-2012 at 12:09 PM..
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      06-29-2012, 06:45 AM   #7
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I can second Cobradoc's opinion on B.J. and Clownshoe Motorsports. B.J. is a great guy, his shop is just as good as he is. He is one of the few shops still out there that feels that each car leaving that shop has his name on it. He is extremely knowledgeable on the s54 and mine will be going for a checkup in the next few months. Its also great that he is a member of the Lone Star Chapter BMWCCA board, and a great addition for help with our HPDE program.
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      06-29-2012, 08:22 AM   #8
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Welcome to zpost fellow Houstonian! Another BSM coupe! A reputable indy shop I go to in Houston is Beemer off I45 in between spring and the woodlands.
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      06-29-2012, 08:54 AM   #9
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Wow. Glad to hear that worked out. Welcome to the zpost club. Glad to see another Z4M in Texas. I've heard good things about BJ's shop. I'll have to check them out if I need anything. Your story made me want to run home and tear off my valve cover. I'm right at 51k.
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      06-29-2012, 11:28 AM   #10
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Awesome find and welcome to the family! Must feel good knowing a lot of the preventative maintenance is already done...now go out and enjoy driving the thing!
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      06-29-2012, 06:06 PM   #11
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Glad it turned out so well,and glad you found a mech that loves what he does!
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      06-29-2012, 07:35 PM   #12
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Congrats, saw it on ebay last week, love it when I see Z4MC going for under $23k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/M-SER...item231ef204b9
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      06-29-2012, 09:26 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BU Z4 View Post
Congrats, saw it on ebay last week, love it when I see Z4MC going for under $23k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/M-SER...item231ef204b9
Man, I wish! Now that would've been a crazy deal. Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Now it only needs to stop raining over here so I can get it cleaned up!
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