We no longer recommend Korman for service work.
Regretfully, I must withdraw any past endorsements for Korman Autoworks of Greensboro NC. In years past, they were the "go to" people for any problems that other shops failed to correctly fix. However, that no longer seems to be the case. For example, one problem I've always had with them is inaccurate repair estimates. Typically, I'm quoted one price, and without fail the final bill is at least $100 more. I've had estimates that were off by as much as 40%, which is unacceptable for such an experienced shop. My complaints have not been taken seriously.
Another example has to do with the BMWCCA discount. I was having my water pump and pulley replaced, and since I knew Korman was active in the club, I asked the service writer, Kayla, about a club discount. She told me there was a 10% discount on parts but no discount on labor. Before leaving the car, I brought up the discount again to make sure I got it. A day later I paid for the repairs ($300 more than estimated) and drove home. When I got home I remembered the club discount and saw I didn't get it. I called Korman and spoke with Allen, who said they don't give any discounts to BMWCCA members. I told him that Kayla told me that they did, and he was unapologetic and said I could take it up with Ray if I wanted to.
I'd like to say that I've had no other problems, but I have. Most recently they misdiagnosed a driveshaft problem, and when I spoke to them about it, they actually laughed at me and said they didn't need to see my proof that their diagnosis was way off. I'll be expanding this article to provide the details of that customer service nightmare later on. But for now, I'd like to know if any of you have anything positive or negative to say about Korman Autoworks. I asked this question of a friend and prominent member of BMWCCA, and he replied, "I'll add you to the list of people who have had bad experiences with Korman's." Apparently, I'm not alone. So send me your comments and I'll post them here on VintageBimmer.com and my related website, BimmerMagic.com. Maybe we can bring some attention to this matter for the good of all area BMW owners!
Bimmer club launches membership drive
The BMW Car Club of America has just launched it's 2010 membership drive. As a BMW owner and enthusiast, you really should be a part of BMWCCA. Then benefits are worth far more than the yearly dues.
The monthly club magazine, Roundel, surpasses the quality of well known national titles such as Car & Driver and Motor Trend. In addition to the magazine, you also get great discounts, technical advice, a full schedule of events, and much more. I'm a member...you should be too!
e30 timing belt broke. Don't let it happen to you!
I have a 1989 325i with an automatic transmission. I've owned it for about 5 years. Right after I bought it, I smacked the rear end of a pickup truck, quickly and efffectively destroying everything from the grill to the fan clutch, plus all surrounding parts. The pickup truck was unharmed. Being low on funds, repairs had to be cheap. My dad took on the job and I began ordering parts. We replaced a headlight assembly and grill with used parts, and then we went on to replace the timing belt and tensioner, water pump, fan clutch, radiator hoses, and accessory belts with all new parts from OEM suppliers. Bodywork and painting were done by a cheap local shop that made Earl Scheib look like Picasso, but it looked okay from 5 feet away and the car was once again driveable.
So simple, yet so important!
As a responsible BMW owner, I wrote down the mileage for the timing belt replacement and wrote it on a the little sticker that came with the belt. I then affixed the sticker to the radiator support and went on my happy way. Unfortunately the ink faded and I had no idea when the next belt replacement was due. Using my best computational skills I multiplied the number of years since the job was done times the average number of miles I drive per year. The result told me that sometime very soon a new belt needed to be installed.
Two Thursday's ago I decided to go ahead and tackle the job, after the belt broke in traffic on a cold rainy morning, leaving me on the side of the road, powerless and soon to be penniless.
As luck would have it, since the M20 engine used by BMW in the e30 series is of the interference variety, when the timing belt broke several of my valves crashed into the pistons, resulting in some very expensive damage. However as I was being towed into Foreign Accents of Greensboro, I was optimistically hoping that I had dodged a bullet. The service advisor at Foreign Accents told me they would "sneak a belt on it" to see if my car would start, and if that didn't work, he advised that I was looking at replacing a couple of valves, for a total price tag of around $1500. I left the car with them, went to work, and awaited the news. Several hours later they called and told me it was going to cost $3500, and they claimed that every valve would have to be replaced along with a shopping list of other parts. I declined their offer and went to retrieve my car, once again at the end of a bright green tow rope. Foreign Accents charged me $133 to diagnose my timing belt issue, which they did by doing nothing more than removing the distributor cap to see if the cam would turn. To add insult to injury, they offered to "maybe" buy my dead car for $200.
Future collectable: The e21 series.
I was recently reading how the BMW 2002 series is beginning to rise in value. Even the newer models with safety bumpers are being sought after now. A decent example can be found for just a few thousand dollars but fully restored cars can sell for $20,000 or more. In fact, I recently found a 1975 2002 turbo with a $64,000 price tag on it at 2002AD in Los Angeles!
If your budget is more modest but you want a vintage Bimmer that is almost certain to rise in value, you may want to search for an e21. The e21 series bridged the gap between the 2002 and the e30. Introduced in 1975 and continuing on until 1983, e21's were offered as the 316 (1.6 liter), the 318 (1.8 liter) and the 320 (2.0 liter) All of these featured versions of the simple and reliable BMW M10 four cylinder engine. In 1977 the new M20 six cylinder engine was offered, and the 323i was introduced with 4 wheel disc brakes.
These cars won't be very easy to find, yet the ones that are available are fairly inexpensive. On Ebay Motors I found a 1983 320i in great condition with 283,000 miles selling for $3500. A 1978 320i with a mildly tuned engine and tweaked suspension can be found on the BMWCCA website for $6500. You could probably buy either car for several hundred dollars less if you had cash in hand. Overall, however, I think prices have just about bottomed out for this series. If you've ever wanted one, buy it now and begin restoring it as well as your bank account will allow. It's just going to get harder and harder with each passing year to find these cars in decent condition at reasonable prices.
Before heading out to find your dream car, I suggest you do some research on the e21 variations and learn what to look out for as you shop around. A few good places to start are:
E21's are fun to drive and amazingly simple and cheap to repair compared to almost any car being built today. Go get yours, while you still can!
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