I just wrote to the Hartge company:

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I would like to become a Hartge dealer in the US and I would like to explain why I am so enthused about it and why our two companies might be a good fit.

Ever since 2003, I have managed a small automotive engineering business that focused on 1980s BMWs, the E23, E24, E28 and E30. Our focus on the E30 has a separate business entity named 3Seriesparts.com. Its website is at http://www.3Seriesparts.com and its Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/3SeriesParts.

Our focus is on deeply understanding the cars we work on. For example, we understand that the ZF 4 HP-22 transmission was used on various BMW models but also Volvo, and one of our projects is modifying the transmission from a 7-series Volvo to work for a 1991 BMW 325ic.

From what I have read, at Hartge you also are focused on really understanding the issues as automotive engineers. Often, in the US, people don’t really want to understand what they are selling. They just want to take the order, sell the part and make the money. So, I think that makes our two companies a good fit: we both like to understand, and do a good job.

In the US, the economy is very bad. People with 1980s 5 series, 6 series and 7 series cars are selling them inexpensively so good M30 engines are easy to find. And, on the BMW 3-series, the E30, many people neglect the maintenance and then the camshaft belt snaps and the engine replacement costs more than they can afford. So, my company has access to affordable relatively rust-free E30 bodies and also M30 engines. One of the things I’d love to focus on is to build semi-official sort-of-Hartge H35 cars under your banner as a Hartge dealer, even though I am using used cars and used engines. I plan to make it clear that it’s NOT as good as a Hartge H35 built by you on a new car, but any sort of official recognition and involvement from you would be wonderful.

The US emissions control laws are normally a problem, but if I keep the M30 engine unmodified and I use the same year engine in the same year car, I should be legally OK.

I have personally been working on cars since I was 18, and I used to manage an automobile performance business in California. So, I think I am a good choice personally to be an insightful Hartge dealer.

Just yesterday my team and I removed the engine from a 1987 BMW 535i and it would be wonderful to put it into one of the E30 cars that my little company owns. But, it’s a complex engineering project and you have already solved that problem, and I respect that. I don’t see the logic in my reinventing the process when instead I could work with you and leverage what you did.

In addition to the focus on the E30-M30 aspect, I am also enthused to be a dealer for Hartge products in general since some of the more affluent BMW owners, especially in California (which is just 90 miles west of our office which is in Nevada) are enthused about Hartge products but they don’t know where to go.

That said, we are a very small company with very, very limited finances so whatever I do, I have to be conservative at least for now.

I look forward to working with you.

Regards,

Aquitania Charbury
Manager