[jbass524]

I am not affiliated with HP Autowerks in any way. I’m just a customer.

I have been dealing with Harold and Peter at HP for a couple of years now. The 335 is still a new enough car that a typically good BMW mechanic that isn't savvy with them doesn't really know how to set them up. HP obviously knows how to make a 335 fast, track-reliable and handle beyond expectations. Just look at what they’ve done with their Time Attack car. This is why I drive from Sausalito to have them work on my car.

The greatest thing about them is that they are 100% customer focused. They take the time to deliver great work, educate you on what to expect and will even tell you not to buy something if it isn't a worthwhile option. Many vendors just sell you what you ask for because the they only see $. On top of this HP has developed some modification methods and parts for the 335 that others are copying and taking credit for.

Anyway, I recently had some suspension mods and some other work done to the car to make it more reliable on the track and handle better. I told Harold that I have driven in his Time Attack car and I wanted my car to handle just like it. I did not mention anything about ride comfort. I came away with a car that was faster at Thunderhill but it wasn't any more comfortable than the previous setup. In the weeks following my Thunderhill days I became concerned about the day to day comfort. I started to not want to drive my car anymore, except at the track.

Now I'm not the most experienced guy when it comes to suspension so I kept telling Harold that I didn’t like my car cause it wasn’t as comfortable as I wanted it to be. Something must be wrong. He was concerned about this and entertained anything I would come up with as a solution. He even offered to pick up my car in San Jose so he could drive it down to Santa Barbara, fix it then deliver it back to me. This is all without really knowing if there was a problem. I guess I was a real squeeky wheel.

I told him that I appreciated that but I wanted to be there so I would drive it down.

I got there and Peter and Harold put over half a day into my car: test driving, changing struts, inspecting all suspension bits and attachments. Peter took care of the AR Oil cooler that had a bubble blocking oil flow. Since it made a mess when he disconnected the lines he completely cleaned my engine compartment and under tray. Then tested the lines with a pyrometer to make sure all was in working order. On top of this, Harold reset my ride height because he felt the suspension geometry would yield better handling if it were a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch higher.

After all of this The car is the same, albeit with a secondary oil cooler that works now. They went through all of this to make sure I knew exactly what was going on; basically an education. They paid for the realignment and didn't charge a dime for any of the work that didn't really need to be done. The whole time they were so easy about it all.

Remember, I never told them I wanted my car to be more comfortable.

This is one of the most remarkable retail/service experiences I’ve ever had.