[BDR_Boy]

Welcome to the family.

I would echo what jeffnolan said. Turning to BDR for answers to questions… or for a part… is a last resort for me. Many times, the exact same part can usually be found for less money elsewhere. I’ll only turn to BDR for a part IF the part is proprietary to them.

In addition, I’ve taken the owner’s manual… and have been adding to it with vehicle specific information over time. Initially, I crawled ALL over the car noting part numbers anywhere I could find them… and I was pretty tenacious about locating and documenting them. I also downloaded service manuals for my transmission (Tremec TKO500), carb (Holley 4160), heads (AFR), ignition module (MSD), Vintage Air ComPac Heater, etc… ANYTHING I could find specific info on… and have included those in my manual. Anything I add to the car or modify… gets the same treatment.

As I discover interchangeable part numbers (many of which I’ve gotten from searching these forums) I document those as well.

For exploded views and torque values on some of the components… I found a Haynes manual for BMW 3 Series 1992-1998 (including Z3 models) to be helpful. If I had Wilwood brakes… I would add a copy of their documentation to my manual… stuff like that. I even went so far as to have Finish Masters scan the paint… create a perfect match for touch up paint… and provide me with the “recipe” to recreate the colors and included that in my manual too.

In the end… it’s my hope I’ll have an owner’s manual that will be vehicle specific and a wealth of information… not only for me… but for whoever else may own the car after me. That’s part of the hobby and… for me anyways… is an added value.