Hey all, it's about time my 318i gets itself a nice, thorough tuneup, but I'm not entirely sure where to go to do it. Anyone know a good place around the Concord or West Lebanon area? I'm pretty much smack dab in the middle of those two, so I could go either way.

Concord Motorsport...There an authroized Dinan Center..If that means anything to you

Not overly, lol. I just want to make sure I take it to someone who knows their way around a bimmer and will do a good job.

Concord Motorsports is expensive. I would try one of the less uppity BMW independent shops. A 91 318i is not so new or complex that the latest special equipment is required to service it. I do all my own work, but have referred a few people to Euro Depot in Concord. Not sure what there is at the Lebanon end, but suspect there is a good independent BMW shop up there.

Wow, no offense to Euro Depot or Concord Motorsport - as I've bought parts from ED and a CLEAN car from CM - but I'd say that if you are willing to drive to Concord might as well drive to Hudson for 3D which gets rave reviews...

Otherwise take it to the shop in your area that seems to have the most euro cars sitting outside of it...

Save the gas and the Cash... that is if you don't want to go further than west leb or concord...

Or buy a bently, some jackstands, and tools and do it yourself!

+1 for 3D.

My car is at 3D right now and I have nothing but great things to say about them as well, but that's a real hike from you...especially for a tune up.

My car is at 3D right now and I have nothing but great things to say about them as well, but that's a real hike from you...especially for a tune up.

ahh.. see to me the tune-up is the most important thing to be done right... any idiot with some tools can put in a bolt-on exhaust or pulleys or whatnot but you want a BMW knowledgable person to tune up your vehicle... One that would know what an E30 is, what its weak points are, the mileage(s) where things need to be replaced...

The tune-up is what keeps the car going... repairs are usually pretty straight forward - replace a broken piece with a new one...

ahh.. see to me the tune-up is the most important thing to be done right... any idiot with some tools can put in a bolt-on exhaust or pulleys or whatnot but you want a BMW knowledgable person to tune up your vehicle... One that would know what an E30 is, what its weak points are, the mileage(s) where things need to be replaced...

The tune-up is what keeps the car going... repairs are usually pretty straight forward - replace a broken piece with a new one...

Yeah, I see what you're saying...but he's probably over 1.5 hours away from 3D and that could turn into a real hassle when getting rides home from the shop after he dropped the car and picked it up. 3D's awesome, but I'd search a little harder for a reputable shop in his area if I were in his position.

:) as I suggested as well... but for me I'll drive as far as it takes to make sure the car gets the proper treatment...

The reason I say I'm willing to head to Concord is that my girlfriend lives in Sutton, and we're very often down in Concord for shopping, etc. I don't mind driving a little distance to get a good job done, however, trying to syncronise our schedules so I can get a ride to and from work from her is a bit of a pain, as I'm up in Sunapee.

Now, if it's something where I could drop it off, go shopping for a few hours, then come back and pick it up...that's completely different, and I'd be willing to do that. Just, leaving it overnight most likely isn't going to happen.

Yah...i gotta find a shop in June, when i get my new brake package, its not that i can't do it. I'd Rather just have a prof. install them for saftey reasons.

On a slightly related side-note, I've noticed as I'm coasting to a stop (and when my damn brakes aren't squealing like stuck pigs...) that there's an odd rattle/scrape/squeal coming from my right rear. It stops when the car stops moving, so it's something in the drivetrain. It's definitely coming from the right rear, so I'm thinking it's in the brake section. Any ideas? E-brake pads, possibly?

And anything to stop that DAMN BRAKE SQUEAL. -_-;;

I highly recomend, and will always speak highly of Kensington Autoworks. They've worked on my million mile E36 and is also the location where I bought my 540i. Might be a bit of a hike for you though.

I'm only a 15 min drive and have a pretty well equipped shop. I have done all the work on my own e46 and e38. Tune ups are pretty easy and we could figure out what the other noise is while doing the tune up. If you really want a shop to do it than 3D is the place to go. Well worth the extra 25min drive. What color is your car. A guy from up your way bought some tires from my tenant last winter. He had a white 318, I think it had a roof rack too? Feel free to let me know if you need any work done. Just bring a case of beer and we'll call it good. :drink1

I'm only a 15 min drive and have a pretty well equipped shop. I have done all the work on my own e46 and e38. Tune ups are pretty easy and we could figure out what the other noise is while doing the tune up. If you really want a shop to do it than 3D is the place to go. Well worth the extra 25min drive. What color is your car. A guy from up your way bought some tires from my tenant last winter. He had a white 318, I think it had a roof rack too? Feel free to let me know if you need any work done. Just bring a case of beer and we'll call it good. :drink1
Hah...I'll definitely have to keep that in mind. I'm heading to get some new tires put on the front of the car tomorrow...then I'll have to find time for an alignment...I've got serious camber issues on the front end that's wearing my tires way too fast. My car is Diamondshwarz...ie, metallic black. I don't get up to your area very often. If you're ever in Newport, stop by Aubuchon Hardware. My car is usually out front.