Happy to be a new member!

[gfortner]

Thanks to PIP for recommending my membership into the mafia. My family currently owns the following BMWs that I'm reasonable for maintaining: 2005 ZHP coupe (just purchased from orig owner with 42K miles), 2005 ZHP sedan (another recent purchase by my son with 55K miles), my daughter's 2004 ci coupe, and I own a 2011 335is (DD).

As much as I love the power of my 335is, I enjoy the handling and steering of the e46! I think it is the weight and wheelbase difference. I also like the ease of working on the non turbo'd engine. Thanks for the great technical support from fellow owners in this and the e46fanatics websites! It really accelerated my learning curve.

I'm been an Alfa Romeo owner since 1970. I currently also own an original red paint 1972 GTV, and a turbocharged 1972 Berlina sedan. In the late 70's I cofounded a company that designed and sold an aftermarket turbo kit for the early 70's 2 liter Alfa motor. I had the business for nearly 7 years before the smog restrictions forced us out (also the limited Alfa market for this type of upgrade). Nevertheless, I'm an experienced Alfa mechanic, so transitioning over to the e46 BMW has been easy and fun. Once I learned about the ZHP package, I was convinced it was the only one to own.

Thanks again to PIP for sponsoring my membership! Hope to get to know many of you online.

Regards,

Gary Fortner

[JKO_ZHP]

Welcome.
What colors are the two ZHPs? I go through Tustin at least once a week and I'm certain I've spotted a sedan here and there a couple times in the past two months.

[kayger12]

Great stable.

Welcome to the family.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[johnrando]

Welcome to another SoCal! Great set of cars.

[Avetiso]

Welcome!

[ELCID86]

Willkommen! Let's see pics of the brood.

[Lanister]

Welcomen!

[330blast]

Welcome to the family!!

[HokieZHP]

Welcome! Any mods done to the 335is?

[Vas]

Welcome.

Now where are the pictures?

;)

[3ZHP]

Welcome to the family

[wsmeyer]

Welcome from another SoCal member!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

Gary,

Good seeing you around.

It's not a toy, it's a Droid > Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[JupiterBMW]

Welcome to the forum Gary. Hope you enjoy your time here, the SoCal group is a great bunch of guys.

[Pip]

Welcome Gary. It'd be great to see pics when you have a chance.

Sean

[imola red zhp]

Welcome!!!

[illirep]

Welcome - let's see pics!

[fredo]

Welcome, sir !

[Hermes]

Welcome Gary!

So... where is the pic of the GTV you mentioned? :)

[Oli77]

Howdy from KY!

[Don Adolfo]

Benvenutto a la famiglia Gary.

[echo46]

Welcome, now where are those pictures?

[gfortner]

Sorry for not responding very promptly. I'm overwhelmed by the nice responses! Thanks everyone. Here are some recent pixs I took. The 2004ci has the Eibach/Koni FSD combo installed. The ZHPs are stock for now. All have the stock mechanical fan removed and the retrofit electric fans installed. Love that mod.

Gary

[gfortner]

The ZHP Sedan is Siver Grau Metallic... my son lives in Orange off Chapman and visits us periodically in Tustin Ranch. The ZHP coupe is Charcoal Metallic.

[gfortner]

Welcome! Any mods done to the 335is?

Just installed the Koni FSD shocks and the M3 front control arms. Hated the stock shocks. Also have Forgestar F14 19" rims and a AFE cold air intake scoop (who knows if it really helps... but the theory sounds good). I know the advantage of cold air induction from my 1972 turbocharged Alfa Romeo (210hp at 10psi boost), so I thought it might help.

[gfortner]

Welcome Gary!

So... where is the pic of the GTV you mentioned? :)

Below are pix of the 4 Alfas in the family. I own the red 1972 GTV coupe and blue 1972 Berlina sedan, and my brother owns the 1960 Sprint Veloce coupe and the 1966 Giulia Super sedan.

[gfortner]

Below are pix of the 4 Alfas in the family. I own the red 1972 GTV coupe and blue 1972 Berlina sedan, and my brother owns the 1960 Sprint Veloce coupe and the 1966 Giulia Super sedan.

Sorry, I'm not as blog savvy as most of you.....

[gfortner]

Welcome! Any mods done to the 335is?

Here's a picture of my 335is. Think we have a thing for grey BMWs ?? Just happened to be the best cars available at the time.....

[danewilson77]

Beautiful Gary. Have you registered the ZHP's at the registry? Check the top.

It's not a toy, it's a Droid > Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[ELCID86]

I love grey, but happen to be collecting orient blue cars at present (not intentional either).

[johnrando]

Those Alfas.

:drool

[gfortner]

Beautiful Gary. Have you registered the ZHP's at the registry? Check the top.

It's not a toy, it's a Droid > Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

I will. Just need to get the VIN's from my son and brother. Thanks again to all for the warm welcome....

[echo46]

Those Alfas.

:drool

...are insane!!!

[Lanister]

It seems as though you have a BMW-itis.

[Hermes]

Great collection

[gfortner]

It seems as though you have a BMW-itis.

Obviously, I'm the mechanic in the family. So if my kids' cars have problems, they expect me to wave a magic wand and fix it. Well after looking at other alternative makes, it became readily apparent that the e46 330s were the best used cars for the money. Good performance, great looks and a good resale market. So I told my son and daughter that I'd only work on that car. Once they test drove a few cars, they fell in love with BMWs too. So we just started to look for the good ones. My daughter's Steel Blue Coupe was first. Then my son's ZHP sedan... we stole it. Only 55K miles from the original lady owner for $12K. My son is in love. Then I stumbled upon (I swear that Autotrader magically appeared on my computer screen...) a 40K mile original owner (again a lady) ZHP coupe (the Sparkling Graphite). I convinced my brother to sell his 2010 Genesis coupe and buy this car. It had to be purchased. He was hesitant at first, but now he loves it too. Nearly a straight $ trade for his Hyundai. So now I'm responsible for maintaining 3 e46s, my 335is, and the Alfas. May sound like a lot, but I just dial them in one at a time and let them run. Thanks to everyone for all the posts on the technical blogs....you can't get a better education on BMWs!

Gary

[danewilson77]

Damn. Good luck with that.

It's not a toy, it's a Droid > Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[mLuMaN83]

Welcome brother! Thats a house full of Bimmers. Just how it should be.

[trancenation]

Nice collection of cars! One big happy BMW/Alfa family!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Welcome.

[SC4ME]

Welcome to the family. I love Tustin, remember when it was nothing but orange groves. And my sister has a 1982 Spyder that I had way too much fun in from time to time.