# Dave Z is the man!!!



## shabbaman (Dec 16, 2002)

For anybody who still has any doubt regarding Dave Z.'s knowledge, experience or networking ability let me just tell you that the man is amazing and cannot be surpassed.

I know it's been said before what a guy he is and how capable and knowledgeable he is but I put his reputation on the line and the man came through. 

About 2 weeks ago in that little snow storm we had up here in NJ, I slid my right front into a curb  and banged up my suspension pretty bad that I had to drive home that night with my front tires "divorced" from each other. Yeah, the left one was pointing to the left and the right one was pointing to the right :bawling: . This was on a Tuesday night. 

Partly mad, partly embarassed and totally in a panic, I didn't know who to turn to so I figured I'd reach out and see if I could get some advice from the master. 
Wednesday morning at 10:00 am I promptly called Dave, introduced myself and explained my situation. Even though Dave said this is something he couldn't handle himself he immediately went to work for me. As luck would have it, there was an NJCCA event at JMK BMW THAT NIGHT and he figured that it would be a great idea that if I got my car there it would be a great tech car to discuss. Problem was that my car was 30 miles away and the guys at JMK that made the decisions didn't come in until 1:00pm. 

No problem...when Dave is on the case the impossible gets done. A couple of calls here and there (one to BMW Roadside assistance for a flat bed) and all was arranged. When I got to JMK my car was already scheduled to be one of the tech cars. 

The JMK crew put my car on the lift and it was surprising to see how many CCA members came to see the car and the damage that was there. All in all it was a very positive experience. 

The best part was the next day when the service writer worked with me to price out the damage. I swear I think that Dave must have talked to him or something because the guy saved me about $500-$750 worth of work. I literally walked out having to pay for a new control arm, bushing and wheel alignment and 2 hours of labor that was it. 

For those of you that have ever bent suspension pieces on an E39, you know how expensive it can get. 

On top of that, Dave took care of me with Wheel Exchange for my bent rims. I mean what else can the man do? 

So I figured that some of the money that I saved needs to go back to Dave so he did my CDV and M5 rear sway bar. The car is transformed. I love it, my wife loves it and my 8 month old loves it. 

Dave you are THE MAN!!! I'm making a special beer run just for you cause that refrigerator of yours didn't look to happy...


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## bmw540i (Mar 30, 2003)

Nope I have no doubt that he is the best. Dave knows his ****.:thumbup:


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## BrettInLJ (Oct 3, 2003)

Yep... its just too bad for those of us here in SoCal that he's so far away!


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## Ågent99 (Jan 7, 2002)

Good to hear...Dave is a nice guy and on top of things. Dontcha wish BMW service was that good? 

Chris


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## jvr826 (Apr 22, 2002)

Ågent99 said:


> Good to hear...Dave is a nice guy and on top of things. Dontcha wish BMW service was that good?
> 
> Chris


I'd settle for HALF as good! I'll bet Dave's "system" doesn't even have an option for "could not duplicate problem" when he closes out a customer invoice. :thumbup:

All the more reason to use an independent shop. No politics, no BS, just top notch service!

Poor Dave is probably in the garage working his fingers to the bone installing big brake kits and doesn't even know we're out in cyberspace praising his committment to quality customer service.

Great story Shabbaman!


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## heezyo2o (Mar 23, 2004)

Maybe I'm missing something, but who the hell is Dave? Please clarify.


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## PropellerHead (Jan 3, 2002)

heezy545i said:


> Maybe I'm missing something, but who the hell is Dave? Please clarify.


Dave Z is a bimmerfest board member who also owns an automobile aftermarket business. He has always been quick with advice or- if you live close by- he can do work for you. He's generally regarded as a great guy, and a true enthusiast who is out to help others. He is the epitome of a man who knows that serving his own interest is short sighted but that helping people achieve their goals will last long term.


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## Ågent99 (Jan 7, 2002)

Visit his website: www.zeckhausen.com

Chris


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## heezyo2o (Mar 23, 2004)

Oh yeah, I saw that website before. Good stuff.

I'll be looking to modify my CDV in the future.


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## Lawaia (Oct 9, 2003)

BrettInLJ said:


> Yep... its just too bad for those of us here in SoCal that he's so far away!


I've got it much worse than you...try being stuck on an island in the middle of the pacific!  :tsk:


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## eyeopener (Jan 24, 2004)

Lawaia said:


> I've got it much worse than you...try being stuck on an island in the middle of the pacific!  :tsk:


For some reason I don't feel one bit sorry for you


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## BahnBaum (Feb 25, 2004)

I can also vouch for Dave. I drove almost 200 each way for him to remove my CDV, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

In addition to the quality work he does, he's a neat guy to BS with, and he'll talk while he's working!

Alex


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## humanoid (Mar 31, 2002)

Lawaia said:


> I've got it much worse than you...try being stuck on an island in the middle of the pacific!  :tsk:


LOL ya you got it bad 

I love the islands of the South Pacific. Not sure if I could live on one, but I do enjoy visiting from time to time Post some pics once in a while for us mainlanders. I'm sure we all would enjoy them

Aloha!

Back to Topic!

Dave is not just knowledgable. There are people with the experience and knowledge Dave has. The thing that seperates Dave from the rest is that he actually cares about the customer and their cars. He is an enthusiast and understands how we feel about our rides and he feels the same way. Most others are Aholes and only want to make a buck and wont give you the time of day.


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## tms0425 (Mar 14, 2004)

Got my Rogue SSK/WSL, Tranny Mounts, and CDV from Dave lightning fast. I provided my own Royal Purple Synchromax locally and all went in today very smoothly at a local shop. The difference with these changes is really unbelievable, especially for the bucks spent. I had convinced myself that I really didn't know how to shift anymore until the CDV. Great little mod. Thanks Dave!


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## BillP (Jan 4, 2002)

Got my axxis deluxe pads through Dave (via Agent). They are installed in front with the OE pads remaining in the rear.

Now, instead of the rears having ~75% less dust than the fronts, the fronts have ~50% less dust than the rears. 

Do the math, that means ~90% less dust than before.


Bill


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## Greco (Feb 16, 2003)

200.. peanuts.. I drove 600miles each way to get Dave to do my CDV...



BahnBaum said:


> I can also vouch for Dave. I drove almost 200 each way for him to remove my CDV, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
> 
> In addition to the quality work he does, he's a neat guy to BS with, and he'll talk while he's working!
> 
> Alex


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## DZeckhausen (Mar 11, 2003)

Greco said:


> 200.. peanuts.. I drove 600miles each way to get Dave to do my CDV...


Bill - someone finally beat you! I had a guy drive here from Wisconsin weekend before last for a Eurodash conversion, large NAV screen upgrade, CDV, Rogue shifter install, and MKII to MKIII navigation computer upgrade.


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## PropellerHead (Jan 3, 2002)

DZeckhausen said:


> Bill - someone finally beat you! I had a guy drive here from Wisconsin weekend before last for a Eurodash conversion, large NAV screen upgrade, CDV, Rogue shifter install, and MKII to MKIII navigation computer upgrade.


So, whats the record for distance travelled AFTER you've worked on a car? :eeps:


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## DZeckhausen (Mar 11, 2003)

PropellerHead said:


> So, whats the record for distance travelled AFTER you've worked on a car? :eeps:


Well, that guy did have to drive BACK to Wisconsin. 

But I know what you are getting at. I'll let you tell the story. LOL!!


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## gutiergm (Apr 30, 2004)

*This will not be that last time I get to visit Dave*

Besides being a very well informed BMW fanatic, he made my ride a whole lot better already, this is only two days ago. Thanks Dave, this CDV modification has made a great diffrence.

I'm looking forward to being able to locate a set of 530 or 540 brakes so that you can modify my setup. Of course the way to go is how your car is done but... Oh well.

M5 rear swaybar is also something to consider. Thanks for your help and I'll be in touch soon.

Geman
2003 525i
CDV


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## shabbaman (Dec 16, 2002)

gutiergm said:


> Besides being a very well informed BMW fanatic, he made my ride a whole lot better already, this is only two days ago. Thanks Dave, this CDV modification has made a great diffrence.
> 
> I'm looking forward to being able to locate a set of 530 or 540 brakes so that you can modify my setup. Of course the way to go is how your car is done but... Oh well.
> 
> ...


The rear sway bar is a NO BRAINER...Should have come standard with the car. It only took Dave a half hour to put it in and the throttle-in turn in is NOTICEABLE!

The 525 is the lightest of the 5ers so the sway bar should have the best effect on your car.
Is your 525 a sport package?


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## gutiergm (Apr 30, 2004)

shabbaman said:


> The rear sway bar is a NO BRAINER...Should have come standard with the car. It only took Dave a half hour to put it in and the throttle-in turn in is NOTICEABLE!
> 
> The 525 is the lightest of the 5ers so the sway bar should have the best effect on your car.
> Is your 525 a sport package?


Unfortunately not, however according to Dave, this would be one of the best handling modifications for my car.

I'm just getting under way, your observations are well appreciated.

German
2003 BMW 525i
CDV
M5 Rear deck spoiler


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## shabbaman (Dec 16, 2002)

gutiergm said:


> Unfortunately not, however according to Dave, this would be one of the best handling modifications for my car.
> 
> I'm just getting under way, your observations are well appreciated.
> 
> ...


I bought my rear sway bar locally and all I could say when I first saw it was "That's It???" :yikes: :yikes:

And then I saw what Dave pulled out from under my car :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## dagoo98 (Apr 23, 2004)

Just got my CDV valve modded by Dave on Saturday and it feels great. I noticed the difference on my first shift and I've been loving it ever since. Anyone who hasn't done this yet should definitely do it. Thanks again Dave.

Sean


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## tsaros (Nov 24, 2003)

I just needed to tell everyone how happy i am with Davids service 

I sent a mail to David on friday evening CET (30/4)saying that i needed a cdv really quick.
David´s responds was quick and he let me know that he could have it for me in the time that i asked ( i originally wanted the cdv tuseday 4/5)
I decided to go for a regular shipping and wait a few days extra due to the expensive shipping when doing it express and over a weekend and all.
My order was paid for the 1/5, i got the CDV the 5/5 !

The Swedish postal system takes longer time to get a letter across town then David takes to ship something half-way across the world!
Amazing..
Thank you once again David


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

I'm new to the boards, but have found Dave's comments and assistance to be invaluable. His willingness to share his vast talent and knowledge is commendable....I wonder how much business he is "giving away" to other shops and dealers with his willingness to share his secrets...

Dave, you're A #1 in my book. Worthy of our support!

BTW, had the new ss brake lines installed with the Axxis Deluxe Plus pads...as you surmised, pedal feel did not change dramatically....braking performance is similar to oem (perhaps a bit better), but best of all....so little brake dust!!! 

Dave


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