I was battling a cold and felt like crud. But I was committed to go on our annual pilgrimage to Metric Mechanic. So I packed up my camera and cold meds and took off to meet Tom Kyle. We’d decided to caravan on a separate route from the rest of the group. It would take a little longer, but the back roads would be a lot more fun.
I’d taken the route myself one other time, but it was a lot more enjoyable going with a friend. It ended up being the PERFECT day for the drive. The weather was made to order and the leaves were well into their glorious fall colors. The route itself offered the kind of twisties that are the very reason we buy these cars.
We’ve always been greeted warmly by the gang at Metric Mechanic and this time was no exception. This was my third or fourth trip and it felt like a homecoming. Tom and I ended up arriving a little earlier than the rest of the crew. Apparently they were delayed due to some lane closures on Hwy 44. While Tom and I waited, Teddy explained a few things about a motor they were working on for a guy in New Jersey.
We arrived at Metric Mechanic at about 10:30. Jim, Teddy and Cort are always hospitable, and there’s so much to learn from them. It doesn’t take long to figure out that these guys really know what they’re doing. They have a great deal of detailed knowledge, and have developed many of their own special BMW high performance parts for motors and differentials.
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This past Saturday a handful of us from the St. Louis BMW Club visited Jim Rowe and his crew at Metric Mechanic in Richland, MO. Metric Mechanic is one of the premier BMW performance engine builders in the US. They also specialize in differentials and other drive train components. We try to make an annual pilgrimage there, and this is my second trip.
The event was pretty informal, but very worthwhile and informative. At any given time there were two or three small groups of enthusiasts surrounding Jim or one of his employees. It could be described as a series of mini-seminars, complete with questions and answers.
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