Moving to San Francisco Bay Area soon

[95avblm3]

…like, this weekend I arrive. Short term hotel for a couple of weeks, then living in Mountain View. My wife will follow in June after she finishes some obligations here in Germany.

It looks like the Porsche club is very active. I look forward to joining/moving my membership. I need to find a good independent mechanic… not so much for my P-car, but for an old BMW I’m shipping.

It’s been ages since I’ve lurked here or even posted… I think Wayne still owned Pelican (or had just sold it) when I last visited. I hope the brain trust is still as good as it was and I hope the local Nor Cal folks are willing to share some nuggets of info: like, any must-sees for a newbie? Good places to eat? I’ve visited before, both for work and pleasure, but it’s been a few years. Having been in Germany for the past 5.5 years, I’m Jonesing for some good Mexican food, Asian food (of any country really), and warm weather! Your recommendations are appreciated.

Thanks!

[vash]

well, welcome back!! i dont know much about the Southbay anymore, but i'm confident you'll fullfill your food cravings easy.

[95avblm3]

Thanks Vash! I’m really excited (and nervous) about it, but hell, we left the US to live in Germany… this should be easy by comparison, right?

[speeder]

Limited time up there but it's a nice part of the world. Good food is not going to be a problem...welcome back to the USA!

[95avblm3]

Thanks Speeder! Looking forward to it!

[95avblm3]

Off topic on my own thread…

As we’ve wound down our time in the EU, we’ve realized that despite the amount of travel we’ve done here, our list never got shorter. It just grew as we learned of new places or events to go and see. I good friend of mine said that I really needed to go drive the Nürburgring before I leave. It has always been on the list, but I just hadn’t made it. Well, last weekend, I finally went! I was fortunate that this same friend knows the Ring well and coached me around once in the 991 after we had done 3 (him 4 because I was &#129314 in a rental Suzuki Swift (which despite becoming 🤢, was an absolute hoot to ride around in.

[vash]

i am thrilled you got to do that before you left.

you have googled housing costs right? rents and purchase prices? sounds like you have it all thought out, and will do great.

[Steve Carlton]

I'm not close to Mountain View, but I will recommend RMG (Real Mean Garage) in Sunnyvale for servicing your Porsche. They were recommended to me on this board and I've been very pleased with them.

RMG Enterprises - Home

[95avblm3]

Originally Posted by vash

i am thrilled you got to do that before you left.

you have googled housing costs right? rents and purchase prices? sounds like you have it all thought out, and will do great.

Yes, housing costs are insane. We are (as suggested by other friends) renting for the foreseeable future to make sure that 1) this is the right fit and 2) learn the area to figure out where we eventually might want to by. The place we are renting, while not cheap, fits in the budget, so I think we will be okay.

And yeah, I regret not going to the Ring sooner. A race car driver I am not, but it was an absolute thrill!

[95avblm3]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

I'm not close to Mountain View, but I will recommend RMG (Real Mean Garage) in Sunnyvale for servicing your Porsche. They were recommended to me on this board and I've been very pleased with them.

RMG Enterprises - Home

Awesome, thanks for this suggestion! I’ll be sure to check them out. Do they only work on Porsches?

[Scott Douglas]

You have heard Mark Twain's saying about summers in the bay area right?

[Steve Carlton]

You could call RMG and ask Dan (I texted him just now). He said the guy that bought Lozano Auto was a lead tech for BMW. He's at 408,738,3094. It's been a while since I used Bavarian Professionals in Berkeley (probably an hour away), but they were awesome.

What sort of BMW?

[Mahler9th]

Please feel free to PM.

I have lived in the area since 1991 and have been a PCA member since 1987.

I have a huge network of "car friends" all marques.

Here is a tid bit:

At the end of March this year I was driving home after dropping wife off at SFO. I was right near Facebook stopped a a light. In my e36 M3. Next to me was a young man in a 2014 Cayman.

We both got clobbered by a Corolla. Me along the right side and the Cayman got hit hard left rear. Wiped out his suspension.

I tried to help him and he accepted the help. His is a Facebook employee. Call him "S."

I have a long term PCA/BMWCCA/racing friend with a body shop right near there so he had his car towed there and I drove him there. The owner was accommodating and uses another friend's shop for his mechanical work.

So I drove "S" over to the mechanics shop to make sure there was a personal connection. That shop is Modderman's in Mountain View. Dave Modderman once worked crew for Dick Barbour's racing team.

The Barbour/Garretson story goes way back to the 935 days and they ran out of Mountain View. World champions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg0l8RdOBO8

Modderman will host a PCA swap meet June 5.

The Rennwerks team that got third overall at Daytona (2003; two of my friends/former students) also ran out of Mountain View. Same part of Mountain View.

Anyway, this young Facebook employee "S" told me that he is a fresh PCA member interested in AX and track driving! What a coincidence!

So I am going to help him out.

Dan and Dan at RMG are top shelf. I have known them for 20+ years. The original owner Bob is also top shelf. I used to buy all my Porsche parts from his wife at Carlsen Porsche. Great people.

Gotcha covered on other cars like BMWs as well.

In Mountain View, please be sure to stop in at dive bar Fred's Place. Old Middlefield. Pauly runs it. huge racing fan.

Has a wing from one of KeKe's car on the wall.

Finnish... knew KeKe back in the day.

Tell him Mike from Porsche Racing Club sent you. He sponsored us for many years.

[pavulon]

Another plug for Dan H at RMG (syncroid here on pelican). Experienced, fair and friendly too!

[95avblm3]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

You have heard Mark Twain's saying about summers in the bay area right?

Something like “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”? On my first visit some years ago (in August of that year), a local told us that the best (and warmest) weather occurs in October, Either way, it’s still warmer than a Stuttgart winter!

[speeder]

And that, my friends, is what the Northern California Porsche scene looks like in a snapshot! +++

[95avblm3]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

You could call RMG and ask Dan (I texted him just now). He said the guy that bought Lozano Auto was a lead tech for BMW. He's at 408,738,3094. It's been a while since I used Bavarian Professionals in Berkeley (probably an hour away), but they were awesome.

What sort of BMW?

Cool, thanks for this information! As for the BMW, it’s complicated (what BMW isn’t). It’s an E31 850. I’ve been toiling away at it for the last year, updating 30 year old bits that are tired. Overall, it’s in good shape, but there’s no getting past the fact that it’s a (nearly) 30 year old V12 BMW. Sometimes it’s just temperamental.

[Mahler9th]

For a BMW independent, I suggest starting with Ramon and Nicole in Milpitas:

Bavarian Motorsport | Bavarian Motorsport BMW Service and Repair in the Bay Area since 2002

They are very active with CCA.

I have known Ramon for probably 15-20 years by now.

The CCA chapter here is I think the largest in the US.

If you need top shelf help from a dealer, the number one man at Peter Pan is in my network. he only works on special projects I reckon.

I have not been to Stuttgart since 1996-- was there when the Boxster was being launched here.

Special factory tour at PAG and Octoberfest.

In case you get home sick in MT. View:

https://www.dittmers.com/

[Mahler9th]

Mexican food.

La Fiesta on Villa street in Mountain View. Very, very special place... been going there for 15 or more years.

The family owns several other places in that area, if they are still open:

Fiesta Del Mar and Fiesta Del Mar 2, and some others.

My favorite, and the favorite of my wife is La Fiesta.

I have a friend that is a retired master BMW tech (highest level training) and he ate there every week.

My wife also recommends Esther's German Bakery:

https://www.facebook.com/Esthers-German-Bakery-239660306547/

[Mahler9th]

Asian food... Tao Tao Cafe in Sunnyvale.