WARNING....do not buy from "B7" on German ebay.... (archive)

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"you wanted to have some details - here they are. It's VERY long, but you want some? - you get some:
Back in may, when I purchased this fine e28, I got aware of the fact that this car needs more power sooner or later - likely later. Reminds me of Tim, the toolman Taylor. Well on my way through the net I encountered a private
advertisment, where someone was offering e28 parts. Always interested, I asked what he had and got answer pretty soon. Saying, that he has some headlights and Hartge stuff - steering wheel, gear lever knob and a H5s-engine. That
wasn't really what I was thinking of - needed some elec. window lifters by that time. And what is more, the guy was located in Switzerland, Lausanne (about 550km from Frankfurt). But I asked just for fun, what the price for the engine would be. DM 1000.- , that was too much for me.
But I didn't get this thing out of my mind, and I kept asking about details. What condition, how many km, performance etc. He told me that the engine was
put in a garage two years ago and hasn't been moved yet, had about 160'km, but oil-change every 5-7'km and with an exhaust-system, which wasn't included, about 254hp; without it, about 240hp. I was really enthusiastic about this
engine - 240hp, that wa pretty much that what I wanted. I wasn't thinking of 300hp or stuff like this (not then), I just wanted to be as powerful as the actual 3.0L-engine, so a 3.30i couldn't get away from my ol' lady.
We wrote eachother about three or four months, and I told him that I'm still student, don't have a lot of money, that I have to refit (?) the engine due to the two years of storage (renewing the crankshaft bearings, the valve
gaskets, oil seals and all these parts), which will be very expensive as well and stuff like that to get some discount. Also that if I buy this engine, I can only do this once - so the engine has to be ok, since I would be bankrupt
after the deal and the maintenance. He was very kind and polite, and after some negotiations we had a price of DM 770,- plus a good bottle of red wine (which cost me 20 more bucks). It took another week to convince my parents that
this was a very good idea, and on September 16th, we (my father, his car and I) made a trip to Switzerland. We got there about noon, and met a very pleasant guy with his e12, who guided us to a garage of his auto-club. There were
several bimmers, like an old 02 prepared for the track, som 6ers , his other HARTGE H5 and his baby, an e12 B7s, which looked brandnew. Just like it must had looked in the dealers showroom. We put the engine in the car (Benz
C-wagon(?)) - no problems. I have to mention, that the seller already told me in the mails, that the HARTGE-engine doesn't look like a HARTGE-engine, since it was
prepared for the I.R.S., otherwise it would have been very expensive. So there was no valve-cover, stamp or anything like that. Even the engine-number was adapted, it was for a 2.8L. We kept talking about the marvellous B7s, but had to leave then. My father was very fancy about that guy as well. I was luckiest schmuck alive (not really, but kind of), but the next day I wanted to see the interior parts from HARTGE, or at least be sure of the 3.5L. So I turned the crankshaft, that the first piston was in top position, took the spark plug and put oil in the first cylinder until I could see it through the spark-hole. I already measured the amount of a sixth of 3,5litres in a cup, moved the piston to lowest position and filled the cylinder. Et voil� - everything fit in. So it was a 3.5L one
(the hole procedure in the back of my father's car!!!).
But few days later, I wanted to be sure about the HARTGE-crap. So I put off the valvecover to take a look at the HARTGE-cam. Strange feeling when I saw the BMW-sign on it. Somebody told me, that there should've been a HARTGE-brand
on it, but he wasn't sure neither. I phoned up HARTGE, and they told me to call back the day after, since the engine was to old, and the next day there whould be a guy who should know, as he worked for HARTGE many years. Next day,
I spoke to him, but he he couldn't say for sure as well, if there should be a HARTGE-logo on it. But he tolde me that if there was a small number on the end where not the chain is located, that would be a good sign since BMW didn't put anything there. So I checked this later, there was - happy again - and phoned him again the next day, just to be sure. All of a sudden he wasn't that confident anymore, said well ... maybe ... stuff like that. Not so happy
anymore. So I asked in the local message board for certified information wether BMW used to place numbers on the end or not. One answer only - but as I asked only to answer if someone was sure, it said: 100% yes, BMW put numbers there. Bullshit. I was in a very bad temper that night. I wanted to be sure, but this wasn't sure enough for me. So there was only one possibility left: get the f***ing cyl-head off and take a look at the "fine" HARTGE-tuning-stuff. The only problem was, the engine was still located in the back of dad's car and I never removed a head before. But I have my cool e28-book with pictures and stuff, so I made it finally. And big surprise - nothing. Stock head, stock Valve. Even the small ones from the cat-version like mine, 185hp. Great, just like my engine, except for the fact it's not running and has at least 40'km more. Great deal, Mr. Till Hansen I thought. Well, try to make it a little shorter now, phoned the asshole up and asked
who he was trying to fuck, he told me some bullshit meaning that he also had been pissed some times, so it's not SCHLIMM if I'm the pissed now. Just bad luck. After that call, he didn't answer calls or mails anymore.
I tried a lawyer as well, so he assigned a lawyer in Switzerland. He told us, that the law in Switzerland says, that you don't get any money back from the other stuff like driving, telephone or embedding. So the amount was just
the DM 770,- which isn't worth going to law. This effort cost me another DM 100,-, so I'm finally down to DM 1000,- (whithout the gas for the trip, lucky me father's Benz is a company car). Well that's my H5s story, the engine is still in a garage next village (paid another DM 50,- for it) and I'm trying to sell it, but no luck so far.
Lately, this "guy" sold lot of brandnew ALPINA-stuff on ebay, even an e28 auxiliary-tank to the states. His name is b7s, so if you ever want to buy something from him - please do not, he is a very bad person (I should know by now)."

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