Newsletter - SoCalEights
Transcription
Newsletter - SoCalEights
Newsletter January – February Issue No. 9 st 1 2013 Annual WrenchFest At EF1 Motorsports Signal Hill, CA Coming Next! “Car of the Month” 1 January- February Articles: Inside This Month’s Issue Artwork and Articles Created By: Fern Mora SoCal’s Upcoming Issue: March “Car of the Month” • Publisher’s Note …………………………………….….. Page 3 • What’s a WrenchFest? ………………………….………. Page 4 • SoCal Arrives at EF1 Motorsports ..…………..……..…. Page 5 • Some Goodies at WrenchFest ………………………..… Page 6 • About EF1 Motorsports ……………………………..…. Page 7 • Detail Clinic By Bruce Papp …………………………... Page 8 • Removing Pesky Dents ……………..……....……......... Page 9 • Now For Some Wrenching ………………………....….. Page 10-12 • WrenchFest Related Story ……………………………... Page 13-15 • One of our Own Makes it ..…………………………….. Page 16 • Items & Service Now Available …...…………………... Page 17 • i8 Concept ……………………………………………... Page 18 • 2013 Left Coast 8-Fest Update ………………….…..… Page 19 • SoCal Eights Achtung! …………………………........… Page 20 2 Publishers Note January - February Greetings from Marina Del Rey, CA In this issue I have decided to combine the months of January and February since it is easier. SoCal Eights had only one event and little of any other new news to share. However there is enough news in this issue that I feel you will find interesting. We have had a lot of fun these past 2 months and have also met new 8 owners. Our group is expanding and will continue to grow as we get more exposure. Our web site is now active and continues to be updated as events are scheduled. Our website is now open to all, and any 8 owner can post ads in our classified section. SoCal Eights has been getting notoriety through the T-Shirts, Key Rings, and Newsletters all around the world which helps us to expand our reach in the US as well as internationally. Here is the list of US states and international countries I have sent merchandise to: 23 United States: Maryland California Texas New Jersey Connecticut Florida Virginia Ohio Georgia Kansas Philadelphia Main North Carolina Washington Mississippi Wisconsin Washington Colorado Massachusetts Nevada Michigan Iowa New Mexico 13 International Countries: Germany Croatia Sweden France England Canada Saudi Arabia Austria Norway British Columbia Russia Switzerland Australia 3 What is a WrenchFest? www.socaleights.com No, it’s not a hard drink made in October, nor is it a group of people that run around with wrenches in their hands singing “Kum-by-Ya”. It’s a group of 8 enthusiasts who get together once or twice a year to work on their cars. Why do you say, they have to wait for a WrenchFest to fix their cars? Many will tell you that it is better to have some of your best friends there to help share the pain, but mostly to gain knowledge and experience. Many of us have learned alot over the years and have performed many of the small jobs that most shop don’t even want to do. Taylor and Brian repairing headlight buckets These cars all seem to have many of the same issues and because of that, many of us have experienced them first hand. Not all solutions are the same but in most cases very similar. The common problems that most shops don’t like to work on are the sunroof, power seats, headlight buckets, interior rubber moldings, door handles, and troubleshooting wiring issues which can take a great deal of time. These are small problems for shops but for us it’s a major annoyance. Most shops will not touch our cars and most dealerships seldom have a mechanic knowledgeable enough on 8s to fix them. This is where we come in. Everyone has or will have some of these issues. That’s just the way it is, as our cars progress in years and things just break. Lucky for us that most who attend these meets have learned how to repair these issues. It is a great way to gain some knowledge and do some of your own work in a professional garage. Working with your fellow 8ers gives you more confidence. Also, if something goes wrong they will be there to help you……or at least hold a wrench for you 4 Harold repairing sunroof in 2012 Owner: Fabrizio Aldrette SoCal Eights at EF1 Motorsports Seventeen 8 owners and one want-to-be owner, Steve, arrived at EF1 Motorsports on February 9th to attend our Annual Winter 2013 WrenchFest. This is the 4th year that we have held a WrenchFest here and Fabrizio Aldrette “Fab” was again a gracious host. What a great day it turned out to be after a night of heavy rain. The sun gods were truly in our favor and rained sunlight over us. A few of us arrived early and during the course of the day many more dropped in. It was nice to meet some of the newbie owners like Tom Jacobsmeyer (tvjake2), Nikki Millaux (SHEBUILT) and Thomas M. who stopped by on his way to Milan Italy just to say hello and meet some of the guys. TOM GARY RONN KASEY CARTER MIKE BRIAN LOU MARK TAYLOR MATT FERN STEVE CHRIS NIKKI JEREMY RON Most of the group is here, but missing in this shot is Thomas 5 Some Goodies...Yea! Our members were greeted in the cool morning by some hot coffee and rolls provided by yours truly. Others brought some Krispy Kreme coffee and donuts and Mark brought some very good home made brownies. So we were set for the morning. In the afternoon Erik Hoffman showed up with some of his homemade light and dark beers that he brews. What goes better with beer than pizza. We gobbled up 8 large ones that afternoon. Of course we also had the usual soft drinks on hand too. Bottled water, hand soap, and gloves were donated by Long Beach BMW along with some very nice key rings for everyone. Matt (Newmexicomatt) brought 4 cases of his Range Green and Red Chile Sauce. What a treat! Very few were left after we all got our share. Thanks Matt! www.rangecafe.com 6 EF1 History Growing up in the automotive business, Fabrizio Aldrette had a passion for cars at an early age. It is this passion that compelled him to dedicate his life to the automotive industry and eventually to opening up his own shop – EF1 Motorsports. As a member of both the Ferrari and Porsche Owners Club of America, he has worked on countless exotic and European vehicles throughout Southern California and abroad. Till this day, customers that have moved to neighboring states continue to bring their vehicles to Fabrizio for major service and maintenance, but more importantly for the rapport he has with them. EF1 Motorsports has been offering European auto repair, service and maintenance to Signal Hill, and the neighboring Long Beach, Lakewood and Seal Beach communities since 1998. Our passion for European auto repair and service shows through our work. We strive to meet the highest expectations of our customers (whether daily drivers or D1GP racers). We specialize in all European vehicles such as Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Audi, BMW, Porsche, MINI and Ferrari. Our licensed and insured staff offers dependable work you can trust. These expert auto mechanics have boundless experience. We specialize in suspension installs, engine upgrades and parts installs, brake systems, engine service and repair, air conditioning service and repairs, oil changes, tune-ups, wheel and tire installs, and every major and minor car repair in-between. Our master mechanics are ASC certified and equipped to answer any questions you may have about your car. http://ef1motorsports.com/ http://www.facebook.com/EF1Motorsports 7 Detail Clinic By Bruce Papp Before we got started with some serious wrenching Bruce Papp, the representative for Adams Polishes, was kind enough to join us again this year. He gave us a detailing clinic by demonstrating some of the products he sells on a Shelby Cobra with badly faded red paint. At last year’s WrenchFest, there was a lot of interest in learning about detailing our cars. This year was no exception. We had some of our members purchase many of his great products. Thanks Bruce for visiting us again this year. We thoroughly enjoyed your demonstration and the products are remarkable. We look forward to seeing you again next year. Contact: (818) 621-1423 [email protected] www.adamspolishes.com 8 Removing Those Pesky Dings Chris Long was kind enough to show up at the request of Gator Bryson who works at Long Beach BMW. Chris performs most of the work for their lot cars and offered his services to our group at a discount. We took full advantage of his services and had those small door, hood, and side panel dings taken out. Chris Long (714) 393-1458 Chris has a mobile service and can make a call to your business or home by appointment. To receive a discount, you must state that you are from SoCal Eights. It ended up being a full days work for Chris. Once he got started on mine, many others got their cars done too. Chris working on Mark’s side panel ding Thanks Chris for coming out and helping to make our WrenchFest a great success. Maybe we can get you out to our next WrenchFest in August. 9 Now for Some Wrenching Mark swapping a steering wheel Jeremy changing his transmission filter and fluid Taylor’s car getting a 4 wheel alignment Taylor and Brian doing a seat repair on Chris’ 8 10 The Wrenching Continued Carter getting into it while Taylor and Mike give good advice Kasey showed up later in the afternoon with his newly repainted 8 Brian troubleshooting Matt’s (newmexicomatt) 850 that has been giving him a problem. Jeremy lowering his 850 after checking the suspension bushings -his next project 11 More Pictures Courtesy of Tom Jacobsmeyer Ronn’s Chris removing dents on Tom’s car. Shelby Cobra after being detailed by Bruce Papp Carter tearing his center console apart 12 WrenchFest Related Story Christopher Kypuros’s “DOCCTORK” Unfortunate Story This car now belongs to Christopher who purchased the car from David Miyasako from SoCal. Some of you may have meet David at 8-Fest in 2003. David had it in very good shape but Christopher wanted to go further with it. He spent countless hours and money to get his 840Ci in a pristine condition, readying it for the upcoming 8-Fest 10th Anniversary. This picture of the car was taken a short time ago. I have communicated with Chris occasionally and knew about his car and the previous owner. Chris was invited to attend our SoCal Eight’s WrenchFest this month and he made plans to drive to the WrenchFest from Las Vegas with his 8. Chris decided to get up very early Saturday morning and hit the road for the 5 hour trip to EF1 Motorsports in Signal Hill. Here is his story: Eagle’s Last Flight They say if you want to make God laugh you tell Him what your plans are. My name is Dr. Christopher A. Kypuros, 1997 BMW 840ci owner and E31 enthusiast. After a life-long love affair with the BMW 8 Series, acquiring my doctoral degree seemed like to perfect time to reward myself with my dream car. It took more than two years of research to find the “perfect” E31. The 840ci I found was primped and pampered by a previous owner with roots in the E31 movement. The owner was David Miyasako, who spearheaded the “Gathering of Eagles” and attended Left Coast 8-Fest in 2003. To say my car was “special” was an understatement. It had been preserved to a museum-like quality with slight modifications including a CSI kit, upgraded LSD, M-Tech wheels, Business CD head unit, refurbished seats, Michelin Pilot Sports, religious mechanical maintenance and washes and waxes. 13 The Story Continues: Purchasing my car transformed me from being an owner to more of a preservationist. A couple of years ago I asked Wuffer to think about a 10 year Left Coast 8 Fest reunion and I was pleasantly surprised to learn the idea was becoming a reality. When I learned about SoCal 8’s WrenchFest, my thought was to go and learn as my car was not in need of any wrenching. In preparation for WrenchFest, I had my calipers painted Alpine White, treated it to a major detail and took it to Southwest Bimmers in Vegas for a Road Trip Check. On Saturday, February 9, 2013 I awoke to my alarm at 3:30 am. I filled her up with Premium 91 Octane and headed toward SoCal 8’s WrenchFest. Traffic on I-15 South was fairly sparse; however, I did notice an Ambulance headed in the same direction so I followed it for awhile. After passing Stateline and entering California I noticed the Ambulance increasing speed so I backed off acknowledging the “Zero Tolerance Speed Zone” in entering and exiting the NevCal. After climbing my way up toward Mt. Pass I noticed snowflakes coming down, then the E31’s inclement weather warning came on. It was 31 degrees Fahrenheit and visibility was decreasing. With about a mile to go before reaching Bailey Road, Exit 281, the E31 started to slide and I felt like I was literally driving on butter. In a matter of seconds, I remember “steer in the direction you want to go” and “whatever you do, do not hit the brakes”. With all loss of control, my life flashed before my eyes, but what was assuring was I felt “safe” in my two ton vessel. I don’t know how many times I 360’d but what I do know is by the grace of God I ended up perfectly on the median. Walking away from the accident was a blessing; however, the toll on the ’97 was overwhelming. As you can imagine I was both grateful and disappointed. Shortly after my accident, the entire highway was plagued with accidents and fatalities from a freak snow storm. As such, the highway was closed for several hours. I had my accident at about 5:30 am and the tow truck did not arrive until 1:00 pm. It was a long day. When I met the tow driver, who came from Barstow, he indicated before arriving to pick me up, he saw an Ambulance just ahead of me being pulled out of a ditch. It was the same Ambulance I had been following earlier. On Saturday afternoon I had my car towed to Exotic Paintworks in Las Vegas. They are experts in high end cars and do excellent work. Given that they were closed, my car was left outside their complex and I had a hard time sleeping knowing my car was left outside in the elements. That’s how much I was connected to my car. It is a few weeks later and I have come to the realization the car is a total loss. The insurance company is trying to come to an Accurate Cash Value (ACV) for the ’97. My ACV is simple, “priceless”. Chris, needless to say, was extremely upset that he had wrecked is pristine 840. Chris being the good person that he is, attempted to contact me through the Bimmer Forum PM, Facebook, and also telephoned EF1 several times while I was there for WrenchFest to let me know that he was sorry he did not make it. He wanted to let me know “Sorry I am not there, I don’t want you to think that I flaked out on you and not make it to Wrenchfest” Then he gave me the reason why. My first response was are you okay? He said “Yes I am fine but the car is not” “I am sure we all feel disheartened for his loss but are glad he was not injured” Estimated cost of repair $21,422.79 14 The Dangers of Black Ice Black Ice On Highway 15 Being towed to the body shop At the body shop in Las Vegas 15 One of Our Own Makes it! Many of you know Forrest Mitchell as “Crazy8” on the Bimmer Forum. Well, recently he made a premier video on You Tube with his group called “ThirstBusters”. You Tube Capture The ThirstBusters release their new music video “Bad Bad Girl” on Tuesday Feb 19th. They’ll also be performing live on The CW's TV Series “90210” Monday Feb 18th. Tune in at 8pm pacific time or on the web at http://www.cwtv.com/shows/ 90210 See a sneak peek here: http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=geF1hO89loM Taken off the You Tube Video. ThirstBusters have several videos on You Tube. Check them out! “Great to see a local SoCal 8er do well” 16 Items and Discounts Now Available The BMW Book SOCAL 8 Members, 304 pp., hardcover 319 color and 45 b/w photographs Text in English, German, and Chinese Special pricing for parts from BMW Factory Direct is available for our members at a large discount. Call Ruben Hernandez at South Bay BMW (310) 939-7342. you must tell him that you are a SoCal 8s member. USD 125.00 excl. shipping costs www.bmwfactorydirect.com Item No.:79616I SBN:978-3-8327-9616-7 Format:11 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. Prices less than what is seen on their website. Available at: http://www.teneues.com/ 8 Key Ring Sample #001 Many of our 8 owners have ordered and received these specially created key rings. They have been mailed out to several international countries and 14 states in the US. They can be engraved on the bottom with your 7-digit VIN number, your name, or model of your 8 up to 9 digits. They can be ordered by emailing me. If you are interested email me at: [email protected] The cost is $105.00 for mailing in the US and $110.00 USD for international mailing. 17 i8 Concept 2014 BMW i8 : Why It's Being Built Like Nissan, BMW has decided that EVs are important to its business future, given the fast-growing number of eco-conscious consumers around the world. More immediately, the i-cars will help the brand as a whole meet escalating global standards for fuel economy and CO2 emissions. And of course, the new tech-heavy electrics will contribute to BMW’s desired image as a socially responsible “green” automaker and technical innovator. As one company executive declared back in 2009, “In the future, leadership in the premium segment will belong to whichever manufacturer builds its products in the most efficient and resource-friendly way, and offers its customers the most advanced and exciting solutions for eco-friendly personal mobility.” Rivals like Audi and Mercedes Benz have reached the same conclusion and plan to market their own advanced-tech electric vehicles in the next few years. As noted, the 2014 BMW i8 is expected to look much like its concept predecessors. That means a strikingly low and wide stance, complex surface sculpting, and--the big attention getter--“beetlewing” doors that pivot skyward from the windshield posts and are long enough to allow access to both front and rear seats. Novel strutmounted roof rails should also carry over and perhaps a full-length transparent roof panel with structural bracing beneath, but The 2014 BMW i8 and other i-cars will the show cars’ see-through lower door help the brand meet escalating global panels are sure to become opaque. standards for fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The BMW i8 Concept is shown. 8 18 Maybe Someday? 11 February 2013 8-Fest Update by Steve Cohen As of this date: 8,857 hits to the 10th Anniversary of the 2003 Left Coast 8-Fest website Days until the event: 233 Months / days: 7 months / 20 days. UPDATE In my attempt to keep everyone updated on the progress of registration and reservations, it is my intention to do a monthly update until we are within several months prior to the event. Those people who have not yet registered or reserved a room please remember that registration closes based on the following criteria: 31 August 2013 OR: ALL rooms are reserved before the above date OR: The number of registrants and their significant others exceeds 175 (the number of people that can be served dinner at The Benbow Inn). We now have: 74 registered owners of BMW 8 series 118 Total Attendees 9 attendees have NOT made a room reservation As of this date, there are only 27 rooms available at the Humboldt House Inn. To examine the list of attendees: https://www.8-fest.org/Attendees.php We are asking each of you to assist us in obtaining sponsors, donations, gifts for your 8 that will be included in your registration kit. If each person would obtain 1 sponsor we would be in superb shape regarding sponsors. Please click below for links to: Guidelines for obtaining sponsors A letter that can be emailed to each prospective sponsor. Respectfully, Steve 19 The Directors met the 2nd of February and came up for some interesting and fun events for this year. Keep checking our website for upcoming events and news. We have also opened up the classified section of our website to all 8 owners wishing to sell their car or extra parts laying around and looking for a good home. If you would like to off load some parts or are looking for some, check out the classified section of www.socaleights.com/classified The SoCal 8s Board is determined to keep the enthusiasm and momentum that we began last year. We have made great strives to put us in the forefront on the 8 community and are determined to continue. All of this could not be possible without your support and dedication. Currently we have 86 on our mailing list. If only 20% attend meets or events, it promises to be successful and rewarding 2013. 2013 With the launch of our website www.socaleights.com in September, we will surly build our membership. Best Wishes, Fern Catch us on Facebook Our New Sponsors http://www.facebook.com/socaleights Long Beach BMW, LB CA Crevier BMW, Santa Ana CA South Bay BMW, Torrance, CA BMW Factory Direct, Torrance, CA 20