July 2013 Car of the Month – Ronn Harris

Transcription

Publisher: Fern Mora
Culver City, CA
International
8 Series
Owners
This Month’s Feature
JULY 2013
“Car of the Month”
Greetings From Culver City, CA
1
CULVER CITY, CA “THE HEART OF SCREENLAND &
SONY PICTURES”
Lunch After Car’s &
Cockpit Meet
Introduction!
I first met Ronald Harris in April 2012 at one of our events at the Lyon Air
Museum where we held a “Car’s & Cockpit” meet adjacent to the John
Wayne Airport in Orange County. Just one of our very successful events.
After this event he became a regular member. In August of 2012 the
unofficial group became officially SoCal Eights and the Board of Directors
were elected. Ronn stepped forward and was elected Club Secretary.
Ronn’s car is exquisitely modified with all the delicate touches that set it
apart from other eights. It’s truly a gem!
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1995 BMW 840Ci Jet Black Owner: Ronald Harris– Culver City , California
SoCal 8s has selected this 840Ci belonging to Ronald Harris (AKA ”Ronn”)
one of our 8’er and Bimmer Forum Members for our
July 2013
Ronn’s Story
”In His Own Words”
My name is Ronald Harris, you
can call me Ronn. I live in Culver
City, CA. I was born and raised in
the Los Angeles area, primarily in
the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw area
as a child and the South Bay area
as an adult.
Besides being a car fanatic, I am
also a huge sports fan of football,
basketball, boxing and baseball.
So much so that for the last 14
years I have refereed high school
football.
Ronn the Referee
3
Questions & Answers
Q: When did you start looking for an 8 series?
A: My curiosity with the 8 series started in 1990 when I saw it at the Los Angeles
Auto Show and in 1992 I had the privilege to drive one and from that day on, I just
had to have one. However, like most of us who own an 8 now, couldn’t afford one
back then so it became a dream with the phrase “one day I will….”
So 11 years later, my search originally started in the fall of 2003 for a car that I could
buy with $10,000 cash. However after quickly realizing that I was not going to be
happy with my choice, I decided to use that as a down payment for something that I
would like and enjoy. In November 2003, I was at South Bay BMW looking at their
used cars (at their old location on PCH) and happened to notice a black 840 parked
off to the side. It was dirty but the body and interior was in good condition. When I
asked if this car was for sale, the manager told me it was a trade-in and because of
the miles and age of the car, it was going to be sold at a dealer auction.
Q: Where and when did you purchase your 8?
A: I got the VIN number from South Bay BMW to track the car through CARFAX and
saw that it was sold to a dealer in Placentia, CA. After looking at 3 other 8 series, I
decided that this was clearly the best one to buy. I drove my prize to its new home in
December 2003.
Q: What made you pick the 8 series over other BMW models?
A: My original love for BMW’s was based on a mid-1980’s television show “Spenser
for Hire”. One of the characters on the show drove a white-on-white 635CSI
(although I am not a fan of white cars, I loved this one) and I really wanted one but
of course I could not afford it …but when the 8 series replaced it my focus quickly
moved towards it.
4
Questions & Answers
Q: Why did you pick your current 8 over some other 8s?
A: I looked at the 850’s and 840’s and based on some the reviews and
suggestions of some mechanics I decided to go with the 840 because of some of
the current (at the time) 5 series used the same block. I chose this particular car
because of the color combination and the features. This was also the cleanest
and nicest (and most expensive ) 8 that I liked…and I have not regretted my
decision .
Q: What is it about the 8 you enjoy most?
A: I enjoy the questions and the curiosity that people have about the
car…especially from the younger (the 20 something's) crowd. I like seeing the
expression on their face when I tell them the car is almost as old as they are and
they couldn’t believe that this is a BMW. Clearly this car was ahead of its time
(remember this car CAME with a cell phone…in 1991! Do you remember how
much cell service was back then?) and a lot of the 8’s technology is in most of
the new cars today.
Q: What interesting changes have you made to your car?
A: Personalizing my car to my taste
Q: Do you have any changes in the future you wish to do?
A: Adding carbon fiber overlay parts to the engine bay (currently in progress)
Adding an Alpina hood (a must!!!)
5
Ronn’s Wheels Of The Past
As a Los Angeles native, living in
the car capital of the world you can
and will see every type of car
known to man. My love for cars
started as a small child when my
father used to take the family out
on Sunday afternoons to drive
around on Los Angeles’ freeways.
By the time I got to high school I
knew what I wanted my first car to
be. I loved the “Smoky and the
Bandit” movies because of the
Pontiac Trans-Am (with the hood
scoop and the big bird on the
hood).
However, that was wishful thinking on my part because my parents didn’t have the
money to buy a car like that…so I got this instead
Yes ladies and gents that is a 1980 Chevrolet Monza which was the predecessor to the
Chevrolet Vega. This car was just a car…no power windows, air conditioner and only an AM
radio. As you can see I made an attempt to make it look cool with my 13 inch wheels and the
low profile BF Goodrich tires. This car lasted 3 years before the block cracked (for the second
time) and I decided to buy my own car.
6
Once again, what I wanted (1983
Datsun 280 ZX) and what I was
able to afford was a problem but I
was able to get a nice car. I
brought a 1983 Honda Prelude
which had all of the luxuries that I
needed in a car…including an
electric moon roof! Unfortunately,
I only had this car for 6 months
before it was stolen and when it
was recovered the interior was
stripped to the metal base.
After going back and forth with my insurance
company, I finally got the green light to
purchase another vehicle. However, due to the
import limitations that the government was
enforcing in the 80’s I had to wait 6-9 months
to get another Honda Prelude. So, I went to a
Datsun/Nissan dealership (they were in the
middle of the name transition) to see if they
had another vehicle besides the 280ZX that
was in my price range. On the showroom floor
I saw this 200SX.
It was the newly resigned Turbocharged 200SX. I had the salesman open the car door so I could
check out the interior and the first thing that I noticed was the stick shift. I did not know how to
drive a stick shift but I liked the car. The salesman took me on a test drive with another one that
was on the lot and realized that the car could talk! I thought I was in the K.I.T.T. car from Knight
Rider! After the test drive, I knew that I wanted this car but I wanted the turbocharged bright red
one that was on the showroom floor. Once I secured my financing, I went back and completed the
purchase and drove (I never went past second gear) my new car home!
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“It took me 3 days before I was really able to drive with a stick shift” 
The “Z”
Soon after as most
young men in Los
Angeles do, I started
making my own
modifications to the car
with the first version
seen here.
Phase 1 after modifications
“Yes that is me with my
RUN-DMC Addidas
sweatshirt”
Phase 2 of his 200ZX modification
8
And It Doesn’t Stop There
In 1986, my DJ business was
picking up (this was a side hobby)
and I needed a small truck to carry
my equipment. So I went back to
Nissan to purchase this
Again after my modifications, this was the
result
I owned both of these
vehicles the 200Zx and
the Nissan truck until
1989 when I made the
decision to sell both of
them. The 200ZX was
stolen from me at
gunpoint. I got it back
but it was stripped.
The truck was broken into
a several times for my
stereo. Because one of
my cars had to stay on
the street, it was
becoming a hassle to keep
them from being
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vandalized.
I also wanted to move away from red cars… 
Keeping It Simple This Time
After having some issues with the 200SX turbocharger, I
decided to keep it simple and go with a American muscle
car. I was working for a General Motors subsidiary which
allowed me to take advantage of a very nice discount that
was available towards a purchase of any GM vehicles. I
always loved the Camaro & Firebird since I was in high
school so I decided to buy a black on black IROC-Z
convertible. This is me (yes with the biker shorts!) with
the few modifications that I did for this car. I didn’t do
much other than tint the windows, chrome the wheels
and upgraded the sound system.
I kept this car for 14 years and turned the
odometer over twice. This car turned over
at 99,999.9 miles. In 2003, I decided that
it was time to get a new car but I knew I
couldn’t keep the IROC-Z anymore because
my daughter had the other spot in the
garage. Either the new car or the IROC-Z
would have to sit on the street and I did
not want to go through that hassle again.
After I sold the IROC-Z and shopped
around briefly for another car. I then
made the decision to buy my true dream
car, a BMW 8 Series.
This was the ad that briefly ran in Auto Trader
As you can see with the post it note, I was going to look at another 840 but after seeing this car
cleaned up and driving it, I knew that this was the car. As I drove my dream car to it’s new home
I couldn’t stop smiling that after 13 years from dreaming about this car I was finally an owner of
one.
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At Last His Dream Car
I also decided that I wasn’t going
to do any changes to this car
other than to change the sound
system. Well, that lasted until July
2011 when I decided 7 months
earlier to not have my beloved
840 as my daily driver and keep it
as a “weekend” car.
11
Just A Couple Of More Toy’s
I also wanted high end luxury vehicle with 4 doors to enjoy for myself and to carry my
grandchildren around and soon after I brought this Mercedes-Benz I had child of my
own….
I bought a 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 AMG sedan to become my daily driver and moved
the 840 into a storage unit so it would not have to sit on the street.
I also bought another dream vehicle in June 2011 when I finally saved enough money to buy a
brand new (it only had 1 mile on it) 2011 Can-Am Spyder motorcycle.
I always wanted a motorcycle but in Los Angeles it is very dangerous to have a 2 wheel
motorcycle because they are allowed to straddle in between lanes. So when I saw this at the Los
Angeles Auto Show in 2008 and went on a test ride a few weeks later I was hooked! If you get a
chance to drive one you will experience that same feeling!
As you can see I have made some
modifications to this too!!!
12
Project Blaque Out
So after I bring the Spyder
home (or in the storage unit
with my 840), I decided that it
was time to go through the 8
to either repair/replace/update
as needed…I called this
“Project Blaque Out”.
The Idea is Born
When I started this in July 2011, the first thing was
to get the headliner replaced so it won’t flop on top
of my head. However, once the headliner was
removed I noticed that the tracks of my sunroof were
off and some of the “teeth” were missing. I also
noticed that in the front and rear pillars there were
rust deposits from the drip rails being clogged that
caused the “bubbling” effect of the paint. I still have
these wheels and would love to sell them… 
Wheels Now For Sale
13
New Headliner
Post Paint Project
Picture After Paint
However, being the so-called perfectionist, I couldn’t stand it anymore, so once the headliner and
the sunroof was finished I went searching for a good paint shop. Just before Christmas I decided
to have my car painted at Specialty Car Craft in West Los Angeles. I chose them because of the
high end cars they consistently repair and the owner actually had an 8 series when he originally
started his shop and showed a lot of enthusiasm about the car. This was going to be the major
point in this process and it was going to take 3-4 months to complete as they were going to take
the entire car apart.
The second phase focused on
the interior and changing the
wheels, I was going to
remove all of the chrome
pieces with the exception of
the exhaust tips. I originally
was going to do a wood trim
but since the Mercedes had
that I wanted the BMW to be
different. I got the idea to
use carbon fiber from the
Spyder but I didn’t want to
use a wrap.
14
Carbon Fiber Treatment
After I found the carbon fiber shift and brake handles, I needed to find an overlay trim that
matched the handles. There was a company in Florida that provided material samples to
match up with the handles. My goal for the interior was to add a modern look and
technology without changing the original design. This is the final result of this concept…
Carbon Fiber dash, center console, and
door trim by Superior Dash, Florida
800-741-3274
15
Navigation!
I also wanted to have a
navigation system in the car
but I did not like or want the
suction cup portable system
with the wires hanging on the
side. As I was upgrading my
stereo head unit there was a
vendor demoing their
navigation system in hopes of
getting them to be a
distributor for their product. As
I watched their demonstration,
I immediately wanted this for
my car and allowed the vendor
to use my car as a test. This is
the result.
Installed By: Paul and Elvis
Al & Ed’s
2301 S Sepulveda Blvd
West Los Angeles
(310) 697-8969
More Goodies
Rydeen Navigation System with Rear Camera
Check out www.rydeenmobile.com for more information.
Note:
The rear view mirror with a 3.5” inch screen and rear
view camera was perfect for my needs and the
distributor was able to figure out how to re-wire the
OEM mirror to the new mirror so the key fob will
continue to work.
16
New Wheel Design
While I was getting the carbon fiber pieces for the
interior, I was designing my new wheels. Because
I had blacked out everything on the exterior, the
chrome lips on the wheels didn’t look right
anymore and I didn’t want to paint the lips for fear
that it may not look right or will start peeling. I
also wanted to bring out the red calipers in some
sort of way. So after playing around with different
concepts, I decided on this design.
Carbon Fiber Inlay
For BMW’s
17
The Engine Bay
Finally, I loved how the new interior trim
looked in the car I had to do something in
the engine bay. This is the one area that
has not been touched since I bought the
car. I took this shot before I started this
project this past January.
I originally started with painting the engine
and rocker covers and sandblasting and
painting the rocker boxes. However, it
didn’t quite come out like I hoped it
would… 
Picture taken prior to starting new project
So, it keeping with the carbon fiber theme
of the interior I recently decided to
incorporate this in the engine bay. I am
not finished with this yet but here’s one of
the finished pieces.
I hope to have everything completed by
September…just in time for the 8 fest!
Engine
& Trans
Chipped
18
Antenna
CSi Lower Bumper
Carbon Fiber
Roundel
19
840Ci Painter Black
Zeemax
Lower
Valance
and
Timed
FTP lens
Custom
Made
8
Key Ring
Brembo Calipers, Rotors and 19” Forgiato Wheels
Zeemax
Rear
Window
Diffuser
Zeemax
Rear
Trunk
Diffuser
20
In Marina Del Rey, CA
12” JL Audio Sub Woofer with
Rockford Fosgate 600W Amp
Custom exhaust built from end of headers to rear tips.
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In Car Entertainment Audio Upgrade:
BMW:
Year: 1995
Model: 840Ci VIN: CD90639
OEM Color: Jet Black
OEM Color Code: # 668
Wheel Make: Forgiato (8.5x19 Front, 11x19
Rear)
Tire Make: BF Goodrich
Tire Size Front: 245/35ZR19
Tire Size Rear: 275/30ZR19
Engine Size:
4.0L M60 HP: 335 (Estimated) w/Exhaust and
Dinan chips upgrade
Added Software: Dinan Engine and
Transmission Chips
Air Intake: K & N Air Filter
Major Upgrades to Engine: Custom exhaust
built from end of headers to rear tips.
Work in Progress: Carbon Fiber Overlay for
selected parts in the engine.
Special Interior Design Features Added:
Seats: OEM
Headliner replaced: Sliver Gray Suede with
OEM black suede window frame trim
Interior Trim: Carbon Fiber Dash and Center
Console trim (Superior Dash, Florida)
Shift Knob and Brake Handle: Carbon Fiber
Special Lighting: Interior (OEM) Exterior (HID
High/Low Beam), Fog Lights (Max Lumens)
Special Pedals: Custom Carbon Fiber
Other: Rydeen Navigation System with Rear
Camera.
Steering Wheels: 3-Spoke M- Stitched Leather
Steering Wheel (Germany), Brake and Shift
Boot (Poland)
Head Unit Make: Alpine IDA-X305S
Speakers Make: MB Quart (Door, Kick
Panel, Rear Deck)
Quantity: 6
Sub-Woofer: 12” JL Audio
Amplifiers: Rockford Fosgate, Alpine
Total Wattage: 600w
Active Crossover: Alpine
Any other audio upgrades: Head Unit is
configured for Bluetooth, Satellite, HD
Radio, Pandora and iPod.
Exterior Features:
Custom Color: OEM (Re-painted in
January 2011 at Specialty Car Craft, West
Los Angeles)
Side Skirts: OEM
Rear and Trunk Spoiler: Zeemax (United
Kingdom)
Front Lower Bumper: Zeemax (United
Kingdom)
Rear Lower Bumper: CSI
Side Mirrors: OEM
Suspension Custom Features
Springs: OEM (Modified front springs to
lower the car 1 inch)
Shocks and Struts: Bilstein
Sway Bar: N/A
Custom Brake Kit: Brembo Calipers and
Drilled Rotors (front), OEM brakes with
Brembo Drilled Rotors (rear)
Brake lines: OEM
Awards Received:
Awarded: BMW Car Club of America,
Petersen Automotive Museum
For: Most Distinctive BMW
22
A Shout Out!
There are so many people to thank but here’s the short list:
• Everyone at South Bay BMW (Torrance, CA) – Thank you for the great (parts and repair) service
and for taking care of my baby to keep her running flawlessly!!
Specialty Car Craft (West Los Angeles, CA) – Thanks to Steve (an original 8 owner) that shared my
passion and vision when I decided to re-paint my car AKA “Project Blaque Out”.
• Al & Ed’s Autosound (West Los Angeles, CA) – Thanks to Paul and Elvis for re-creating and
upgrading my sound system and customizing a navigation system that works and looks like OEM
equipment.
• Globe Tire and Motorsports (West Los Angeles, CA) – Thanks for the quality service (for all of
my vehicles) and installing the entire Brembo brake and rotor package and the Bilstein shocks and
struts to keep the smooth ride…smooth.
• Wheel Warehouse (Anaheim, CA) – Thanks to Brett for helping me create my vision in designing
its current and previous set of wheels and tires. It is always worth the drive to the OC when I
come to visit your showroom.
• Fast Intentions (Northridge, CA) – Big thanks to Tony and Danny for saving me big $$$ with
creating a new exhaust system and giving me 30% more horsepower. This was the alternative to
buying the $5K exhaust from BMW and I have not regretted or have had any problems with my
exhaust since.
• Markel’s Auto Interiors (West Los Angeles, CA) – Replacing my headliner was the start of my 2
year update/restore project and this led to repairing the sunroof and this led to eventually repainting the car. Thank you for all of the very hard work that was required to make everything
work and look good…there’s a reason why they’ve been in business since 1945!
• And finally to Fern Mora! Without Fern this recognition would not be possible. Some of our
readers and members of the SoCal Eights family have no idea how much work he puts into theses
publications and our events that we have throughout the year. It is great to be part of SoCal Eights
and the great group of people that share the same passion for a beautiful car. Because of our
group and the Bimmer forum, it has allowed me to get and share a greater passion with our
friends across the USA and across the pond (our international members).
Thanks, and I hope you all enjoyed my story, Ronn
Special acknowledgement goes to David Koizumi for his contribution to
produce the pictures of Ronn’s car. The outstanding pictures you took for
this months issue made it special and is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Fern
23
For making SoCal Eights July 2013 Issue of
.
Your car is a work of art and adds to the already beautiful lines of
the eight. You should be proud of your accomplishments.
1995 840Ci
24

July 2013 Car of the Month – Ronn Harris

Transcription

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