J U LY 2005

Transcription

J U LY 2005

J U LY 2005
BOSTON CHAPTER
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
Steve Hazard
(978) 463-7980
[email protected]
VICE-PRESIDENT &
ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR
Derek DeSousa
(401) 265-4576
[email protected]
TREASURER
Bruce Augenstein
(978) 263-3568 eves
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Jessica Nocerino
(978) 691-0064
[email protected]
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Denis Friedman
[email protected]
DIRECTORS
Michael Gilbert
(617) 797-6222
[email protected]
Joe Marko
(978) 532-1170 days
[email protected]
John Sullivan
(617) 696-1477 eves
[email protected]
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Roy Wicklund
(978) 456-3854
[email protected]
DRIVING EVENTS DIRECTOR
Luka Serdar Jr.
(781) 863-5859 eves
[email protected]
BIMMER STA F F
EDITOR, AD MANAGER,
& ART DIRECTOR
Suzin Koehler
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kevin Cronan, Chuck Davis, Derek DeSousa,
Todd Merrill, Jeff Smethers, Mike Stukalin,
Peter Weber, Roy Wicklund
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Peter Bergwall, Doug Mahar, Todd Merrill,
Dan Mull, Ron Sisco
WEBMASTER
Greg Scott
(508) 845-9245 eves
[email protected]
boston bimmer • july 2005
High-Performance Driving School
September 28-29
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Watkins Glen
International Raceway
Watkins Glen, NY
EVENT CHAIR
Joe Marko
(978) 532-1170 (d)
[email protected]
EVENT REGISTRAR
Jeffrey Smethers
(603) 867-2252
[email protected]
ome join the Boston Chapter for
another wonderful event at Watkins
Glen. Our annual two-day driving
school is one of the highlights in our
driving-school season, a reputation well
deserved considering the fantastic
venue. There will be a dinner on
Wednesday night at the Glen Club on
the track grounds, a great time to share
your experiences from the first day with
fellow track enthusiasts.
Watkins Glen International is one
of the finest tracks in the Northeast, and
one of only two road-courses used by
NASCAR. In addition, this track hosts
numerous other racing series. This year
they’ll have the inaugural Indy Grand
C
Prix earlier the same week, and we’ll
be the first group on-track after them.
Students will have several on-track
sessions per day along with classroom
instruction. We have one of the fin e s t
groups of instructors in the Northeast
to provide in-car feedback and expertise. Our driving events are very popular and do sell out quickly. So mark
you calendars now. More details are
available at www.boston-bmwcca.
org/events/2005/driving-school-wgi.
This is a two day event, you must
register for both days. The cost is $350
for BMW CCA members and $390
for non-members. Registration opens
for Chapter members on July 11th. 
When your car deserves the best!
Polishes
Waxes
Sealants
Interior Supplies
Microfiber Towers
and More…
A car enthusiast and BMW owner with
16 years experience professionally
detailing cars.
Visit us for all your detailing supply needs.
www.superiordetailsupplies.com
360 RTE 130, Sandwich, MA 02563
[email protected]
2
www.boston-bmwcca.org
BOSTON CHAPTER STA F F
ADVANCED DRIVING SKILLS SCHOOL
Sean Silva, Chair
(978) 964-4286 eves
[email protected]
AUTOCROSS
Fred deNapoli, Co-Chair
[email protected]
boston bimmer
NEWSLETTER OF THE BOSTON CHAPTER
VOLUME 36 • NUMBER 6
Malcolm Lawson, Co-Chair
[email protected]
Jessica Nocerino, BMW Registrar
(978) 691-0064
[email protected]
Baer Connard, Registrar Assistant
[email protected]
CLUB RACING
Brittany Weber, Chair
[email protected]
CONCOURS
Derek DeSousa, Chair
(401) 265-4576
[email protected]
DRIVING SCHOOL
Luka Serdar, Co-Chair
(781) 863-5859 eves
[email protected]
Joe Marko, Co-Chair
(978) 532-1170 days
[email protected]
Jeff Smethers, Registrar
(603) 867-2252
[email protected]
Craig Olmsted, Chief Instructor
(781) 861-8151
[email protected]
ICE RACING
Stan Jackson, Sr., Chair
(603) 744-8559 days
Stan Jackson, Jr., Coordinator
(603) 744-5035
[email protected]
KARTING
Vassilis Kontoglis, Chair
[email protected]
RHODE ISLAND REPRESENTATION
Bruce Machon, RI Representative
(401) 941-5313
Bob Sweeney, Jr., RI Activities Director
(401) 788-9017
[email protected]
LEGAL ADVISOR
Trish Farnsworth
(781) 239-9688 eves
[email protected]
TECHNICAL ADVISOR
Jim Albright
(617) 623-5151 days
12
Faux M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Making of Lap Dogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
C O L U M N S / D E PA R T M E N T S
U PC OMI NG E VEN TS
I’m Driving Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Dry Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Delivery Driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ramblings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Members Out & About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
National News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ultimate Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Bimmer Across the Border . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
High-Performance Driving School . . . . . . . 2
Komen Foundation Shuttle Drives . . . . . . . 4
Oktoberfest 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ADVERTISERS
3D Auto Works, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Albright Mighty Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Alpha Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Atlantic Coast Trailer Sales . . . . . . . . . . 7, 27
Autobahn Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Bavarian Autosport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Bavarian Performance Group . . . . . . . . . . 28
Blue & White Motors Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
BMW Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC
BMW of Peabody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
Car Art Unlimited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Century 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Concord Motorsport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Foreign Motors West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
HMS Motorsport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Landshark Automotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Mike’s Autobody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Rim & Wheel Works, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rim Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Sansossio Auto Body, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Superior Detail Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Turner Motorsport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC
Vintage Sports & Racing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
MAILING ISSUES/ADDRESS CHANGES
If you are experiencing mailing issues or need to change your mailing address please contact the National Office at
(864) 250-0022 or www.bmwcca.org. Please do NOT contact anyone on the staff about this issue, we unfortunately
have no control over the mailing list. Most of the time mailing issues relate to incorrect addresses.
The boston bimmer is the official publication of the Boston Chapter, BMW CCA, Inc., and its contents
remain the property of the Club. All information furnished herein is provided by the membership of the
Club, for members only. The Club assumes no liability for any of the information contained herein. The
ideas, opinions, and suggestions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and no authentication
is implied. Unless otherwise noted, none of the information in this newsletter is “factory approved.” Modifications within the warranty period of your BMW may void the warranty. Permission is hereby granted to
reproduce any material published herein provided full credit is given to the author and the Boston Chapter.
3
I ’ MD R I V I N GN O W
BY STEVE HAZARD
SO HERE I AM WITH MY WIFE SITTING NEXT TO ME, AND THE SALESPERSON
IN THE BACKSEAT AND THIS LARGE LOT IN FRONT OF ME… HMMMMM,
LETS DO A 50 MPH SLALOM…
ith the recent 3 Across America
stop in Boston, and my wife’s
2001 E46 5-speed sport wagon
hitting 70,000, it is time to look at replacing her car. When she sat in the new E90
sedan at the Westin in downtown Boston on
March 28 she really loved it. We wondered
how it would drive.
So on Memorial Day weekend we just
happened to be passing by BMW of
Peabody and my wife looks and sees two
E90s sitting out front. We looked at each
other and thought the same thing. Lets go
take a look and maybe test drive one. My
wife and I have purchased our last two
BMWs from that dealership because it’s
the closest to our home. They also sponsor
my car each year for the Autocross events.
W
We pull in, park, and head for the
showroom. We meet with one of the
salespeople and are quickly sitting in an
E90 330i 6-speed with the sport package ready for a test drive. The salesperson directs us to head down 128 South
and pick up the exit ramp for the Centennial Office Park. I enter the on ramp
and test the acceleration. Of course the
motor is “tight,” not broken in, but the
engine has great low-end torque and like
all inline BMW sixes it has a turbine-like
quality to it. Peak horsepower is 255.
He tells me there is a large, empty
parking lot on the right in the office park
that I can use for my “test drive.” Sure
enough the lot’s large and empty. I’m
now encouraged to drive the car as fast
as I’d like. Please keep in mind that the
new E90 is shod with specially designed
run-flat tires and after hearing about the
Mini Cooper owner’s complaints I
thought I would be let down.
The sport package bumps the rims and
tires to 18x8" wheels with 225/40/18’s
front, and 18x8.5" 255/35/18 rears. So here
I am with my wife sitting next to me, and
the salesperson in the backseat and this
large lot in front of me… Hmmmmm, lets
do a 50 mph slalom… I bring the car up
to about 50 and check out its transitional
response. Chuck it, chuck it, chuck it!
WOW! Dang this car turns in quick.
I turn around and repeat the fictional
slalom and even was able to wag the tail
some the second time through.
Susan G. Komen Foundation Shuttle Drives
he Boston Chapter is proud to
announce that once again we will
assist BMW NA and the Susan
G. Komen Foundation with the “Ultimate Drive” to cure cancer. The
Boston Chapter has been requested
to provide assistance with the “Shuttling of the Fleet” from one BMW
Retail Center to next in our local
Chapter area.
We have been told that there will
be approximately eighteen cars at
each Center. In order to assist with the
“Shuttle of the Fleet,” you must be 21
years old, present your license to the
Fleet personnel and be at the dealership by 5:30 p.m. that evening. Food
T
August 1, 2005
to August 15, 2005
COORDINATOR
John Sullivan
[email protected]
4
will be provided to the volunteers at
the dealership as will return transport
to the original dealership.
The Schedule in the Boston Chapter area is as follows:
August 1 Newport AutoCenter, Middletown RI
August 3 BMW Gallery-Norwell, Norwell MA
August 4 Herb Chambers, Boston MA
(limited drivers required)
August 5 BMW of Peabody, Peabody MA
August 13 Wagner BMW, Shrewsbury MA
August 15 Foreign Motors West, Natick MA
Volunteers need to contact John
Sullivan at [email protected].
Provide name, day- and night-time
telephone numbers and at which dealership you would like to volunteer. 
Bimmers Across the Border
ome join the Boston Chapter for
another exciting event at Mont
Tremblant. We’ve made this
driving school even better by having
a premier Club Race event during the
weekend, preceded by a Friday
driving school for advanced students,
instructors, and racers. Three days at
one of North America’s premiere race
tracks, coupled with the splendor of
the Mont Tremblant resort area make
for a great vacation opportunity for
the whole family.
The setting is the European-style
resort village of Mont Tremblant. Nestled in the splendor of the Laurentian
Mountains, Mont Tremblant is located 90 miles northwest of Montréal.
Of course the area features fine restaurants and excellent shopping. It also
features over 100 miles of protected
trails for biking, skateboarding, and
roller blading. There are two great
golf courses, an aquatics center, and a
lake with a large beach.
As with all of our schools, students
will have several on-track sessions
C
Friday-Sunday
August 12, 2005
to August 14, 2005
Mont Tremblant
Canada
EVENT CHAIR
Joe Marko
(978) 532-1170 (d)
[email protected]
EVENT REGISTRAR
Jeffrey Smethers
(603) 867-2252
[email protected]
Next was a constant radius skidpad…
Once again more grip than I thought
would be there. Unfortunately there still
is lots of safe understeer built into the suspension. Feels about “moderate understeer.” I was able to left foot brake the car
so I could change the slip angles if needed. The staggered tire sizes and spring
rates no doubt were tuned to leave a good
amount of understeer. The aftermarket
tuners will solve that ASAP I’m sure.
Last, I wanted to check out the ABS
and brakes. Up to 50 mph again and a
smooth application of the stop pedal
yielded a short stop. Great pedal feel,
and solid ABS. My wife looked at me
and said that’s enough!
She’s had enough of my antics.
She ended up driving the car back to
the dealership and commented on how
much better the shifter feels, along with
a few other points.
Another big plus is this car has much
more leg room up front and rear. I did
not feel cramped at all sitting in any of
the seats.
On the critical side, as much as I was
impressed with the run-flat tires I think a
buyer of a $40,000 car should have the
option to choose a mini spare, or even a
full spare with traditional high performance
tires. I just hate the fact that owners are
having the run-flats as their only tire choice,
especially on the sport-packaged car.
per day along with classroom instruction. In addition we have one of the
finest groups of on-track instructors
in the northeast to provide in-car feedback and expertise. Our driving events
are very popular and do sell out quickly. So mark your calendars now and
come join us for an exciting time
at this track. More details available
on our web site’s event listing,
w w w. b o s t o n - b m w c c a . o rg / e v e n t s /
2005/driving-school-mt.
If you wish to register for all three
days, you must register once for
Friday and/or the combined Saturday/Sunday weekend. The Friday
only cost for BMW CCA, BMW CC,
and PCA members is $180 U.S., all
others are $220 U.S. per driver. T h e
combined Saturday/Sunday weekend cost for BMW CCA, BMW CC,
and PCA members is $420 U.S., all
others are $460 U.S. per driver.
Registration is currently open for
everyone. So don’t delay! 
Our test car had the traditional steering rack unit, but the new Active steering
I’ve read very mixed reviews on as well.
Curb weights continue to climb. The new
330i is at 3,417-lbs. I really don’t like
the current weight trend of all sports cars
in general. Up, up, up! I’m sure our xi
will weigh in at about 3,600+ lbs.
So we will be ordering a new 330xi with
hopes of an October delivery very soon. I
hope many of you will head down to your
favorite BMW dealership for a test drive.
What I’m curious to see is what M versions
of this will be coming to the U.S. market.
What will it weigh? What will it cost? Is
the V8 definite? I’m sure we will know
much more in the coming months. 
5
BY JEFF SMETHERS
T H ED RYL I N E
I SLIDE THE SOCKET FROM THE CYLINDER TO DISCOVER THAT THE THREADS SNAPPED
AND WERE STILL IN THE CYLINDER. A SMALL IGNITION PROBLEM HAS SUDDENLY GONE
TERRIBLY BAD AND I’M QUESTIONING WHY I BOTHER TO PICK UP TOOLS AT ALL.
fter a brief lull since January’s
Winterfest, event activity has
picked up and I find myself once
again juggling the logistics of attending
various driving events. This problem is
further exacerbated by my registrar duties
with the Boston Chapter. To add to the
complexity, I generally go to events with
Suzin Koehler so we have two cars to
maintain at a level requisite for the track.
Travel, lodging, spare parts, etc.—it can
be a little overwhelming at times. But all
of these headaches fade away on my first
warm-up lap of any driving event; being
out there on a track and content that it
was all worth it.
Then fate takes over and you trust that
all of the due diligence around preparing
the cars keeps them together. Pre-tech
inspections go a long way in assuring this,
but even so the toils of track driving will
eventually reveal themselves. Do enough
events and you’re bound to run into car
trouble. Although you hope the trouble is
of a modest nature, doesn’t ruin your
driving day, and—more importantly—
allows you to drive home. Last month was
a good amount of track activity with thousands of travel miles as well. While we
d i d n ’t run into huge problems on any
given day there were a couple of nail-biting moments.
Early morning at a track event is a
rush of excitement as cars roll in and
claim their paddock space. Friends greet
and then set out to prepare their cars for
the fun that’s to come. For any given day
you have decisions to make about how
your car is to be setup for that particular
event. If it’s a rainy, wet day you may
forgo the sticky tires and trust the engineered grooves built into your street tires
to channel water and provide more traction. A cool day and you’ll end up fiddling with tire pressures, tweaking each
axle to maximize adhesion and limit slip
A
6
angles. Beyond tires, other aspects of car
setup can change too.
On a particularly cold morning at
Watkins Glen I decided that our cars didn’t require any additional cooling from
the brake ducts installed. For those unfamiliar with E30 M3s there is no provision for stock ducting, rather one goes
to the aftermarket for a re-engineered
backing plate and some form of ducting
in the front bumper (typically relieving
the car of it’s useless fog-lamps). A n yway, I made the decision that temps in
the 30s provided sufficient ambient cooling to the rotors and carefully placed
strips of tape over the ducts. While this
was a functional decision it also provided our cars the opportunity to have a
splash of color contrast to an otherwise
blah front spoiler. I was remiss to turn
my head, I could sense that others in the
paddock were admiring the handiwork,
in particular my reliance on a favored
Motorsport colored tape.
And so the day went without problems. It was an instructor-only lapping
day and I managed close to three hours
of driving over the course of the day.
Despite the blocked ducting the brakes
stayed firm thanks to considerate cooldown laps. Suzin’s car didn’t run as much
but she too was good with the blocked
ducting, although some odd brake pedal
play was bothering her.
The next two days were the same and
the cars ran fine. I went out as a passenger
in Suzin’s final run on Sunday and she
complained that her brakes were starting
to fade. As the session was almost over
she started to cool-down the car at the
Boot and pitted. I was not instructing that
afternoon and Suzin was done so we
decided to pack up and leave just after
lunch. Early afternoon the cars were
packed and we start the long drive home.
Suzin immediately radios complain-
ing that the steering wheel is pulsating and
the car is making an awful noise. Halfway
down the hill to Watkins Glen I drive it
and the steering wheel is almost impossible to hold at speeds greater than forty.
Something is wrong and there’s no way
she can drive the car in this condition.
Back up the hill we go, back to the
track hoping to find someone with the
knowledge to help diagnose the problem. Damn, the Turner gang must have
left that morning and many of the garage
bays are empty. The Checca area doesn’t
look completely deserted and finally Rich
walks over. We jack the car and he’s barely able to spin the tire, something is binding (although only at certain points). Off
comes the wheel and he starts spinning
the rotor, sure enough it’s badly warped:
A victim of trapped heat during Suzin’s
final run session, or my ignorance in not
removing that dang duct tape. Thirty
minutes later the rotor is replaced with
an intelligently packed spare and once
again we’re on our way home.
ater in the month we’re at Mont
Tremblant with PCA for a two-day
school. Their format allows instructors out in any session so I enjoy more
track time than usual at one of my
favorite tracks. The car is running well,
suspension feels great after recent control-arm replacement, and I’m even able
to convince a few of the Porsches to let
me pass them.
Day two at the event is more of the
same fun. We have our ninety-minute
enduro early in the afternoon and I decide
to do only thirty of those minutes after
noticing my oil temperatures climb higher than they used to. This is a continuing
trend of late and I know I’m due for the
motor to come apart for a rebuild. Ideally it will come apart in a shop rather than
on a track. Suzin pits towards the mid-
L
dle of the enduro and we splash some
gas in her car and out she goes for more
fun. The radios are working pretty well;
it’s nice to know we can stay in contact
if there are problems.
After the enduro Suzin complains that
her car is running rough at low speeds.
I drive it around the paddock and it’s
clearly missing at low rpms, seems to
smooth out with more revs. We get someone to validate the symptoms and discover that the plug wire in the first cylinder is pulsating. Great! It’s an easy
fix—the spark plug must be loose.
Out come the tools and the plug is very
tight but we do wrestle it out, find that the
ceramic portion is loose in the aluminum
collar and threads. The electrode looks
fine, although it still needs to be replaced.
I grab a plug from our spares box and
slowly start securing it in place.
It starts to bind a bit and them immediately goes very loose. Uh-oh, not good, the
plug should have seated by now. I carefully back it out and slide the socket from
cylinder to discover that the threads
snapped and remained in the cylinder. A
small ignition problem has suddenly gone
terribly bad and I’m questioning why I
bother to pick up tools at all.
Theories as to how to remove circulate among those standing nearby but I
elect to call in professionals with access
to better tools and far more experience
with reversing threads from deep and
dark places like an S14 block. I call CAA
and the car is towed to a shop in Val
Davide, I follow behind in my car calculating how much it’s going to cost me
if they have to pull the head to retrieve
the spark plug remains.
Upon arrival the mechanic’s raised
eyebrows and audible harumph when he
sees the broken plug do not convey any
assurances that the car can be fixed easily. Nonetheless it’s rolled into a service
bay and two of the shop’s finest dive in.
Remarkably five minutes later one of
them comes over to us all smiles holding the plug threads in his hand. Anothboston bimmer • july 2005
er plug is installed and the car fires and
runs perfectly. I nearly weep with relief.
Too exhausted to drive home that night
we stay over for a fantastic Japanese dinner in the resort area with fellow Club
member Pritpal Ahuja. A quick breakfast
in the morning, return to the track to gather up our canopy and other paraphernalia
that was left behind in the haste of our
spark plug adventure the night prior, and
we’re on the road back to the U.S. by
9:30a.m. Great timing too, as we sail
through both Montreal and the border
under sunny skies. At some point on Route
89 in Vermont I hear some metallic rattle
from underneath my car but quickly goes
away. The car is running fine, and gauges
show no tell-tale signs of trouble, so I keep
in it until we stop for gas.
Then I discover what the noise was. No
doubt brought on by the vibrations incurred
while bumping along Route 35 in Canada,
part of my shift linkage fell off the car. I
realize the shifter is floating terribly when
I try to pull the car out of gear to stop at the
gas station. A quick check by the pumps
and it seems I can get half of my gears,
confirmed after the fuel stop that running
1-3-5 gets me going fast enough for the
blazing cruise speeds we maintain on the
highways. As an added bonus I also have
Reverse and am able to wheel the car into
my garage, to await careful repair by a
seasoned professional.
Later in the day while I’m unpacking
the car I think back on some problems
the cars go through. Considering how
much track time and travel the car sees,
I’m really foolish to not be more aggressive in convincing myself I need to start
towing the car. Some day I’m gonna run
out of luck and we’ll be unable to drive
a car home. At the same time I’m constantly glued to my gauges while driving
the car on the highway, misjudging even
the slightest change in some readout as a
problem. All in all, the world would be a
better place if I had a tow vehicle and
trailer. In a future column I hope to share
that success story, stay tuned. 
7
D E L I V E RYD R I V E N
BY JUSTIN HUGHES
IT ELIMINATES WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT MY LAST JOB,
THE MUNDANE DATA PROCESSING, AND THE POLITICS
AND BUREAUCRACY THAT ANY OFFICE JOB HAS.
A
lot has happened since the last time
my name appeared on these pages.
First, the bottom fell out of the tech
industry. Half of our documentation
department, including me, got laid off. I
looked and soon realized that there were
absolutely no software documentation
job openings anywhere. I expanded my
job search to include… well, practically
anything I was capable of doing. A bit of
luck and a very unique skill-set landed
me a job with the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority in Fitchburg.
They needed someone to spend part
of their time analyzing and manipulating
databases, and part of their time heading
out to perform on-site spot inspections of
subcontractors’vehicles. I was overqualified with computer experience. But I had
also been a tech inspector for the Boston
Chapter’s autocross events, and already
knew my way around doing a quick spot
inspection. I’d just be checking for fir e
extinguishers and proper child seat installation, rather than loose wheel-bearings
and sticky throttle-return springs.
After settling into the job, I found
myself merely enduring the computer
aspect of it, but really enjoying getting out
on the road to do the inspections. I love to
drive, and now I was getting paid to do it.
The trips into Boston weren’t fun, but the
suburbs were, and especially Route 202
down to the Springfield area. They assigned
me a Plymouth Neon, which, while no
BMW, was a step up from the Chevy
Caprice wagons they’d had me using.
Then a year and a half ago, life circumstances caused me to move in with a
group of friends in Lewiston, Maine. The
commute would’ve been a bit too long, so
I left that job and again searched for whatever I was capable of doing. I applied for
everything from auto parts sales to 911
dispatching. I got an almost immediate email back from one resume I e-mailed to
a courier company out of South Portland.
The next thing I knew, I was scraping
together loose change to cover my tolls
for a trip to the office for an interview.
As it turned out, one of their big customers is Central Maine Medical Center. Among other things, they are the center of the blood bank distribution system
in central Maine, and they get a lot of
deliveries going to other area hospitals.
I live about five minutes from CMMC,
and they were eyeballing me specifically
for my very rapid response time to those
emergency calls. The biggest liability I
had going was my lack of familiarity
with Maine, having just moved there.
But they also knew it was something I
could learn as I went along. They were
also keen to hear about my driving history, both my clean record for the past
several years as well as my autocross and
driving school experience. They realized
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that I could drive safely, and drive well.
They didn’t offer me the job on the
spot. I was at least halfway home by the
time they called my cell to make the offer.
I was desperate, and I was broke, so I
immediately accepted. Ironically, the day
I accepted the job, I got a call from Lewiston/Auburn 911 dispatch asking when I
could start working for them—never mind
the interview. But they were too late. A
year later, I’ve had no regrets.
Being a courier is a far less glamorous
occupation than writing software documentation. The pay is a lot less, but I do
make enough to live on. And, most importantly to me, I actually enjoy it. It has what
I liked about my last job, getting paid to
drive around the state. It eliminates what
I didn’t like about my last job, the mundane data processing, and the politics and
bureaucracy that any office job has. I talk
to my boss on the phone for maybe fiv e
minutes a day. The rest of the time, I’m
on my own. I don’t drive to the office—I
drive my office. My commute consists of
walking from my door to my minivan.
After that, I’m on the clock.
But most of all, I enjoy the variety.
Some of our drivers have regularly scheduled routes that they do every day. I’m more
of a “floater.” I get more of the random calls
that are more distant than a trip across town.
The blood deliveries are among them. So
are legal documents going from lawyer to
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lawyer, or to a court-house. Or mass mailings going from the printer to the mailing
service. Sometimes I get something really
weird. For example, one time I went to
Portland, picked up two manholes—not
the covers, I mean the actual metal rings
that sit in the ground—and drove them to
a mill in Woodland, five hours away on the
New Brunswick border. Apparently the
entire mill was shut down until they got
these manholes, and the fastest way to get
them there was to send me.
The cargo isn’t the only thing that gets
strange sometimes. One time I was getting
off 95 in Augusta, rounding the off-ramp,
and there was a car on fire in the breakdown lane. No one was inside and people
were standing nearby, so they escaped
unharmed. I remembered that my work
truck was equipped with a fire extinguisher, so I pulled over, ran back to the car, and
would’ve put the fire out myself, if the
extinguisher had actually been charged….
I’ve probably driven at least 50,000
miles on the job in the past year. Being on
the road so much creates a lot of potential to be in an accident. Traffic in Maine
is generally a cake walk compared to the
Boston area, but there are still some crazy
drivers out there, and I’ve had a couple
of very near misses. I thank my autocross
and driving school experience, mostly
with the Boston Chapter, for teaching
me the car control skills I needed to get
out of those tight squeezes that an average driver may not have.
My job gives me all kinds of interesting experiences and fascinating stories to tell. Some are funny, some are
serious, and some are just plain weird.
I’ll share these stories in future columns.
But best of all, for the first time ever, I
can honestly say that yes, I truly enjoy
my work. What car nut wouldn’t enjoy
getting paid to drive? 
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Adult Tees: Green & Blue (SM & XXL left) ............................$5
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Polo: White (SM & XXL left—old logo)........................ Sale $10
Polo: Red (SM, XL, XXL left—old logo) ........................Sale $10
Polo: Royal Blue (SM, XL, XXL left—old logo)..............Sale $10
Sweatshirt: Lt Blue (LG, XL, XXL left—old logo) ........Sale $15
Sweatshirt: Hunter Green (MED & XL left—old logo) ..Sale $15
Motorsport Shirt: Black w/stripes on color/sleeve
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To order call Suzin Koehler at (781) 233-5606 or email
[email protected]. I can send you pictures of what the
merchandise looks like.
9
R A MB L I N G S
BY MIKE STUKALIN
“PEOPLE READ THIS MAGAZINE. THEY READ IT ON BUSES.
THEY LEAVE IT THERE, AND OTHER PEOPLE PICK IT UP AND READ IT.
SOON THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WILL KNOW YOUR NAME.”
hen I was asked by the Bimmer
staff to write a monthly column,
I enthusiastically said yes. The
decision was very simple. I enjoy writing
and have been a member of the Boston
Chapter for the last seven years. Therefore I felt that a monthly column would
be a perfect opportunity to serve the community, while spewing out sometimes
unpopular and/or sarcastic opinions.
Seriously, folks. We are talking about
a couple thousands readers here, almost
all of them are BMW enthusiasts. As
Diane from Cheers once so eloquently
put it: “People read this magazine. They
read it on buses. They leave it there, and
other people pick it up and read it. Soon
the entire country will know your name.”
Now, we all remember that Diane was
somewhat delusional and one step from
the cuckoo’s nest, but still, this is such a
tremendous responsibility here. I need
to figure out the best way to pander to
my esteemed readership. I need to come
up with a thousand words every month,
lest the nice but all-powerful editor Suzin
tortures me by making me drive a 1974
Pacer in bright orange with green stripes.
I would like those thousand words to be
something that the BMW community
will find valuable. Nay, scratch that. I
will settle for entertaining.
So, I need your input into what you,
good folks of Boston Chapter, would like
W
to see in this space on a monthly basis.
Yep, I’m not too proud to ask right off the
bat. Moreover, I’ll give you an idea of
what I will not write about. I will not write
about streetlight racing. I will not get into
“this car is better than that car” arguments.
I will not discuss the relative merits of
assorted exotic waxes. Those who have
seen my cars, I’m sure, would know why.
There will be no detailed articles on the
best looking rims in ridiculous sizes. It is
also very unlikely that you will see haiku
or limericks here. To wit:
Teutonic driver
Serious and purposeful
Shops for Bilstein Sports
Or
There once was a man with Toyota
Didn’t care to drive an iota
But he went all out
Bought a Bimmer and now
He commutes from Cape to Minnesota
Oops, I’ve promised not to do that.
Well, I take that promise back, than.
I will also give you hints on what I
would like to cover. You know what they
say: “Write what you know.” I know cars
a little. I’ve driven for the past 19 years,
both all over the States and in Europe.
I’ve crossed the country West to East
twice and plan to do it again. I’ve done
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thousands of miles on Autobahns and
Autostradas and wonderful twisting back
roads from Californian blacktop to Chianti’s red clay.
I’ve had more than a dozen Japanese
cars, some fairly unique. Lately I’ve
owned some European marques as well.
I’m on my third BMW, an unusual older
7 Series with a stick shift that I just
picked up. I have a CSP autocross Miata
and my everyday car for the last year and
a half has been—oh horror of horrors—
a P-car convertible. I also do some
wrenching on my fleet, although I would
prefer that you get your repair tips from
someone with a full complement of
undamaged fingers and higher liability
coverage than mine currently are. On top
of all that I love anthropology and sociology. So I travel and observe. I even
learned to temper myself and not to
extend any of my fingers out the window
when I am being cut off by bright individuals that consider turn signals to be
signs of weakness in everyday fight for
road supremacy.
In short, I’d like to talk about us as
drivers. About our good and bad habits!
About autocrossing and driver education! Not from the standpoint of it being
cool. Not from the angle of gathering coworkers around office water coolers and
casually dropping “I was racing again
this weekend.” But rather from my per-
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sonal perspective that autocrossing
makes us better street drivers. And yes,
it is also about competition and peer
approval, but shhhh, I didn’t really say
that and you didn’t hear it from me.
Which, by the way, brings up a separate issue. What side will I be taking at
the annual end of year Porsche/BMW
team autocross rumble? Inquiring minds
might want to know that a ringer is available to the team with the deepest pockets… errr… the more interesting co-drive
offer. I don’t think that pushing a 7 Series
on race rubber between the cones at Fort
Devens would be a good idea, although
I have seen it done before with some
level of success. So, any offer of codriving an M3 would be considered.
I also would like to discuss our cars,
our choices, our community and how we
can make it better. And yes, I promise
the unpopular and sarcastically put forward opinions, so bear with me. I would
like to talk about general driving both
here and in Europe. About the fact that
we, as drivers, have much to learn to
make ourselves and those around us
safer. I would love to talk about the social
implications of our cars as well. How
they make us feel when we drive them,
why we love or hate them and what else
is out there that deserves our attention.
In other words, I will attempt to
unabashedly and unashamedly copy
Click and Clack by using your monthly
emails as fodder for my mild rants.
So, please get your pen, paper and
your favorite post pigeon or mail pony,
or better yet email your ideas to
[email protected]. If this column ever
makes me famous, I’ll be sure to reward
you handsomely by possibly sending you
a used set of wiper blades and defin i t e l y
a book on the physics of racing. 
11
Story and photographs by David VerMeulen
FAUX M
12
have always been partial to the lines
of the 6 Series with their classic look of
the long hood and short trunk. When
new, the cost of a 6 Series was beyond
my means but fortunately time is a great
equalizer and they are now quite aff o r dable. This is my experience in the acquisition and resurrection of a 1981 6 Series
and my own view on cost effective, doit-yourself, fun cars. I personally feel that
if you have too much money tied up in a
fun car it owns you, not the other way
around. Now, I’m not talking about collector cars and the like but rather cars you
can drive about anywhere, tinker with
yourself and avoid the guilt of too much
money riding on four wheels.
Buying the car right (as in very cheap)
is the key. For me, the Car Trader is the
best place to look for deals. I’ve also
found that your better deals are in towns
other than Wellesley or Newton. This particular car came from Lawrence. I read
about the car on the Thursday night train
ride home and called that evening. Traveled to Lawrence on Saturday, saw the
car and picked it up on Sunday. Before
meeting the seller on Saturday I stopped
by the ATM and removed the maximum
cash just in case this car was the one. For-
I
fore the car came with a spare engine,
two spare transmissions and boxes of
everything from spare alternators, computers, ignition boxes, to a/c compressors, power steering pumps, nuts and
bolts and miscellaneous electrical parts.
Plus enough suspension parts to equip
another body shell. Well by the time we
loaded everything the poor half-ton truck
was setting pretty low.
The trailer tongue sank to about six
inches off the pavement and the safety
chain threw sparks every time I hit a
bump. It’s times like these when it’s
better to rent than own. So with the truck
loaded down and the sparks flying
the entire rig looked like something out
of the Grapes of Wrath. Another Okie
headed west for the promise land, or in
my case, Dedham.
Once I got the car into the garage I was
tunately, my understanding wife pitched
in with her own maximum ATM withdrawal to help close the deal on Sunday.
Now, you are probably and rightfully
thinking what the heck did he buy? Well
it was actually a pretty solid car. It had
been setting in a garage for four years and
didn’t appear to have suffered too much.
Rolling the car out into the daylight I
immediately spotted the “M” insignia’s
and the 16-inch Rial alloy wheels. Hot
damn I thought, a really cheap ’81 633
M with a five-speed. Of course I did my
best to suppress a smile less I damage my
bargaining position.
The real BMW a ficionados among you
will immediately recognize that there were
no 1981 6 Series Ms made for America.
My brother pointed this out over the phone
and I confirmed his observation by pulling
the valve cover and counting one puny
camshaft and 12 little valves. At the time
I didn’t know enough about M sixes to
look at the engine and know the diff e rence. So in the end I got a real good deal
on a 6 Series, not a killing on an M. Still,
a great place to start.
I’ll digress a moment and say that
there are times when paying more for certain older cars is a cost savings in the long
run. Often times the cost of major
mechanical or body repairs can never, or
at least seldom, be recovered by the
appreciation of the vehicle. Spending big
bucks on collector cars or a car you’ve
coveted all your life and plan on keeping
is much different than the fun, project
cars I’m talking about here.
Bringing the car home was an adventure in itself. Not owning a pickup and
trailer I opted to rent from U-Haul. The
equipment was a low mileage Chevy halfton pickup pulling the standard U-Haul
car trailer, perfect for my needs. The total
cost was around a reasonable $150 for
the day. I drove to Lawrence and loaded
the car and spares.
Speaking of spares, the previous
owner was an automotive pack rat, there-
eager to tear into it and see what I really
bought. My rebuilding objective was safety and reliability first and cosmetics second. Fortunately the rust was confined to
the two rear wheel arches, a little on the
rocker panels under the driver’s door and
the foot wells. The car had been tapped
once or twice in the nose and repainted so
it was well protected from the elements.
The driver’s foot well was the worst
and required about a square foot of replacement metal. The other foot wells just needed the factory metal drain plugs replaced.
13
Since there was a small leak from the
clutch master cylinder I replaced it as
well. The car sported a new set of yellow
Bilstein shocks, the suspension bushings
looked okay, I’ll tackle them another time,
and the car aligned just fine.
I did replace all the tie rod ends, the idler
arm assembly and all sway bar bushings.
The steering is now nice and tight. The rubber fuel lines and the fuel filter were also
replaced. Engine, transmission, and differential lubes were changed. Since purchase there have been several engine oil
changes to clean out the motor. New temperature sensors were added, valves adjusted (head looked very clean under the valve
cover), spark plugs and filters replaced and
things generally tidied up under the hood.
The engine runs fine, doesn’t smoke
or burn much oil and just has one small
leak from the rear main seal. Judging
from the excess amount of orange silicon sealer around the intake runners I’m
guessing that maybe the head was off and
the valves done sometime in the past. I’m
happy with the condition of the motor,
clutch, transmission, and differential as
they all operate smoothly and quietly.
The interior was dirty but in decent
shape. I replaced the carpets, had the front
leather seats repaired, scrubbed the headliner and door panels and adjusted and
lubed the sunroof. Recently I finished
installation of a new radio/CD unit. I
assumed replacing the radio would be a
nice Saturday afternoon project. ApproxI fabricated new, slightly larger drain plugs
to cover the rust enlarged holes. The only
thing I can figure is the previous owner(s)
parked the car more than once with the
sunroof opened to the rain.
After power washing the top, bottom
and engine compartment I liberally covered the floor pan, inside and out, the
wheel arches and anything else I could
reach with the rust preventive, POR-15.
The rust proofing was followed by reundercoating the entire car and repainting
the suspension chassis black. POR-15 is
great stuff. It not only glues a rusty car
back together but, will hold new rust at
bay for quite awhile.
Besides fixing the body rust I replaced
all rubber brake lines, added new brake
pads, cross-drilled rotors (they do look
cool), checked and cleaned all calipers
and flushed the entire hydraulic system.
14
imately four hours later the entire center
console, both back seats and assorted other
interior parts were out. I ended up running
new wires to all four speakers and rewiring
the battery and accessory leads.
ne of the joys of a project car is that
often it was someone else’s project
car and the skill level of prior
repairs tend to vary. The power leads and
all speaker leads were jumbled together
in a rat’s nest of cuts, splices, wire nuts,
and plain old school “twist the wires
together and close it up” method of automotive electrical repair. Two of the speakers had to be replaced and the other two
are on there last audio legs.
The major time consuming tasks were
rust repair and replacing the entire exhaust
system, including the exhaust manifold. Oh
yes, included in my spare parts were two
exhaust manifolds of which one was in
excellent shape. After recovering from sticker shock of the price of a complete factory
exhaust system I strapped the rusty, old
exhaust system to the roof of my jeep and
drove over to a muffler shop on Route 1.
They bent up a single 2-1/2 inch pipe
using the old parts as a template. Trying
to remember high school trigonometry,
I calculated that a single 2-1/2 inch pipe
has a slightly larger cross section than the
stock dual 1-1/2 inch pipes. I added a free
flowing after market cat from Summit
Racing’s catalog and a free flowing muffler from Flowmaster.
O
Hotrod parts are much cheaper than
BMW parts. Afew minor bends here and
there, using the fork of a large oak tree,
and the darn thing fits great. The exhaust
system ends with a single 3" diameter pipe
sticking out the rear. It’s got good ground
clearance and is much lighter than the old
system but initially it was too loud even
for me. I added a round, stainless steel,
Dynamax muffler at the rear in the old resonator position. That quieted the car down
and it’s now quite pleasant to drive.
With the rust fixed, the body patched
and the mechanicals completed it was
time for the paint shop. The car’s original
paint was Sahara Beige. Now I don’t
know what your opinion of Sahara Beige
is but this has to be one of the most nondescript colors ever applied to a car. I
think of Sahara Beige as “stealth” paint,
so nondescript you don’t even see the car
on the road.
The interior is a brown/tan with a
whitish tan headliner. I’ve found the best
way to pick colors is to test paint an area.
I bought about a dozen different colors
of auto touch-up spray paint from Pep
Boys and repainted the spoiler numerous
times to get the color that I though worked
best with the shape of the car, the interior, and the silver alloy wheels.
We ended up using a metallic British
Racing Green which in real life was a
1994 GM metallic medium green car and
truck color. In keeping with the low bucks
theme I had it painted at Maaco in Ded-
ham. Now, before you gang up on me and
burn my CCA membership card I have
got to tell you that for $600 they sanded
the entire body, painted and clear coated
the car. This is not a concours d’elegance
paint job but then again neither is the car.
It’s more like a “from ten feet away it
looks pretty darn good” paint job. Good
enough for a show and shine and certainly
good enough for my purposes.
After bead blasting the vintage Rial
wheels a crack was uncovered in the center hub of one wheel rendering it useless.
So until I can find another Rial wheel to
match the others I went with a reconditioned set of mid-’90s 15x7 BMW wirebasket wheels. With a new set of Bridgestone tires from Costco (where else would
I go?) the old car looks pretty good.
One of the most surprising facts about
this entire episode is I have never driven
a 6 Series until I got this one on the road.
In fact I have only ridden in a Six twice.
Thankfully I enjoy driving this car. To
me this one’s more of a cruiser, not a hot
rod or track car. Runs great, corners and
accelerates fine for 3.3-liters pushing two
tons down the road.
Besides, I like rowing through the
gears. What’s left to do? The interior
lights and central door locks don’t work
and I can’t find a schematic. It seems
there’s no power to either system so if
anyone out there knows the electrical circuit for the door locks and interior lights
I could use some guidance (email
[email protected]).
The sunroof still needs to be adjusted, and the a/c needs to be converted to
134a and then charged. Cup holders have
become a priority—there is no place to
stick your drink in this car. If anyone
needs any vintage Six series parts contact me. Most of the hard parts, including the spare motor, I’m sending to the
scrap yard in the near future.
You remember the “M” emblems, the
first thing that caught my eye when the
car rolled out of the garage in Lawrence?
Well, after getting the car back from the
paint shop the chrome trim looked so
good against the metallic green paint that
I couldn’t help myself; I had to re-install
the M insignias. So, the next time you’re
cruising down the road and see a shinny
1981 metallic green 633 with M stickers,
honk, it’s probably me. 
15
The ABsolute Puppies
325i goes through
Turn 10 at NHIS.
Story and photographs by Eric Smith
THE MAKING OF LAP DOGS
hen my teammate and driver
Christo Tinkov last wrote you in
the May issue of Boston Bimmer, we were prepping for the 2005 One
Lap of America. We went! We drove! We
survived! Now, out of that sleep-deprived
automotive debauchery, comes… the rest
of the story.
W
FINAL PREP FOR RACING
As prepared as we thought we were,
there were still last-minute surprises that
cropped up despite our best planning. An
ADSS for me and a track day for Christo were to provide some much-needed
seat-time for me in Christo’s 2001 325i
and to allow Christo to shake some winter driving-rust and get familiar with the
new parts that were added over the winter. However Christo ran over a pavement irregularity during the track event,
which resulted in a vibration in the steering and a pull to the left.
The track event also highlighted the
fact that our chosen brake pads were insufficient for multiple track days, so a change
was made to Ferodo DS3000 pads up
front. In addition, Christo experienced
some second-gear shifting issues. Aquick
search for a solution led to an installation
16
of UUC transmission mounts. We ended
up picking up a last-minute sponsor, Rim
Pro, who helped straighten a bent wheel
and diagnosed a damaged tire-belt causing the pull and vibrations.
would be a good idea to wait and put on
our graphics when we got to South Bend
so as to arouse as little notice from law
enforcement as possible. We had also
decided to drive out with the Rim Pro
Our memory from
this track is a
little hazy….
ROAD TRIP TO SOUTH BEND
We wanted to make sure our transit
to The Tire Rack in South Bend was
going to be as fun and problem-free as
possible. To that end, Christo figured it
M3 car, which in hindsight made our
attempts at stealth futile. The Rim Pro
M3 featured a full graphics package: a
spectacular swirling palate of American
patriotism, with an American flag motif.
Even the wheels were part of it—red
rears and blue fronts.
One of the tools considered essential
to One Lap drivers is a CB radio—which
we borrowed from Eric Heinrich, and
hooked up to get experience with on the
drive out. Having grown up an honorary
redneck in Northeastern Pennsylvania,
I knew how to handle it. I set it to channel 19, and within two-minutes heard the
trucker communiqué remarking on our
righteous BMWs.
a 200hp Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle
engine. The owner fabricated a canopy
for the cockpit, complete with hand-operated windshield wiper.
Out of 93 cars, we figured there were
fewer than five or six cars that had lower
horsepower figures than our 325i. Since
any modification was allowed as long as
it was street-legal, it was anyone’s guess
as to what an entry was pumping out in
the way of horsepower. The Volvo 740
with the supercharged Ford V8 engine
happy just being along for the ride, but
Christo insisted that if I was paying to
play, then I was going to play. The previous ADSS allowed me to practice the
skidpad, but I’d never done a drag race
before, and didn’t have a lot of clutch
feel for the 325i. So Christo made sure
to squeeze some launch practice in for
me while we drove between events—
don’t ask how.
Because of our big horsepower deficit,
we knew we weren’t going to be chal-
swap was a good example.
Within our Mid-Priced Sedan class,
there were 18 entries. Of those, we
guessed we were about 15th or lower in
horsepower rating. The WRX STi’s and
Mitsubishi Evos were pumping out at
least 100hp more than us in stock form,
and some of those machines were heavily tuned far above stock.
We spent the entire registration day
putting on our sponsor graphics—around
60 in all. First lesson learned: put your
graphics on before registration day.
lenging for the top spot, so we set our
goal to be a top-half finish.
April 30th: I failed to get us off to a
good start at the wet skid pad, placing
only 65th out of 93. We did better than
some poor soul driving a DeTomaso Pantera—his car sat dead in the parking lot
with a hand-written cardboard sign reading “Help! Electrical problems.” Counting our blessings, we headed for Indianapolis Raceway Park. Christo does the
two track events and sets the tone for our
adventure—a 47th and a 42nd result.
This was key, because the Indianapolis
results would dictate our seeding for the
rest of the events.
The big buzz at Indianapolis was the
DynoComp WRX STi getting stuff e d
into a tire wall—some sheet metal damage and some minor mechanical repairs
required, but they were still in it. The
One Lap is very competitive but the organizers
maintain a relaxed atmosphere: Christo’s wife
Francoise & son Jason are standing by the front
straight to see his start at NHIS from close range.
REGISTRATION DAY
What an eye opener this was. We
knew we were going to be one of the least
powerful entries in the entire field, but
it doesn’t really hit you until you see the
exotic sheet metal pulling in and parking in the pit areas around you. Some of
the notables included: A Dodge Ram
1500—it had Ram body panels, but nothing else was stock, with a tube frame
chassis and resembling a NASCAR
truck; A pair of Grand-Am Cup Acura
NSXs—they appeared to be tuned right
to the ragged edge, and their propensity
to break down proved it; A Lingenfelter
Corvette and a Hennessey Viper—the
tuner cars were just a bit harder edged
than the other Corvettes and Vipers that
were entered; A Radical—think small
Can-Am-style kit-car, with two seats, an
open cockpit, 1,100 lbs curb weight, and
THE EVENTS
The great draw of One Lap is the idea
of experiencing so many different tracks
in a span of eight days. Christo was the
designated track guy, and I was given the
skid pads and drag racing portion. I’d
told Christo that I would have been
17
AMS Tuned Evo also had some tongues
wagging with a 400ft skidmark left at
the end of the front straight. Their best
guess as to the cause was the ABS sensors weren’t able to keep up with the
155mph speeds and let the brakes lock.
We were pleased with Christo’s performance, and headed off to Beaver Falls,
PA—a 400-mile journey.
May 1st: BeaveRun was a nice track,
but is still under construction. Christo
ticked off 45th and 47th place runs—
right in our upper half plans. The events
were delayed briefly to tow a Corvette
that blew its engine. We left cold
BeaveRun and headed north for Lancaster Motorsports Park, just outside of
Buffalo, NY.
The Lancaster track was a small
bumpy oval, and had concrete walls that
locals were hoping would claim some
competitor. Christo decided to disappoint
them and finished 65th with his conservative driving. While most competitors
headed for NHIS that night, we stayed
in Albany, NY, and decided to drive the
deer-friendly roads of Vermont during
daylight hours.
May 2nd: NHIS is Christo’s home
track, so we counted on using his familiarity to our advantage. Talk in the pits
was there were around 15 speeding tickets handed out the previous evening out-
side of Syracuse. The first track session
produced a 41st place for Christo, and we
were a bit surprised he didn’t do better.
The second session was good for a 36th
place, and Christo was happy with it.
Some of our Boston CCAfriends came
out to watch, along with Christo’s wife
and son. We noticed a slight diff leak the
last night at Lancaster, and a quick consultation with a BMW technician running
in a Mini assured us all was okay.
The Radical kit car provided the
drama at NHIS, going off and damaging
some fiberglass bodywork and a left
headlight lens. A bit of duct tape and it
was good to go. We took the rest of the
day to drive down to Summit Point, WV.
May 3rd: Summit Point is a great
track and generated a lot of interest
among the drivers. The first session
went well, and Christo pulled in 43rd
place finishes in both events. We start
asking some of the competitors if
they’d seen an Infiniti G35 running—
it was neck-and-neck with us in our
class standings. As it turns out, we talk
with the guys who are running it, and
they explain they’re actually running
Our little 325i is not
intimidated by the HP
monsters in our run group.
Eric (left) and Christo (right) with the ABsolute Puppies’ 325i on closing day at The Tire Rack.
18
another make and model, but left it
listed as a G35 to protect the running
car’s warranty.
To help clear up the confusion, they
put a “G35” badge on their car using blue
masking tape, and left it there for the
remainder of One Lap. The excitement
at Summit Point is provided by the Rota
WRX STi, which gets out of position
when heading into the carousel, a replica of the Nürburgring carousel. A cloud
of dust, spectators running from the
fences, a quick stint on two wheels, and
arrival into the tire wall. Rumors swirled
but she’s still thrilled to have us there.
Christo raved about VIR: the course,
the facilities, the setting—it was all world
class. All the Bimmer guys we hung with
agreed that it was a fun course. 48th,
43rd, and 40th finishes kept us on target.
We then had a passage control stop in
Piedmont, SC at the Carolina Rod Shop.
No racing, just mixing with the car-loving public and the chance to make a few
repairs if needed.
We grabbed some free food and then
headed on to Bloomingdale, GA. We did
have a slight route issue on the way, end-
The drag race made for some interesting pairings.
that the frame was bent, and it’s the last
time we see that car.
We then head over to Mason Dixon
Dragway. I run a respectable 15.6 in the
ET, but get punked by a Superformance
Coupe in the bracket drags. The M3 guys
have been using our phrase—“like bringing a knife to a gun fight”—when
describing their horsepower in relation
to the rest of the field. We decided if the
M3 guys are claiming the knife analogy,
then we’ll have to take “pointed stick.”
We finish the night with a long deer-filled
drive to Alton, VA.
May 4th: The next morning during
breakfast we are told by the pleasant
grandmotherly waitress “I want to thank
y’all for bringing Formula 1 to town.”
We’re puzzled at first, but figure that
between Christo’s slight Bulgarian accent
and the Dubler team’s Swiss/German
ramblings at the next table, she fig u r e d
she was dealing with an international
automotive juggernaut. We correct her,
ing up in the driveway for the Columbia
campus of the S.C. Mental Health Institute,
but got things righted around and eventually
made our destination.
May 5th: The morning for Roebling
Road was wet—a hard downpour. Luckily for us, Christo has driven many times
in the rain, and he looked forward to the
challenge. Apparently many other entrants
did not, and Christo was rewarded with a
20th and a 16th place—very impressive!
The horsepower monsters had real
issues with the limited traction. We were
cold, we were soaked, and we were ecstatic. The 325i’s heated seats came in
handy while trying to dry out. We had a
very long, 700+ mile journey to Ohio
from Georgia—and the ten-mile-long
t r a ffic-jam outside of Charlotte didn’t
help. Several attempts at alternate routes
finally resulted in progress, but added an
hour to our travel time.
Rumors of some entrants making prolonged runs at triple digits speeds were
reported, along with a Pontiac Sunfire
blowing an engine while trying to keep
pace. Our pace was a bit more reasonable, and we arrived in Ohio at 2:00 a.m.
May 6th: Later that morning we
headed for Nelson Ledges, recently
redone and supposedly one of the fastest
road courses in the U.S. We hoped it
would be more technical, but the morning’s 50th place showing proved otherwise. Christo was also suffering from the
lack of sleep from the previous transit,
and he hoped to simply keep the car on
course for the afternoon run.
Strangely enough, he cranked out a
40th place finish in the afternoon. We
headed back to South Bend for the last
dry skidpad event at The Tire Rack. We
had some close competition within our
class, so Christo and I decided to go over
the fundamentals of skid pad driving in
order to maximize our potential placement in the event. We found a safe, out of
the way concrete area (don’t ask) and did
a few screeching laps in both directions
and then left before anyone showed up
to question what we were doing.
May 7th: The last day of the competition dawned bright, but there was some
sadness in the air as everyone realized it
was coming to a close. I got back behind
the wheel and, with all our practice,
placed 68th. Luckily we had a family of
supporters there to cheer us up from our
Books For Soldiers charity, so I concentrated on posing for some pictures and
giving the kids a ride in “the race car.”
Seeing how thrilled they were certainly cheered me up. The rest of my attitude adjustment came when the Pirelli
Tire Girls wandered through the pits—
they were a sight to behold. To cap the
competition, several of the top finishers
were invited back out onto the skid pad
for a burnout contest. In my opinion, the
hands-down winner was the Rim Pro
M3. Lots of smoke, tight circles, all under
control! No one else came close to
putting those elements together like Tom
Merrifield did.
CLOSING CEREMONIES
Brock Yates hosted the awards ceremony, but to me he wasn’t the highlight.
The best part, by far, was getting a
catered meal that didn’t come from a fast
food chain. I had several servings of
string beans, and wolfed them down like
19
Oktoberfest 2005
y now you should be well aware
that the Tarheel Chapter will host
Oktoberfest 2005 this September.
At least we hope you’ve heard the
news. After all, it was announced way
back in May, and you couldn’t have
missed subsequent notices—the fullpage ad featuring our poster boy, Buff
Bimmerhead, in the Roundel. But ads
d o n ’t tell the whole story, meaning
this message has probably met with
a mixed reception.
Clearly, those of us who have
attended previous editions of this
annual BMW CCA bash (including
the one we co-hosted in 2000) know
what it’s all about, and have greeted
the news with considerable pleasure,
if not unbridled enthusiasm. Which
is only to be expected. Believe you
me, once you’ve been to one or two
of these national events you tend to
develop a real taste for the experience.
But I suspect some members don’t
share this attitude, while others
haven’t formed an opinion. And I
can’t fault either group.
For one thing, it’s a safe guess that
many of you have never been to any
O’Fest, and so you’re not quite sure
what to expect. And there may be
some of you who take a ho-hum view
of the whole aff a i r. “What’s the big
deal,” you might say. After all, you
figure, it’s only going to be another
big gathering of BMW nuts, milling
around and talking car talk, sort of
like a dealership’s open house. Well,
let me assure you, it isn’t like that. It’s
bigger and has much more to offer.
So, whichever of these two groups
you may fall into, this seems like a
good excuse to give you a little preview of what Oktoberfest 2005 has in
store for you. Mind you, it’s just a
thumbnail sketch. You can’t do an
event like that justice in a couple of
pages. But we hope it will tell you
B
September 17, 2005
to September 23, 2005
Sheraton Four Seasons
Greensboro, NC
TO REGISTER
www.bmwcca.org
20
enough to convince you to attend this
great event.
Basically, Oktoberfest is a weeklong national event, an annual gathering for the Club as a whole, a sort
of family reunion for Club members
from all over the country. Anyway,
that’s the intent. In practice, attendees
tend to come largely from areas within “reasonable” driving distance from
the event site. Which is one reason
why Oktoberfest moves around the
country from one year to the next; and
why there’s often a trophy for longest
distance driven to O’Fest. (Clearly, if
it’s O’Fest, there are always some
members who consider a 1,000-plusmile drive quite reasonable!)
Of course, whatever the site, Oktoberfest is always a terrific opportunity to meet Club members from all
over, socialize, talk shop, and hobnob
with National officers. But its greatest
appeal is probably the fact that its
activities program has something for
everyone. Whether you’re a fan of
Club Racing, or love driving schools,
or prefer other driving events such as
autocross, road rallies or tours,
O’Fest’s got it. The same goes if you
need tips for maintaining your latemodel BMW, or restoring a Classic.
All that, and more, takes place under
one roof, as it were.
That’s the concept behind every
O’Fest, and a great concept it is. But
we—your O’Fest 2005 Committee—
feel this year’s event will have even
greater appeal for you. One big bonus,
to start with, is that it’s going to happen right here in BMWs backyard. In
other words, you East Coasters will
have a relatively short travel time plus
you can visit BMW manufacturing at
the same time. So what if that takes
you out of the running for the long
distance trophy. There are lots more
trophies to compete for.
What’s more, the hotel chosen as
O’Fest headquarters (Sheraton Four
Seasons) is centrally located in the
Triad, and all activities will be based
there or at VIR. Which means most of
your driving will be as part of one
O’Fest event or another, not while commuting between widely scattered event
sites. I mean, O’Fest is supposed to be
fun, not a replay of your daily grind.
But the real treat is the events
schedule. Sure, on paper, it looks pretty much like any other O’Fest calendar
of events. T h a t ’s by design. But we
like to think it’s the quality of the sites
and events we have scheduled that will
make our Oktoberfest stand out. Here’s
what you can look forward to:
• VIR, where Oktoberfest 2005 will
kick off with a Club Race and a
driving school, is arguably one of the
nicest tracks in the country. It’s challenging, yet safe for drivers, and its
park-like layout and modern facilities
make it about as spectator-friendly as
a racetrack can be. So whether you’re
driving or watching, you just can’t beat
a day or two at VIR.
• If running solo against the clock
is your thing, our autocross will provide you a great opportunity to do so.
Having held dozens of such events in
our Joe Autocross series over the years,
this chapter’s experience in this type
of competition guarantees you won’t
be disappointed. And if you prefer
doing this in a more sedate, familystyle kind of way, we’ll have a
Gymkhana, too—sort of an autocross
and egg race combined. (Don’t take
this last part too literally. The details
haven’t been worked out yet.)
• Both O’Fest 05 road rallies—a
Time/Speed/Distance (TSD) rally for
the more serious competitors and a fun
rally-cum-tour—will take you into the
foothills of the Blue Ridge and the
Smoky Mountains. That alone is pretty special. After all, the brilliant spectacle of foliage in the fall is something
folks from all over the Eastern
Seaboard come to see and enjoy. And
having an experienced team of rally
planners lay out the rally routes will
ensure you’ll have a great time,
whether you’re a novice or an experienced rallyist.
• If you’re raring to show off your
Bimmer to a really big audience, you
should enter the zymöl Concours d’Elegance. It will be held on the spacious
grounds of the Grandover Resort. As
always, it will feature several classes
ranging from basic Clean Car to allout, not a speck inside and out, pristine Concours, with allowances for the
age of your BMW. It’s an awesome
spectacle, to see hundreds of spic-andspan BMWs, including rare classics,
arrayed on the lawn, as crowds of fans
stroll leisurely amongst them. We
guarantee you’ll love the show, the
background music, the judging, the
festive atmosphere, and the trophies—
even if you don’t enter your car.
• As always, O’Fest 05 will feature
two more-or-less formal dining occasions: The Motorsports Banquet midweek and the Awards Banquet finale.
But the central location of the main
O’Fest hotel, the Sheraton Four Seasons, will also let you avail yourself
of lots of places to eat, drink, and
socialize between events. And many
of them are within the Koury complex
itself, just an elevator ride and a short
walk from your room.
These are just highlights. Other
attractions will include a swap meet, a
safety school, tech sessions with nationally known BMW experts, a little car
exhibit featuring collections of BMW
models, a photo contest, opportunities
to visit nearby attractions or attend a
dinner theater presentation, and exhibits
by national and local vendors.
In short, Oktoberfest 2005 will be
a unique opportunity to savor all the
Club has to offer, right here on the East
Coast. And it’s not too soon to start
thinking about attending, since registration forms have started showing up
alongside our ads in the Roundel.
Meanwhile, be sure to mark September 17 through 23, 2005 on your calendar.—Paul Hoecke 
a newly rescued shipwreck survivor.
Total repairs for the field were under
$40,000 this year—down from $60,000
last year. Our contribution: a burnt out
tail light bulb.
We didn’t win any official accolades,
but we did accomplish the goals we set
at the start: we finished in the top half of
our class (7th out of 18), and overall
(43rd out of 93). Christo picked up an
unofficial prize—the nickname of “Ten
Tenths” Tinkov, for his hard-charg i n g
driving-style. We said goodbyes to our
new friends and we hurried on the 900mile trip back home to make it on time
for Mother’s Day.
GOING HOME
Where the drive out seemed to take
f o r e v e r, the drive home seemed to go
very quickly. We hooked up with the Rim
Pro M3 guys once again and made very
good time. Having driven the Buffaloto-Albany leg of the NYS Thruway three
times in ten days, that route may very
well be the most mind-numbingly boring stretch of road in America. Both
Christo and I made it home safely, and
were happy to be home but knew we’d
miss the familiar routines we’d established during our time on the road.
I t ’s taken both of us many days to
recover from the adventure: catch up on
sleep, chores, and with family and
friends. Christo has been on the road for
his job since he got back, and tells me he
still hasn’t had time to remove any of the
One Lap graphics from the car. Those
sponsors are certainly getting their
money’s worth! Keep an eye out and you
may still see him driving it with the stickers on when this article goes to print.
We’d like to thank all of our sponsors
for helping us run in One Lap and promoting Books For Soldiers (www.booksforsoldiers.com) with our efforts. Also,
we’d like to thank all of our friends, family members, and fellow CCA members
who supported us by lending us items,
working on the car, taking pictures, providing us with food, coming out to see
us at NHIS, and helping us with whatever we needed. The help was overwhelming, and we appreciate all of it.
Keep checking our ABsolute Puppies
web site (www.absolutepuppies.com)
for additional write-ups and pictures as
we get them posted. 
21
SEND YOUR EVENT HIGHLIGHTS TO
[email protected].
M E M B E R SO U T &A B O U T
M5 NEWPORT RALLY
On Saturday May 14th over a dozen
M5’s all rallied to Newport for a fun
lunch and drive around Newport’s
famous Ocean Drive. The Boston-based
drivers all met in Canton to group up and
then head down Route 24 to Newport’s
Goat Island Hyatt. Other drivers came
from N.Y. and Rhode Island.
The Hyatt was kind enough to give
us all the valet spaces so we could “line
’em up and show ’em off.” We all had a
fun lunch and talked of the cars (of
course) and other driving events.
After lunch the parade through Newport began (plenty of Kelleners envy by
everyone on the sidewalks!!). We all
stopped for a picture at Fort Adams State
Park—great scenery!
From the park the parade did a lap
around Ocean Drive and then everyone
headed home. A great time was had by
all.—David Quinlan 
Concord Motorsport
INDEPENDENT BMW AND MINI SALES, SERVICE, AND DINAN
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marque. CMS is a Dinan Engineering full circle
performance center enabling us to provide the
“ultimate” in BMW performance tuning of your
engine, driveline, and suspension systems.
We will be hosting throughout the summer Dinan performance clinics with 10% off on all Dinan signature
packages. The signature packages provide a systems
engineering approach to performance tuning and not only
enhance performance but also retail value.
With every Dinan signature package installation
we also offer a complete safety inspection with full diagnostic analysis with our state-of-the-art Group 1 tester.
Multiple Dinan demonstrator cars are available for sale,
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number plaque) $2,381 parts/$300 labor.
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www.concordmotorsport.com
169 DOVER ROAD CHICHESTER, NH 03258
22
23
N E WM E M B E R S
BY DENIS FRIEDMAN
THE BOSTON CHAPTER
WELCOMES IT’S NEW MEMBERS!
MEMBER
Alexiou, Michael
Alfred, Richard
Berman, Bob
Berman, Martha
Bilow, William
Birkmaier, Wil
Botelho, Parker
Bringas, Carlos
Chaudhuri, Anjan
Cho, Sang
Clark, Ian
Clay, Bruce
Colarusso, David
Condon, Christopher
Condon, Michael
Cook, John
Coons, Fred
DeAngelis, Vincent
Deneault, Taryn
DeSilva, Fernando
Disckson, Craig
Dolin, Gary
ElRifai, Osamah
Fair, Robert
Finocchiaro, Jason
Fluckiger, Paul
Foley, Marc
Geltner, Nathaniel
Genereux, John
Gord, Ben
Hahn, Cecil
Harris, Alan
Haska, Ron
Howes, James
LOCATION
Belmont, MA
Auburndale, MA
Weymouth, MA
Weymouth, MA
Lancaster, MA
North Reading, MA
Brookline, MA
Hull, MA
Brookline, MA
Jacksonville, FL
Cambridge, MA
Boxford, MA
Douglas, MA
Hull, MA
Hull, MA
Providence, RI
North Andover, MA
Danvers, MA
Worcester, MA
Canton, MA
Woods Hole, MA
Sandwich, MA
Cambridge, MA
Framingham, MA
Lawrence, MA
Beverly, MA
Needham, MA
Carlisle, MA
Norwood, MA
Wellesley Hills, MA
Brookline, MA
Bolton, MA
Belmont, MA
Haverhill, MA
CAR
2001 525i
2005 330Cic
2006 530xi
1996 318ic
2000 M5
1971 2002
1989 535i
2000 M roadster
1997 328is
2002 330Cic
2002 M3
1973 3.0
1994 325ic
2005 545i
2004 X3
2003 325iT
2002 M3
2003 M3
2004 525i
2004 Mini
2002 M5
2001 530i
1999 M3
MEMBER
Howes, Jason
Igiria, James
Jones, George
Khan, Yasser
Kwan, Peter
Libby, Bernard
Lissaint, Ashley
Lyons, Dave
Markowski, James
Martins, Josh
Morrissey, Maureen
Nepveu, Don
Nepveu, Linda
O’Brien, Michael
Oshana, Rick
Owens, Richard
Panneer, Selvakumar
Parsek, Charles
Polyak, Anna
Poulis, Dean
Pregeant, Merrill
Rane, Krishnakumar
Rurigi, Pauline
Savino, Stephen
Shapiro, Brett
Stumbras, Patrick
Stumbras, Renee
Tarantelli, David
Tarantelli, Michele
Tedesco, E
Tooley, James
White, Jameson
Zeissig, Philipp
LOCATION
Haverhill, MA
Quincy, MA
West Bridgewater, MA
Somerville, MA
Framingham, MA
Cambridge, MA
Malden, MA
Pepperell, MA
Whitman, MA
Fall River, MA
Belmont, MA
Tewksbury, MA
Tewksbury, MA
Douglas, MA
Concord, MA
Foxboro, MA
Westborough, MA
Providence, RI
Brookline, MA
Tewksbury, MA
Auburndale, MA
Boston, MA
Quincy, MA
Sandwich, MA
Princeton, NJ
Boston, MA
Boston, MA
Warren, RI
Warren, RI
Oxford, MA
North Dartmouth, MA
Hubbardston, MA
Brookline, MA
CAR
1995 325is
1997 Z3
1997 328
2000 X5
1978 320i
1986 325e
1999 M3
2002 Z3
1995 325
2001 330i
2000 323i
2002 325Ci
2002 325Ci
2005 M3
2003 M3
2004 525i
2005 545i
2005 325i
2001 530i
MIGHTY MOTORS
Check out our brand-new diagnostic
equipment with GT1 capabilities
including language resets,
programming, etc.
(617) 623-5151
MON. - FRI. 9AM - 6PM
495A COLUMBIA STREET, SOMERVILLE
24
25
THE LATEST AND GREATEST
IN BMW CCA-LAND
OKTOBERFEST 2005
This is promising to be an outstanding
vacation for anyone attending! Enjoy
BMW camaraderie and great down-home
cookin’ with your club friends after days
spent in good-natured competition.
The team has rooms blocked at the
Sheraton Four Seasons, 3121 High Point
Road, Greensboro, NC 27407 ($109 plus
tax). For reservations call 800 242-6556,
and be sure to mention you’re attending
BMW CCA’s Oktoberfest 2005 when you
contact the hotel.
Registration forms are available in the
June Roundel or at www.tarheelbmwcca.org/OfestRegistrationForm05.pdf
Plans are in the works to offer O’Fest
participants rides in BMW NA’s race
cars. Last year in California, BMW NA
had the McLaren F1, a race-prepared
M1, M3, and 2002 and gave rides to benefit the BMW CCA Foundation. T h i s
year should be even better!
NEW BMW CCA WEB SITE
Calling all chapters! Please be sure to
update your links to the National web site,
if you have not already done so. www.
bmwcca.org/chapters/ - BMW CCAChapters. It would also be really helpful if you
would add links (if you haven’t already)
to www.bmwcca.org/join/ - Join the BMW
CCA; www.bmwcca.org/renew/ - Renew
your membership; www.bmwcca.org/
addresschange/ - Change of Address;
www.bmwcca.org/contact/ - Contact the
BMW CCA
CHANGES AT THE NATIONAL OFFICE
We were so pleased that a number of
people decided to stop by the National
Office last week while here in South Carolina touring the factory after the Newsletter Editor/Webmaster Conference. We are
always delighted when members visit us.
Special thanks to Lucetta Lightfoot of
Puget Sound; the L.A. contingent, John
and Lois Bergen; Roger Scilley and
Delight Lucas, for taking time out of their
whirlwind tour to visit us.
26
N AT I O N A LN E W S
BMW CCA MEMBERSHIP STATS
as 5/25/05
Current Membership
Last Month’s Membership
Monthly Net Gain (Loss)
Monthly % Change
Last Year’s Membership
Annual Net Gain (Loss)
Annual % Change
Full
66,137
66,200
-63
-0.10%
67,644
-1,50
-2.23%
Associate
9,067
9,029
38
0.42%
8,590
7117
1.36%
New Members, 5/05
Renewals, 5/05
Roundels Mailed
Now when you visit you’ll see two new
faces! Tricia Jones has opted to realign
her position with the club since tons of
traveling and numerous events causing
her to be out of town for days on end were
not a good match for a newly married
couple. Tricia will now be our chapter
relations specialist.
We have hired Brenda Sarvis as national events manager. Brenda has been with
Datastream for the past eight years as a
trade show coordinator and most recently
as their manager of all corporate events.
Brenda joined us June 1 and is ready to
dive right into Oktoberfest 2005 and Gateway Tech 2006.
Michael Mitchell over time is taking
on more and more responsibility for the
BMW CCA Foundation and Calvin Hill
is spending virtually all of his time on the
new BMW CCA web site and database
i n t e g r a t i o n / r e finements. So with anticipation of Michael adventually going fulltime into Foundation-land and Calvin continuing to expand and refine both the
database capabilities and our website, we
have hired Jennifer Skatzes as our customer service representative. Jennifer
joined us on June 7th.
Please take a moment when you call in
and reach one of our newbies to introduce
yourself and visit with them for a bit.
Total
75,204
75,229
-25
-0.03%
76,234
-1,390
-1.82%
1,259
48.5%
67,000
BMW CCA FOUNDATION
The BMW CCA Foundation is in
sound financial shape, and has just hired a
part-time project manager for Street Survival. Marshall Pruett, a resident of Oakland, CA, accepted the position May 1,
2005, and attended the Golden Gate Chapter’s Street Survival School May 7 at Candlestick Park.
Marshall brings to Street Survival a
wealth of automotive-related experience,
and is currently President of Marshall
Pruett Motorsports Engineering. He
brings nearly two decades of professional motorsports team management, project management, and driver coaching to
BMW CCA’s Street Survival Program.
In his role as a professional team mana ge r, Marshall has also gained a wealth of
experience in sponsor acquisition, team
and brand marketing, media relations, and
event management.
The Foundation is one of the sponsors
of this year’s “Colorado Holiday” org anized by the BMW Vintage and Classic
Car Club of America, July 5-10, 2005.
best regards,
Wynne Smith
Executive Vice President
TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD, LOG INTO
WWW.BOSTON-BMWCCA.ORG/MY/CLASSIFIED.ASP.
CARS FOR SALE
2002 M3 coupe WBSBL934X2JR13051 Titanium silver/blk cloth,
23k miles, 6-spd, cold weather pkg, power seats, bi-Xenons, H/K,
in-dash CD, BMW universal transmitter, moonroof, Racing Dynamics front strut brace. Tu rner Motorsport installed: BMW sport suede
steering wheel, aluminum pedals, Borla exhaust, H&R coilovers,
lightweight flywheel, STOPTECH 4-piston brake kit with cross-drilled
floating front rotors, M3 Euro rear cross-drilled floating rotors. Excellent condition, always garaged, no snow. $38,000. Thai: (781) 8888865; [email protected]. (7/05)
2001 M3 coupe WBSBL93451JR11691 Steel gray metallic/black
leather, 6-spd manual, 32k miles, nav, premium & cold weather
pkgs, Xenon lights, width-adj seats, H/K, PDC. Dealer installed
alarm system, CPT-8000 hands-free phone, voice recognition,
Homelink, 6-disc CD player, M strut brace bar, and new Michelin
Pilot Sport tires. Pristine showroom condition, all books and records,
garaged, no accidents, racing or smoking, warranty. $40,900. Steven:
(617) 572-5005 (w); (617) 872-9222 (h); [email protected]. (6/05)
2001 M3 coupe WBSBL93461JR11568 Steel gray/black leather,
6-spd manual, 37k miles, H/K CD, moonroof, Xenon lights, park distance control, warranty til 6/30/07 or 72k miles (100k miles for engine).
Excellent condition inside & out, dealer serviced, all service up-to-date.
$35,499. Also selling set of 4 Dunlop WintersportM3 tires (used 7k
miles) on OEM M3 wheels for addtl. $800. Mike: (617) 760-7655
(w); (617) 413-2085 (c); [email protected]. (7/05)
2001 525i WBADT33431GF40590 Titanium silver/black leather,
5-speed manual, sport & premium packages, 29k miles, warranty
through 2/07. Well maintained, garaged, no accidents. $29,000.
Gary: (401) 265-8925; [email protected]. (7/05)
2001 330xi WBAAV53401JR80033 Black/tanin red leather, aluminum trim, 69k miles, 5-speed, sport & cold weather pkgs, moonroof, Xenon lights, AM/FM CD, original owner, dealer maintained,
never crashed or painted. Nice car. $18,295. Dick: (508) 477-5892;
[email protected]. (6/05)
2000 528i wagon WBADP534XYBR95750 Blk/tan, 5-spd
manual, 30k miles, orig owner, garaged winters, immaculate. $25,000
or interesting trade. (617) 584-6982; [email protected]. (6/05)
2000 323i WBAAM3348YKC69081 Steel blue/tan, 36k miles, 5speed manual, warranty until 11/05, sport package, excellent condition, in-dash CD, moonroof, all weather mats, non-smoker, no
track time. $17,950. (781) 861-8151. (7/05)
1999 M3 convertible WBSBK9330XEC43507 Titanium silver/light
gray, black top, 5-speed manual, 45k miles, cruise control, on-board
computer, power heated seats, H/K sound & CD changer, keyless
e n t ry, wind deflector, M contour alloys with new Michelin Pilot Sport
tires, and brand-new clutch! Great condition. All books and records.
Garaged, no racing, and no smoking. $26,900. Steven: (617) 572-5005
(w); (617) 872-9222 (h); [email protected]. (6/05)
1997 M3 coupe WBSBG9328VEY75559 Titanium silver/gray
leather, 5-spd, 74k miles, OBC cruise, manual seats, CD changer.
Sharked, Borla, LWT SSR wheels (Integrals) with matching spare.
Always garaged, non-smoker, Mobil 1, Red Line fluids, updated
RSMs. $16,900. (508) 678-1992; [email protected]. (6/05)
1997 M3 coupe WBSBG9325VEY76877 Black/black leather, 5speed, 49k miles, power heated seats, sunroof, cruise, upgraded
sound w/Alpine and JL audio. New Brembo rotors and composite
brake pads, cold-air intake and Bridgestone Potenza S03s. Dealer
maintained, have service records, always garaged, no accidents,
snow, rain, racing or smoking. Great condition. $18,900. Jason: (617)
694-3009; [email protected]; http://homepage.mac.com/catlender/bmw-m3/photoalbum11.html. (7/05)
1997 840Ci WBAEF8320VCC31552 Arctic silver/gray leather, every
option, 66,500 miles, Steptronic trans, all original, never winter driven, four new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, Brembo slotted rotors, two new
batteries, dealer serviced, AM/FM cassette/6 CD changer, BMW car
cover, Lojack, second owner, mint condition, all records/manuals.
C L A S SI F I E D S
$32,500. John: (508) 230-2439; [email protected]. (6/05)
1993 740iL WBAGD8321PDE87405 Larur blu/tan, 178k miles,
100k on new motor, 38k on new transmission. A clean, smooth car
with some normal wear. $5,500. [email protected]. (7/05)
E46 OEM seven-spoke wheels. Set of four that came with
the sport package. Used for summer driving and have all-season
t i reson them that I recommend replacing. Center caps included.
Minor curb rash on one, otherswise in good condition.
1990 M3 WBSAK0311LAE33551 White/white, 97,417 miles, track
car with all the track set-up done. New 2.5 motor, Schrick cams,
throttle bodies, cage, Turner suspension, too much to list. $18,500
obo. Simon: (781) 693-3935 (d); (508) 788-1314 (n); src o o [email protected]. (7/05)
Mini Cooper S wheels: Four stock S-Lite 17-inch wheels for a
2003 Mini Cooper S. Never on a car. These were purchased as a
s p a reset but never used. $300 + shipping. Dan: (603) 888-9663;
1988 M5 WBSDC9303J2791924 Black/tan, 77k miles, excellent
condition, garaged and stored in winters, car cover. $17,500. Lee:
(508) 435-2314; [email protected]. (7/05)
Mini Cooper flame decals: Complete set of black front and side
flame decals from The Graphics Company (www.thegraphicsco.com).
Bought them for my Mini Cooper S, never had time to have them
installed. $75. Dan: (603) 888-9663; [email protected]. (7/05)
1988 535is W8ADC7404J1717179 Alpine white/blue leather,
227k miles, 5-speed, excellent condition inside & out, engine strong
& incredibly fun to drive, body recently re s t o red by Sansossios,
Dinan chip, PowerFlow intake kit, built-in Valentine One. Expertly
maintained by Mighty Motors. $6,995 obo. (617) 771-2167; [email protected]. (6/05)
4 Kosei K1 or other racing wheels in good condition that would fit
my 1998 E36 M3. Also looking for a used tire trailer. [email protected]. (7/05)
1986 735i WBAFH8405G0976133 Gray/tan leather, automatic,
136k miles, straight body, looks great, new paint, rust-free Florida
car driven up to Massachusetts in winter. Drives fine, though needs
some work: muffler, runs rich, idle arm, tires. Photos available.
Highly motivated seller. $975 obo. [email protected]. (7/05)
PARTS WANTED
E36 hard top: Looking for an Estoril blue hardtop for a 1999 M3
convertible. Pete: (508) 653-8179; [email protected]. (7/05)
1986 635CSi WBAEC8400G0612745 Bronzit/tan leather, 167k
miles, 5-speed, interior very good, small tear on drivers bolster,
Bilsteins front, sunroof, 16" wheels, also have mounted snows,
new stock exhaust, Mobil 1, Red Line trans & diff, very presentable
car, can be seen anytime. $5,000. (508) 399-6320. (6/05)
PARTS FOR SALE
Set of four 17" E46 rims/tires. Rims have some minor curb
scratches and are a copy of the E46 2001 wheel. Tires are Kumho
Ecsta 225/45/17 and have about 80% tread left (used about 5k
miles). $599. [email protected]; http://tony.estrada.home.
comcast.net/images/bmw1.jpg. (7/05)
E36/46 wheels: Excellent ASA AR1 wheels with Bridgestone
RE750 tires. Used just three seasons last year. The AR1 is a BBSlicensed, BBS RGR/RS-GT look-alike in silver finish, with polished
lip. Fronts are 17x8 with 225/45-17, rears are 17x9 with 245/40-17.
$925. Mike: [email protected]. (7/05)
Style-5 wheels. Just refinshed last year with brand-new Yokohama AVS ES 100, 245/45-17 front and 255/40-17 rear. Wheels
are a 9.5 out of 10. $1,200 firm. (617) 308-7054; [email protected]. (6/05)
Two cross-spoke Composite Sport wheels and used Contis
(235/45R/17) from a 2000 528, a few of the rivets on each wheel
show signs of oxidation. Great for spare tires. $100 each or $175
for both. Moe Handel: (781) 449-2850. (6/05)
1997 E36 parts: M3 exhaust, $200; M3 fr/rr sway bars $150; M3
fr/rr shocks/springs $150. From 1997 M3 w/50k miles, all in good
condition. Your E36 can handle & sound like an M3. Stock center
console with cup holders $25. All items obo + shipping. (401) 9420639; [email protected]. (6/05)
Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 Grand Touring all-season tire, 225/5516 for E39 5 Series (8/32 tread). One tire remaining at $40. Steven:
(617) 572-5005 (w); (617) 872-9222 (h); [email protected]. (6/05)
E34 M5 8" wheels. The set is almost new (one track day), mounted with BFG TA R1 heat-cycled tires (255/40/17), balanced and
ready to go. The set comes with new TS covers that have never been
mounted. Jeff Donnelly: (781) 826-4499; [email protected]. (6/05)
27
VISIT WWW.BOSTON-BMWCCA.ORG
JULY
13 Wed
24
Boston Chapter Board Meeting,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Board Meetings are
open to all members. See the inner
workings of your Chapter! Steve
Hazard: [email protected].
16
Sat
Boston Chapter Autocross Series,
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
23
Sat
WMC Advanced Driving Skills
School, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bruce
Smith: [email protected].
30-31
WMC Summer Heat Driving
School, Bruce Smith:
[email protected].
AUGUST
6
Sat
6
Sat
12-14
U LT I M AT EC A L E N D A R
Boston Chapter Autocrcoss Series,
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Join us for the fun
out at Devens! Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
Advanced Driving Skills School,
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This school is open
to drivers looking to practice car control skills. Sean Silva: (978) 2624940; [email protected].
Sat
28-29
Driving School, Watkins Glen.
The Boston Chapter is very pleased
to hold our annual driving school
at the famous Watkins Glen International track. Joe Marko: (978)
532-1170 (d); [email protected].
OCTOBER
1
Sat
22
Advanced Driving Skills School, 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. This school is open to
experienced drivers and novice drivers looking to practice car control
skills. Sean Silva: (978) 262-4940;
[email protected].
Sat
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our most popular
event returns to Devens for another
season of fun! Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Our most popular
event returns to Devens for another
season of fun! Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
22
Sat
28-29
30
WMC Advanced Driving Skills
School, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bruce
Smith: [email protected].
WMC End Of Summer Driving
School, NHIS. Sharpen your every
day driving skills and learn about
the capabilities of your vehicle at
NHIS with the White Mountain
Chapter. Bruce Smith:
[email protected].
Sun
NOVEMBER
2
Wed
Autocross Test and Tune. This is a
spare date in the autocross schedule. It
could be used in case one of the other
dates is cancelled. Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
Boston Chapter Board Meeting,
Bimmers Across The Border
Driving School. Join us at
Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant for
this special three day driving
school. Joe Marko: marko
@boston-bmwcca.org.
20
Sat
Advanced Driving Skills School,
10 to 5 p.m. Sean Silva: (978) 2624940; [email protected].
21
Sun
BMW CCA/PCA Team Rumble, 8
a.m. to 4 p.m. Teams from the BMW
CCA and PCA compete in the third
annual clash. Fred deNapoli:
[email protected].
SEPTEMBER
7
Wed Boston Chapter Board Meeting,
8
17-23
28
Thur Driving School, NHIS, 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. The Boston Chapter is proud
to host our second driving school of
the year at NHIS. Luka Serdar, Jr.:
(781) 863-5859 (n); serdar@
boston-bmwcca.org.
Oktoberfest 2005, Greensboro, NC.
This week long extravaganza
includes great car-related events like
autocross, driving-school, concours,
street survival and a few different rallies. Call National at (864) 250-0022
or visit www.bmwcca.org.
boston bimmer
Boston Chapter
BMW CCA
P.O. Box 51448
Boston, MA 02205-1448
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Boston, MA
PERMIT NO. 59251

J U LY 2005

Transcription

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