October - Golden Gate Chapter

Transcription

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Chapter Email List Disclosure:
The Golden Gate Chapter has created an email
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Call to BMW CCA for Support
of Hurricane Katrina Victims ..... 3
The Marin Blast
By Edgar Chen ............................. 11
Tech Women: They Do Exist!
By Ashlee Mahl ............................ 12
GGC Infineon Driving School ........ 13
Vintage Colorado Holiday
By Rick Meinig............................. 14
The Ultimate Drive Comes to Town
By Ed Lizardo ............................... 18
2005 GGC Autocross Series ............ 21
President’s Page .........................................3
Calendar of Events ....................................4
Announcements ........................................5
Minutes .......................................................7
News From National ................................8
Bimmerphile ..............................................9
Meanwhile, Back At The Wrench..........23
New Members .........................................24
Classified Ads ..........................................26
Chapter Contacts .....................................28
BMW CCA Discounts ..........................IBC
BMW Dealers ........................................IBC
Die
Flüsternde
Bombe
"The Whispering Bomb”
Newsmagazine of the
Golden Gate Chapter,
BMW CCA
Volume 34, No. #9
October, 2005
Chapter Website:
www.ggcBMWcca.org
Your input is encouraged!
Submissions deadline is the 1st of
each month prior to publication.
On the cover
Driver/owner Decker Swan and
co-driver Kevin Caulfield carve
through the Colorado Rockies on
the BMW VCCCA’s Holiday Tour.
Photo: Rick Meinig
Commercial Classified Advertising:
Commercial classifieds ads are $0.50 per line-inch
with payment due with insertion order. Make checks
payable to: Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA.
Publishing
Die Flüsternde Bombe is produced monthly (except for combined issues Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb).
Article/photo submission deadline is the first
day of each month prior to publication.
October 2005
11
2
October 2005
Don’t forget that it’s election time again for our chapter. We always need new blood, new ideas, new enthusiasm; is it your time to step up and serve? I ask only that if
you cannot serve, then please at least vote. Voting is our
indicator of support for the chapter and its volunteers.
Mike Mills, President
Volunteers Make This Club
The chapter is doing reasonably well. The August
driving school at Thunderhill appears to have broken even
financially—and the November school at Infineon should
put us where we want to be financially for the year.
Meanwhile, the E30 M3 SIGFest West folks have
invited all GGC members to join their celebration at
Laguna Seca October 2. Planned events include a driving
tour, photos, and picnicking at Laguna Seca. So bring out
the family! See the announcement page for more info.
Our plans are underway for our first holiday party
during the holidays that I can remember. Since the name
of the event is usually misleading, GGC social director Jeff
Speaking of volunteers, it’s time to compliment and
thank our volunteer organizers and instructors. Our carcontrol clinics, our driving schools, our social events—all
are planned, staffed, and completed by volunteers. Nothing
would happen without these people donating their time and
energy. And it’s one of the ways we are part of the national
group of BMW enthusiasts; our driving-school instructor
corps, for example, isn’t just from the Golden Gate chapter,
these volunteers come from all over the Pacific region.
As I spend a lot of my time with the driving-school program, I know first-hand that these hard-working volunteers
provide instruction that rivals and sometimes exceeds that
found at professional schools. But driving-school instruction is only a part of the effort that makes the Golden Gate
Chapter successful. To all our volunteers, THANKS!
President’s Page
Cowan has changed the name: this year we’ll be spiffing
up for the GGC Winter Party (see ad on le�). The gathering will be at the Hiller Aviation Museum (next to the San
Carlos airport) on December 11. If this is half as good as
the party we had at Blackhawk last January, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t come out for the fun.
Until next month, cheers!
Mike
Call to BMW CCA for Support of Hurricane Katrina Victims
From: President, BMW Car Club of America
To: BMW CCA Members and Chapter Officers
Date: September 1, 2005
As those of us outside the areas directly affected
watch the destruction wrought by of Hurricane Katrina,
our thoughts are with those whose lives have been devastated by—or even worse, lost to—this storm. Many of
our BMW CCA members and friends lived in the path of
this storm and our prayers are with them as we seek to
learn who has survived and who has been displaced.
We watch the news reports, sometimes with a feeling
of helplessness, but there are things we can do to help
ease the suffering of the storm victims and restore order
and services to their communities. Those who have the
time available can volunteer as Red Cross workers. Others may be able to send financial contributions via BMW
CCA Foundation’s donations page (www.bmwccafoundation.org) to the many relief organizations listed there.
to start, and consider supporting those charities that will
be instrumental in providing relief and recovery services
to our fellow citizens affected by Hurricane Katrina.
We are only a car club, and our main focus is for our
members to enjoy their cars and the camaraderie of other members, and it’s important in times of trouble that
people have an outlet for fun and relaxation. But I have
met enough club members to know that as a group, we
don’t just care about cars. We care about people, and we
will do what we can to help.
Sco� Blazey
President, BMW Car Club of America
Go now to
www.BMWCCAfoundation.org
to make your donation.
Beyond the immediate needs of those in distress, the
campaign to rebuild the communities, housing, infrastructure, and economy of the entire region will take a
combined effort on a scale that our country has never before experienced as a result of a natural disaster. I know
that those BMW CCA chapters that have conducted charitable fund raising in the past already have their favorite
charities and I wouldn’t presume to ask them to shi�
their support away from those charities, because they
all still need support. I would encourage and ask those
chapters that have not conducted fund-raising activities
October 2005
3
Calendar of Events
The most current calendar is at: www.ggcBMWcca.org
Dates/Location
Event
Organization/Contact
OCTOBER
Oct 2
E30 M3 SIGFest West
GG Chpt
Laguna Seca Rec Area, Monterey Andre Dizon
[email protected]
www.ggcbmwcca.org
510-209-6000
Oct 8
Autumn Swap Meet
Bay Area 02
Double 02 Salvage, Hayward
JP Collins
www.bayarea02.com
[email protected]
Oct 8-9
BMW CCA Club Racing
NASA SoCal
Bu�onwillow Raceway, CA
Steve Walsh
www.bmwccaclubracing.com [email protected]
Oct 15
Palo Alto Back Roads Drive
GG Chpt
Palo Alto, CA
Edgar Chen
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 22
Car Control Clinic
GG Chpt
Marina Airport, Marina, CA
Bob Goebel
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 22
October Board Meeting
GG Chpt
BMW of San Francisco
Mike Mills
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 22-23 Big Sur Overnight Road Trip Central CA Chpt
Big Sur, CA
Debbie Warner
www.cccbmwcca.org [email protected]
Oct 23
Autocross
GG Chpt
Marina Airport, Marina, CA Jonathan Bensen
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Oct 29-30 BMW CCA Club Racing
SCCA
Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA
Steve Walsh
[email protected]
To add an event to the calendar, email your information to:
[email protected]
4
October 2005
Dates/Location
Event
Organization/Contact
NOVEMBER
Nov 5-6 Infineon Driving School
GG Chpt
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma
Bruce Nesbit
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 11-13 BMW CCA Club Racing School Houston Chpt
Texas World Speedway, TX
Sco� Hughes
www.bmwccaclubracing.com
[email protected]
Nov 19
November Board Meeting
GG Chpt
Stevens Creek BMW, Santa Clara Mike Mills
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Nov 19
Bremerton Driving School Puget Sound Chpt
Bremerton Motorsports Park, WA Tom Olsson
www.bmwpugetsound.com
[email protected]
DECEMBER
Dec 10
Not the 49-mile Scenic Drive Rally Bay Area 02
Ocean Beach, San Francisco
JP Collins
www.bayarea02.com
[email protected]
Dec 11
GGC Winter Party (see pg. 2)
GG Chpt
Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos Jeff Cowan
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
See ad on page 27
650-322-4938
Dec 17
December Board Meeting
GG Chpt
BMW of Fremont
Mike Mills
www.ggcbmwcca.org
[email protected]
Dec 17-18 Phoenix Driving School
Roadrunner Chpt
Phoenix Int’l Raceway, AZ
Rick Touton
www.roadrunnerbmw.org
[email protected]
2006
Mar 23-26 Gateway Tech - 25th Anniv. St. Louis Chpt
St. Louis, MO
www.bmwcca.org
Bolded events are Regional or National CCA events
GGC Merchandise Now Available!
Involvement with the BMW CCA can be extremely
rewarding; you make great friends and have a lot of fun
connecting with others who share a passion for the Ultimate Driving Machine. The 2006 Golden Gate Chapter
Board Elections will be held in the late Fall, and we need
your help to continue our quest to be the best chapter for
our CCA members. If you are interested in running for a
Board position, please nominate yourself for one of the
positions listed below. A description of the each position
can be found on the GGC web site under Chapter Info.
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Chair
Please send your nomination and a short candidate
statement to Donna Seeley at [email protected]
Check out our new online store. The chapter is now
selling a wide variety of merchandise with our chapter
logo on it. Start your Christmas shopping early! Visit
www.ggcbmwcca.org and click on “Store.”
Golden Gate Chapter Winter Party
The 2005 E30 M3 SIGFest West is here. This event will
be held at the Laguna Seca Raceway, offering the awesome sights and sounds of a world-class race track! This
year’s SIGFest West will consist of a concours, meet-andgreet, photo-shoot, picnic, “Big Sur” scenic drive, and
more fun surprises! We will also be collecting donations,
as well as having a raffle for Evo parts, posters, and
high-performance driving schools. All proceeds will be
donated to the American Red Cross.
We will be located in the “Island Group Picnic Area”
(also known as the lake bed): This picnic site is near the
racetrack in the lake bed area, giving it the perfect water
view of the surrounding lake area as well as a view of
the track. There is a SCCA Double Regional race taking
place that day, so there will be plenty of noise and buzz
going about the track for you to enjoy. We are having
a BYO (bring your own) picnic. Barbecue pits are also
available for your use.
When: October 2
Where: Laguna Seca Raceway
Best deal for lodging: Monterey Howard
Johnson (www.hojo.com)
Cost of event: $6 per car park entry fee
(www.co.monterey.ca.us/parks/laguna_seca.htm)
RSVP: Andre Dizon ([email protected])
Our beloved Bayerische Moteren Werks, founded in
Munich in 1916, started life as an aircra� engine builder. By
1917, BMW’s first aircra� engine went into production—the
six-cylinder Type IIIa. Then in 1919 Franz Zeno Diemer
used an aircra� powered by that engine’s successor, the
Type IV, to set an altitude record of 9,760 meters (32,013
feet). By 1922, no fewer than 29 world records in aviation
were set with aircra� using BMW-powered engines. It only
makes sense that the current BMW logo—introduced in
1920—represents an aircra� propeller in motion.
Nearly 90 years later, a lot has changed for BMW. It’s
a company now known for its exceptional automobiles
and motorcycles, while few people are aware that BMW
Rolls-Royce GmbH is a leading European manufacturer
of civil aeronautics airplane engines.
So: Our (previously infrequent) annual chapter
party—now called the Winter Party—centers on BMW’s
roots in aviation. Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos
is the fantastic venue for our 2005 Winter Party on
Sunday, December 11 at 5:00 p.m. Come out and explore
more than 50 historic airplanes dating back to 1869—
you’ll be surprised at the role the Bay Area has played
in some significant aeronautic history. There will also be
a gourmet buffet and some great raffle prizes. Dress is
elegant, but that won’t keep you from having prop-er fun
at the museum. Please support our club and come on out
for the last GGC social event of 2005. For more details,
see our color ad on page 2.
When: Sunday, December 11, 2005, 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Hiller Aviation Museum,
601 Skyway Road, San Carlos
Cost: $71/person
Dress: Elegant
Food: Gourmet Buffet Dinner
Register online: www.ggcbmwcca.org
(No on-site registration)
Do you have a special BMW to display? Contact Jeff
Cowan at [email protected] or 650-322-4938.
New CCA M3 Rebate!
Newsle�er Schedule
If you have been a member of the BMW Club for one
or more years continuously without lapse as of September 1, 2005, there’s a special deal for you on a 2005 M3.
Purchase or lease a new 2005 M3 from a U.S. dealership
and BMW NA will send you $2,000—plus you can also
apply for the BMW CCA Membership Reward rebate! In
total, that’s $2,500 cash back to you on a new M3. Check
the BMW CCA website for details.
Please note that the next two issues of the Bombe will
be the combined issues that we typically have this part
of the year. The November/December issue is likely to
reach you around mid-to-late November (depending on
your postal carrier), and the January/February issue is
slated for a mid-to-late January delivery.
Clear Your Calendars!
Announcements
Join the Team!
Autocross Top Driver Shootout
The October 23 autocross at Marina is the last of the
‘05 season; it closes with the annual Top Driver Shootout.
Participants are eligible to compete if they have a�ended
a minimum of two autocrosses this year. Winner will receive a set of Hankook race tires. Event cost is $50 online/
$55 onsite. More info at: www.ggcbmwcca.org.
October 2005
5
6
October 2005
By Donna Seeley
Secretary, GGC BMW CCA
August 13, 2005
East Bay BMW
The Board meeting was called to order at 1:20 p.m.
Board in A�endance: Mike Mills, President; Tammi
Hull, Treasurer; Donna Seeley, Secretary; Sco� Smith,
Technology Manager.
Board Not in A�endance: Peter Guagenti, Vice-President;
Mark Dadgar, Driving Events Coordinator; Ed Lizardo,
Membership Chair.
Meeting Notes:
o Driving Events
 Autocross update
• About 70 cars a�ended the August 7 event.
• Marina charged us a cleanup fee for the trash le�
behind. Members are reminded that li�er reflects badly
on our entire group, and we can lose the site as a result.
 Car Control Clinics - no report
 Driving Schools
• The Aug. 20-21 Thunderhill school needs ten
more signups to break even.
 Club Racing
• The August race with the Porsche Owners' Club
did not have enough signups and was cancelled.
• National announced the appointment of longtime
Club Racing staff member Nanci Maloney to succeed
Steve Olsen as Chairperson of the BMW CCA Club
Racing program.
 Hankook Tire America Corp.
• The GGC trailer was brought to the San Jose
Grand Prix for use at the Hankook tire comparison
event. In return, Hankook has given us certificates for six
sets of tires, which we will auction at driving events.
• Hankook asked for a sponsorship proposal.
Dadgar will submit one.
 BMW of San Francisco track weekend
• Planning is now in progress.
 Truck
• Maintenance and repair work has been done on
the truck.
o Treasurer
 Financials
• We have $48,000 on hand, less $28,000 for
Thunderhill school expenses. Receivables are up to $14,000.
• Hull will be gone most of September. Mills will
cover the Treasurer's duties if necessary.
o Social Events Report
 Festorics at the Monterey Historics
• Jeff Cowan has been enthusiastically recruiting
cars for the corral display area.
 Holiday Party
• Planning is still in progress. No date has been set.
 The German Karting Challenge has been postponed
until next year.
 The July 9 Marin Drive drew 25-30 cars.
 The July 23 Meguiar's Detailing Clinic drew at
least 80 a�endees.
o Secretary Report
 Tech Sessions
• Brant Miller wrote an article for the Bombe about
the June 25 H&B electrical diagnosis clinic.
 Crisis Communications
• Mills has responded to Wynne Smith; we are
awaiting her reply.
o Vice President
 The Board congratulates Peter and Erica Guagenti
on the birth of their daughter Sofia!
 Truck/trailer commi�ee status - no report.
 Newsle�er - no report.
o Membership Report
 4,388 members, down eight from June.
 The BMW CCA is conducting a membership drive
with one-month extension on their membership for
every new member recruited, plus a ticket for the grand
prize drawing. Members should check www.bmwcca.org
for more information.
 National ability to do polls status
• Lizardo has not received a response from
Wynne Smith.
 Chapter brochure
• Philip Chu brought proofs of the brochure, and
they look great.
o Communications Report
 Kelly Collins has requested chapter business cards.
We agreed it would be a good idea for the membership
chair as well.
 Mills suggested we use Cafe Press to sell GGC
merchandise such as t-shirts and coffee mugs.
 Collins accidentally volunteered herself to arrange
next year's Board meetings.
o Technology Report
 Web site submission process is still in progress.
 We are still hoping to get access to National's
database.
• Collins brought up the GGC policy of allowing
non-members one autocross before joining. We need
to check online signups against the most current
membership list.
• Mills said National has online event signup
so�ware now.
o President
 Charity Chair search
• A candidate has been selected.
 Ops manual
• Org. charts and job descriptions are in progress.
 2006 Board elections
• Collins will include a call for candidates in the
next e-blast and Bombe.
Minutes
Golden Gate Chapter - BMW CCA Board Meeting Minutes
The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m.
Our thanks to
East Bay BMW
for hosting this board meeting!
October 2005
7
News From National
July 26, 2005 and August 25, 2005
From: Wynne Smith,
Executive Director
Gateway Tech 25th Anniversary! Mark your calendars: March
23-26th, 2006, will mark the 25th
anniversary of Gateway Tech in St.
Louis as the national event returns
to its Midwestern roots.
As the old-timers will tell you,
Gateway Tech began as the Saint Louis chapter’s twoday technical get-together and remains a nuts-and-bolts
festival of BMW ideas from around the Club; technical
seminars are held each day—all day—followed by social
receptions and dinners at night. Many BMW-related
businesses and tuners set up shop in a vendor area, and
spend the weekend presenting technical seminars and
talking with Club members. It’s an educational experience—but also a social event. Gateway Tech is for casting
off the winter blahs, firing up your Bimmer for an earlyspring road trip, and spending a weekend with your
BMW buddies old and new.
The first Gateway Tech was held in 1981, when the
technical seminars revolved around removing those
horrible EGR valves and thermal reactors, installing European high-compression pistons, crunching second-gear
synchronizers, and who brought the best beer. Today, it’s
about so�ware, OBDII, synthetic oil. . and who brought
the best beer. A balance of social and technical interaction
is still Gateway Tech’s hallmark.
One thing is abundantly clear, though: You don’t
have to work on cars to enjoy events like Gateway
Tech. Knowing something about the technical goingson in your car—even if you’re not the one spinning the
wrenches (or the dials on the diagnostic computers)—is
extremely valuable; not only do you realize what you’re
paying someone else to do on your car, you’re also able
to communicate with a li�le more understanding of your
common passionate bond: the intricate workings of your
BMW. Mechanic, teacher, lawyer, CEO, ski bum, doctor,
plumber, fireman: The people you meet at Gateway Tech
are BMW CCA members, and that means they could do
just about anything for a living, but are united by a common love of the Blau mit Weiss.
We have a long list of presenters, keynote speakers
and excellent vendors lined up for 2006, so don’t miss
out. Watch Roundel and the BMW CCA website for
details and registration information.
Calling All E34 And E39 M5 Owners! If you’re in the
southeast—well, even if you’re not, but you’re up for a
road trip—BMW NA needs your help. BMW would like
to provide an M5 “full range” vehicle display at the 2005
Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance, November 5-6,
to coincide with the new E60 M5 launch. The event is an
upscale premier event that was a�ended by 8,000 people
last year; the goal this year is 12,000 a�endees. BMW is
looking to the BMW CCA to show their M5s at the event.
If you are interested in participating please contact:
Helen Limpitlaw, Field Marketing Operations Manager, BMW NA, LLC [email protected]
Web site: h�p://www.hhiconcours.com
Addr: Coastal Discovery Center at Historic Honey Horn
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
BMW CCA Web Site: We’re always looking for photos to use in the web gallery. If you have a photo of your
car, or of a recent BMW CCA event you’d like to share,
please email it to gavin.hoff[email protected]. Likewise,
we sure could use some video stream of a driving school;
do you have something great you’d like to see on the
site? Please send it to Gavin
Elections For 2006-07 CCA Board Positions: Positions up for election are: President, Executive Vice President, and North Atlantic and South Central Regional
Vice Presidents. Candidates must be nominated by a
member who has been a member for at least six months
prior (the nomination must include the BMW CCA
membership number of the nominating person), and
the candidate’s acceptance of the nomination should be
countersigned on the same page (including the candidate’s own membership number). Nominees for Regional
offices, and those nominating them, must reside and be a
chapter member in the specific region.
The BMW CCA National Board represents the BMW
CCA membership and as a group is tasked with soliciting and employing up-to-date information and best
business practices in carrying out their responsibilities
with integrity, honesty, truthfulness and adherence to the
absolute obligation of safeguarding the members’ trust.
They make sense of new information about the Club as
it may affect the organization and demonstrate concern
for the interests and well being of individuals affected by
their actions. They can and must monitor the vision for
the Club and determine when it needs to change. They
can and must be the ones to discuss whether the current
mission is the best way for their organization to work
toward the organization’s vision. They always put their
altruistic mission above personal gain. Very few members recognize the degree of responsibility our National
Board members bear, and the hours and hours of hard
work they donate to the club.
If you’re not afraid of more responsibility and plenty
of challenge, then roll up your sleeves and get your
nomination, photo, and statement in to us. Nominations
should include a candidacy statement of no more than 300
words and an appropriate photograph of the candidate.
Those who wish to help in refining the CCA’s strategic
framework (values, vision, mission and broad goals) and
formulating/refining policies that govern our practices
should prepare their nominations, acceptances, candidacy
statements, and photographs in order to be received at the
National Office before 5:00 p.m. EST October 31, 2005.
8
October 2005
Optional equipment new to the 5 Series
range includes the headlight function that always
maintains the optimum depth of headlight illumination depending on oncoming traffic, Comfort
Access, front airbag deactivation and front ISOFIX
child seat a�achment, and a new style of 18-inch
alloy wheel. Three new colors—Monaco Blue,
Barbera Red, and Deep Green—along with a new
design of cloth upholstery also debut on the options list. Carpages UK
What’s that smell…What sets a good design
apart is that it harmonizes and satisfies all the
senses, according to BMW; this basic rule also applies to the
automotive industry, where it is not just a question of how
things look and feel, how they sound and smell also plays a
role. This is why sound designers make sure even the smallest noise sounds just right—and smell experts take care to
avoid any smells occurring in the first place. A�er all, the
best smell for the interior of a car is no smell at all.
Researchers at the Plastics Development and Process
Engineering and Chemical Analysis divisions of the BMW
Group in Munich are working toward this aim by analyzing what smells are emi�ed by car seats, interiors, mats,
and roofs. There are up to 700 different materials which can
essentially give off aromas both in and on cars; the smell
experts’ work combines subjective smell perception with
analytical measuring devices used for “odor analysis.”
Odor analysis essentially covers two areas: olfactometry,
a method of specific evaluation of odors; and gas chromatography, which is a physical separation process for liquid
materials. The aim of odor analysis is to localize the major
elements contributing to a smell in order to identify and
eliminate them so that no unpleasant smells arise, even under extreme conditions such as strong sunlight. To do this,
the test car sits on a test bed under an artificial sun which
heats it up. Pumps are used to extract “Saharan air” from
the interior, then pack it into plastic bags and feed it into
the gas chromatograph. This measuring device separates
the mixture into its individual components and producing a measurement curve showing the relevant intensities
(the chromatogram). Meanwhile, the individual smells are
routed through sniffer outputs, one by one, to the nose of
the tester. This is where the human nose comes into play; the
job of the smell experts is to assign the individual smells to
the right place on the chromatogram. “These sessions never
last more than half an hour, because the testers have to concentrate hard and note down exactly what they can smell on
the chromatogram,” Dr. Roland Kerscher explains.
The conclusions of these “super-noses” are used as the
basis for further tests. It is a painstaking process, but the
researchers at the BMW Group gradually narrow down
the individual odor components. The subjective perception through the human nose is reinforced with objective
measurement results—not replaced. BMW AG
Bimmerphile
Kelly Kirkland photos
Bimmerphile Editor: Ed Lizardo
Kelly Kirkland photos
BMW News Bytes
BMW unveils the Z4 coupe... It
was officially called a concept at the
Frankfurt Auto Show, but BMW will
hurry the Z4 coupe into production as a rival to the new Porsche
Cayman S, a coupe version of the
Boxster—and nobody in Frankfurt
denied rumors of a forthcoming M
version. Like its predecessors, the
Z3-based Z and M coupes—the
loveable Dorks—the new Z4 coupe
will be built at BMW’s factory in
Spartanburg, South Carolina. But
unlike the boxy M coupe, the Z4
coupe features a more conventional
fastback, with styling similar to the Chris Chapman-designed X coupé concept of a few years ago. The Z4 coupe
is powered by BMW’s 255-horsepower, 3.0-liter inline
six-cylinder gasoline engine. Unless the M division has
something in the works for the N52 aluminum/magnesium engine, the new M coupe—and M roadster—will
get the S54 3.2-liter inline six from the M3, upgraded to
360 hp.
The Z4 coupe unveiled in Frankfurt featured a so�
titanium appearance, a ma�e pearlescence that will only
make it to production if they can find a way to thicken
the protective clear coat without losing the stunning so�
ma�e effect.
Asked about rumors of racing version of the Not-sodork—idle cha�er has them running Le Mans—at least one
BMW AG insider grinned, “I hope so!” Satch Carlson
BMW 550i launched… Demand for the E60 M5 has
been so strong, with the waiting list extending to two
years, that many buyers seeking a high-performance 5
Series could well be tempted behind the wheel of the BMW
550i, the fastest non-M 5 Series model ever.
Offered in both sedan and touring variants, the 4,799cc, 367-hp car sprints from zero to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds
and has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
Maximum torque is 490 Nm (361 lbs-�) while combined
fuel consumption is 25.4 mpg and CO2 emissions 267
g/km. The 550i is priced from £43,550 while the 550i Touring starts at £45,575. Both the 540i and the 550i surpass
the stringent EU4 emission regulations and
replace the 535i and 545i respectively.
Mini “Concept Frankfurt” car launched at Frankfurt Auto Show
A pop-top Mini rather than a drop-top Mini?
Autospies.com
The Mini Concept Frankfurt is a design study re-interpreting the philosophy of the little Traveller from Great
Britain through a new concept of “Travelling in Style”.
October 2005
9
10
October 2005
The
Photos by:
Simone Kopitzki
Ken Lawyer
Patrick Smith
It
By Edgar Chen
seemed, a�er our
long stretch of rainy
weather this year,
that what was in order was a
great group drive under the
blue skies of Marin and points
north. So I set up a route and
invited the chapter to come out
for a day of open roads, miles
of hand-over-hand turning,
beautiful views, and more.
Marin
Blast
GGC members hit the
road to explore the sights
of the north Bay Area.
On the second Saturday of July
a crowd of 24 BMWs shows up at
the appointed hour in Mill Valley. It
begins like many other group driving
days: Find the parking lot, meet other
members, and chat about what fine
cars the German engineers have created for us. The cars in the parking lot
are a buffet of BMWs: Z3, Z4, M3 (E36
and E46), M5, 3 Series, 5 Series, and 8
Series. I’m happy to find that over a
third of our group are first-time participants of our club events—welcome
to BMW CCA events!
We leave Mill Valley and head
into the fog toward Muir Beach. The
fog shrouds the normally pictureperfect Shoreline Highway, which
twists down to the edge of the mighty
Pacific ocean. We drive past Muir
Beach and into the beautiful world of
Muir Woods—a national park with
majestic redwoods towering above.
From here we wind our way up to the
top of Mount Tamalpais.
On the road up, I pull over to
make sure our group is staying
together, and notice that a few are
missing. Then I hear the word: eight
BMWs have been sighted making
circuits of the winding road—it’s
such a nice road they’ve decided to
do it twice! As it turns out, they had
followed the signs to Mt. Tam and
skipped Muir Beach and Woods…
purely by accident.
At 2,571 feet, Mt. Tam’s peak
gives us a spectacular view above the
fog—a stunning 270-degree view of
the entire Bay Area. The view of the
Richmond-San Rafael bridge to Twin
Peaks/Su�ro Tower in San Francisco,
and all that’s in between, is trying to
Continued on page 12
October 2005
11
Tech Women: They Do Exist!
Marin Blast - continued
By Ashlee Mah
A
common misconception many people have about
women is that they don’t understand anything
about cars. In some cases this might be true, but
thanks to Nicole Scherlie, co-owner of Bavarian
Motorsports, this was about to change for some female BMW
owners in the Golden Gate Chapter! The ladies-only tech session
in August was designed to teach women the basics of routine car
maintenance—a worthy goal in the Millennium of Independence.
And how does one—or many!—reach this goal?
The session begins at Bavarian Motorsports’ shop a�er morning refreshments and some mixing and mingling. We all gather in
the shop area, where active GGC autocrosser Deb Killeen—some
would add “hyper” to that description—has her merlot-tinted Z4
on display. Scherlie, our teacher for the day, goes over an array of
topics including tire maintenance, changing tires, brakes, rotors,
cooling system, oil service, belts, control arms, jump starting, and
Inspection 1 and 2. Scherlie does a great job of covering the subjects so that everyone can understand the reasoning behind the
procedures—not just “do this,” but “here’s why we do this.”
As we all know, tires are a very basic part of a car, but we
learn that they are typically overlooked and forgo�en until it’s too
late. Scherlie adds that some of the newer cars don’t come with a
spare tire anymore; this is news to several of the group. So paying
a�ention to the tread wear bar (tires are worn out when tread is
flush with the bar) and checking tire pressure is important. You
should do these things on a regular basis so you’re not surprised
with a flat; don’t put yourself in danger with worn or under-inflated tires. Tires in poor condition can cause your car to hydroplane
in the rain or under-perform in corners or when stopping.
We learn that the same a�ention needs to be paid to maintaining
cooling systems in our cars, because ignoring the signs of an overheating car can lead to serious damage to the engine—a major headache to owner, as the result can be a lot of money spent to repair the
damage. Women, make sure you check your coolant levels regularly!
The importance of engine oil and its maintenance is emphasized by Scherlie in the tech session. She reminds us that we
should check the oil level regularly, and when it’s low, to put in a
good quality oil. Engine oil and oil filters should be changed on
a regular basis to keep contaminants out of the engine; a regular
routine will keep the engine running for a long time.
During the second part of the tech session, my Evergreen M
roadster is put on display for a look at brake fluid, brake pads,
and rotors. We learn that changing the rotors along with the
brake pads is essential to maintain the car’s braking performance.
Scherlie is kind enough to satisfy my curiosity about changing
brake pads by talking us through the process while I get to do
some hands-on work on my car. Now I’m more confident that I
can work on other parts of it!
Another major topic emphasizes BMW’s Inspection 1 and
2. Scherlie illustrates it by giving an analogy: “Our cars—like
our bodies—need physicals periodically. To prolong the life and
performance of a car, one shouldn’t ignore signs of aging.” These
important inspections can be done at a mechanic’s shop—or,
depending on your skill, by the owner.
In the end, Scherlie’s mission of explaining car maintenance
and car terminology without being overtechnical is accomplished
in spades. She has been informative, knowledgeable, professional,
funny, and very patient with our group, who asked a lot of questions during the various topics on her program. I’m sure every
woman in a�endance leaves knowing a li�le to a great deal more
about her car and how to keep it happy. More important, while
we may not be ready to waylay the Snap-On truck and equip
our garages for major maintenance, we are now armed with the
confidence and knowledge to go into a repair shop and talk to a
mechanic to make sure the correct issues are being taken care of.
12
October 2005
entice us to stay longer, but the beautiful windy roads of Marin
lure us back into our cars.
Since we’ve seen the fog hugging the coast all day, we wonder if the cold mist will be joining us for our lunch at Stinson
Beach. Upon arrival, we’re happy to find Stinson is in the perfect spot, right on the edge of sun, sand, and fog—with the sun
and the sand winning the fight. Parking our cars in the side lot,
we see BBQers on the beach looking inquisitively at the invasion
of 24 BMWs. It’s hard to explain to the people who don’t get it.
A�er lunch we head up Fairfax-Bolinas Road for an unforge�able series of white-knuckle turns. The road shows us how
a finely tuned suspension and a great road can translate into
ear-to-ear smiles and silly grins.
Once out of the mountains, we pass through the small town
of Point Reyes. Our the column of BMWs creeps down the center of town in a twelve-mile-per-hour parade led by a Corolla on
a slow, slow Saturday drive. The impromptu parade brings the
stares of the people on the street; we even see a few teens wave
at our passing pageant of BMWs.
The best road is saved for last: Marshals-Petaluma Road—
voted by our group as the best drive of the day. It’s one of
those roads that can’t be properly described, but like the BMW
driving sensation, you just have to experience it. This beautiful
stretch of road takes us from the shores of Tamales Bay through
the rolling coastal hills of Marin, to our final destination, the
Marin Cheese Factory. A�er some free cheese-tasting we bid
each other adieu—and start thinking about the next drive! 
What is great for me is that what I have learned will definitely
help keep my car up to par a�er my monthly BMW drives and
club autocrosses.
A big thanks to everyone at Bavarian Motorsports for le�ing
us use their shop as our classroom, and another thanks to all who
a�ended—including the one husband who waited outside during
the entire session.
Ashlee Mah is an owner of a 1998 Evergreen M roadster. She lives in
San Jose and works for Marrio� Resorts & Hotels in sales. As a regular
at Club events, she’s a�ended the monthly autocrosses, our car-control
clinic, driving tours, tech sessions, Bimmerfest, and the various Club
events at Laguna Seca. When she isn’t running around in her BMW,
she’s outside either mountain biking, rollerblading, hiking, running,
rock climbing, or lying on the beach.
October 2005
13
THE BMW VINTAGE AND CLASSIC CAR CLUB OF AMERICA TOURS THE ROCKIES.
Helmut and Kojack take in the views at Trail Ridge Road.
Some of our favorite local GGC vintage BMW owners, Jim and
Gloria Smith, brought their 319/1 out for the Colorado romp.
By Rick Meinig, Colorado Springs
T
he clink of wine glasses celebrating the end of the
2004 U.S. Vintage Marathon in Spartanburg, South
Carolina, were still echoing as the first whispers of a
new Colorado vintage BMW escapade began to circulate.
And why not? A�er all, the Vintage Marathon—the inaugural event of the fledgling U.S.-based BMW Vintage and Classic
Club—had been an unqualified success. Participants came from Germany, Holland, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and all across the U.S.
to drive BMWs ranging from the original 1928 Dixi to the Z1s of the
1980s on a route from New England down the eastern seaboard. For
most first-time participants—like me—the event was an epiphany. In
Europe, due to geography, vintage-car density, and a Teutonic proclivity for organization, it is common to see large-scale events featuring
“Oldtimer Cars” on the road; the American scene tends more toward
car shows and boulevard cruises than arduous road tours. But the
Vintage Marathon tour had given us Yanks a hankering for a rolling
revue—and the inspiration for the 2005 Colorado Holiday.
That inspiration was fanned by the five vintage-car owners who
comprised the Colorado contingent at the 2004 Vintage Marathon:
Jerry and Heidi Lynch (BMW Veritas), Decker Swann (328), Bill and
Star Young (M1, 507, 503, CSL, and more!), me (Z1 and 327/8 cabriolet), and Goetz Pfafflin (327/8 coupe)—principle architect of the 2004
Marathon organization, and now a firm transplant to Colorado. That
“Gang of Five” conspired at the Rocky Mountain Chapter BMW CCA
holiday dinner in 2004 to create a week-long summer tour through
the Colorado Rockies.
By Spring, Pfafflin had mapped out the five-day tour along
Colorado’s superlative roads. The finish would climax with a concours d’elegance co-hosted with the CCA Rocky Mountain Chapter.
The Redstone Inn
creates an appropriate
setting for the tour cars
14
October 2005
In order to entice participation from the international
group of BMW vintage
clubs, the Youngs agreed
to provide five outstanding vintage BMWs to the
event. (Hey, would you
turn down an opportunity to drive an M1 or 503
coupe for a week?) And
by July, we had a final grid
with a BMW enthusiast’s
dream array: 1936 319/1 cabriolet, 327 coupe,
507 roadster, 503 coupe, 1800 TiSa, 2000CS,
3.0CSL—even a right-hand-drive model from
the UK!—2002, M1, and Z1.
While the beauty of the cars is amazing,
what really makes this kind of event memorable is not so much the
cars, but the drive—and especially the drivers. As the tour starts in
Vail in early July, I’m excited to see Jim and Gloria Smith arrive from
their historic spread in Sonoma, California. On their trailer is Smith’s
319/1 cabriolet—just out of storage a�er five years. He is perhaps
one of the few restorer-enthusiasts in this country who is capable of
taking a mothballed-prewar car and flogging it for over a thousand
miles up and down the Rockies without fear of being sidelined by a
mechanical failure.
Interestingly, on the same rig is Smith’s next project: a derelict
BMW consisting of a pre-war frame, a sma�ering of original BMW
bodywork, some seemingly random pieces of Ford bodywork, and a
2002 engine. Only a master mechanic and body-shop visionary—or
perhaps a madman—would tackle such a daunting project. However,
Smith is certainly a master of many trades; if anybody can turn such a
sad relic back into a proper vintage BMW, it’s Jim Smith.
As we leave Vail the next morning, we travel along the headwaters of the Colorado River to the western slopes of the Rocky
Mountain National Park. Most of the group stops for lunch at Grand
Lake—a natural lake 8,400 feet above sea level. It’s here we brace
ourselves for the next stage: the justifiably famous Trail Ridge Road
which crests at 12,183 feet. This extreme change in
altitude presents a real challenge for our 30 to 60-yearold carbureted motors. The road, by itself, is a complete tour of the Rocky Mountain ecosystems, moving
from warm, lush, forested lowlands of Grand Lake
up through austere windswept alpine tundra above
timberline. The many sweepers and switchbacks give
us the chance to try our hand with some spirited driving—unfortunately interrupted by the many lumbering RVs too o�en found crawling the Trail Ridge Road.
On the downhill slope, we enjoy a long descent
into the bustling tourist town of Estes Park. It’s hectic
with its stop-and-go traffic, so it’s a relief when we finally put this town in our rear-view mirrors and move
onto the historic “Peak to Peak Highway.” Happily, we
find it relatively uncrowded, and enjoy our route past
the former mining towns of Blackhawk and Central
Organizer Goetz Pfafflin’s 327/8
looks great with the Redstone Inn
as a backdrop.
City. By evening, all the teams arrive in Keystone, the ski-resort site of
O’Fest 2002. While we’re only a scant 40 miles east of our Vail departure spot, our day has taken us nearly 260 miles!
From Keystone we head west to Copper Mountain, where we
climb to 11,318-foot Fremont Pass. I chase the Neue Klasse group
following Don Dethlefsen’s 1800 TiSa; along with the 2000CS and
two 02s on a brisk pace, we fly along the beautiful upper Arkansas
River, then head west on Route 50 over 11,312-foot Monarch Pass.
Then it’s on to Gunnison and a trip north to the former mining town
of Crested Bu�e.
There had been some concern that the next leg would be hot,
slow, and arduous—but the unpaved Kebler Pass Road turns out to
be one of the most memorable legs of the trip, with fields of wildflowers, rugged peaks, aspen glades, and an un-crowded twisty road! The
Smiths’ prewar roadster and Miro Stromar’s 2002tii carve a blistering
pace through the backcountry, leaving no doubt as to the origin of
BMW’s Freude am Fahren slogan. Resuming our tour on pavement as
we descend into Paonia and Hotchkiss is a bit of a disappointment;
from Hotchkiss there’s a 90-mile stretch without a gas station! However, the drive is spectacular along the north rim of the Black Canyon
of the Gunnison.
The rally stops for the evening in Montrose, gateway to the San
Juan Mountains—arguably the most rugged and beautiful mountains
in the U.S. We see plenty of them on Day Three! From Montrose we
drive into Ouray, a town blessed with a number of hot springs and
good coffee. In the winter, Ouray is an ice-climber’s paradise, as the
box canyon in town features multiple natural and man-made ice
falls. From Ouray, we climb the switchbacks of Red Mountain Pass,
and I join O�o and Mark Lies and their M1 for the uphill slalom. Yet
another pass is negotiated on the way to Durango: 10,900-foot Molas
Pass. The cool air is welcome, as there has been scarcely a cloud in the
sky for the preceding three days.
In Durango we meet up with Ed Giller—who has owned his 328
roadster since January of 1946! Decker Swann parks her white 328
next to Ed’s green 328 for a rare photo opportunity. Decker’s 328 could
be the first mechanical casualty of the event, as its differential has lost
all its oil. Fortunately, a parking-lot inspection reveals that the housing
bolts are loose. Once they’re tightened and oil added, no leak appears,
so it seems impending disaster has been avoided.
A�er lunch it’s a drive to Telluride via
Mesa Verde National
Park. Mesa Verde is
oppressively hot, but
the drive out of the
lowlands follows the
Delores River, and
many drivers find this
the finest drive of the
trip. It’s certainly a relief
to regain altitude, crest
Lizard Head Pass at
10,222 feet, and descend
to Telluride and the
Wyndam Peaks Resort
for the evening. By
now everyone is on
a first-name basis;
we share a common
history of some 800
miles of driving in
three days. And as
there have been no
The 200CS heads toward Mount Massive.
breakdowns, and
we have a relatively
“flat” drive back to Vail, we begin to hope that we’ll all make it back
to Vail incident-free!
But the route from Telluride to Vail is by no means flat. We discover one of the nicest roads in Colorado: the Paonia to Redstone leg.
The road is in immaculate condition, with beautiful McClure Pass at a
mere 8,755 feet. From McClure it’s a lovely descent along the pristine
Crystal River to lunch at the Redstone Inn, a beautiful one-street community sandwiched between red sandstone cliffs and the white water
of the Crystal River.
The drive concludes with a bit of Interstate driving through
Glenwood Canyon. This portion of I-70 is certainly one of the most
beautiful: the roaring Colorado River, sandstone cliffs, and Autobahnlike construction make it the paradigm of Interstate construction.
And sure enough, all the cars make it to Vail in time for us to wash
them for Sunday’s car show, but we’re not a�er the concours prize;
since over a thousand miles of mountain and high-desert road have
produced a lot of bugs and tar, most of us are happy to leave our cars
in “Display” mode.
But my own adventure is not over; my 327/8 has been sidelined
with a horrendous case of backfiring, so before dinner I have the special
experience of a parking-garage apprenticeship. With a few tools,
Jim Smith sets to work, and in less than an hour I am looking at the
pushrods and tappets of my 65-year-old motor. We find that a pushrod
has jumped its tappet—an easy fix. With a quick valve adjustment, my
motor kicks over and I’m back in business—in time for Saturday night’s
sumptuous dinner with the Rocky Mountain Chapter.
There the whispers start anew—the ones about next summer’s drive. . . .
The Neue Klasse cars
traipse along the Arkansas
River roadway.
October 2005
15
16
October 2005
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October 2005
17
The Ultimate Drive
Comes to Town
BMW’s contribution to a worthy cause
continues into its ninth year.
By Ed Lizardo
T
he darkening June sky can’t dim the
brightness of the pink ribbons mounted
on sparkling silver BMWs parked in a neat
row at Stevens Creek BMW. These prominent pink ribbons declare a purpose—not
just noble cause—they stand for Susan G. Komen. It’s
about an opportunity for BMW, a community-aware and
environment-conscious company, to put their products to
good use.
In 1997, BMW North America, LLC created the Ultimate Drive
program to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research
and community outreach programs. Each year, the general public
is invited to drive the fleet of BMWs at participating dealerships
during the Ultimate Drive’s tour through
the U.S. For each mile driven in one of
these vehicles, one dollar is contributed to
the Komen Foundation to support breast
cancer research, education, screening, and
treatment programs.
When Nancy Goodman Brinker’s
older sister and best friend, Susie, lost a
three-year struggle with breast cancer in
1980 at the age of 36, Ms. Brinker dedicated herself to fulfilling her sister’s plea
to help others ba�ling the disease. In
1982, she established the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation—recognized
Nancy Goodman Brinker and
today as the nation’s leading catalyst in
her sister Susan G. Komen.
the fight against breast cancer. More than
75,000 people volunteer with the Komen Foundation through an
increasing network of 112 U.S. and international affiliates. In the
23 years since Brinker began the organization, the Komen Foundation has raised
about $750,000,000
for breast cancer
research, education, and patient
care.
18
October 2005
When the Komen Foundation is unable to round up enough
cancer survivors, local hospital, or Foundation members to drive
the BMW fleet to the next tour venue, who ya gonna call? Not the
Ghostbusters, but your local GGC autobahn-meisters! The e-mail
call for volunteers to ferry the pink-ribbon fleet came from GGC
organizer Jeff Cowan. The first-come, first-served format drew
a zealous onslaught of respondents eager to mi� the new thickrimmed steering wheel of the fleet jewel—the 645i.
Through the apex-hunting eyes of the GGC volunteer drivers,
these BMWs posed the possibility of an ultimate test drive. It’s
true that driving in weekday commute traffic on Interstates 280
and 680 hardly compares to the Nürburgring, but these are 3, 5,
7, X and Z Series BMWs—poised to be piloted past the weekday
gaggles of loping snoozers and cruisers.
The Komen cars are still trickling in—one by one—from the
day’s Ultimate Drive event, and the GGC volunteers anxiously
watch the sinking sun begin to merge with the coastal range.
This traveling fleet of BMWs must be transported 90 miles to
Valley BMW in Modesto… and Bay Area traffic is just beginning
to ramp up.
The group is distracted with Stevens Creek BMW’s hospitality
at the Blendz Grill restaurant, their onsite eatery. The GGC drivers are offered free meals and eagerly order Banana Rama Ding
Dongs to wash down tasty grilled chicken panini sandwiches. All
is right in Bimmer Stadt!
Over the last gurgling slurps of the Banana Ramas, we listen
to the driving instructions being dispensed. You can almost hear
our group’s thoughts: “Enough, already. Give us the keys!”
Somewhere between the instructions, “Don’t pass the lead
car—a white X5—and the caboose—a small RV adorned with the
Komen Foundation regalia,” the drivers manage to absorb the linear directions of the requisite LaserJet handouts. Piece of cake….
One by one, the eager GGC volunteers slip into their silver
rides and the memory of the earlier instructions quickly dissolve
into bewilderment and near-panic. Where do you put the key?
How does iDrive work? How do you roll down the windows?
Directions? How does the nav system work?
No worries. These are Silicon Valley people; we’ll figure it all out.
We nudge the Steptronic levers forward and move ahead as if in a
nose-to-tail sequence of GTRs on a warm-up lap paced by the white
X5. It’s in the air, the aura and anticipation of the 90-mile ultimate test
drive all the way from Santa Clara to Modesto—solo, no salespersons,
no instructors, no chaperones, no alcoholic beverages. It’s time to fly.
The pink ribbons become blurs on the silver BMWs as they
streak out of the parking lot and across Stevens Creek Boulevard
to merge with lesser machinery. Eagerness is met with the stifling
grumble of ABS as each Bavarian sled brakes to a halt into the
6:00 p.m. traffic. Was this sea of commuters going to render the
Ultimate Drive into the Longest Drive?
On a positive note, this gives us time to acquaint ourselves
with the various electronics wizardry beckoning at our fingertips… hmm, on second thought, maybe reading the driving directions sheet WILL be easier than figuring out iDrive.
For this volunteer driver, reading the directions should have
come a li�le sooner. The Komen train is suddenly nowhere to be
seen—not even in the stout auto-dimming rearview mirror of my
525i. As the I-880 sign flashes by, a quick glance at the crumpled
directions sheet says, “Proceed on I-280 to I-680.” Oh. Another
quick glance at the directions sheet, “Do not pass the lead X5. Do
not fall behind the caboose RV.” Oh.
Returning back onto I-280, the traffic has thinned, yet there’s
no indication of a pink-ribboned RV through any sightline. How
many minutes ahead could the Komen train be in all this traffic?
Then, daylight. I see an open expanse of unobstructed tarmac.
The occasional strips of daylight road vanish quickly with brief
doze-defying dips of the electronic accelerator pedal. Endless tinkering of the onboard navigation system finally reveals its database
doesn’t include the address number to Valley BMW in Modesto.
Check all sightlines. No pink ribbons anywhere. Not even a
detached morsel on the tarmac le� behind as a clue.
Crawling in commute traffic through Tracy on I-205 is normally a patience-defying exercise in self-restraint. Not so on this
Ultimate Drive. This Fiver has enough on-screen gadgetry to
amuse the research staff at the BMW Tech Office in Palo Alto…
as well it should, since they probably designed most of it. With
enough iDrive knob rotating-and-pushing, the time soon flickers
away far faster than the single-digit traffic speed.
The pink ribbon caravan is moving right along now. The gaps
between the silver Bimmers widen as the onramp merges onto
I-99, a sweeping-right curve, looms closer. Movement in the rearview mirror steals my a�ention from the fast-approaching I-99
road sign. Two spoiler-clad boy-racers—a Honda and a Toyota—
zoom past me near the road’s shoulder.
Although any high-performance driving student could see it coming, these zealous road warriors speed obliviously into the declining
radius of the curve. As they get into the apex their brake lights flash to
bright red as they finally realize they’re defying physics.
With a clear road for me, there is no one in the group as witness and no moral dilemma: it’s the time for a pedal-to-the-metal
exit of the apex. Accelerating powerfully, with the filtered exhaust
note of the straight-six at full song, the silver sled rockets out of
the corner past the decelerating duelers. So what if a pink ribbon
or two flies off?
Seeing the astonishment on both their faces makes the previous 75 miles of commute-traffic drudgery worthwhile, a Kodak
memento for a later stride down memory lane. The Ultimate
Snooze has just turned into the Ultimate Moment.
Li�ing the drive-by-wire thro�le doesn’t curb the 525i’s
momentum in time before gliding past a somewhat perplexed
driver in the lead X3. Se�ling in amidst a trio of 645s seems ample
reward for the verve on the curve.
Eventually the boy racers catch back up and pass—nose-totail—hugging the shoulder as if to show their disdain for the train
of sixteen BMWs festooned with pink ribbons obstructing their
evening tête-à-tête. Or perhaps they’re just embarrassed.
Through the dimming dusk light we see the Pelandale
Avenue sign marking the unceremonious exit for us off I-99 and
into Valley BMW’s domain. Flickering red tail lights signal our
ultimate destination.
We park in order of arrival, except the Komen Signature
car. This 645i is ushered into its own parking berth, freed from
the fleet to display its hundreds of inked signatures personally
scribed at each venue of the Ultimate Drive tour.
Up ahead is the I-120 sign pointing the way to Modesto, where
good grammar sometimes takes an end-zone seat in the radio
news flashes about the Maddux Youth Center basketball tournament and Python Ron’s presentations about hissing cockroaches.
For the safe and undamaged arrival of the Komen fleet, the
now-seasoned volunteer drivers are rewarded with UltimateDrive t-shirts, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and their choice of
seat on the shu�le bus home
This highway turn-off ushers in the last quarter of the trip, and,
as if on cue, the traffic thins. (Why wouldn’t it in the middle of farm
land?) To my relief, the Komen train of silver Bavarian chariots
comes into sight. Normalcy began to return to my Bimmer Welt.
By the time the courtesy shu�le squeaks to a halt in the parking
lot of Stevens Creek BMW, the drone of road noise and drivetrain
hum still thrums in our ears. The volunteers ramble out, bidding
each other farewell, “Until the next drive….”—ultimate or not.
The instructions don’t restrict us to maintain single file formation, so I whisk the lone straggling 525i past the back markers in the
group—the caboose RV, a stately-driven 745i, and a pair of drop-top
Z4s whose drivers appear oblivious to their wind-flu�ering hats.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation gratefully appreciates The Ultimate Drive, an exchange of driving miles for dollars to the
ongoing fight against a deadly cancer that strikes thousands every year.
October 2005
19
20
October 2005
Photos by Kris Linquist
www.linquist.net
1
2
3
4
5
5
7
8
Driver Name
GONZO
Garcia
Ken
Bensen
Jonathan
Webber
Chris
Cheung
Eric
Pieron
Remy
Kupper
Steve
Qaisi
Faisal
Shah
Vishal
Vijeh
Richard
Dadgar
Mark
Killeen
Noah
Hirsch
Benjamin
Hansen
Mark
Thrasher Jason
Whitson
Ken
AAA
Ball
Rodger
Prasad
Praneil
Sams
R. Jason
Gwee
Poh
Cowan
Jeff
Crum
David
Hsu
Michael
Mottaz
Peter
Miller
Scott
Sanchez Kyle
Tanphaichitr Saksiri
Cheung
Brian
Barneson Scott
Rochford Ciaran
Crow
Frank
Collins
Kelly
Odabasid- Altan
glu
Sakhart- Alex
chouk
Glazier
Todd
Nguyen
Dang
Owen
Nicholas
Yu
William
Lam
Eric
Lopez
Sergio
Mah
Ashley
McManus Jason
Ray
David
AA
Visser
Matthew
Linquist
Kris
Knoot
Matthew
McCormick Jeff
Clark
Andrew
Goelkel
Chris
Killeen
Noah
Sutterfield Bob
9
10
11
12
13
14
14
Killeen
Garcia
Parlette
Karsch
Kater
Brady
Oledan
1
2
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
12
13
13
15
P
1
2
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
13
15
16
16
16
P
19
19
19
19
23
24
24
24
24
Deb
John
Jim
Craig
James
Ward
Eduerdo
Model
Points
325is
M3
M3/325is
M coupe
M3
2002
M3
M3
325is
325is
M3
M3
M coupe
M3
M3
83
65
65
40
28
21
20
13
11
8
8
6
4
4
3
M3
M3
M3
M3
M3
M3
M coupe
M3
325i
325i
M3
M3
M coupe
M3
540i
M3
56
53
53
50
47
31
26
24
22
13
11
9
6
6
5
4
M3
4
M3
4
325i
M3
M3
M3
M3
M3
M rdster
M3
M3
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
1
328ic
330iSPP
Cooper S
M3 Conv
M5
535is
Z4
535is
101
68
65
31
26
26
16
15
M5
M3 Conv
Z4 3.0
Z4 3.0
Z4 3.0
M3
12
11
9
8
6
5
5
325is/
Z4/318is
Place in
Class
Place in
Class
Standings After Six Events
16
17
17
19
19
19
22
22
P
P
P
P
1
2
3
4
4
6
7
8
9
9
11
12
13
14
14
16
17
17
19
20
21
21
23
23
23
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
9
11
12
12
14
15
15
17
18
1
2
3
3
5
5
5
8
Driver Name
Model
Kaczmar Ted
M3 Conv
Martinez Steve
M5
Small
Matt
M3
Malone
Robert Cooper S
Mestetsky Alexander M5
Owen
Nicholas M3
Alyan
Ashraf M3A Conv
Graham
Bruce
M5
A
McFarland Randy 330Cis
Mercado Joe
325is
Dolan
Tim
Cooper S
Killeen
Noah
325is
Mielke
Chris
325is
Chang
Can
325is
Boudart
Jesse
325is
Dolan
Cathy
Cooper S
Chiang
Chu
330Ci
Shirvani
Philip
330Ci Sprt
Antonowicz Vance
325i
Bry
Gary
325is
LeBeau
Mike
Cooper S
Bolhuis
John
325iC
Ha
Hien
330i SPP
Vogt
Jonathan 325es
Brown
Daniel
330i
Shaeffer
Ian
Cooper S
M635 Euro
DiMauro
Paul
Shaeffer
Renee Cooper S
Lee
Stephen 330i SPP
Sanchez Bob
Z3 2.5i
Chang
Bruce
325i
Smith
Kim
Cooper S
Tsao
Paul
325i
B
Goebel
Bob
328is
Orbon
John
318iC
Spurling
James Z3
Lysgaard Jeff
328iC
Brown
Herschel 325i Sport
Parsons
Brock
330XiA
Towers
Noreen Z3
Li
Nicholas 325is
318ti Active
Bishop
Jason
LeFrancois Ramon 318is
Kim
Frederick 330i
Miller
Natalia 325iA
318ti Active
Webster
Earl
Toeppen Grant
2002
Lau
Victor
328i
Low
Grant
325i
Goebel
Matthew 325e
Merlugov Oleg
Z3 2.3
C
Caccese Christopher 2002tii
LeFrancois Ramon 750iL
Flavell
Ryan
320i
Gould
Curtis
528iA
Dyer
Joe
850CiA
Humphreys Nancy
735ia
Wolfson
Larry
325iT
Slocum
Joyce
850CiA
Points
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
1
79
69
50
30
30
29
26
17
14
14
11
10
9
8
8
7
6
6
5
3
2
2
1
1
1
80
41
37
33
28
26
20
19
15
15
11
8
8
6
5
5
4
3
61
60
20
20
15
15
15
8
Autocros at Marina
Airport - August 7
Driver Name
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Garcia
Bensen
Webber
Killeen
Hirsch
Shah
Thrasher
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Crum
Miller
Gwee
Cheung
Rochford
Ball
Sanchez
Nguyen
Collins
Mah
Siau
Cooper
Libby
Rochford
Cheng
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Visser
Knoot
Linquist
McCormick
Goelkel
Karsch
Kaczmar
Killeen
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Boudart
Dolan
McFarland
Mercado
Shaeffer
Shirvani
Dolan
Shaeffer
Chiang
Voyt
Sanchez
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Goebel
LeFrancois
Spurling
Brown
Lysgaard
Low
Goebel
Merlugov
Miller
1 Flavell
2 Caccese
Humphreys
Model
Time
GONZO
Ken
325is - FTD 48.711
Jonathan M3
49.616
Chris
325is
49.855
Noah
M3
51.302
Benjamin M3
54.373
Vishal
M3
54.693
Jason
M3
54.821
AAA
David
M3
52.700
Scott
325i
54.160
Poh
M3
54.277
Brian
M3
54.429
Ciaran
M3
54.557
Rodger M3
54.622
Kyle
325i
56.044
Dang
M3
56.354
Kelly
M3
56.425
Ashley
M rdstr
57.154
Chang
M3
57.416
Marc
M3
57.654
Peter
M3
58.168
Laura
M3
58.580
Michael M3
58.962
AA
Matthew 328ic
51.340
Matthew Cooper S 52.378
Kris
330iSPP 52.569
Jeff
328ic
52.667
Chris
328ic
52.676
Craig
Z4
55.870
Ted
M3 Conv 57.694
Deb
318is
59.265
A
Jesse
325is
54.014
Tim
Cooper S 54.089
Randy
330Ci Sprt 54.115
325is M Tech 54.401
Joe
Ian
Cooper S 55.740
Philip
330Ci Sprt 55.882
Cathy
Cooper S 56.039
Renee
Cooper S 57.032
Chu
330Ci
58.525
Jonathan 325es
58.705
Bob
Z3 2.5i
59.065
B
Bob
328is
55.427
Ramon 318is
56.096
James
Z3
56.644
Herschel 325i Sport 57.071
Jeff
328iC
57.777
Grant
325i
58.752
Matthew 325e
59.571
Oleg
Z3 2.3
61.381
Natalia
325iA
65.248
C*
Ryan
320i
52.785
Christo2002tii
54.663
pher
Nancy
735iA
dnf
Points
Place in
Class
2005 GGC Autocross Series
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
P
P
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
P
P
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
3
P
P
P
P
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
20
15
11
8
6
5
4
3
2
20
15
* C class times are adjusted by formula—times aren’t comparable to other classes.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
October 2005
N (non-competing BMWs)
(None at this event.)
X (non-BMWs)
Vijeh
Richard Lotus Elise 50.228
Sams
Jason
Lotus Elise 50.469
Mitsubishi EVO 53.036
Hsieh
Jeffray
Moranda Marshall Mitsubishi EVO 53.200
Mitsubishi EVO 54.829
King
Brian
Honda Prelude 55.382
Ng
David
Pontiac Firehwk 55.440
Reu
Catalin
Nissan Sentra 55.649
Leung
Kelvin
Liefooghe Gregory Subaru Impreza 55.822
Sundy
Michael VW R32 56.140
Porsche 911 57.056
Liew
Tern
Imprezza 2.5RS 57.952
Chen
Randy
Krishnan Narayanan Mazda 6 60.205
21
22
October 2005
Brake light bulbs, sockets, and switches.
Is your brake light circuit warning showing up on
the OBC? This annoying random warning is le�ing you
know that the switch that activates the brake lights when
the brake pedal is pressed is starting to fail. If you have
an E36 3 Series, there is about a 95% chance you have
seen or will see this warning. It’s best to take care of this
before the switch fails completely because once that happens, you have no brake lights—pre�y dangerous in an
area like the Bay Area with bumper to bumper traffic on
nearly every street.
The “brake light failure” warning is another common
problem. No big deal, right? Replace the bulb and it’s
working again. A nice easy fix. But three days later the
warning comes up again. You check it out, and damn!
The same one is out again! What this indicates is that
it’s time to take a close look at the socket and the contact
surface of the tail light assembly. What you’ll probably
find is that the contacts on both the bulb socket and tail
lamp assembly are burnt. In some cases the socket can
be replaced and everything will be fine. Another option
is the socket can be replaced and repositioned slightly in
order to make contact with a be�er part of the tail lamp
assembly. The worst-case scenario is a new tail lamp assembly and new sockets.
Do I need a new clutch?
BMW owners start asking the question, “Do I need
a new clutch?” as their cars near the 100,000 mile mark.
Chances are your BMW won’t need a new clutch until
at least 150,000 miles, and even then the clutch could be
just fine. For instance, Nicole has a fine example of an
’85 325e. Due to a release bearing failure, it got its first
clutch replacement at 268,000 miles. The symptom she
experienced: loud crunching and popping noises while
pressing on the clutch pedal with the engine running.
The actual clutch was still usable, but it didn’t make any
sense to just replace the release bearing. It only takes a
li�le more work to do the entire clutch job—hey, why do
the same job twice?
So you say, “Well, those 325e BMWs just pu� down
the highway, so naturally the clutch lasted such a long
time.” Think again. Let’s look at Jim’s ’93 325is race car,
it just got its original clutch replaced at 118,000. It’s a car
that was put on the track very early on, and has spent the
last seven years as a race car. You might be surprised to
learn that the clutch was only replaced because we were
replacing a leaking rear main seal. Once the clutch was
off (part of replacing a rear main seal) it was free labor
to bolt on a new clutch instead of the old one. The old
clutch was hardly worn, but while we were in there, it
made sense to do it.
which limits how quickly the clutch engages. BMW
installs this pesky li�le device to help protect the drivetrain of the vehicle. The idea is that if a driver (Jason)
were to “dump the clutch” during some overly-spirited
stop-light racing, the CDV would only allow the clutch
to engage at a reasonable rate. This prevents drivetrain
damage that would result from the abrupt engagement
of all 240 horsepower instantly through the transmission,
driveline, differential, and axles. The CDV does its job
fairly well, but some of the more spirited drivers (Jason)
may experience clutch slippage. So these kinds of drivers
might benefit from removing this restrictor so the clutch
does not slip during track or other spirited driving. For
the rest of us, we probably wouldn’t know if the CDV
was there or not.
The BMW cooling system drama: too much plastic or
too much heat?
The problem with BMW cooling systems is due to
high heat in the engine compartment and plastic components. Plastic and heat are a bad combination.
Back when the cars we commonly worked on were
E30 3 Series, E28 5 Series, E24 6 Series, and E23 7 Series,
the cooling systems didn’t seem to be such an issue—the
radiators didn’t break very o�en. Believe it or not, the
radiators in those cars are plastic too. What’s the difference? More heat in the newer cars’ engine compartments.
The engines of that era operated at 80°C or cooler,
now they operate 88°, 92°, or even 105°C. And guess
what? The life span of the radiators seems to decrease
with each increase in the cooling system temperature.
For example, the typical E36 3 Series engine operates between 88° and 92°—its radiator life expectancy is 90,000
miles. The E39 540i engine operates at 105°—its typical
radiator life expectancy is 60,000 miles.
Why is all of this plastic used in our cars? There are
plenty of reasons to use plastic: it’s cheaper, it’s very
light, and it doesn’t transfer heat like metal does (think
about intake manifolds ge�ing nice cold air to the engine
for more power).
Meanwhile, Back At The Wrench...
By Ramon LeFrancois
Why are they making engines that run so hot? The
engines run cleaner and more efficiently at high operating temperatures, so the auto manufactures and the EPA
are making the engines run at higher temperatures to
help lessen the impact on the environment—or at least
that’s the idea.
The point is, don’t stress about the clutch unless you
experience these symptoms: it slips, makes a bad noise, or
doesn’t engage until the very last part of the pedal travel.
What is the CDV? Should I remove the CDV? Why
did BMW install the CDV? (This one is for Jason.)
What is a CDV? It’s yet another automotive acronym, it stands for Clutch Delay Valve. It’s a commonly
cursed/removed restrictor in the clutch hydraulic system
Email your questions to: [email protected]
October 2005
23
New Members
Welcome!
Last
First
Achim
Francis
Adams
William
Andersen
Peder
Anderson
Winston
Asenjo
Juan
Beck
Doug
Billinghurst
Paul
Blake
Rachelle
Bond
Andrew
Breton
Kyle
Brovarny
Igor
Burgos
Arnaldo
Byrd
Joseph
Byrne
William
Connolly
Jessica
Cordner
Lee
Crelier
Regis
Crosby
Paul
Cryer
John
Daker
John
Davis
Greg
Dinh
Thien
Eder
Roy
Fernandez-Melone Michael
Flavell
Ryan
Franz
Michael
Gokhale
Parixit
Gurley
Stephen
Hammond
Job
Hari
Maninder
Hirsch
Benjamin
Holbrook
Lee
Hong
M.
Jaramillo
Virginia
Karimi
Shawn
Kerber
Gregory
Kim
Namjin
Kirk
Kolchinsky
Lamb
Latour
Lentz
Leung
24
October 2005
City
Clayton
San Bruno
Belmont
San Luis Obispo
Oakland
Saratoga
Los Gatos
Daly City
Novato
Mountain View
San Jose
San Francisco
Monterey
San Mateo
Cloverdale
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San Francisco
Mountain View
Cupertino
San Jose
Lafaye�e
San Jose
San Francisco
Oakland
Cupertino
Bay Point
San Jose
Monterey
San Carlos
Fremont
San Jose
Carmel
Greenbrae
Livermore
Los Altos Hills
San Mateo
San Francisco
Roslyn
Vallejo
Alexander San Jose
Sco�
Cupertino
Susan
Martinez
Christopher Santa Clara
Kelvin
San Francisco
Model
X5
528i
2002
X5
M3
M3
M3
530Xi
M3
Z4
750Li
Year
2001
1999
1976
2004
2004
2004
2003
2006
1999
2005
2006
Refered
By
Last
325i
2006
525i
2002
Z3 coupe 2001
325is
M3
Z3
330i
3.0Csi
530i
320i
328i
M3
1992
1999
2002
2002
1972
2002
1982
1998
1997
325i
M3
2006
2002
330Ci
2002
Z4
645Ci
M3
M3
2005
2005
1998
2005 James
Park
530i
330i
2002
2003
330i
2005
Levasseur
Libby
Liefooghe
Lowe
Lui
Lum
Majeed
Martin
McNew
Mello
Nudelman
First
Michael
Peter
Gregory
Ed
Dan
Vincent
Zartaj
Bernadine
Sco�
Adrian
Steven
Oakes
Pascual
Pastrana
Perry
Petrakis
Plotkin
Popjoy
Quan
Reu
Reyes
Rezaee
Bill
Erik
Richard
Christina
Sheila
Robert
Jeffrey
Victor
Catalin
Roel
Ace
Robertson
Ross
Sam
Sarkison
Schonefeld
Sevier
Shebanow
Paul
Jeff
Arlete
Brent
Robert
Aaron
Andrew
Shugart
Smith
Thomas
Thrasher
Tilly
Tucker
Tung
Van Selow
Wagenbrenner
Wong
Wong
Woods
Wright
Brad
Barry
Bertram
Jason
Elizabeth
William
Hao
Jonathan
Tom
Harry
Nik
Dwayne
Ernest
City
Antioch
Salinas
San Francisco
San Jose
San Francisco
Monte Sereno
Cupertino
Hercules
Kentfield
San Francisco
Livermore
Model
528ia
M3
Year
2000
1995
328i
M5
525
330i
2000
2001
2004
2002
325is
330i
330PPi
Refered
By
1993
2006
2003 David
Killion
Half Moon Bay 325i
2004
San Francisco
535i
1991
Hayward
328i
1998
Redwood City 330i
2006
San Francisco
645Ci
2005
Bolinas
3.0CS
1974
San Leandro
528it sprt 1999
San Francisco
Santa Clara
Salinas
5 Series 2006
San Jose
3 Series 2006 Jeffrey
Rosen
San Jose
332is
1995
Mill Valley
Z4
2005
San Jose
San Luis Obispo M3
1995
Belvedere Tiburon 530Xi
2006
San Francisco
325i
2002
San Jose
528i
2000 Jeff
Cowan
Brentwood
M rdstr 2001
Los Altos Hills 740i
2001
Oakland
San Jose
M3
1998
del Rey Oaks
Arroyo Grande 850Ci
1995
San Jose
325i
2002
Fairfield
M3
1997
Los Altos
528i
1997
Union City
M3
2003
Fremont
528i
1997
Pacific Grove
528i
1997
San Jose
M5
2002
October 2005
25
Classified Ads
Publication deadline for copy is the
first of the month
- see front of
magazine for more
information.
26
CARS IS CARS
2004 330i - WBAEV53404KM38141. Silver
Grey/Black Leather. 6,570 miles, practically new.
Premium+Sport. Steptronic, H/K, moonroof, Xenon.
Fold-down rear seats, BMW alarm, iPod adapter,
LoJack. Huper-Optik on rear windows. No collisions
or dings. Front license plate never installed. Warrantee. Original owner, non-smoker. $36,000. More
details at h�p://spaces.msn.com/members/suckrocks/
650-938-5868.
2001 M3 coupe - WBSBL93401JR11310 Silver/
Light Gray leather. 19,600 miles. Six-speed. Garaged
and pampered, non-smoker, perfect condition.
Brand new Potenzas on front, tinted windows, premium package, moonroof, xenon, Harman Kardon,
100,000 drivetrain warranty. $39,900. 408-806-6855,
[email protected]
1996 Dinan 328i - Montreal Blue/Grey 110,000
miles. Excellent inside and out, garaged, non-smoker.
Dinan chip, suspension, and exhaust. 17” wheels and
tires, plus original 15” wheels for snow tires or ??
$9,500. Ed: 831-662-3734 (Santa Cruz)
1987 325is WBAAA1303H8250121 Delphin Gray
metallic/Black leather, 202,000 miles, Dinan stroker
engine at 125,000, remanufactured factory fivespeed at 173,000, Quaife 3.91 rebuild and valve job
at 196,000. H&R, Bilstein sports, Suspension Techniques, B&B, SP9000/Borbet C 16s, Alpine CD/changer/amp, R134 upgrade. Never raced, full list available. $8,500 310-546-6266, [email protected]
October 2005
COMMERCIAL ADS
2002/Bav/3.0/Coupe Radiator Upgrades. Rebuilt with new three-row high-efficiency core. Be�er
cooling. Fits without mods—same size, mounting,
clearances, fi�ings, and appearance. Curt Ingraham,
510-507-2002, [email protected]
Have your classic BMW painted by a fellow car
enthusiast with nearly twenty years experience. I do
body work, rust repair, and specialize in the 2002 and
3.0 Coupe, as well as doing CLEAR COAT REPAIRS
on your late 1980’s and early 1990’s cars. I use top
quality German-made acrylic urethane paints and deliver a factory looking finish. My prices are a bargain
in today’s current market. Contact me: Andy Schank,
via email at [email protected], or call me at 510236-5232 to set up an appointment for a free estimate.
October 2005
27
GGC, BMW CCA
Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA, Inc. is a nonprofit
California corporation, it is a chapter of the BMW Car
Club of America, and is not connected with Bayerische
Motoren Werke AG or BMW of North America. Die
Flüsternde Bombe is a publication of the Golden
Gate Chapter, all ideas, opinions, and suggestions
expressed in regard to technical or other matters are
solely those of the authors, and no authentication,
endorsement, or guarantee is expressed or implied.
Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA, Inc. assumes no
liability for any of the information contained herein.
No factory approval is implied unless so indicated.
Modification of your BMW within the warranty period
may void the warranty, and some modifications may
violate federal or state laws or regulations. All contents
remain the property of the chapter, but BMW CCA
and BMW ACA chapters may quote or copy from the
publication, provided full credit is given to the author
and the Golden Gate Chapter, unless otherwise noted
or specifically prohibited.
Chapter Mailing Address:
Golden Gate Chapter BMW CCA
909 Marina Village Parkway, PMB #189
Alameda, CA 94501
BMW CCA
The BMW Car Club of America, lnc. is a not-forprofit national association of over 70,000 members,
dedicated to the enjoyment of driving BMWs.
Membership provides access to driving and social
events, maintenance and technical information,
parts discounts, and more. Dues are $40 per year,
with an associate member added for $5 more.
Members receive the monthly Roundel magazine
and a newsletter from their local chapter, or from a
chapter of their choice. The Golden Gate Chapter
is one of the largest chapters in the BMW CCA with
over 4,500 members.
For a new membership or to renew an existing one,
please call toll free 1-800-878-9292 or visit www.
bmwcca.org. Visa and Mastercard accepted.
BMW CCA mailing address:
640 South Main St., Suite 201
Greenville, SC 29601
Phone: 864-250-0022
Fax: 864-250-0038
www.bmwcca.org
Privacy Statement
By joining the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA),
you provided personal information that allows us to
contact you. BMW CCA provides this information to the
Golden Gate Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America
(GGC BMW CCA) for the following purposes:
• To send GGC Newsletters (Die Flüsternde
Bombe) by U.S. Mail.
• To help us create content and events most
relevant to you.
• To alert you to updated information and other
new services from ggcbmwcca.org using an
email announcement list.
GGC BMW CCA does not distribute personal information to any third parties. The information you provide to
BMW CCA to be used by the GGC will not be used for
any other purpose—we promise.
Member Updates
Membership address corrections are
only accepted at the BMW CCA national office. Changes must be made at
www.bmwcca.org or in writing via email,
fax, or USPS.
28
October 2005
Chapter Contacts
Board Members
President
Mike Mills
510-537-8960
[email protected]
Vice President
Peter Guagenti
[email protected]
Secretary
Donna Seeley
[email protected]
Treasurer
Tamara Hull
[email protected]
Membership Chair
Ed Lizardo
408-839-5120 cell
925-469-5067 office
[email protected]
Members-at-Large
Mark Dadgar
[email protected]
Scott Smith
[email protected]
Event Staff
Chief Driving Instructors
Billy Maher
707-546-5572
Bruce Nesbit
415-461-1811
[email protected]
Chief Steward
Peter Guagenti
[email protected]
Track School Project Manager
Bruce Nesbit
415-461-1811 (9am-8pm)
[email protected]
Driving Events Coordinator
Mark Dadgar
[email protected]
Chief Scrutineer
Ramon Le Francois
408-956-1662
Car Control Clinic Coordinator
Bob Goebel
Steve Albrecht
[email protected]
Autocross Coordinator
Jonathan Bensen
[email protected]
Autocross Car Classifications
Scott Miller
[email protected]
925-997-4751
Technical Session Coordinator
Brant Miller
[email protected]
Club Racing
Steve Walsh
[email protected]
www.bmwccaclubracing.com
Newsletter Team
Editor-in-Chief
Kelly Kirkland
650-322-9393
[email protected]
Assistant Editor/Copy Editor
Patrick R. Demorais
Advertising Manager
Dale Schuett
925-462-2497 home
925-518-8066 cell
[email protected]
Ad Billing Manager
Paul DiMauro
[email protected]
Classified Advertising
Dale Schuett
Classifi[email protected]
Regular Contributors
Steve Albrecht, Jeff Cowan, Kris
Linquist, Ed Lizardo, and Scott Miller
Printing
Commerce Printing
(Please don’t call for
membership questions.)
Requests for replacement or extra copies of
the Bombe should be directed to the
Membership Chair.
Communications Team
Communications Manager
Kelly Collins
[email protected]
Webmaster
Brian Ghidinelli
[email protected]
Technology Manager
Scott Smith
[email protected]
Graphic Design
Percy Chow
www.percydesign.com
Area Representatives
North Bay
Tamara Hull
415-472-6787
San Francisco
Ken Glidewell
415-345-3128
East Bay
Cliff Greenberg
510-886-5432
Peninsula
Michael Freday
415-674-1951
South Bay
Open
Monterey Bay Area
Ken Whitson
831-625-5133
BMW Festorics Coordinators
David Crum/Percy Chow
[email protected]
San Luis Obispo Area
Rob Torres Jr.
805-541-2002
Social Events Director
Jeff Cowan
[email protected]
BMW CCA Pacific Region V.P.
Eddy Funahashi
559-583-6768 (d)
559-582-2731 (h)
Pacifi[email protected]
Various Parts
10% Parts
10% Labor
5% Parts/Svc
Various
10% Parts
10% Parts
10% Parts
Various
10% Labor
10% Used Parts
10% Parts
Various Parts
10% Parts
Special Offer
10% Parts
10% Pads
Various
10% Parts
10% parts orders
10% Parts
15% Parts
10% Prod/Svcs
10% Parts
10% Parts, Labor,
and Dinan work
Factory Authorized BMW Dealers
CCA Discounts
Independent Service & Supply Discounts
408-737-6100
Bavarian Enterprises
Sunnyvale
408-956-1662
Bavarian Motorsport
Milpitas
510-524-6000
Bavarian Professionals
Berkeley
Berkeley Motor Works
510-528-1214
El Cerrito
650-591-2474
Bimmers BMW Service
San Carlos
831-464-2269
Catalpa Street Garage
Santa Cruz
530-534-6887
Classic Euro-Asian
Oroville
CSi
714-879-7310
Fullerton
510-639-0911
Conversion Techniques
Oakland
650-962-9401
Dinan
Mountain View
510-782-2002
Double 02 Salvage
Hayward
German Auto
805-922-1262
Santa Maria
831-372-1787
Jam Engineering
Monterey
831-476-1332
Nate Smith's Optimal Auto
Santa Cruz
Patelco Credit Union
415-442-6200
http://www.patelco.org
415-567-8000
Phaedrus
San Francisco
916-782-9434
Roseville BMW
Roseville
Rossi’s Tire Service
831-424-0011
925-846-4886
SAS German Auto
Pleasanton
650-592-7352
Schulba BMW Service
Belmont
Sound Innovations
510-471-9062
Hayward
650-324-4488
Stanford European
Palo Alto
Sterling Car Care Prod & Svc
510-471-4600
805-541-2002
2002 Haus
San Luis Obispo
West Bay Bavarian
415-457-0820
San Rafael
Dealership Discounts
Ph # on right
10% Parts
Allison BMW
Mountain View
10% Parts
San Francisco
10% Parts & Labor
BMW of Fremont
Fremont
10% Parts
East Bay BMW
Pleasanton
10% Parts
MY BMW
Seaside
Peter Pan BMW
10% Parts
San Mateo
10% Parts
Sonnen
San Rafael
Various/
Stevens Creek BMW
Santa Clara
20% Parts & Labor
Weatherford Motors
Various
Berkeley
BMW Concord
1945 Market Street
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 682-3577
BMW of Mountain View
150 E. EI Camino Real
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 943-1000
1675 Howard St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Sales: (800) USA-BMWs
BMW of Santa Maria
2150 South College Drive
Santa Maria, CA 93455
(805) 614-0306
Claridge’s BMW
4421 5 Auto Mall Circle
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 360-5900
Coast BMW
1484 Auto Park Way
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
(805)543�4423
East Bay BMW
4355 Rosewood Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 463-2555
Mid City Motor World
4800 N. Highway 101
Eureka, CA 95501
(707) 443-4871
MY BMW
One Geary Plaza
Seaside, CA 93955
(831) 899-5555
Peter Pan BMW
2695 S. El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 349-9077
Prestige BMW
2800 Corby Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95407
(707) 545-6602
Stevens Creek BMW
3737 Stevens Creek
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 249-9070
Sonnen BMW
1599 E. Francisco Blvd
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415) 482-2000
Weatherford Motors
735 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 654-8280
SILICON VALLEY’S BMW CENTER
The Ultimate Dealership,
The Ultimate Driving Machine!
New
State of the
Art facility
Serving
Santa Clara
County
60 Service
Bays
BMW Club Members Receive 20% Discount On
Parts & Labor. Just Ask For Scott Fuller,
Service Manager, And Show Your Club Membership Card.
Stevens Creek BMW is an
authorized DINAN BMW
Performance Center
Come Visit And See Our
Commitment For The Future Today!
SILICON VALLEY’S BMW CENTER
w w w. s c b m w. c o m
4343 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara
408-984-0794
Want to join the club? Call 800-878-9292 or go to www.bmwcca.org and sign up for only $40.
Golden Gate Chapter
BMW Car Club of America
909 Marina Village Parkway, #189
Alameda, CA 94501
www.ggcbmwcca.org
Presort Standard
US Postage
PAID
Sacramento, CA
Permit 185
��
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POSTMASTER PLEASE NOTE:
MATERIAL IS DATED, Thanks.
HAVE YOU MOVED? Please send address changes directly to the BMW CCA National Office at:
BMW CCA, Inc., 640 South Main St. , Ste. 201, Greenville, SC 29601 - or to - [email protected]

October - Golden Gate Chapter

Transcription

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