My pledge, and my apology.....

Hey there fellow gear-heads!

First, I know that this may be the wrong place for this post. The reason I'm putting it here is because this is the place where it applies the most.
I have been on and off of various message boards for quite a while now as I have been driving E30's for the past decade. (I have three of them right now).

These boards have been HUGE for me in teaching me about my car and giving me the confidence to know that I can now diagnose and repair many small and some medium issues. I had no car knowledge at all before my first E30 and I feel like a big shot now when something goes bad on my car or my wife's car that I can fix myself. But I have been selfish.........

Way too often, I have posted a problem, got my answer and moved on. What an a-hole thing to do??? It takes just a few minutes to follow up on a thread to say" Hey thanks for the info and I did what you said and my car is no longer on fire..."
Plus I am sort of in a position to give back. Those newbie type of posts that start with "Can I put 22's on my ride?" are posts that I can answer.

This will sound stupid, but I watched our Prez last night on the TV machine and he jolted my conscience and my sense of community.
I have generally been a lazy self serving d#@k out here and the time has come to settle up. So guys and girls, I promise to be an active member out here if you will take me.........

Ohh...and by the way...how do you change a timing belt?..... <- joke

Actually there is no need to apologize at all.
But wanting to give back and help is always admirable

We don't seem to get so many noony questions any more but the tire size thing does come up occasionally.

So hang around; you'll find this place informative and maybe a little crazy at times

Rob - I think we all started out where you were. I know that I was at first hesitant to post comments as I could be wrong or sending someone in the wrong direction. That being said, those that really know what they are talking about usually jump in and make it right. We all have opinions that some will agree with and others don't. I have posted questions before and no one could give me an answer...some that no one tried to answer. I think that this forum is about more than just talking about how to fix an E30. It is more about making friends with people that have a common interest and the thing I like best is that this place is so diverse. Sometimes we isolate ourselves so much with birds of our own feather that we fail to realize that there are others that may not think the way we do. Not that their thinking is right or wrong, just different. So to me your willingness to participate is also a demonstration that you want to learn, as well as help others. So if Obama helped you be able to motivate yourself, then three cheers for the Prez. I don't agree with the direction he is taking the county right now, but that is ok, and a subject that can be discussed another day. So welcome to the new you and I look forward the hearing from the man from Boston.

Well, when it comes to the wheel thing I have some beat up fenders that demonstrate how I learned all about tire sizes and offsets!

One sure topic that I'm curious about is the method by which you all raise the car up onto jackstands. I got a quick lesson last summer at Watkins Glen from a tech on site that helped me bleed my brakes. Floor jack was inserted exactly halfway down the frame rail on the left side and car was tilted up just like in the flintsones. two jack stands placed beneath, and then around to the other side to repeat. Reverse order to drop it. I didn't think this was possible so I never tried it. It worked very well. At home I had to be sure that my front roller on the floor jack was lubed up, so that the lifting on the other side didn't pull the car towards me and tilt it on the two first stands. Once I was careful with that it went well.

Other than doing the winter/summer swaps again and again and occasional looking around for rust and leaks, I never really HAD to raise the car.
I think that Mr Treadway himself was the first to show me how it's done, but I kinda forgot the process he had used. Anyway, big props to Cab and I think I still owe him a rear marker light bulb!

Thanks for the welcome mat Mr wood cutr !

I did happen to catch a pretty animated discussion between a few of you under the topic Yes We Can. So I am not in the dark about where you are coming from. And although I don't agree with the whole free market philosophy and the way it has played out ( ask Cab Treadway, I called this economic crash two years ago in his garage...I said something like.."Dude...this thing is a snowball that's gonna' grow and when it starts running ...it's gonna' get v e r y v e r y u g l y ...") That isn't meant to slam you or your beliefs. I know that I am a crazy way out there left-o-center guy. But I used to consider myself a Libertarian. Go Figure... Anyway, like you said sir, discussions for another time. Have you been to any O-fests? Plan on going this summer?

By the way, great photo of your car collection !

welcome to the site. have any pics of your car?

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BostonRob
Have you been to any O-fests? Plan on going this summer?

By the way, great photo of your car collection !

I doubt very much that I would attend any O-fests! Somebody has got to pay for all this spending going on and the last thing I would do is celebrate the enslavement of my children. Anyhow, it is good to talk to another multi E30 owner. My wife thinks I have an addiction as I have four running E30s and one parts car. I have had comments from my neighbors that I have the only E30 dealership in Utah. I think these cars get in your blood. Thanks for the compliment on the photo...I took that last year around July 4th to show my patriotism. Some think it is corny, but I think it is cool. Maybe it is time you added a photo avatar to your name. We all admire everyones ride. I always do the high beam flash to any fellow 30s on the street. It is always great to see a well cared for 20 year old BMW.B)

Yes I have pics and I'll try to post them here I guess.
did that work?

When I can truly figure out how to post pics you'll get the whole display.
I have had more fun and made more friends at Ofests than anywhere else ever.
Have you ever done a track day / driver's school?

I too am the subject of curious and concerned neighbors when they see me washing three e30's in the driveway. It's a kick.
I love driving these cars! And while I would definitely pick up a brand new 135i if I fell into a bucket of money tomorrow, there is this pride in driving around in a car that's old enough to vote. Up here in the Northeast there were many many E30's bought in the 80's and 90's, but they are rusting away and only the true believers are driving well cared for examples. I think that in another year or two these cars may acquire a bit of "double take" status on the road.
I had a kid pull up next to me last year at a light. He was in a WRX with all the trimmings. He looked over at me with a grin and said " Yo, what year is that car?" I told him 89". He did this slow nod up and down with a sceptical look on his face and then he smiled and said. " Goin' old school ...I like it..."

At that point the light changed and I turned up my Van-Halen and kept on cruising. I'll never forget that. It still makes me chuckle.

That is a good one. I once had a guy that was driving a 98 328i follow me for over five miles. When I pulled into a gas station and started filling up he pulled up behind me and he and his buddy got out and started inspecting my car. They asked me to open the hood and everything. I was like a proud parent showing off my child. They said they had not seen a cleaner E30 than my car. I think they were tempted to ask me if I would sell it, but what parent would sell his own child? A step child maybe!

I have never been to a track day before. I don't think they have too many of those in Utah. I would probably have to go to Cali to attend an event like that. Lots more participants in that part of the country. From the picture you posted it looks as if you are not just a spectator. The car looks good and I like the wheels. I wouldn't mind doing a five lug conversion to mine someday. Maybe when my rubber is due for replacement I will look into it further. Well, heres to goin' old school!

How much extra power does the knitting machine adapter provide?

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BostonRob
Yes I have pics and I'll try to post them here I guess.
did that work?

nice car! you added the photo as an attachment, but you can also use the little button above the text box that has a mountain on it. once you click on it, you can insert the URL from the image to make it look like this instead:








Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2009 01:37PM by daniel.

here in portland, it is rare if a day goes by without some e30 owner giving me the thumbs up or the headlight flash. you guys would fit right in.

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BostonRob
Yes I have pics and I'll try to post them here I guess.
did that work?

Yup! Here's a tip: after you attach a picture file, if you click the button that says "Create link in message", a thumbnail will show up in your message, instead of just a text link.

That's a gorgeous E30! Who do you run with? I do a lot of track days/time trials with COM, who are also based around the Boston area. There aren't too may E30s in the club, but one of our regulars has an E30 M3 that's just about my favorite car in the entire world. Every time he passes me on the track at full throttle, I'm thankful for the rule that says we must drive with our windows down. B)

My own track car is a Miata. I've often pondered picking up a Spec E30 when the Miata eventually goes away.

__________
Dave
'91 325iX

Surprise surprise but those wheels are 4lug 25-ET . Those are the everpopular Ronals. Last summer I bought a set of Team Dynamics in white from Harrison Motorsport at around $130 per. There are a few good pics of both of my active cars from last year's O-fest in NY. I have a short thing that I put up on the youtube . [www.youtube.com] It starts with a short slideshow and then an autox run taken from a fender mounted camera. let me know what you all think.

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BostonRob
Surprise surprise but those wheels are 4lug 25-ET . Those are the everpopular Ronals.

Shows how much I know!

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Dave_G
I'm thankful for the rule that says we must drive with our windows down.

I've always wondered, what is the reason for that strange rule?

In stage rallying, unless you have window nets, you're not allowed to run with the windows open. They have to be closed, or opened no more than an inch.

I did one track session with my car at Calabogie with the BMW club, and they insisted I must run with my windows open. I hate that.

With the windows open, the wind noise drowns out all the sound cues I've become accustomed to using. My engine is much too quiet as it is. I can't hear what it, or my tires, are doing when the windows are open, and having other noisy racecars running right beside me makes that even worse.

Plus, the buffeting inside the car with the windows open at speed gives me a headache.

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Ferdinand

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Dave_G
I'm thankful for the rule that says we must drive with our windows down.

I've always wondered, what is the reason for that strange rule?

Flying glass. In an accident, the chances are high enough that the side window would shatter that most sanctioning bodies require the window to be down. Somewhere in YouTube-land there's a video showing exactly that effect in a relatively minor two-car incident on a track. Car A T-boned Car B in the driver's side door, and Driver B got a glass shower.

I've noticed that rally cars always drive with the windows up. I assume that's because organizers judge the risk of limbs flying out the window as greater than the risk of flying glass. Or maybe it's to keep bits of gravel and debris from flying up into the driver. I couldn't tell you which risk is greater. Of course, window nets are the best of both worlds. The club I run with requires them for the more prepared classes, but not for stock or near-stock classes.

Personally I prefer driving with the window down when I'm on the track. I'm not required to lower the passenger-side window, but I do anyway. My car is loud enough that hearing engine sounds is never an issue, and I've never had trouble hearing my tires either. If anything, I'd say I hear them better with sounds coming through the open window rather than through the floor. As far as wind noise goes, that's an issue for me when I'm on a public road, but when I'm driving near the limit on track, wind noise is the farthest thing from my mind. I suppose having a helmet on helps with that, too.

__________
Dave
'91 325iX

To reply to Dave from earlier:
I run with the Boston BMWCCA. I have hit almost every single autox event here for the past three or four years. I usually get to one track day per year. But I've never run with any other group. I guess that if I had more time or money I'd be searching out any group that I could run with, but I guess I'm lucky in that the local chapter gives me all the dates I can handle. I had never even heard of COM until I followed your link above. The quick look at the website seems pretty cool. I may have questions for you re that group.

What tracks have you hit?

Boston BMWCCA is a good group. I have never run with them, but I know many people who have, including quite a few COM members. There's a lot of similarity between the two groups, and some overlap of members. The main difference is that COM allows timing of laps, and offers a competitive aspect to their events with time trials. At COM events, Day 1 is a driver's school like BMWCCA, and Day 2 is time trials and solo lapping. They don't do autocrosses, just track days. It's very nice, friendly group of car nuts.

The home track of COM is NHMS in Loudon, so we do a lot of days there. I've also run at Lime Rock, Mosport, Mont Tremblant (probably my favorite), and Calabogie. This year I'm looking forward to driving Watkins Glen for the first time.

__________
Dave
'91 325iX

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Dave_G
Flying glass. In an accident, the chances are high enough that the side window would shatter that most sanctioning bodies require the window to be down. Somewhere in YouTube-land there's a video showing exactly that effect in a relatively minor two-car incident on a track. Car A T-boned Car B in the driver's side door, and Driver B got a glass shower.

In the Chevette ice-racing series they made us run with the side windows down too.

The shattered glass still flies everywhere regardless of whether the window is up or down. But with the window rolled down into the door, it's pretty much guaranteed to get hit and shatter in a T-bone impact.

For example, the side window was rolled down here.
Note the shattered glass landing on the hood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGVEE8KeyD4