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#1. Re: [E36M3] Busted Radiator (again!) - from Matt Henson
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 13:01:08 -0800 (PST) From: Matt Henson <hensonator@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Busted Radiator (again!) Interesting.. when I bought my replacement radiator for my '95 M3 they gave me the one from the 325i. It appeared to be exactly the same size as my OEM unit. Maybe they started putting in a bigger rad for the 96+? Can someone please check the parts CD to see if the M3's use a different radiator in later years? Maybe it makes sense to upgrade to the later one if it's better.. -Matt > > About them not listing the proper > radiator/year/engine displacement > combination on the website.... __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
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#2. Rattling and vibration in '96 M3 - axle shaft CVs? - from Stan Shaw III
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 18:00:55 -0500 From: "Stan Shaw III" <Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net> Subject: Rattling and vibration in '96 M3 - axle shaft CVs? I have been hearing a rattling in the rear of my '96 M3 for a while. Initially thought my JTD shock mounts had come loose. I checked them, and added a rear stress bar, but found no looseness there. Next I started suspecting rear sway bar mounts, but just in the past day or two, I have started to notice a distinct vibration during heavy acceleration, so I started thinking perhaps I had the loose/broken diff. problem. I looked quickly underneath, and saw no obvious problems, but I did realize that I have axle shafts presumably with CVs at either end. Has anyone seen failure on these parts? If so, what are the symptons (vibration I would suspect)? I am in digest mode, so please copy my email address on any responses! Thanks! Regards, Stan Shaw Excell.Net Phone: (413) 599-0399 Fax: (413) 599-0407 Stan.Shaw@Excell.Net http://www.excell.net/
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#3. Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA - from TheBrinkmans@aol.com
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 18:48:24 EST From: TheBrinkmans@aol.com Subject: Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA In a message dated 2/4/01 2:46:40 PM Central Standard Time, e36m3@bmw-m.net writes: << -------------------- 10 -------------------- Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 12:32:00 -0800 From: MDadgar@handspring.com Subject: RE: [E36M3] Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA The BMW events have become overpriced in the last 12 months, IMHO. However, they've got the best instruction program around bar none. Seriously. And that costs money. As far as I can tell, the price disparity is because BMW Club pays for all the hotel rooms, food, etc. for its instructor corps. Still too expensive, though. - Mark '95 M3 '97 528i 5-spd '88 M3, Hennarot >> INSTRUCTORS' HOTELS AND FOOD PAID FOR BY THE BMWCCA! Not in the Midwest! Does Barbara Adams know about this? Ken Brinkman
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#4. E30 M3 Crash - from Seth Thomas
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Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 09:22:36 -0500 From: "Seth Thomas" <porsche993@mindspring.com> Subject: E30 M3 Crash Guys, Thought some of you might like to see this. It is some pictures I took of an E30 M3 that was brought in to a local shop. As you can tell it was totaled but the guy walked away with nothing but bruises and scratches. These pictures tell you of the excellent engineering that goes into BMWs. The pictures are big in size but I promise they are worth the wait. Click on them for the big example. www.m3ltw.com/e30m3crash.htm Seth Thomas www.m3ltw.com www.m3power.com
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#5. Re: [E36M3] BMWCCA schools vs. PCA schools - from Rich Gay
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Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 20:42:16 -0600 From: "Rich Gay" <rich_gay@linbeck.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] BMWCCA schools vs. PCA schools on 2/4/01 10:53 AM, TheBrinkmans@aol.com at TheBrinkmans@aol.com wrote: > My experience with PCA schools, (pretty limited so far) is that the > instructors are paying to attend the school as well as the students. So the > cost of the event is amortized over a larger number of drivers. At BMW > schools the instructors don't pay to attend. The free school is their form > of compensation. But, when I've instructed at PCA events my thoughts are > mostly on not missing my track time that I've paid for. Whereas, at the BMW > schools the instructors track time is separate from the students sessions. The PCA Driver Education events run here in Texas by the three different regions all have the same policy -- they don't charge instructors for their track time. If you've been paying at other regions, then the policy must be left up to the individual regions/chapters. For what it is worth, the PCA events here in Texas are very well run, and the instructor corps (of which I'm a member, so somewhat biased) are pretty darn good. - Rich
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#6. Rolex 24 at Daytona question (JET Motorsports) - from David Hogg
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 22:15:34 -0800 From: "David Hogg" <springwood@blazenet.net> Subject: Rolex 24 at Daytona question (JET Motorsports) Chester asks about JET Motorsports: >How did JET Motorsports convince the sanctioning bodies to allow them to shoehorn a M5 engine into the E46M3?< By asking. ALMS and Grand AM both have a restrictor plate formula that allows manufacturers (yes, Porsche and Chevy, too) to use greater displacement with a restrictor plate. There's no homologation rule like in Europe. >It's only JET Motorsports and not PTG that is allowed to run the M5 engine, correct?< Wrong! PTG engineered the whole thing, and WILL be running the setup in ALMS. >What is JET Motorsports? A privateer?< Actually it's Bell Motorsports with funding from Jennings, who co-drove, but PTG built the car and was on hand at Daytona to "assist", including lending their drivers. >Factory supported like PTG?< Not much support, sut some cooperation. >Partners with PTG (since Tom Milner and the PTG guys prepped the car)?< Actually, "customer" of PTG's is the correct relationship. >Finally, when will PTG be allowed to run the M5 engine?< Yes! BMW sold them a slug (10, I think) of stock M5 motors to play with/run, as an interim step before they get the REAL Motorsport 4.0-liter V8's in new cars from BMW late spring. Now, THAT'll be support. Dave Hogg
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#7. Polishing headlights - from Bora Akyol
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 19:55:19 -0800 From: "Bora Akyol" <akyol@akyol.org> Subject: Polishing headlights I polished my car's headlights today using only plastic glaze compounds from Novus. I started with the strong abrasive, continued onto a fine polish and then the finish is something that looks like a plastic wax. They don't look like they are new but they do look much better than what they looked like before. The deepest pits did not come off, but surface is now smoother. Took me about 10-15 minutes per light. You can buy Novus at Tap Plastics. Bora
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#8. Re: [E36M3] Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs NASA (long) - from Donna Seeley
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Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 20:04:29 -0800 From: Donna Seeley <dseeley@infoasis.com> Subject: Re: [E36M3] Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs NASA (long) > Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 12:32:00 -0800 > From: MDadgar@handspring.com > Subject: RE: [E36M3] Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA > >> Bora wrote: >> NASA driving schools are cheaper than both and some tracks like >> Thunderhill >> have their own driving schools that are cheaper than NASA ones. >> > NASA "schools" are not schools. They're open track sessions. I've never > been to a NASA event where they've had enough instructors for even 1/4 of > the beginners group. They think nothing of turning complete rookies loose > on the track alone. Scary. I just got home from Sears Point with NASA. I was driving in Group 2* and a 3rd-gen RX7 scared the crap out of me by taking a mid-track line through 10 then jerking to the right to let me pass. After the session, I asked if he had seen me tapping my roof to follow me. He said yes but he had no idea why I was doing it. I asked if he would like me to lead him slowly on the proper line. He agreed happily because it was his first time there, he had asked for an instructor, and they said there weren't enough. He was frustrated and scared, knowing he was dangerous to himself and others but not knowing how to fix it. He never did follow me all the way to apexes and exits and I'm sorry I stopped short of giving up my track time to sit in his car. NASA in general: Saturday was absolute carnage. The weather was warm, the track was fast, and I think they lost 6 cars _just on Saturday_, plus uncountable spins and minor offs. Two cars were wrecked after slipping in coolant a Viper was dropping; one of those was a rollover in 8. The Viper was allowed back on the track for all four sessions, in spite of Group 3 drivers begging for him to be sent home ("He said he fixed it"). Granted, this was much worse than usual, but NASA (like TCC, SCCA, and many others) is not for the faint of heart. There is a massive disparity in driving skills, and safety rules are not rigidly enforced. Many of us won't drive in Group 4, even though we like the passing-anywhere-all-day part, because there are too many drivers with $500 race cars who have no reason to follow vintage rules (which are, basically, "thou shalt not cause damage"). I would advise anyone thinking of leaving the CCA-school womb to visit the other organizations as a passenger first (note that it's free this way). Hang out for a day and decide if it's within your comfort level. Going back to a CCA school for me is like going to Mom's house. Frustratingly to be on my best behavior, but at least it's familiar and predictable. :) YMMV, depending on your Mom. * Group 2 explanation: My power steering hose blew while I was parking in the paddock this morning. AARGH! Bill Arnold, in the next parking space, cut the belt and said I could drive it with manual steering. He convinced me to drop to Group 2 because "it's better to drive in a slower group than get towed from a faster one." Bill usually says, "It'll be fine, just adapt." Hmmm...group 2 for me today. Sure enough, it was hard work in the sweepers (1-1A, 6, 9 and 10) and was _very_ hard work in slow corners (2, 3, 4, 7, and 11). My arms _hurt_ right now. (Yes, I know the '02 pilots have no sympathy <g>) But there was _so_ much more road feedback I'm a little tempted to leave it that way for a while. A little tempted. For maybe one event. <g> Donna ------- 88 M3, "Guido", still fun with manual steering 95 M3, would be driven directly to a shop 91 Dodge Ram, "Hello, AAA?" -------
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#9. Re: Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA - from Neil Maller
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Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 23:19:49 -0500 From: Neil Maller <neil.maller@gte.net> Subject: Re: Driving Schools - BMWCCA vs PCA on 2/4/01 3:43 PM, MDadgar@handspring.com wrote: > The BMW events have become overpriced in the last 12 months, IMHO. However, > they've got the best instruction program around bar none. Seriously. And > that costs money. As far as I can tell, the price disparity is because BMW > Club pays for all the hotel rooms, food, etc. for its instructor corps. Not around this neck of the woods they don't. Our BMW CCA instructors are responsible their own food and lodging, and usually have to pay to drive on the Friday lapping day. I certainly hope - but don't know for sure - that the non-driving organizers would normally have their out of pocket expenses paid. I'm aware from previous posts that there's a wide disparity in fees for different BMW CCA schools in various parts of the country. West coasters have mentioned $500+ student entry fees. Here in the Midwest it's typically $250-300, with the higher rate for big name tracks such as Mid Ohio. Financial arrangements are at the discretion of each organizing chapter, so there can be no general rule. Neil 96 M3
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#10. Alignment Shop Recommendation in Houston - from Daniel
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Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 21:24:19 -0800 (PST) From: Daniel <m3_driver@yahoo.com> Subject: Alignment Shop Recommendation in Houston And please do not send me to Bavarian Machine Specialties...they take too long to set up an appointment. Need alignment tech who is detail and patient and not tell me that a 1/4 - 1/2 off center steering wheel is acceptable tolerance...or having the thrust angle off a little is fine because he was just too lazy to go back and re-adjust... Thanks Dan __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/