[uucdigest] Tuesday, August 19 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6676
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Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: Re: [uuc] Spam-er, marketing e-mail from BMW NA RE: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers RE: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers RE: [uuc] Spam-er, marketing e-mail from BMW NA RE: [uuc] M3 is 99% ordinary? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 19:16:38 -0700 From: Mark Dadgar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] Spam-er, marketing e-mail from BMW NA Dennis Liu at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > What got me curious is not so much that, as far as I can dimly recall, BMW > is the ONLY maker currently selling in-line six engines (correct? everyone > else has moved to a Vee configuration, right?) Actually, GM currently makes an inline-6 engine. It's a new design and they use it in some of their trucks and SUV's. It's supposed to be an excellent powerplant. - - Mark - -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:31:06 -0400 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers Jay, Some suggestions. First of all, you will always have some guys who don't want to work. Period. Now, if there are enough drivers (local SCCA events here have around 120-150 entrants so this isn't a problem). Anyway, if you want to let everyone run, you may have to suck it up that some people are just going to be "in the bathroom" when worker assignments come up. Next, I really don't like this business that so many regions are doing now with 3 & 4 heats. Too complicated, too many changes, too much wasted time which is frustrating when you're already getting less than 5 minutes of seat time. The OVR (Columbus, OH) SCCA has the best setup I've seen recently. 2 groups with 2 run sessions. You run in the morning then in the afternoon & work both times as well. This benefits people who want to run but have to split in the afternoon (which does happen for legitimate reasons). Oh yea, they usually have north of 100 cars & usually give 6 runs. A really good thing the OVR does is to not leave you trapped for hours on end too. Run in, hit the head & get some free gatorade since the course is generally well covered. Another suggestion, consider selling drinks for a reaonable price (no more than a buck), as this will help keep folks hydrated & happy. Another suggestion. Most clubs now have computerized entry. Simply ask the entrant what he wants his work assignment to be (best be prepared for buddies who want to work together--this is a social event too), and enter it in his registration form. When you notice a post not manned--gotcha! Give a warning & second time, bye-bye times. And the train keeps a-rolling....Make sure that more senior entrants aren't "barking" orders or dumbing down instructions to other workers. I SEE THIS A LOT! It's demoralizing, counter-productive & annoying. There's no rocket science involved in any work assignment & most entrants should be more than able to handle them. The "too many chiefs & not enough indians" and "too many cooks in the kitchen" applies here as well. I have to admit that I have personally wandered away from assignments that were made over-complicated or were over-leadered in frustration. FWIW, I usually pick a remote corner assignment with a buddy where there is no radio (or where I don't have to deal with the radio) in order to make my life easy. Finally, most groups start off on the wrong foot at the driver's meeting. I hear a lot of threats about working & safety. "Yo, everybody listen up, now!" is commonly how driver's meetings are started. Wrong. Try to keep things positive, i.e. as opposed to negative comments about working or safety (the safety threat thing goes for DE meetings too), you will probably get a better response. Hope some of this helps, Lee 88 M3->only 4 autocrosses this year, usually I'm to about 15 by this time > -----Original Message----- > From: Jay G [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 3:38 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers > > > hey gruppe...i'm one of the "mini-officials" at our local > autocross, and we're having a bit of a dilemma...we cant > figure out a way to balance the workers for each heat...most > of the people who attend want to race and work in the > morning heats, which leaves a lot less people to work in the > afternoon heats...it seems like the same people always end > up staying the entire day, just to cover for those who leave > early, which isnt fair... > > we currently have four heats, and the classes are rotated > each month so that the classes run at different times of the > day every month (classes in heat 1 run first this month, > then they'll run second next month, etc.)...and the heats > are set up so that they try to have the same number of > people (e.g. stock classes and modified classes in heat 1; > street prepared in heat 2, etc)... > > suggestions we're looking at is to make it mandatory to let > the "chief of workers" or "chief of registration" know > before the first heat of the day that they have to leave > early...another option was to have someone NOT run in their > respective heat only if they could find someone to cover for > their work assignment in the heat they're supposed to run > in... > > we dont want to enforce harsh rules, which may turn drivers > away, or even scare off new drivers to the sport... > > any suggestions as to how to get enough workers for the > entire day??? what kinds of strategies do you folks use in > your area??? any and all replies greatly > appreciated...THANX!!! > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:31:28 -0400 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers Jay, Some suggestions. First of all, you will always have some guys who don't want to work. Period. Now, if there are enough drivers (local SCCA events here have around 120-150 entrants so this isn't a problem). Anyway, if you want to let everyone run, you may have to suck it up that some people are just going to be "in the bathroom" when worker assignments come up. Next, I really don't like this business that so many regions are doing now with 3 & 4 heats. Too comlicated, too many changes, too much wasted time which is frustrating when you're already getting less than 5 minutes of seat time. The OVR (Columbus, OH) SCCA has the best setup I've seen recently. 2 groups with 2 run sessions. You run in the morning then in the afternoon & work both times as well. This benefits people who want to run but have to split in the afternoon (which does happen for legitimate reasons). Oh yea, they usually have north of 100 cars & usually give 6 runs. A really good thing the OVR does is to not leave you trapped for hours on end too. Run in, hit the head & get some free gatorade since the course is generally well covered. Another suggestion, consider selling drinks for a reaonable price (no more than a buck), as this will help keep folks hydrated & happy. Another suggestion. Most clubs now have computerized entry. Simply ask the entrant what he wants his work assignment to be (best be prepared for buddies who want to work together--this is a social event too), and enter it in his registration form. When you notice a post not manned--gotcha! Give a warning & second time, bye-bye times. And the train keeps a-rolling....Make sure that more senior entrants aren't "barking" orders or dumbing down instructions to other workers. I SEE THIS A LOT! It's demoralizing, counter-productive & annoying. There's no rocket science involved in any work assignment & most entrants should be more than able to handle them. The "too many chiefs & not enough indians" applies here as well. I have to admit that I have personally wandered away from assignments that were made over-complicated or were over-staffed in frustration. FWIW, I usually pick a remote corner assignment with a buddy where there is no radio (or where I don't have to deal with the radio) in order to make my life easy. Finally, most groups start off on the wrong foot at the driver's meeting. I hear a lot of threats about working & safety. "Yo, everybody listen up, now!" is commonly how driver's meetings are started, wrong. Try to keep things positive, i.e. as opposed to negative comments about working or safety (the safety threat thing goes for DE meetings too), you will probably get a better response. > -----Original Message----- > From: Jay G [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 3:38 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] slightly OT: autocross workers > > > hey gruppe...i'm one of the "mini-officials" at our local > autocross, and we're having a bit of a dilemma...we cant > figure out a way to balance the workers for each heat...most > of the people who attend want to race and work in the > morning heats, which leaves a lot less people to work in the > afternoon heats...it seems like the same people always end > up staying the entire day, just to cover for those who leave > early, which isnt fair... > > we currently have four heats, and the classes are rotated > each month so that the classes run at different times of the > day every month (classes in heat 1 run first this month, > then they'll run second next month, etc.)...and the heats > are set up so that they try to have the same number of > people (e.g. stock classes and modified classes in heat 1; > street prepared in heat 2, etc)... > > suggestions we're looking at is to make it mandatory to let > the "chief of workers" or "chief of registration" know > before the first heat of the day that they have to leave > early...another option was to have someone NOT run in their > respective heat only if they could find someone to cover for > their work assignment in the heat they're supposed to run > in... > > we dont want to enforce harsh rules, which may turn drivers > away, or even scare off new drivers to the sport... > > any suggestions as to how to get enough workers for the > entire day??? what kinds of strategies do you folks use in > your area??? any and all replies greatly > appreciated...THANX!!! > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:34:26 -0400 From: "Rob Levinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] Spam-er, marketing e-mail from BMW NA Other currently-available I6 engines: Toyota/Lexus (IS300) Jeep (all models with 6-cylinder option) Ford (Truck engines and Australian Falcon - http://www.newfalcon.com.au/ ) GM (Vortec I6 truck engine - http://media.gm.com/news/releases/g000823c.html) Dodge (Diesel truck) Otherwise, yes... the other stalwart I6 car engines long admired such as the Mercedes and Jaguar are indeed history. I doubt many people miss the I6 car engines in older domestics. At least we still have the "right' pancake (boxer) sixes around - Porsche, Subaru, and Honda (Goldwing). Rumors of a new BMW boxer 6 in a bike have been floating around for almost 20 years, and that ought to be interesting if it ever materializes. - - Rob - ---- Original Message ---- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [uuc] Spam-er, marketing e-mail from BMW NA > >What got me curious is not so much that, as far as I can dimly >recall, BMW >is the ONLY maker currently selling in-line six engines (correct? >everyone >else has moved to a Vee configuration, right?), but rather that BMW >mentions >that its legendary inline six-cylinder engine is available in 2.5 and >3.0-liter displacements -- and totally neglects to include the M3's >3246cc >motor. I presume it's because M3s are still selling (relatively) >well, and >the 330 and 325 need a bit of promotion? > >Just some idle speculation on a slow day.... > >vty, > >--Dennis > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 22:47:24 -0400 From: "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] M3 is 99% ordinary? Tim, I think you may have slightly missed the point of the e-mail. Yes, the E30 M3 is very different from the non-motorsports cars (more so than the other M3's), but brakes are brakes. The suspension is suspension & although it is different, there's nothing rocket science about it--the torque specs are even the same. I don't think most techs will be the best at working on an M3, but the old dealer R&R should be straightforward. I do disagree with Neil about the S14. I bet there's probably a handful of experts nationwide as they are much more sofisticated than most BMW engines. How many guys can really do a proper valve adjustment, base CO adjustment, base idle adjustment & TB synch? The other thing to keep in mind is that Neil is so damn smart that everything probably seems easy to him. FWIW, I think that probably a lot of dealer guys just do the R&R stuff until the problem goes away. If they have to replace everything before this happens, so be it. But I would think that even the guys with the M.. motors suffer this. There are so few people who REALLY understand (or care to understand) enough about how the motor, or suspension, or electrical systems work in order to very effectively troubleshoot or diagnose. Those are the guys who are paid very well--and still save you money in the long run. FWIW, I like to troubleshoot rather than R&R because I think I'm not totally an idiot & get great satisfaction from problem-solving. That being said, I'm going to just give up & R&R the front hubs to see if that eliminates the thump-thump-thump, because everything else has failed to turn up anything. Lee > -----Original Message----- > From: Tim Ng [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 2:18 PM > To: "UUC main" > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [uuc] M3 is 99% ordinary? > > > Neil, I don't agree with you on this "99% of the car is just > ordinary." > statement. I am going to reflect on the little I know of the > E34 M5 that > you own and did an engine rebuild twice yourself on. If you > say the E30 m3 > is 99% ordinary, then you are saying that the S14 engine, the > flared fender > and caped body, the different geometery suspension setting... > are worth > only 1% of that car. I think ANY "S" motor is worth a little more than > that. I am sure you agree your S38 motor in your M5 is NOT an > M30 with 4 > valves? right? ALso if you say the E30 m3 is 99% ordinary as > in regular > e30, then is your 1992 e34 M5(rare car)just 99% the same as a > e34 535i? I > don't think so. > I do agree that suspension, electrical, basic body > harware.... are the same > as other E30 AND E28s BUT its very different in MANY sense. I > would safely > say the E30 m3 is maybe 40% same as a E30 325is. The other > 60% is what's so > special about a limited production car. > > >Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:38:59 -0700 (PDT) > >From: Neil Deshpande <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: [uuc] Atlanta Indep. shops and dealers > > >Working on the E30 M3 and the S14 is NOT that big a > >deal. A dealership should know how to deal with it > >quite easily. If not, they should be able to > >reference a few specs and such and apply general > >principles. Yes, there are unique issues that they > >may not be able to find (like blowing clear the > >tensioner oil feed bore, etc.), but the suspension is > >not such an issue. 99% of the car is just ordinary. > > Tim Ng > 95 E36 M3 BzznM3 > 92 E30 325ic M-tech convetible > 91 E30 M3 street car > 88 E30 M3 Track car > 93 Chevy Blazer 2 dr. tow vehicle > > > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6676 *************************** | | In memory of Michel Potheau - friend, enthusiast, founder of the BMW CCA. |________________________________________ | Please visit these UUC-approved BMW parts vendors/service providers: | (listed alphabetically) | | Autoscope-Motorsports - http://www.autoscope-motorsports.com | |==================================================== | | Koala MotorSport . 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