[uucdigest] Thursday, August 28 2003 Volume 03 : Number 6709
_________________________________________________________________ | | Search the ARCHIVES: | http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] | | Visit Richard Nott's Ultimate BMW Database: | http://www.bmwdatabase.com | | For all available Digest commands including unsubscribe/subscribe, | visit the BMW UUC Digest page: http://www.uucdigest.com | | Send SUBMISSIONS to [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Complaints? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] if you must. | Technical Problems? Send 'em to [EMAIL PROTECTED] |__________________________________________________________________ In this BMW UUC Digest: [uuc] RE: Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought: (part 1) Re: [uuc] [update] Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought... (part2) Re: [uuc] RE: Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought: (part 1) [uuc] 2 Yokohama AVS Sports FS - M3 fitment Re: [uuc] Clutch Squeal [uuc] <E30> Clutch engagement point after new clutch [uuc] re: labor rates/was someone hit my car RE: [uuc] <WOT> Z06 vette advice ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:35:26 -0500 From: Mark and Heather Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] RE: Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought: (part 1) From: "Zidlicky, Peter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] RE: Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought: (part 1) > Insurance companies are in the business of "float". They collect money >from customers, invest it over time to accumulate massive profits, buy or >build buildings on prestigious streets in Manhattan (the Met Life building >comes to mind) and tend to drag out the claims payment process and also >lowball their payment offers. > stereotypical, and inflammtory.... but you are welcome to your opinion :-) > >(2) Claims payment (timing) Need evidence? Note the length of time it takes >an insurance company to cancel a policy for lack of payment vs. the time it >takes to collect on a claim. If I ever dragged my monthly payments the way >they drag their claims payments, all of my insurance would have been >cancelled long ago. > ditto... > >(3) Claims payment (amount) ... just note how many instances there are when >the claims amount is not enough to cover the repair in question. > ok... and how many ZILLION instances are there of HAPPY customers that have their claim handled well and /or or were OVERPAID in relation to what their body shop actually charged or what they were able to get the vehicle repaired for... ? now then... just how many of them do you think took the time to write a long " I love the way my claim was handled " letter and post it on the internet ? > >(3) Customer experience ... given the heated reactions on this list, it >seems that the aggregate customer experience with insurance companies leaves >something to be desired. Something is sorely lacking when the customer >experience at a Starbuck's, where one drops $4 for a mocha chino, is far >superior than one's interface with their insurance provider ,,, where one >drops $1,500 a year for car insurance for multiple years and then tries to >collect on one $1,000 claim. I believe many people act so vehemently >because they have shelled out so much money over time and never asked the >company for anything ,,, but when it's time to collect on a claim, they are >made to feel as though they're a crook trying to rip the company off ... >when in reality, all they are trying to do is recover a single brick of the >10 they have paid the insurance company with respect to the building on Park >Avenue. > I am truly sorry to hear you feel this way... you could always self insure yourself <grin> > >(4) Fraud risks etc. This definitely exists but not in the case that opened >up this discussion. Further, the cost of this is also spread out over the >monthly payments in the vast majority of law abiding customers. If I am >already paying for your fraud risk, don't treat me like a criminal when I >try to collect on a claim. > I don't treat anyone like a criminal .... so once again I'll label your statements as sterotyipcal and inflammatory.. I am not saying everry claim adjsuter out there is an angel.. sure there are bad apples... I've dealt with many of them myself! But there are plenty of good ones out there also.. Let's not slander an entire profession puhleeeeeeeeeze????? Finally, read my "part 2" before you say there is no fraud involved on John's claim... Mark Williams Dallas, TX 91 ///M3 2.5L claim rep by day... > > > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:59:20 -0500 From: Dennis Wynne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] [update] Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought... (part2) Just curious, I know it is "legit" to tell the insurance company that you want your favorite body shop to fix your car. Quite often they charge more than what the insurance WANTS to pay - but you sort of say "you two work it out, just fix my car". But, if your favorite shop wants $1255 and the insurance company wants to pay $683 - do you have a "right" to make them pay you $1255 IF you do not get the car repaired? I am no longer saying it is "wrong" to try to get this money, just wondering what is legal (or common practice). Basically, I would feel justified and right getting a nice shop to do the repairs no matter how much more it cost VS the insurance estimate. I just don't think you could collect that same (possibly inflated?) number if you don't get the work done at that place. As to the rental cost, they never pay what it costs, even to rent a POS Geo. But on my insurance, I don't pay much for the coverage and it offsets some of the cost. Now if I am NOT at fault and I have to give up my car for a period of time, then I don't want the cheepo coverage I have, I want them to pony up enough to cover a halfway nice rental. In other words, if I scratched my paint in a parking lot (my fault) then $15-20 a day might be good enough, but if you whack my car (your fault) then maybe I don't get another BMW, but you should get me a decent ride while my car is in the shop. I keep meaning to cancel my rental car insurance, it is not much but I have several cars. So rather than take the POS car offered they always pay me NOT to rent a car. I think that is $10 a day or so. The times I had a car in the body shop lately (my C5) they paid me enough in non-rental fees to cover the small charge on my bill for several more years :-) Dennis 330i silver/black/manual/sp/pp/xenon/cd At 09:01 AM 08/28/2003 -0500, you wrote: Mark Williams >Dallas, TX >claim rep by day... >91 ///M3 2.5L ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:30:13 -0400 From: "Bill Matthews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [uuc] RE: Someone hit my BMW! Advice sought: (part 1) Peter said: > >(3) Customer experience ... given the heated reactions on this list, it > >seems that the aggregate customer experience with insurance companies leaves > >something to be desired. Something is sorely lacking when the customer > >experience at a Starbuck's, where one drops $4 for a mocha chino, is far > >superior than one's interface with their insurance provider ,,, where one > >drops $1,500 a year for car insurance for multiple years and then tries to > >collect on one $1,000 claim. I believe many people act so vehemently > >because they have shelled out so much money over time and never asked the > >company for anything ,,, but when it's time to collect on a claim, they are > >made to feel as though they're a crook trying to rip the company off ... > >when in reality, all they are trying to do is recover a single brick of the > >10 they have paid the insurance company with respect to the building on Park > >Avenue. > > Then Mark: > I am truly sorry to hear you feel this way... you could always self > insure yourself <grin> 99% of the purchasers of insurance have no concept of what they are really purchasing. That ignorance leads to a lot of the inflammatory statements that have been flowing about this and attitudes like Peter described. Purchasing insurance is not "investing". Purchase of an insurance policy is a contract where you pay someone to assume a financial risk that you either can't or won't take yourself for a fixed period of time . At the end of the contracted period of time that agreement is concluded and only comes into play for events that have been shown to happen during the period of the contract. Because you have been paying premiums for years gives you no rights or privileges beyond your current active contract. The insurance company may choose to treat it's long term customers differently because it sees it as good business policy but it is certainly under no obligation to do so. The contract is with the policy holder and in any claim situation which side of the claim you are on has significant affect. If you are the policy holder you have a contract with the insurance company that clearly states all your rights and obligations. If you are a claimant, against another insured you have no contractual rights with that insurance company, mostly your rights are defined by liability law. This is a much more adversarial position from the get go and why the advice of some to work through your own insurance company has merit in many cases. I will say also that the "insurance ignorance" of the general population also enables the predatory practices of a few unscrupulous agents, adjusters and companies in the industry that also get all the press. Bill Matthews Hockessin DE Full Disclosure - I am not nor have I ever been an employee of the insurance industry. At one time in my career I had responsibility for risk management of a large explosives manufacturing and distribution company and in that capacity purchased various layers of insurance from a broad range of underwriters including the big one in London ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:39:34 -0400 From: Rob Verenna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] 2 Yokohama AVS Sports FS - M3 fitment I have (2) great condition Yokohama AVS Sports in 235/40/17 for sale outside Pittsburgh, PA. They came off my '95 M3 and have at least 85% of tread left. I needed to replace the other two and a friend hooked me up with a set of lesser tires cheaper than two more AVS Sports would've cost me - being unemployed and in grad school, cost was important. :) New from tirerack, $137 each ($125 for tirerack dealers)... make me an offer. I will ship anywhere for actual shipping cost. - - rob ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 11:19:31 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [uuc] Clutch Squeal "Roy T. Collins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have a question for you guys on a squeaky clutch. Roy, No worries. All 5-speed E36s dry out their clutch pedal bushings and start squeaking sooner or later. You can either disassemble and re-lube the old clutch bushings (instructions below), or swap them in while you are at it. New BMW bushings are ~$10. UUC replacement are ~$20. Take your pick. UUC info and bushing swap instructions are here: http://www.uucmotorwerks.com/html_product/clutch_arm_bushings/ If you find a local UUC distributor, you should be able to buy the parts at 10-15% discount (plus taxes, minus shipping vs. mail-order). HTH, alex f ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 09:41:18 -0700 From: Kurt Zimmerman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] <E30> Clutch engagement point after new clutch I'll try this again, since it didn't come through the first time... I just replaced the clutch on my '89 325is. The old clutch engaged a lot sooner on release than the new one. I was expecting the opposite. I'm having a hard time getting used to the new one. It bothers me so much that I might have to get a UUC clutch stop to make it tolerable. Is a higher clutch engage point indicative of a possible installation error? Coincidental master/slave cylinder issues? Or possibly no issue at all? I recently bled the clutch, but that made no difference. I've also spent a day at the track---inspite of the annoyingly late engagement, the clutch worked fine. Thanks Kurt ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 10:09:03 -0700 From: jkerouac <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [uuc] re: labor rates/was someone hit my car re: labor rates/was someone hit my car: Stanford European, where the body estimate was written at $70. per hour labor has a standard labor rate (last time I was over there) of $95. per hour. So their estimate is already below regular retail customer pay rates. Other first quality BMW independants on the Peninsula charge similarly or slightly higher per flat rate hour: For reference, an hour of time on a good local dyno is about $100. $tealers are at or above $125./hour. Stevens Creek I believe is up to $140./hour. Plus dealers are gouging on parts prices while the indys are charging regular list or less. 'jk ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 10:43:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Jason Knight <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [uuc] <WOT> Z06 vette advice As far as I can tell the LS6 in the Vette is lighter than an M52 (engine - not the WWII German tank). There's an oft-quoted list of weights on the 'net putting the M52 engine at 500 lbs. The LS6 is stated as 497.2 lbs with accessories. Nothing like a set of good old fashioned push rods. Jason - --- "Robinson, Lee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Why would you want to add weight????? Tim M.'s Z06 > with a full tank of gas > was 3085lbs. An E36 M3 without spare & half tank > was 3216lbs. > > Lee > 88 M3->full tank + spare 2812lbs..... > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Gary Derian > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 3:39 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [uuc] <WOT> Z06 vette advice > > > > > > What you really want is an M3 with the LS6 > Corvette engine. > > Gary Derian > > > > > > > > Hi Jay > > > > > > Here's the email that I wrote the to the E36M3 > list > > comparing my E36M3 to > > > my then new Z06. I wrote this a couple of > months ago, but > > my impressions > > > are still the same. Although, I am beginning to > see the Z06 as a > > > replacement to the M3, rather just complimenting > it. > > Nonetheless, the > > both > > > are amazing cars, but you certainly will not be > > disappointed with the Z06. > > > Let me know if you have any questions. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Colin > > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: [E36M3] M3 vs Z06 Impressions > > > > > > > > > Hi group, > > > > > > About 3 months ago I asked about people's > impression of the > > Corvette Z06 > > in > > > comparison to an E36 M3, as I was contemplating > buying a > > Z06. I got some > > > great responses. Fast forward a few months and I > now wanted > > to share my > > > impressions after driving my Z06 for a couple of > months. > > > > > > In terms of biases, I love my M3. I consider it > to be the > > best car that I > > > have ever owned. I also have a muscle car bug > though, > > having grown up > > > modifying an old Trans Am with a turbocharged > V-8. > > > > > > My comparison is to a '98 M3/2 with the > following mods: JC software > > > +intake, Dinan suspension, Euro rotors + R4s > pads, X-brace, > > S03s etc, > > which > > > I have owned for 3.5 years. I've autoxed the > car since day > > 1, and rub it > > > with a diaper the other days. > > > > > > Handling: The Z06 feels heavier in turn-in, even > though it > > weighs the > > same, > > > due to the massive tires (265, 295). The ride > is amazingly > > compliant, far > > > more than my Dinan suspended M3. I haven't got > to test the ultimate > > > handling at the autox/track yet, but it appears > to be > > considerably higher > > > than the M3. Power oversteer is only a touch of > the gas > > away. The active > > > handling control is amazing....barely intrusive > and gently > > comes in to > > > regain control when there's a large slip angle. > The M3, > > probably to due > > my > > > comfort level with it, wins in the "feel" > department, the > > Z06 in ultimate > > G > > > forces. > > > > > > Brakes: A little sensitive, especially for heel > and toeing > > on the street. > > > The gas pedal is a bit low to facilitate easy > heel and toeing on the > > > street. The deceleration is quite impressive > though with > > those huge tires > > > and autox/track level stock brake pads. They > dust far more > > than stock M3 > > > pads though! The M3 wins in ability to heel and > toe > > easily, and the Z06 > > > wins in ultimate Gs. > > > > > > Acceleration: I consider my M3 to be pretty > quick, > > consistently putting > > > down 5.4s 0-60 times according to the GTech. > The Z06 is > > ridiculous. I > > can > > > literally get rubber (295/35ZR18s) in 2nd gear > at 45 mph by > > just punching > > > the gas, with the traction control on! Of > course, even it > > needs a few > > more > > > HP, so the mods have begun! The big V-8 revs > very quickly > > and has amazing > > > throttle response, and pulls strong towards > redline (6600 > > rpm), although I > > > haven't made it there yet due to break-in. The > exhaust > > sounds amazing at > > > high RPM. Similar in fact, to a friend's older > (~93) 911 > > Turbo S after > > > 4000 rpm. The Z06 easily wins this category. I > now need cams or a > > > supercharger for the M3 :) > > > > > > Quality: Paint finish is not up to par on the > Z06. The paint is > > > ridiculously delicate and the paint has a couple > of minor > > flaws. Interior > > > is a bit cheesy, but fit and finish are OK. The > Z06 has > > nicely fitted > > > seats, but they're a bit flimsy. Advantage: M3. > > > > > > Overall, I find the Z06 to be a perfect > complement to the M3, not a > > > replacement. The Z06 exceeds all of my > expectations and is truly a > > > supercar at a relatively affordable price. > > > > > > Thanks for the BW, > > > Colin > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ End of [uucdigest] V3 #6709 *************************** | | 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 . BMW technical information, special tool sales/rental | http://www.koalamotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | Taylor BMW - http://www.taylorbmw.com - Doc Bimmer! | |==================================================== | Turner Motorsport Inc . The Ultra-High Performance BMW Specialist | 207 Elm Street, Amesbury, MA 01950 | 978-388-7769 / fax 978-388-4202 | http://www.turnermotorsport.com | |==================================================== | | UUC Motorwerks - BMW Performance Fine-tuning | and home of the Ultimate Short Shifter - accept no substitutes! | 908-874-9092 . http://www.uucmotorwerks.com |__________________________________________________________
