The BMW UUC Digest Volume 2 : Issue 838 : "text" Format Messages in this Issue: Re: Was in an accident looking for suggestions Re: S50/S52 Head Milling? camber and toe BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... UUC: Not a good weekend for BMWs: Jersey barrier 1, BMW 0 Re: M3/4s Re: HELP: Hurricane Katrina problem Carfax report?
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:14:35 -0700 From: "Scott & Charlotte Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "UUC Digest" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: Was in an accident looking for suggestions Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Igor, even though the mechanical warranty may have expired, check to see if there is a rust/perforation warranty that lasts longer. If there is, you'll have to use BMW-approved repair and paint processes and products to keep the rust/perforation warranty in effect. Dealer shops meet that requirement, but many independent shops do too. If there is no such warranty, I would not bother with a dealer shop, find one in your area with a good reputation and happy, discerning customers. Scott Miller GGC BMW CCA >Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:40:20 -0700 (PDT) >From: igor koruga <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [email protected] >Subject: Was in an accident looking for suggestions >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Hi all, >I was in an accident and this is what happened: on >the two lane highway car ahead of me had a surf board >strapped to the roof, but apparently it wasn't >strapped well enough because it flew up and smashed >into my windshield. <snip> >The car is 01 X5 3.0 fully insured, but with warranty >expired - Now to my question : >- Should I give the car to the dealer to fix it, or to >reputable repair shop? What are pros and cons? For >those of you in the Bay Area, my dealer choices are >BMW of SF (the one in the city) or Peter Pan BMW on >the peninsula - any thoughts on these two as a repair >choice? > >Regards, >Igor >BMW CCA GGC ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:59:48 -0700 From: Roger Baker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: S50/S52 Head Milling? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hey Brett, didn't mean to indicate I was milling enough off to make them flat after being warped from an overheat, but just a minimal cleanup cut if the sealing surface wasn't real smooth. Don't know if you remember, but back a few years I was the unlucky stiff who bought a supposedly rebuilt 3.2L crate motor from another list member (you used pics of my head to show mechanics what not to do...). It turned out it wasn't, and some idiot had used a Scotchbrite pad on a die grinder to clean off the old head gasket and created some high & low spots in the head. I had 3-4 thou taken off to clean it up, but recently had a shop to tell me my head is now junk because I did that, and I don't quite think that's true. -- Roger KMS- Brett Anderson wrote: >None of these head can be milled to make them flat. They need to be heated >and straightened, or you'll end up with a broken cam. > >Also, if it's warped from overheat, it's probably cracked too. > >Brett Anderson >KMS > > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:01:08 -0400 From: "Ryan and Dee Dee Brenneman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: camber and toe Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gruppe For an E36 front since you are changing the camber at the top of the strut(relocating the upper suspension mounting point) the toe moves positive as the camber moves negative. My TC Kline plates at -4 degrees camber and 1/8th toe out total moves to -2 camber and about 1/16 or a little more toe in when pushed to min camber setting. This is with caster pushed all the way forward(least positive).This makes for very even tire wear for me on the street and track. In the rear of an E36 you are changing camber at the bottom of the suspension so you are relocating the lower suspension mounting point. This will have a different effect on toe than the front. Just thinking about it the upper and lower rear control arms mount in a vertical line when viewed from the side. The suspension then pivots from the trailing arm mount. So changing the lateral position of the lower mount for camber keeps it still in a vertical plane with the top mount and I believe it would not change the rear toe. Now if the upper and lower arms are not in a vertical plane then the toe will change. The front stuff I know the rear stuff I think. Ryan Brenneman ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 22:00:41 -0400 From: "Ryan and Dee Dee Brenneman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Gruppe Well it had to happen sometime. I banged up my track car pretty good. Unfortunately(or fortunately?) it happened on the way home from the track. I had instructed at Summit Point main this last weekend for NASA mid-Atlantic and had had a good weekend. My students didn't try to kill me and my fellow instructors were nice enough not to hit MY car anytime over the weekend. There was one unfortunate event with some brake issues involved that looks like a freak accident but only one person will truly know for sure. Even with it being my first time up there I still managed to pick up the track pretty well and impressed a fellow instructor who was car-less this weekend over a small mechanical issue with a nice lurid slide and catch through 3 on a ride along during the last session on Sunday. Then I uneventfully packed up and headed for home. My trailer's light wiring had an issue though and a thoughtful Virginia trooper made me aware of it. He was very nice and when I explained what the stuff was and why the car had no interior, a roll bar, and harnesses he became friendly. He helped me out by showing me where a 24 hour Wal-Mart was and I was able to effect field repairs to a short in the wiring and continue on with my journey without any "summons to appear". As I was finishing up my repair the car next to me backed out of it's space and hit a car parked in the next row behind me. We were well out in the parking lot and the hit car was a seemingly well taken care of Japanese sedan with some decently tasteful 17's and an exhaust. It was obviously somebody's object de affection and it was unmarred by damage until this careless jack a@@ next to me put a gouge in it. They pulled away from the victim, paused for a couple seconds like they were going to do the right thing and then took off. I quickly memorized the tag and the basics of the car and went digging in my car for a pen and paper. I wrote a note to the unfortunate driver and left him the tag number and my contact info. I hope the police drag the offender out of where they find him in leg irons. And then stick bamboo shoots under his nails. You park way away from everybody else to try and protect your stuff and still someone manages to tear up your stuff. Amazing. After I put the note on the poor guy's car I finished up with my repair and headed back out on the road. An hour later I am sitting on the side of the road on I77 just short of the NC border with the left front corner caved in both drivers side doors banged up and the left rear door window blown in. I was covered in broken safety glass and wondering where to order a truck load of coyotes. Bambi had appeared directly ahead out of the corona of an opposing motorists headlights probably no more than 50 feet away. At I want to be home now but don't want to spend the night in jail speed that was just enough time to scream one expletive. To a fly on the wall it probably sounded like an aviation black box tape. One second everything is normal, then a screamed expletive and a sickening loud wham, breaking glass, and then crazy wind noise as the rushing air pulsed painfully in and out of the car until the speed dropped off as I limped it over to the side. I sit so low in my Sparco that I can not see the hood so there was a small tingle of hope as to maybe the damage won't be so bad. But as I exit the car and shut the door I can see the hood is crumpled pretty well. As I round the front I see that the left front of the car now makes a basic diagonal line from the kidney grille to the front edge of the tire. I can see my cone air filter in its homemade heat shield. The random thought of "hey.ram air" crosses the brain. Why at these moments can such left field thoughts bubble up into the consciousness? I break out some tools and a headlamp flashlight from the trunk and proceed to pry and beat the sheet metal away from the left front wheel. I pull out the roll of duct tape that always makes the trip to the track and proceed to give the car a NASCAR tape job to preserve what aero I had left and to keep random pieces from departing the car in the slipstream. Luckily the radiator was not punctured and I was able to drive it. I called my State Farm agent and got the night service. I inquired as to if I still had comprehensive on the car as my wife and I had discussed dropping it. In fact she had called the agent to drop it and he in his usual responsive manner had not returned her two calls. So she put it off until later. Lucky for me. I asked if they required a police report and explained that I really was out in the middle of nowhere. The lady on the phone said no they did not require it but that they suggested that I contact the local folks and do what ever made them happy. I thanked her, said I would handle it when I got home and dialed 911. The emergency operator picked up and I explained what happened again and told him where I was and he said as long as I was all right, the deer was not in the road, and that I could drive on that they didn't need me to do anything. I took off taped up and cold and continued home. The SO called wondering where I was and I reported the newest delay with sarcasm as "I have had another incident". I pulled into a rest stop at the state line and checked my tape job and pulled the fender liner back a little more and then proceeded to make the last two hours of the trip home with no more incidents. I dropped the car this morning at a small but well though of body shop that is run by a friend of a friend. I have seen his work and it is good. Everyone has said that the insurance company will probably total the car. It is a 92 325i with 189k on it. Never mind that it just got a 77k mile 2.8 in it on Thursday(yes.. 4 days ago) and has coil-overs, DA shocks, etc. The car mechanically was mint and a real barn burner on the track. On the track this weekend the only cars readily going by me were Corvettes. Driver has a lot to do with that but the car has to be right also. And this weekend it was. The new motor was providing torque I had never had before out of my non-vanos 2.5 and I was really enjoying it. But to the insurance company none of this matters. It is VIN number and mileage. They start calculating on their laptops as they walk around the car and when it beeps the car is totaled. I expect a fight and we will see how it turns out for this 18 year customer. I have only had one claim ever before and they only paid out $800. I know the reps on here say that is meaningless but is it really? To those reps. am I right to expect a total on the car and a fight or is this going to be a decent process where I will feel like I was taken care of? Another thought for me was that after the earlier events of the day; I stayed until the end to get all the track time I could, I spent an extra couple of minutes talking to my new acquaintance about the car and the grip from the cheap street tires I have on it and such, the encounter with the nice Virginia trooper, my repair in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and my witnessing of the hit and run at said Wal-Mart and subsequent note writing, anywhere along the line had I taken a minute or two more or less I would have never seen that deer. No telling what else I would have seen but I would not have seen that one. I guess everyone is subject to these fits of hindsight after a loss(with the way I feel right now it is most assuredly a loss) and with time and hopefully the benevolence of State Farm I will have my baby(as described by both my wife and mother today) back in some shape that is ready to hit the track again. And if it happens before November 4th when I am supposed to instruct at Barber I will be really happy. If anybody has any insurance company handling suggestions or whatever please let me know. If anybody wants to contribute to the truckload of coyotes, anacondas, or grizzly bears, they are welcome to contact me also. See you at the track Ryan Brenneman 92 328i .down but not out 93 525iT since the SO go a company car my current ride ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 05:23:14 -0700 (PDT) From: Tammer Farid <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Entertaining read, sorry to hear the news though. Don't be so sure the car is automatically totalled, I'm sure you have all the receipts right? My 250k-mile 535is was hit (rear-ended at a light by a jackass eating a fookin' (tm FKB) bowl of ice cream!) hard enough to push me into hte car ahead, crumpling the RR quarter and causing damage to both ends. Adjuster came to look at the car at my house, I spoke to him while he wrote his estimate, and he basically wrote "Do NOT total this car." $3150 up front and a promise for more if necessary--and it is, the shop called yesterday and more damage is evident now that the ends are pulled off. Car will be fixed. At the very least, if they DO total it, you can buy back the salvage and fix it or pull all the goodies to swap to another cheap, high-mileage, straight 325 ... they're out there. PITA and a lot of work, but either way the insurance company is NOT entitled to your coilovers, cage, etc. If it's a good cage, you probably want to fix what you have instead of paying for all that labor again. Having a salvage title on a track car is no biggie. Best of luck! -tammer <--driving a crappy Pontiac while the BMW gets fixed --- Ryan and Dee Dee Brenneman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Gruppe > > Well it had to happen sometime. I banged up my track car > pretty good. > Unfortunately(or fortunately?) it happened on the way > home from the > track. I had instructed at Summit Point main this last > weekend for NASA > mid-Atlantic and had had a good weekend. My students > didn't try to kill > me and my fellow instructors were nice enough not to hit > MY car anytime > over the weekend. There was one unfortunate event with > some brake issues > involved that looks like a freak accident but only one > person will truly > know for sure. Even with it being my first time up there > I still managed > to pick up the track pretty well and impressed a fellow > instructor who > was car-less this weekend over a small mechanical issue > with a nice > lurid slide and catch through 3 on a ride along during > the last session > on Sunday. Then I uneventfully packed up and headed for > home. My > trailer's light wiring had an issue though and a > thoughtful Virginia > trooper made me aware of it. He was very nice and when I > explained what > the stuff was and why the car had no interior, a roll > bar, and harnesses > he became friendly. He helped me out by showing me where > a 24 hour > Wal-Mart was and I was able to effect field repairs to a > short in the > wiring and continue on with my journey without any > "summons to appear". > As I was finishing up my repair the car next to me backed > out of it's > space and hit a car parked in the next row behind me. We > were well out > in the parking lot and the hit car was a seemingly well > taken care of > Japanese sedan with some decently tasteful 17's and an > exhaust. It was > obviously somebody's object de affection and it was > unmarred by damage > until this careless jack a@@ next to me put a gouge in > it. They pulled > away from the victim, paused for a couple seconds like > they were going > to do the right thing and then took off. I quickly > memorized the tag and > the basics of the car and went digging in my car for a > pen and paper. I > wrote a note to the unfortunate driver and left him the > tag number and > my contact info. I hope the police drag the offender out > of where they > find him in leg irons. And then stick bamboo shoots under > his nails. You > park way away from everybody else to try and protect your > stuff and > still someone manages to tear up your stuff. Amazing. > After I put the > note on the poor guy's car I finished up with my repair > and headed back > out on the road. An hour later I am sitting on the side > of the road on > I77 just short of the NC border with the left front > corner caved in both > drivers side doors banged up and the left rear door > window blown in. I > was covered in broken safety glass and wondering where to > order a truck > load of coyotes. Bambi had appeared directly ahead out of > the corona of > an opposing motorists headlights probably no more than 50 > feet away. At > I want to be home now but don't want to spend the night > in jail speed > that was just enough time to scream one expletive. To a > fly on the wall > it probably sounded like an aviation black box tape. One > second > everything is normal, then a screamed expletive and a > sickening loud > wham, breaking glass, and then crazy wind noise as the > rushing air > pulsed painfully in and out of the car until the speed > dropped off as I > limped it over to the side. I sit so low in my Sparco > that I can not see > the hood so there was a small tingle of hope as to maybe > the damage > won't be so bad. But as I exit the car and shut the door > I can see the > hood is crumpled pretty well. As I round the front I see > that the left > front of the car now makes a basic diagonal line from the > kidney grille > to the front edge of the tire. I can see my cone air > filter in its > homemade heat shield. The random thought of "hey.ram air" > crosses the > brain. Why at these moments can such left field thoughts > bubble up into > the consciousness? I break out some tools and a headlamp > flashlight from > the trunk and proceed to pry and beat the sheet metal > away from the left > front wheel. I pull out the roll of duct tape that always > makes the trip > to the track and proceed to give the car a NASCAR tape > job to preserve > what aero I had left and to keep random pieces from > departing the car in > the slipstream. Luckily the radiator was not punctured > and I was able to > drive it. I called my State Farm agent and got the night > service. I > inquired as to if I still had comprehensive on the car as > my wife and I > had discussed dropping it. In fact she had called the > agent to drop it > and he in his usual responsive manner had not returned > her two calls. So > she put it off until later. Lucky for me. I asked if they > required a > police report and explained that I really was out in the > middle of > nowhere. The lady on the phone said no they did not > require it but that > they suggested that I contact the local folks and do what > ever made them > happy. I thanked her, said I would handle it when I got > home and dialed > 911. The emergency operator picked up and I explained > what happened > again and told him where I was and he said as long as I > was all right, > the deer was not in the road, and that I could drive on > that they didn't > need me to do anything. I took off taped up and cold and > continued home. > The SO called wondering where I was and I reported the > newest delay with > sarcasm as "I have had another incident". I pulled into > a rest stop at > the state line and checked my tape job and pulled the > fender liner back > a little more and then proceeded to make the last two > hours of the trip > home with no more incidents. I dropped the car this > morning at a small > but well though of body shop that is run by a friend of a > friend. I have > seen his work and it is good. Everyone has said that the > insurance > company will probably total the car. It is a 92 325i with > 189k on it. > Never mind that it just got a 77k mile 2.8 in it on > Thursday(yes.. 4 > days ago) and has coil-overs, DA shocks, etc. The car > mechanically was > mint and a real barn burner on the track. On the track > this weekend the > only cars readily going by me were Corvettes. Driver has > a lot to do > with that but the car has to be right also. And this > weekend it was. The > new motor was providing torque I had never had before out > of my > non-vanos 2.5 and I was really enjoying it. But to the > insurance company > none of this matters. It is VIN number and mileage. They > start > calculating on their laptops as they walk around the car > and when it > beeps the car is totaled. I expect a fight and we will > see how it turns > out for this 18 year customer. I have only had one claim > ever before and > they only paid out $800. I know the reps on here say that > is meaningless > but is it really? To those reps. am I right to expect a > total on the car > and a fight or is this going to be a decent process where > I will feel > like I was taken care of? Another thought for me was > that after the > earlier events of the day; I stayed until the end to get > all the track > time I could, I spent an extra couple of minutes talking > to my new > acquaintance about the car and the grip from the cheap > street tires I > have on it and such, the encounter with the nice Virginia > trooper, my > repair in the Wal-Mart parking lot, and my witnessing of > the === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 08:29:08 -0500 From: "Marc Plante" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ah, you were attacked by the #1 "predator" in America. Remember that the deer jumped into *your* car. You did not run into it. Subtle distinction. If they total the car and you want to salvage, you can always buy what's left of it back from them and repair it or move the parts to a new shell. Marc Plante E36 M3/4 Vienna, VA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:51:24 -0700 (PDT) From: P Kroon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: BMW 1 Deer 0 or State Farm claim help needed..... Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --- Marc Plante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Remember that the deer jumped into *your* car. You > did not run into it. Subtle distinction. Good point. > If they total the car and you want to salvage, you > can always buy what's left of it back from them and > repair it or move the parts to a new shell. This is not always true. Some states require a license in order to purchase a car with a salvage title from the insurance company. -Paul 96 BMW 328i __________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 07:59:04 -0700 (PDT) From: P Kroon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: UUC: Not a good weekend for BMWs: Jersey barrier 1, BMW 0 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Add my poor BMW to the list (96 328i with 109k miles). As many of have probably heard, the northeast has been socked by rain for the last 10+ days. While going through one of Boston's crappy tunnels, the car hit a puddle of standing water, hydroplaned, and hit a Jersey barrier. Fortunately, no one was hurt I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised at the condition of the car after the accident and how well it faired. It is truly a testament to how well these cars are put together. Certainly made me (and the person driving the car (not me) and passenger ) a beliver. So much so, that one of the people involved in the accident is actually going to sell her car to buy a BMW now. Not entirely sure of the extent of damage yet, I guess we'll see. What are E36 M3/4 with less than 100k miles going for? -Paul 96 BMW 328i (status???) 98 Panoz AIV (home safely in the garage) 03 G35 __________________________________ Yahoo! Music Unlimited Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. http://music.yahoo.com/unlimited/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 10:36:57 -0500 From: "Marc Plante" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Subject: Re: M3/4s Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sorry to hear about the 328. It's a painful process to lose a car like that. You can prolly pick up a nice M3/4 in the mid to upper teens. I used Autotrader to scan the market for cars. It lets you cast a pretty wide geographic net and get a good wkring sens for the market price ranges. You can find find "don't wanters" that just gre their family, etc that need to get rid of their cars. Defintely check for any signs of water damage if the car's history is sketchy. Marc Plante 1997 E36 M3/4 (Not for sale) 2005 Child (any day now) Vienna, VA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 12:54:25 -0700 From: "Bob Sutterfield" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "bmwuucdigest" <[email protected]>, "BMWCCAtalk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "BMWCCA presidents" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: HELP: Hurricane Katrina problem Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ricardo Barnes wrote: > NADA presented 3 prices for a E30 M3 1988... None of NADA, Edmunds, or KBB are useful here, and that's what the request for help was about. Those standard services (and their equivalents used by the insurance industry) have no way of evaluating an old, unusual car in a narrow, specialty market niche, sold to enthusiasts. All the goodies that make an M3 more valuable in that market are invisible to insurers. To them it's just another eighteen year old import with two doors, three pedals, four cylinders, and high mileage. Might as well be a Tercel. The only data that can persuade the insurance underwriters would be actual recent sale prices of comparable cars. In most states, the "comps" can be no more than one model year off the car in question - in this case 87 to 89. M3s registered as MY90 or MY91 will be ignored. I suffered through this problem when my pristine E21 was crunched. E21s change hands rarely enough that there's not a lot to sample. I found sparse sale data to support my price claim, and the data were spread across MY77-83, only rarely in 82-83 where it would be useful as "comps". Now I wish I had bought a "declared value" policy, which would have shortcut the entire appraisal process and the months of headaches arguing with the adjusters. -- Bob Sutterfield '86 E30 325e bronzitbeige-met '91 E30 318iS alpinweiß '83 E21 320i opalgrün-met (RIP, parting out) '93 T4 EV MV Weekender Arktisches Weiß BMWCCA #169277 GGC/RMC ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 02:00:44 -0400 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Subject: Carfax report? Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Anyone have a Carfax account that would check on an M3 for me? VIN # WBSBG9321VEY75550 TIA Evan ------------------------------ End of [bmwuucdigest] digest(11 messages) **********
