March April May 2

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9

the

Milepost Newsletter of the Kansas City BMW Club

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the

Milepost

Serving Kansas and Western Missouri

The 2009 Kansas City BMW Club Board

President Alan Staples president@kcbmwclub.org

Vice President Mike Staub vicepresident@kcbmwclub.org

VP Wichita Open

VP Springfield Open

Treasurer Dave Stadtmueller treasurer@kcbmwclub.org

Secretary Jay Blumenthal secretary@kcbmwclub.org

At Large & Web Greg Lippert webmaster@kcbmwclub.org

At Large Brad Rein

At Large Ned Smith

At Large Jeff Taggart

Membership Greg Gelatka membership@kcbmw.com

Driving Events Ryan Staub chiefinstructor@kcbmwclub.org

Milepost Editor Open

Kansas City BMW Club Sponsors and Advertisers

Many of our Club events and activities are made possible by the generous support of our Sponsors and Milepost Advertisers. The Board of the Kansas City BMW Club is grateful for the generous support provided by these companies. We can all show our appreciation by supporting (and recommending) these companies with our business. If nothing else, show them a little love with a “Thanks” for supporting our Club.

Alloy Wheel Repair Advertiser p.9

Bank Liberty Sponsor p.4

Baron BMW Sponsor p.2

Bavarian Autosport Advertiser p.4

BimmerWorld Sponsor p.4

Butler C&D Sponsor p.4

Epoxy Floor Pro Advertiser p.9

Escort Advertiser p.6

Meierotto Midwest Jewelry Sponsor

Mid-America Tint Sponsor p.6

The Roasterie Sponsor p.10

Second Look Detailing Advertiser p.6

Velvet Crème Sponsor p.4

Contents 4

Club Calendar Places to go and things to do with your BMW.

6

BMW Heritage: the M328 Hugo Becker goes to a British car show and comes home with a unique chapter in BMW history.

8

Going to Pieces Bob Zumbrunnen bids farewell to his beloved E12 in a uniquely Bob kind of way. Not for the faint of heart.

9

For the Record Official Club news, reports and

notices

10

There’s Something About

Mary’s BMW Scott Goodwin has finally developed

an opinion about something

11

Eye Candy: The Scarab May monthly meeting pix

11

National DEC Report Club DEC Chair Ryan Staub reports on key outcomes from New Orleans

Chapter Contact Information:

Kansas City BMW Club P.O. Box 4832 Overland Park, KS 66204

On the Web:

http://www.kcbmwclub.com

Cover art: A hard-working cone is a happy cone, especially if that work involves the Kansas City BMW Club Street Survival school. Photo credit: Alan Staples

the Milepost is a publication of the Kansas City BMW Club, BMW Car Club of America, Inc. and is mailed to all members in good standing. Additional copies may be purchased for $1.00 each, plus postage. All contents remain the property of the Kansas City BMW Club. Information supplied is provided by members and for members only. The Club is in no way associated with BMW of North America, or any other agents of Bayerische Motoren Werke, AG. The Club assumes no liability for any information herein. Please note that, unless clearly stated, no information in this publication bears the status of “factory approved.” Ideas, opinions, and suggestions expressed herein are those of the authors. No authentication is implied by the Club, officers, editor, or publisher. Modifications to vehicles within the warranty period may void the warranty, in full or in part. Permission is granted to BMW CCA and BMW ACA chapters to reproduce articles originating in the Milepost, provided full credit goes to the author and the Milepost. “BMW”, the “M” logo, “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” and the BMW

roundel logo are registered trademarks of BMW AG. © 2009 Kansas City BMW Club

Club Calendar

Upcoming Events and Meetings. Check our home page for the latest details. While you’re there, sign up for our Club Announcements service – the best way to keep up with the latest Club news.

June 06 First Saturdays. Bring your friends and family –they are

always welcome - as we gather at Panera on Shawnee Mission Parkway, just West of I-35, between 8A and 10A.

06 Longest Day Driving School at Mid-America Motorsport complex, hosted by the Iowa Chapter of the BMW Club. See our home page for links.

18 Monthly Meeting. This month we head for Santa Fe Auto Sound to learn about and hear the latest in car audio. Meeting starts at 6P. See our home page for more information.

July 04 First Saturdays. Bring your friends and family –they are

always welcome - as we gather at Panera on Shawnee Mission Parkway, just West of I-35, between 8A and 10A.

11 No Excuses ‘09 Driving School at Hallett Raceway, hosted by your very own Kansas City BMW Club. See our home page for more information and links to online registration.

16 Monthly Meeting. Stay tuned (or sign up for Club Announcements) for more information on venue and starting time.

Other - Oktoberfest Registration is now open for the BMW Car Club of America Oktoberfest. This is the 40

th anniversary of this national

event. The Peachtree Chapter is hosting this year’s O’fest, and the host hotel is the beautiful, family friendly, Lake Lanier Resort.

Info and registration: www.bmwccaofest.org

Lake Lanier info: www.lakelanierislands.com

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 04

The Engine That Made BMW's Bones By Hugo Becker

Finding an important piece of pre-war BMW heritage at a British car show should be far-fetched. Yet, there it was. 'It' was BMW’s 2.0L inline six - designated as the M328 - sitting in a Bristol 403 on display at a Kansas City All British Car Show.

Perhaps this Bristol’s owner was enjoying a bit of subtle irony; installing a German engine in an English chassis? It turns out the Bristol 403 and BMW 328 have a few things in common.

At the end of World War II, the management of Bristol Cars was faced with the prospect of idle factories as the British economy languished. In a daring move, they decided to enter the upscale automobile market. This wasn’t as daring as it first seems because Bristol had connections to Frazer-Nash, which had a pre-war licensing agreement with BMW for the M328. Bristol had a ready-made and proven high performance product that required only minor alterations.

BMW’s M328 was The Engine that put BMW on the automotive map. It powered one of the most significant pre-war sports cars, the BMW 328. BMW had taken the 328 racing with great success in the late thirties.

Ironically, BMW designed the M328 as a stand-in for a true DOHC inline six cylinder engine, the M318. As fate would have it, WWII intervened.

The M328 looks like a DOHC engine to the casual observer, but a second glance reveals features that don't quite fit. Rather than an intake tract on the side of the cylinder head, the intakes are between the valve-train covers. Then there are those peculiar horizontal tubes running from one side of the cylinder head to the other.

The M328 was based on the short block of BMW’s conventional M326 OHV I-6. BMW engineers added an exceptionally unique cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers. Post-war BMW lacked the finances and time to bring the M318 DOHC to fruition. They did their best and the result was outstanding, if also complex.

The M328 cylinder head had to be designed to accommodate the operation of twelve valves from a single camshaft located near and off to one side of the crankshaft. In the M326 head, the cam lobes operated vertical pushrods that actuated the valves via rocker arms on a non-cross-flow cylinder head.

That vertical pushrod gallery had to be maintained in the M328, thereby precluding use of the side of the cylinder head for the intake tract. Hence the unusual placement of the intake ports on the inner edge of the cylinder head.

Likewise, exhaust valves had to be operated on the opposite side of the cylinder head. BMW’s engineers solved that problem by transforming the vertical motion of the primary exhaust pushrods to a near horizontal motion of a second set of pushrods. They did this using bell cranks on the intake rocker arm shaft. There was an incredible amount of motion involved, but it produced an incredible 100% increase in horsepower over the same-sized M326 engine.

BMW had already developed a cross-block pushrod arrangement in their circa-1933 M310 4-cylinder engine. The M310 used a gap between the number two and three cylinders to accommodate the pass-thru of pushrods to the exhaust-side of the cylinder head. The six-cylinder M328 did not lend itself to that solution.

The beauty of the M328 can be found in the 80-degree included angle of its valves (which promoted good breathing), hemispherical combustion chambers, central spark plugs, and a nearly straight (and vertical) intake tract. Maximum engine RPM was limited by the complex valve-train.

Later modifications and the use of racing fuel extended the rev limit to 6,000 RPM, and bumped horsepower by an additional 25%. Bristol continued to refine their version of the M328, and in 1961 it turned out 144 HP in 2.2L form.

The M328 provided four decades of service in some of the finest automobiles offered to the motoring public. That it was developed in lieu of the more desirable but expensive DOHC M318 stands as testament to the resourcefulness of BMW engineers.

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 06

Ode to My E12 530i by Bob Zumbrunnen Some of you are going to hate me for this. Others will be saddened, mildly entertained or, perhaps, amused. Whether yours is a negative or positive reaction, either is good. Just react. This car deserves that. I’m happy if you just feel something about this car, as it’s a car I really loved. Not only on its own merits, but also for one of the most important additions to my life - it single-handedly started my KC BMW Club membership.

During one of his standup routines, comedian George Carlin said that when he died, he didn’t want a somber funeral or anything like that. He wanted to be “blown up”. George didn’t get his wish, but it was his comment that crossed my mind as I was looking sadly at the car recently. While I don’t have any dynamite, I do have a small collection of overgrown Tonka Toys. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In the early 90’s, I ran across an interesting little ‘76 BMW 530i and, thinking it’d be cool to own a BMW, test-drove it. I was very surprised at how smooth a 4-cylinder engine could be (hold the protests - I knew nothing about BMW’s back then) and how solid the car felt. I decided to buy it as a restoration project since it was in acceptable mechanical condition even though the paint was awful. I parked it at my in-laws’ place and picked up a Clymer’s manual for it when I ran across one several months later. Then I saw the rated horsepower, and that it was actually a 6-banger, and couldn’t believe the sedate little sedan I drove could make that much power.

I went out to drive the car again, let it build some real revs and was so impressed that I drove it home. It served as my daily driver for about a year. It was then I decided this was definitely a car worthy of restoration and possibly even conversion to a manual transmission. I loved the car so much that I did something I’d never done before: I joined the KC BMW Club. But that’s another story.

Later, I garaged the car at a relative’s place and my son helped me disassemble it and sand the paint in preparation for a re-spray. I lovingly restored the interior and made sure it was in perfect mechanical condition. However, since the car was already in such good condition, I decided against a complete restoration and opted instead just to do the re-spray. It would be sufficient for the car just to look good inside and out, and to work perfectly.

My son, being 12 at the time (it was to be his first car), wasn’t quite as helpful as he could’ve been. It turned out that while the car was parked at his uncle’s place, he wasn’t sanding it as we had agreed, but instead, driving the heck out of it in his uncle’s fields. This resulted in lots of damage to the undercarriage and

suspension. To make things worse, he parked it outside over the winter while the paint was sanded off and ready for primer, and with the malfunctioning sunroof still off. I didn’t realize this until I went back to finish the work only to find a rusting, barely drivable, shadow of a car. The recently restored interior was now utterly destroyed.

The result was that the car ended up sitting in a field at my place for about a decade. It donated its coil to my old Ford tractor and became home to lots of field mice, and a cat who would stop by to chase down the occasional snack. More recently, it became a plinking target.

I recently started up a website called Talkzilla for discussing cars, motorcycles, and other motorized toys. About the same time, I was doing some cleanup on my property and saw the E12 sitting there rusting away. I thought what a shame it should meet such an end. It would be even worse if it simply went quietly to the crusher.

I had advertised the car years ago in the Milepost a few times, offering it free to anyone who’d bring a flatbed trailer I could load it onto, but there were no takers. So one thing led to another, as they say, and I decided to destroy the car with my excavator and videotape it for YouTube as a publicity stunt for my newest site. This way I could give the car a funeral similar to the one George Carlin mentioned.

So, if you’ve got the stomach for it, look for me on YouTube, as “TalkzillaBob”, and you’ll find the video plus commentary from my daughter and her best friend who were holding the camera. I should add that the car was so tough that the video, which started out as 16 minutes in length, was trimmed by about 10 minutes after I tried in vain to cut the car in half with the excavator’s teeth.

It was a good little car and deserved better, but got better than most cars in its condition - virtual immortality via a memorable and somewhat interesting funeral.

Rest in pieces, old friend.

[Bob Zumbrunnen, affectionately or otherwise known as “Dob” in his circle of Driving School friends (another

story), is a long-time participant in and instructor with all

of the Midwest car clubs. We love him for who he his, even

if his judgment is so impaired that he shows up at the track

with a Mustang and/or Subaru STi (may God rest his

tortured STi). By day he runs a number of websites,

including Cars.Talkzilla.com where he goes by the

undeserved handle “The Stig”.]

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 08

Now You Know: Club apparel, including shirts and

hats, are available for purchase via a secure, online store. Our shirts come in several current styles and fabrics, as well as a wide variety of colors. At the risk of bragging, we’ve even gone so far as to offer these garments in His and Her styles. You can even choose whether to put your Club’s logo over your heart or on your sleeve.

Access the online catalogue by going to your Club home page (kcbmwclub.com) and look for the link on the right-side of the page.

User name = kcbmw; Password = cars. Clever, no? Payment is by major credit card, and purchases can be picked-up in Lenexa or you can have them shipped to your home.

For The Record - Club News and Notices

Board Vacancies

Club president Alan Staples reported the following Board positions are open. Any Club member or associate member in good standing is eligible to serve.

Street Survival and Charitable Activities Director Blake Henrich served notice of his resignation effective 12 Feb. 2009. Blake’s leadership, infectious smile and incredibly well-trained dog will be missed.

Autocross Chair Chris Conant tendered his resignation effective 13 Feb. 2009. Chris is a rising star in the world of Autocross and we wish him (and his ever-faster E30 M3, “Old Red”) continued success in his 2009 campaign.

After further review of the January 2009 election results, it was determined that the winning candidate for Sub-chapter VP, Wichita, was not eligible to serve the position. This position, and our Sub-chapter VP, Springfield, remain open. Anybody interested in learning more or taking up one of these responsibilities should contact the Club president.

Milepost Editor continues as an unfilled position. Any Club member interested in helping with the layout and assembly of the official Club newsletter should waste no time contacting Club president Staples.

Board Appointments

Vice President Mike Staub nominated and the Board approved the appointment of Greg Gelatka as the Club Membership Chair. Greg has been a perpetually enthusiastic supporter of this Club, most recently serving as Club president in 2007.

Driving Events Chair Ryan Staub announced that John Fickel is the new Street Survival Director, effective 2009. John has been an active supporter of our Club – he and wife Trish were key players in this year’s incredible Annual Dinner - and we count ourselves fortunate to have him as leader of this highly visible and important community service.

Financial Update Club Treasurer Dave Stadtmueller submitted the following financial information for the first quarter (1Q-09) and first five months (YTD-09) of 2009:

1Q-09 YTD-09

Total Receipts $7,594 $12,691

Total Expenses 11,965 14,918

Net Gain (Loss) ($4,371) ($2,226)

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 09

Mary’s New Car By Scott Goodwin

Just because I drive a Shelby Mustang now doesn’t mean that we have forgotten about BMWs. We wanted to share our recent car buying experience with the club to let you know that BMWs are about the driving experience and not the latest “gee whiz” gadgets that are available on today’s cars.

Let’s face it, if you want technology in the form of the latest and greatest navigation and blue tooth technology, buy a Ford, any Ford, or just about any Japanese car.

But, if you want to drive a great driving car, then you must buy a BMW, any BMW.

Mary and I went to the last auto show and looked at the latest offerings competing with the 3 series BMW. We narrowed our search to Acura, Lexus, and Lincoln.

The Lincoln MKZ was fresh on the market and a stunner but way over-priced. By that I mean that it was within $2K of the 328i with X-drive and all the goodies.

The Lexus 350 was dismissed by Mary because it was too soft and the steering was too light. Can you believe that?

The Acura TL was the only serious player and the one I was pushing for because its technology was beyond reproach; far superior to the BMW. Our test drives were close, with the Acura acquitting itself quite well for a front driver. It came down to prestige of the brand and damn it, the BMW just felt better.

Mary said that it didn’t matter that the BMW was $46K and the Acura was only $39K. The BMW was worth the extra and it was going to be her first new car since 1995. Up until now we had always purchased certified pre-owned which you have heard me preach about before.

Our good friend Dennis Jean at Baron BMW hooked us up with a special order full-tilt 2009 328i with X-drive in a beautiful Blue Water that Mary just adores.

We had to special order the car and wait 8 weeks for it but that was just fine because it is exactly what she wanted.

Now, the rest of the story.

We decided to sell Mary’s 325Xi rather than trade it in because the use car market is really strong and we could get way more for it than trading it in.

I had a gentleman come to the house to purchase some golf clubs I was selling at the same time Mary’s car was listed for sale. I pointed to the car and remarked that it was for sale also. He said that he tried to buy one for his wife and she hated it because it was too firm and the steering was too heavy. They bought a Lexus 350. Go figure!

No, I am not finished with the rest of this story.

The couple that bought our 325Xi was from Wichita and it was their first BMW. During the test drive the husband remarked how solid the car felt and he couldn’t believe the steering and composure of the car. I told him the worst part about buying this car is that they won’t want to drive anything else in the future. It will spoil them forever.

I thought about what I had just said and I was at peace with Mary’s decision. I am glad she bought the BMW because truthfully, nothing drives like a BMW.

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 10

Eye Candy: Resurrecting the Mighty Scarab!

Our May monthly meeting found us in Gardner, KS.

After a tour of the facility, Hugo Becker caught the A ticket ride

Strike a pose: Scarab craftsmen and their handiwork

400 hp + 2100 pounds = no waiting, big grins and new friends

National DEC Meeting Recap By Ryan Staub

[We recently sent our Club DEC Chair Ryan Staub and

Chief Instructor Tim Gerrity to New Orleans for a national

meeting of the BMW CCA Driver Education Committee.

This is a summary of what we could extract from their

numerous cocktail napkins. Ed]

• Each CCA Chapter has the option of discontinuing the use of Helmet Waiver forms. However, we still need to check Snell ratings. SFI-rated helmets can be allowed at the Chapter discretion.

• CCA Chapters now have the option of using non-professional, trained corner workers when experienced SCCA or professional corner workers are not available. Students or other volunteers serving as corner workers must be trained on their duties prior to the event. Information on their task and on all flag should also be covered in a drivers meeting and/or classroom.

• CCA Headquarters has approved a new medical form as the minimum standard for a DE. It was developed by a chapter member that is a paramedic, and contains information that an EMT would need to start work on an injured participant.

• Each CCA Chapter has the option of allowing data acquisition systems in cars. Live timing in the car must be disabled (tape over a lap timer is sufficient).

• All DEs must now have two EMTs and at least one ambulance on-site; the old requirement was one EMT. This new National standard also recommends two ambulances be present during the DE so that one will be on site if the other has to leave the track.

• The National standard now requires Fire/Rescue equipment and trained personnel capable of firefighting and vehicle extrication, and fire extinguishers in the pit area and at all manned corner stations during each DE.

• The National standard does not differentiate retractable hard tops from convertibles. National and a few Chapters are developing an alternative type of structure that might allow convertibles in a restricted run group (i.e., speed limited, no r-comp tires, etc).

• CCA Chapters now have the option of allowing cars to have windows closed during inclement weather (except racecars). Chapters can decide how to handle passes when windows are closed - probably turn signals.

• It was confirmed that open-wheel cars can only be on track in a run group dedicated to open-wheel cars.

• National roll bar standards (tube diameter and wall thickness) for open-top cars now more closely match NASA and some other groups. The “plane of the broomstick” rule remains without change.

the Milepost – March, April and May, 2009 11

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 4693 Kansas City, MO

Kansas City BMW Club P.O. Box 4832 Overland Park, KS 66204 (913) 383-7084

Stuff You’ve Been Putting Off For Too Long…

Be Somebody: Register to receive Club Announcements. Only the best and most important Club events and activities are hand-picked for this service. These News Nuggets are individually packaged and then launched from the Intergalactic KC BMW Club Mother Ship into the vapory ether of the Internets, where strange dark forces hasten to deliver the Club Announcement to your email in-box. This miracle of technology happens several times each month. Register for this free service by following the links on our home page or by emailing your demands to our web master.

Shrink your carbon footprint and help your Club save money by choosing to receive the vibrantly colorful e-Milepost instead of the grayscale print edition. How can you grab this incredible opportunity to be an environment and financial Doer of Good Things? It’s so simple: Email your OPT OUT request to mileposteditor@kcbmwclub.org. That tingling sensation is the vibe you get for Doing Good. w00t!

No Excuses! Registration is open for the 2009 edition of your Club’s High Performance Driving School, scheduled for July 10, 11 and 12 at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. As before, Friday is open to instructors and advanced students, while classroom and driving sessions for all students will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday. Go to our home page for links to registration. If you aren’t sure about these driving schools, here are four fast facts:

Every student has an in-car instructor every time they drive on the track. Classroom sessions are coordinated with on-track sessions. The emphasis is safely elevating driver skills to more closely match the capabilities of the car.

This is NOT a racing school! We go to great lengths to provide high levels of safety. Life is short and cars are expensive, so nobody goes too fast for their comfort level, skill level or track conditions. Anybody unwilling or repeatedly trying to operate outside these guidelines goes home – no refund.

We welcome any make of car (but we’re guilty of loving BMWs) with a fixed roof that meets basic safety standards is eligible. Trucks and convertibles cannot be used for the school. Students must be 18 or older, have a valid driver license, and have proof of in-force insurance. Car sharing is allowed. All students must join or be Club members.

All students must have a helmet that has been rated by the Snell Safety Institute. There are many places to buy helmets, but not all helmets are Snell-rated. Your helmet must be rated M2000 or SA2000, or newer. DOT-approved helmets do NOT qualify. Avoid disappointment by checking your helmet for the official Snell logo sticker (usually but not always behind the helmet padding, affixed to the helmet shell).