Newsletter - SoCalEights

Newsletter
January – February
Issue No. 9
st
1
2013
Annual
WrenchFest
At EF1 Motorsports Signal Hill, CA
Coming Next!
“Car of the Month”
1
January- February Articles:
Inside This Month’s Issue
Artwork and Articles Created
By: Fern Mora
SoCal’s Upcoming Issue:
March “Car of the Month”
• Publisher’s Note …………………………………….….. Page 3
• What’s a WrenchFest? ………………………….………. Page 4
• SoCal Arrives at EF1 Motorsports ..…………..……..…. Page 5
• Some Goodies at WrenchFest ………………………..… Page 6
• About EF1 Motorsports ……………………………..…. Page 7
• Detail Clinic By Bruce Papp …………………………... Page 8
• Removing Pesky Dents ……………..……....……......... Page 9
• Now For Some Wrenching ………………………....….. Page 10-12
• WrenchFest Related Story ……………………………... Page 13-15
• One of our Own Makes it ..…………………………….. Page 16
• Items & Service Now Available …...…………………... Page 17
• i8 Concept ……………………………………………... Page 18
• 2013 Left Coast 8-Fest Update ………………….…..… Page 19
• SoCal Eights Achtung! …………………………........… Page 20
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Publishers Note
January - February
Greetings from Marina Del Rey, CA
In this issue I have decided to combine the months of January and
February since it is easier. SoCal Eights had only one event and little
of any other new news to share. However there is enough news in
this issue that I feel you will find interesting.
We have had a lot of fun these past 2 months and have also met new 8 owners. Our
group is expanding and will continue to grow as we get more exposure. Our web
site is now active and continues to be updated as events are scheduled. Our website
is now open to all, and any 8 owner can post ads in our classified section.
SoCal Eights has been getting notoriety through the T-Shirts, Key Rings, and
Newsletters all around the world which helps us to expand our reach in the US as
well as internationally.
Here is the list of US states and international countries I have sent merchandise to:
23 United States:
Maryland
California
Texas
New Jersey
Connecticut
Florida
Virginia
Ohio
Georgia
Kansas
Philadelphia Main
North Carolina
Washington
Mississippi
Wisconsin
Washington
Colorado
Massachusetts
Nevada
Michigan
Iowa
New Mexico
13 International Countries:
Germany
Croatia
Sweden
France
England
Canada
Saudi Arabia
Austria
Norway
British Columbia
Russia
Switzerland
Australia
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What is a
WrenchFest?
www.socaleights.com
No, it’s not a hard drink made in October, nor is it a group
of people that run around with wrenches in their hands
singing “Kum-by-Ya”. It’s a group of 8 enthusiasts who get
together once or twice a year to work on their cars. Why
do you say, they have to wait for a WrenchFest to fix their
cars? Many will tell you that it is better to have some of
your best friends there to help share the pain, but mostly to
gain knowledge and experience. Many of us have learned
alot over the years and have performed many of the small
jobs that most shop don’t even want to do.
Taylor and Brian repairing
headlight buckets
These cars all seem to have many of the same issues and because of that, many of us
have experienced them first hand. Not all solutions are the same but in most cases very
similar. The common problems that most shops don’t like to work on are the sunroof,
power seats, headlight buckets, interior rubber moldings, door handles, and
troubleshooting wiring issues which can take a great deal of time.
These are small problems for shops but for us it’s a major annoyance. Most shops will not
touch our cars and most dealerships seldom have a mechanic knowledgeable enough on
8s to fix them. This is where we come in. Everyone has or will have some of these issues.
That’s just the way it is, as our cars progress in years and things just break. Lucky for us
that most who attend these meets have learned how to repair these issues. It is a great
way to gain some knowledge and do some of your own work in a professional garage.
Working with your fellow 8ers gives you
more confidence. Also, if something goes
wrong they will be there to help you……or
at least hold a wrench for you
4
Harold repairing sunroof in 2012
Owner: Fabrizio Aldrette
SoCal Eights at
EF1 Motorsports
Seventeen 8 owners and one want-to-be owner,
Steve, arrived at EF1 Motorsports on February 9th
to attend our Annual Winter 2013 WrenchFest.
This is the 4th year that we have held a
WrenchFest here and Fabrizio Aldrette “Fab” was
again a gracious host.
What a great day it turned out to be after a night of heavy rain. The sun gods were truly
in our favor and rained sunlight over us. A few of us arrived early and during the course
of the day many more dropped in. It was nice to meet some of the newbie owners like
Tom Jacobsmeyer (tvjake2), Nikki Millaux (SHEBUILT) and Thomas M. who stopped by on
his way to Milan Italy just to say hello and meet some of the guys.
TOM
GARY
RONN
KASEY
CARTER
MIKE
BRIAN
LOU
MARK
TAYLOR
MATT
FERN
STEVE
CHRIS
NIKKI
JEREMY
RON
Most of the group is here, but missing in this shot is Thomas
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Some Goodies...Yea!
Our members were greeted in the
cool morning by some hot coffee and
rolls provided by yours truly. Others
brought some Krispy Kreme coffee
and donuts and Mark brought some
very good home made brownies. So
we were set for the morning.
In the afternoon Erik Hoffman
showed up with some of his
homemade light and dark beers that
he brews. What goes better with
beer than pizza. We gobbled up 8
large ones that afternoon.
Of course we also had the usual soft
drinks on hand too.
Bottled water, hand soap, and gloves
were donated by Long Beach BMW
along with some very nice key rings
for everyone.
Matt (Newmexicomatt) brought 4
cases of his Range Green and Red
Chile Sauce. What a treat! Very few
were left after we all got our share.
Thanks Matt!
www.rangecafe.com
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EF1
History
Growing up in the automotive business, Fabrizio
Aldrette had a passion for cars at an early age. It is
this passion that compelled him to dedicate his life
to the automotive industry and eventually to
opening up his own shop – EF1 Motorsports.
As a member of both the Ferrari and Porsche Owners Club of America, he has worked on
countless exotic and European vehicles throughout Southern California and abroad. Till this
day, customers that have moved to neighboring states continue to bring their vehicles to
Fabrizio for major service and maintenance, but more importantly for the rapport he has
with them.
EF1 Motorsports has been offering European auto repair, service and
maintenance to Signal Hill, and the neighboring Long Beach,
Lakewood and Seal Beach communities since 1998. Our passion for
European auto repair and service shows through our work. We strive
to meet the highest expectations of our customers (whether daily
drivers or D1GP racers). We specialize in all European vehicles such
as Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Audi, BMW, Porsche, MINI and
Ferrari. Our licensed and insured staff offers dependable work you
can trust.
These expert auto mechanics have boundless experience. We specialize
in suspension installs, engine upgrades and parts installs, brake
systems, engine service and repair, air conditioning service and repairs,
oil changes, tune-ups, wheel and tire installs, and every major and
minor car repair in-between. Our master mechanics are ASC certified
and equipped to answer any questions you may have about your car.
http://ef1motorsports.com/
http://www.facebook.com/EF1Motorsports
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Detail Clinic
By Bruce Papp
Before we got started with some serious wrenching
Bruce Papp, the representative for Adams Polishes,
was kind enough to join us again this year. He gave
us a detailing clinic by demonstrating some of the
products he sells on a Shelby Cobra with badly faded
red paint.
At last year’s WrenchFest, there was a lot of interest
in learning about detailing our cars. This year was
no exception. We had some of our members
purchase many of his great products.
Thanks Bruce for visiting us again this year. We
thoroughly enjoyed your demonstration and the
products are remarkable. We look forward to seeing
you again next year.
Contact: (818) 621-1423
Bruce4Adams@hotmail.com
www.adamspolishes.com
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Removing
Those Pesky
Dings
Chris Long was kind enough to show
up at the request of Gator Bryson
who works at Long Beach BMW.
Chris performs most of the work for
their lot cars and offered his services
to our group at a discount. We took
full advantage of his services and
had those small door, hood, and side
panel dings taken out.
Chris Long (714) 393-1458
Chris has a mobile service and can make a call
to your business or home by appointment. To
receive a discount, you must state that you are
from SoCal Eights.
It ended up being a full days work
for Chris. Once he got started on
mine, many others got their cars
done too.
Chris working on Mark’s side panel
ding
Thanks Chris for coming out and helping
to make our WrenchFest a great
success. Maybe we can get you out to
our next WrenchFest in August.
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Now for Some
Wrenching
Mark swapping a steering wheel
Jeremy changing his transmission filter and fluid
Taylor’s car getting a 4 wheel
alignment
Taylor and Brian doing a seat repair on
Chris’ 8
10
The Wrenching
Continued
Carter getting into it while Taylor and
Mike give good advice
Kasey showed up later in the
afternoon with his newly repainted 8
Brian troubleshooting Matt’s
(newmexicomatt) 850 that has
been giving him a problem.
Jeremy lowering his 850 after
checking the suspension bushings -his next project
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More Pictures Courtesy
of Tom Jacobsmeyer
Ronn’s
Chris removing dents on Tom’s car.
Shelby Cobra after being
detailed by Bruce Papp
Carter
tearing his
center
console
apart
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WrenchFest
Related Story
Christopher Kypuros’s
“DOCCTORK” Unfortunate
Story
This car now belongs to
Christopher who
purchased the car from
David Miyasako from
SoCal. Some of you
may have meet David at
8-Fest in 2003. David
had it in very good shape
but Christopher wanted
to go further with it. He
spent countless hours
and money to get his
840Ci in a pristine
condition, readying it for
the upcoming 8-Fest 10th
Anniversary. This picture
of the car was taken a
short time ago.
I have communicated with Chris occasionally and knew about his car and the previous owner.
Chris was invited to attend our SoCal Eight’s WrenchFest this month and he made plans to drive
to the WrenchFest from Las Vegas with his 8. Chris decided to get up very early Saturday
morning and hit the road for the 5 hour trip to EF1 Motorsports in Signal Hill.
Here is his story:
Eagle’s Last Flight
They say if you want to make God laugh you tell Him what your plans are. My name is Dr.
Christopher A. Kypuros, 1997 BMW 840ci owner and E31 enthusiast. After a life-long love affair with
the BMW 8 Series, acquiring my doctoral degree seemed like to perfect time to reward myself with
my dream car. It took more than two years of research to find the “perfect” E31. The 840ci I found
was primped and pampered by a previous owner with roots in the E31 movement. The owner was
David Miyasako, who spearheaded the “Gathering of Eagles” and attended Left Coast 8-Fest in
2003. To say my car was “special” was an understatement. It had been preserved to a museum-like
quality with slight modifications including a CSI kit, upgraded LSD, M-Tech wheels, Business CD
head unit, refurbished seats, Michelin Pilot Sports, religious mechanical maintenance and washes
and waxes.
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The Story Continues:
Purchasing my car transformed me from being an owner to more of a preservationist. A couple of
years ago I asked Wuffer to think about a 10 year Left Coast 8 Fest reunion and I was pleasantly
surprised to learn the idea was becoming a reality. When I learned about SoCal 8’s WrenchFest, my
thought was to go and learn as my car was not in need of any wrenching. In preparation for
WrenchFest, I had my calipers painted Alpine White, treated it to a major detail and took it to
Southwest Bimmers in Vegas for a Road Trip Check.
On Saturday, February 9, 2013 I awoke to my alarm at 3:30 am. I filled her up with Premium 91
Octane and headed toward SoCal 8’s WrenchFest. Traffic on I-15 South was fairly sparse; however, I
did notice an Ambulance headed in the same direction so I followed it for awhile. After passing
Stateline and entering California I noticed the Ambulance increasing speed so I backed off
acknowledging the “Zero Tolerance Speed Zone” in entering and exiting the NevCal. After climbing
my way up toward Mt. Pass I noticed snowflakes coming down, then the E31’s inclement weather
warning came on. It was 31 degrees Fahrenheit and visibility was decreasing. With about a mile to go
before reaching Bailey Road, Exit 281, the E31 started to slide and I felt like I was literally driving on
butter. In a matter of seconds, I remember “steer in the direction you want to go” and “whatever you
do, do not hit the brakes”. With all loss of control, my life flashed before my eyes, but what was
assuring was I felt “safe” in my two ton vessel. I don’t know how many times I 360’d but what I do
know is by the grace of God I ended up perfectly on the median.
Walking away from the accident was a blessing; however, the toll on the ’97 was overwhelming. As
you can imagine I was both grateful and disappointed. Shortly after my accident, the entire highway
was plagued with accidents and fatalities from a freak snow storm. As such, the highway was closed
for several hours. I had my accident at about 5:30 am and the tow truck did not arrive until 1:00 pm. It
was a long day. When I met the tow driver, who came from Barstow, he indicated before arriving to
pick me up, he saw an Ambulance just ahead of me being pulled out of a ditch. It was the same
Ambulance I had been following earlier.
On Saturday afternoon I had my car towed to Exotic Paintworks in Las Vegas. They are experts in
high end cars and do excellent work. Given that they were closed, my car was left outside their
complex and I had a hard time sleeping knowing my car was left outside in the elements. That’s how
much I was connected to my car. It is a few weeks later and I have come to the realization the car is
a total loss. The insurance company is trying to come to an Accurate Cash Value (ACV) for the ’97.
My ACV is simple, “priceless”.
Chris, needless to say, was extremely upset that he had wrecked is pristine 840. Chris being the
good person that he is, attempted to contact me through the Bimmer Forum PM, Facebook, and also
telephoned EF1 several times while I was there for WrenchFest to let me know that he was sorry he
did not make it.
He wanted to let me know “Sorry I am not there, I don’t want you to think that I flaked out on you and
not make it to Wrenchfest” Then he gave me the reason why. My first response was are you okay?
He said “Yes I am fine but the car is not”
“I am sure we all feel disheartened for his loss but are glad he was not injured”
Estimated cost of repair $21,422.79
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The Dangers of Black Ice
Black Ice On Highway 15
Being towed to the body shop
At the body shop in Las Vegas
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One of Our
Own Makes it!
Many of you know Forrest
Mitchell as “Crazy8” on the
Bimmer Forum. Well, recently
he made a premier video on
You Tube with his group
called “ThirstBusters”.
You Tube Capture
The ThirstBusters release
their new music video “Bad
Bad Girl” on Tuesday Feb
19th.
They’ll also be performing
live on The CW's TV Series
“90210” Monday Feb 18th.
Tune in at 8pm pacific time
or on the web at
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/
90210
See a sneak peek here:
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=geF1hO89loM
Taken off the You Tube Video.
ThirstBusters have several videos
on You Tube. Check them out!
“Great to see a local SoCal 8er do well”
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Items and Discounts
Now Available
The BMW Book
SOCAL 8 Members,
304 pp., hardcover
319 color and 45 b/w
photographs
Text in English, German,
and Chinese
Special pricing for parts from BMW Factory
Direct is available for our members at a large
discount. Call Ruben Hernandez at South
Bay BMW (310) 939-7342. you must tell
him that you are a SoCal 8s member.
USD 125.00
excl. shipping costs
www.bmwfactorydirect.com
Item No.:79616I
SBN:978-3-8327-9616-7
Format:11 1/2 x 14 1/2
in.
Prices less than what is seen on their website.
Available at:
http://www.teneues.com/
8 Key Ring
Sample
#001
Many of our 8 owners have ordered and
received these specially created key rings.
They have been mailed out to several
international countries and 14 states in the
US.
They can be engraved on the bottom with
your 7-digit VIN number, your name, or
model of your 8 up to 9 digits. They can be
ordered by emailing me. If you are
interested email me at:
fernm33@aol.com
The cost is $105.00 for mailing in the US and $110.00 USD for international mailing.
17
i8 Concept
2014 BMW i8 : Why It's Being Built
Like Nissan, BMW has decided that EVs are important to its business future, given the
fast-growing number of eco-conscious consumers around the world. More immediately,
the i-cars will help the brand as a whole meet escalating global standards for fuel
economy and CO2 emissions. And of course, the new tech-heavy electrics will contribute
to BMW’s desired image as a socially responsible “green” automaker and technical
innovator. As one company executive declared back in 2009, “In the future, leadership in
the premium segment will belong to whichever manufacturer builds its products in the
most efficient and resource-friendly way, and offers its customers the most advanced and
exciting solutions for eco-friendly personal mobility.” Rivals like Audi and Mercedes Benz
have reached the same conclusion and plan to market their own advanced-tech electric
vehicles in the next few years.
As noted, the 2014 BMW i8 is expected to
look much like its concept predecessors.
That means a strikingly low and wide
stance, complex surface sculpting, and--the
big attention getter--“beetlewing” doors
that pivot skyward from the windshield
posts and are long enough to allow access
to both front and rear seats. Novel strutmounted roof rails should also carry over
and perhaps a full-length transparent roof
panel with structural bracing beneath, but
The 2014 BMW i8 and other i-cars will
the show cars’ see-through lower door
help the brand meet escalating global
panels are sure to become opaque.
standards for fuel economy and CO2
emissions. The BMW i8 Concept is
shown.
8
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Maybe Someday?
11 February 2013 8-Fest Update by Steve Cohen
As of this date:
8,857 hits to the 10th Anniversary of the 2003 Left Coast 8-Fest website Days
until the event: 233 Months / days: 7 months / 20 days.
UPDATE
In my attempt to keep everyone updated on the progress of registration and
reservations, it is my intention to do a monthly update until we are within
several months prior to the event.
Those people who have not yet registered or reserved a room please
remember that registration closes based on the following criteria:
31 August 2013
OR: ALL rooms are reserved before the above date
OR: The number of registrants and their significant others exceeds 175 (the
number of people that can be served dinner at The Benbow Inn).
We now have:
74 registered owners of BMW 8 series
118 Total Attendees
9 attendees have NOT made a room reservation
As of this date, there are only 27 rooms available at the Humboldt House Inn.
To examine the list of attendees: https://www.8-fest.org/Attendees.php We
are asking each of you to assist us in obtaining sponsors, donations, gifts for
your 8 that will be included in your registration kit.
If each person would obtain 1 sponsor we would be in superb shape
regarding sponsors. Please click below for links to:
Guidelines for obtaining sponsors
A letter that can be emailed to each prospective sponsor.
Respectfully,
Steve
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The Directors met the 2nd of February and came up for some interesting and fun events for this
year. Keep checking our website for upcoming events and news. We have also opened up the
classified section of our website to all 8 owners wishing to sell their car or extra parts laying
around and looking for a good home. If you would like to off load some parts or are looking for
some, check out the classified section of www.socaleights.com/classified
The SoCal 8s Board is determined to keep the enthusiasm and momentum that we began last year.
We have made great strives to put us in the forefront on the 8 community and are determined to
continue.
All of this could not be possible without your support and dedication. Currently we have 86 on
our mailing list. If only 20% attend meets or events, it promises to be successful and rewarding
2013.
2013
With the launch of our website www.socaleights.com in September, we will surly build our
membership.
Best Wishes, Fern
Catch us on Facebook
Our New Sponsors
http://www.facebook.com/socaleights
Long Beach BMW, LB CA
Crevier BMW, Santa Ana CA
South Bay BMW, Torrance, CA
BMW Factory Direct, Torrance, CA
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