E9 Registry

[Stan]

Thinking about the possibility of a registry again. Where are we with that?

One thought that came to me was as our fellow coupe fans find coupes that are so far gone that they are fit for parts and the crusher, they ought to collect the VIN tag from the door jamb. Like collecting dog-tags...
That was as we compile the list of coupes we can continue to have a better idea of how many are really on the road and the cars that will never again be on the road.

Is it more complicated than creating a spreadsheet with the VIN numbers is order and a column beside with the owner's name or the word JUNK when the car has gone off to the giant ferrous oxide cloud in the sky?

Stan
2240907

 

[chicane]

Thinking about the possibility of a registry again. Where are we with that?

One thought that came to me was as our fellow coupe fans find coupes that are so far gone that they are fit for parts and the crusher, they ought to collect the VIN tag from the door jamb. Like collecting dog-tags...
That was as we compile the list of coupes we can continue to have a better idea of how many are really on the road and the cars that will never again be on the road.

Is it more complicated than creating a spreadsheet with the VIN numbers is order and a column beside with the owner's name or the word JUNK when the car has gone off to the giant ferrous oxide cloud in the sky?

Stan

2240907

That is a great idea, I was thinking the same thing. We need to know which cars are still on the road and which have gone to coupe heaven.

 

[HB Chris]

registry

I agree, that would be wonderful. The original CS Registry is non-existant. VINs aren't on the door tag however, paint code is though. We could divide the role into groups by VIN category, such as one member gathers the intial data for all 225xxxx, another does 226xxxx and so forth. We need the keep the database simple I think, and not try to gather 15 data elements. Maybe just year, color, owner's name (or Junk) and location. MS Excel is the simplest tool to use. I would volunteer to do the USA CSA 225xxxx series.

 

[dp]

I agree, that would be wonderful. The original CS Registry is non-existant...-snipped-

Really? Art W no longer has the ("original") registry records?

 

[feri]

And on and on, again, again, etc

About every month there is a fantastic new idea: let's make an e9 registry ! Wow !

It is so interesting to see that everyone WANT an e9 registry, but NOBODY wants to make anything to make it possible.

Insteaid of pushing dp the make and e9 registry (but RIGHT NOW, again, every month) why isn't this registry idea started as:

- who will work, and what can be done in this project ?
- how is the registry data stored ?
- what information need to be stored ?
- what about the current offline e9 registers (coupe club germany, netherland, art's reg, 2 or 3 csl registers) ?
- who will maintain it ?
- etc
- etc
- etc
- (add a few more dozen open question here)

So currently noone knows nothing, noone does nothing, noone knows what will happen, but some people want and e9 registry. I have seen TOOOOOO much, such bmw related project in the past 6-8 years.

At this moment may I allowed to have a nice, loud laugh ?

 

[chicane]

And on and on, again, again, etc

About every month there is a fantastic new idea: let's make an e9 registry ! Wow !

It is so interesting to see that everyone WANT an e9 registry, but NOBODY wants to make anything to make it possible.

Dan is on top of things.

 

[Cabrio330]

As a new owner of a coupe who will probably not be able to contribute much in the way of technical knowledge (at least for awhile), I am happy to volunteer to help with this. But as a newbie, I don't feel qualified to determine how to construct the registry, what information to include, etc. So, if one or more of the members here would like to debate and decide on the details, I will be happy to take on the task of compiling and maintaining any part of it.

So either Dan or one of the admins here - just tell me what to do!

I think this is a great idea!

Richard aka Cabrio330

 

[dang]

There's a couple of us looking into options and one custom program being developed as we speak that may be used. I'm with you when you say... enough talk, let's do something. I couldn't agree more, and assigning responsibility is the first step.

A summary of the "project":

1) Is there interest? - Yes.

2) What's the scope of the project? (how much work?) - we're investigating this now and there may be some "opportunity" for others to volunteer their time once its up and running.

3) Program options - custom program being tested. Other existing programs being asked about.

4) Location/Hosting/Support? - I think e9coupe.com is a good place to "own" the registry, but it may end up that a separate site is the way to go. Could it start out with e9coupe.com and someday be separated into its own site? Sure. This probably isn't a big deal, but it will be structured in a way that could be split off later.

5) Updates - I'll do my best to keep the board updated with any progress. Keep in mind that everyone involved is volunteering their time. This isn't going to happen overnight and I never want anything like this to become a burden to someone volunteering. It will get done.

Most importantly... the fact that people are asking about it and getting frustrated is the best thing for it. There's nothing worse than working hard for something nobody cares about.

Dan

 

[acat2002]

I have saved information (and some provenance) from several coupes I have looked at over the years (for parts and otherwise), includiing VIN #s. I have at least eight folders in my file tree directory for each car I have looked at. Pictures, scanned documents etc.

I assume most on this board are like me and collect this type of stuff. Whether you own a coupe or are just looking, you undoubtedly stumble across many coupes. I bet some people have records on hundreds of E9s.

I would immediately share/contribute all I know regarding any E9, its last known whereabouts, condition, VIN# etc. I'm not a D-Base expert, but I assume a simple web-based .SQL? system is what you're envisioning, right?
Something that registered users can easily contribute to by filling out less than say 10 fields (including maybe a comments field for narrative).

One thing I'd like to add is that whenever "the public" is asked to populate a database, some steps should be taken to verify the accuracy, or some level of accountability by the contributor. Don't exactly know how this would work, but everyone is familar withthe saying "garbage in, garbage out" relating to databases.

 

[HB Chris]

VIN Database

dp,

Obviously Art has the records but his site appears to have no activity. I am not a member but there aren't any updates and the data available to visitors is very old.

feri,

In my post I volunteered to gather data for a registry. My skills are limited to MS Office, hopefully that could then be uploaded. Are you volunteering to help or just pointing fingers?

 

[drewbaker]

I can help.

I'm an expert in HTML and CSS. I have built a ton of Wordpress (A content management system) themes and know my way around a vBulletin install (enough to know it sucks - ahahah!). My brother and I run the largest snow, skate and surf magazine (and website for that matter) in Australia (www.popmag.com.au).

Between the too of us, we are experts in Photoshop, InDesign, Sketchup, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Apple Color, Illustrator, Flash. See our personal website here: www.rickanddrew.com

So I'd say someone needs to build a MySQL database that can be called with PHP. Then I can very easily make the front end for it.

Let me know if we can help.

 

[roundel]

This is a good idea, but always after a bright start things tend to come to a gentle halt. Why is it not possible to have a thread on this forum where people can list the cars they know of and then all that needs to be done by `someone` is to put the chassis numbers in numerical order. The easier you make it the better response you will get I think?
Just an idea.
Alex

 

[chicane]

This is a good idea, but always after a bright start things tend to come to a gentle halt. Why is it not possible to have a thread on this forum where people can list the cars they know of and then all that needs to be done by `someone` is to put the chassis numbers in numerical order. The easier you make it the better response you will get I think?
Just an idea.
Alex

This really needs to be a custom, database oriented solution that is fully automated or else you will have a mess on your hands.

 

[TodB]

Registry

I really think it should be an extension of this site.

 

[Stan]

I really think it should be an extension of this site.

Could we make it part of the member list?

 

[jranmann]

One thing about the Registry that is certain...the work will get easier the more time goes by...

:mrgreen:

 

[Arde]

This may sound blunt, but with the number of E9s in question we could squeeze the registry in a $4 three ring binder. That is probably what they consult in Germany when we send the VIN numbers.

Let's keep it period correct. Pen and paper.

 

[jranmann]

"Let's keep it period correct. Pen and paper"

http://www.bmwcsregistry.org/CSR_Information/index.html

I heartily agree...no batteries, no wall plug/warts and if we can't have a good time doing it why bother? (Posterity perhaps?) All we will be able to leave our replacement humans are pictures and text and perhaps a few .wav files when the last few remaining CSL's will be history's mystery and a few rusty body shells will be growing daisies down on the lower 40.

I almost hate to admit this here but there was a time in my life when I also drove and owned a Land Rover Series II 109. During my tenure on the main S2 board in the UK I did assist in helping straighten out the registry mess (over the entire production run) and learned a great deal.

One of the advantages of the UK system and it's MOT discs is that it's easy to account for lost/destroyed vehicles as there's a central clearing system. Of course in the US it's by the State and that will require a initial effort to create a general map of where these babies end up. Pins in a wall mounted USA map might be a way to picture it. This is key as the DMV's coding of the vehicle type often does not distinguish between an e24 and a e9 let's say.

My suggestion (and I will do this bit if someone will create the preliminary density map) is to contact the various state agencies directly (that offer things like historic license plates, tax deductible registration fees at meets and shows, etc, as a tax funded preservation service. In return they can provide us (me most likely) the raw data that could be gone through maually as the numbers are not great (or on a spreadsheet) and the CS coupes revealed in their entirety. Lastly this is a living, ever changing experience so a group would have to be dedicated to keeping the ebb and flow of the vehicles and their owners current and up to date.

I am sure with the popularity of these vehicles in other countries, our contacts in the UK and Germany could do precisely the same on their end and in a short while we would have our world wise data base....and with the dues collected come up with an electronic alternative newsletter to the 'Roundel' news that could spread the word to our membership in a timely, informative and inexpensive manner.

eg: "Absolutely no trees were harmed or destroyed in the making of this motion magazine"

Registry development solved for the most part but if we wish to be overly clever we can always drape scantily clad tall women over our monthly photo layouts?

:mrgreen:

 

[feri]

dp,

Obviously Art has the records but his site appears to have no activity. I am not a member but there aren't any updates and the data available to visitors is very old.

feri,

In my post I volunteered to gather data for a registry. My skills are limited to MS Office, hopefully that could then be uploaded. Are you volunteering to help or just pointing fingers?

Chris,

I have involved in a few bmw related forums / webpages, also i am also making a bmw register (not e9, other bmws). And a bonus: i am programmer, and i make websites (and other things). I can help any database related things (mysql for ex), as it is one of my hobby.

But

I still think that at this moment there are too many open, unanswered question about such a registry. Believe me, declaring and specifing all the rules about the registry, and collect the data from other people (if they want to give it to us) takes 98% of the work. The rest of the work (programing in php+mysql) is not that much.

I think that being keen/enthusiastic without any concept in not enough for making a good registry.

 

[chicane]

This may sound blunt, but with the number of E9s in question we could squeeze the registry in a $4 three ring binder. That is probably what they consult in Germany when we send the VIN numbers.

Let's keep it period correct. Pen and paper.

Ummm, that is not an option. How does that help the community?

One of biggest issues is that you have one person (the old CS registry) that holds the keys to the castle and no one can get in. That is a non-starter. We need to have an OPEN and ACCESSIBLE solution that ALL members can use and enjoy.

Dan is working on a web-based database driven solution. All you guys need to do is gather up VIN numbers and other associated data.