Membership in BMCCA--my pitch

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blumax

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I'm renewing my membership in the BMW Car Club of America for the umpteenth year--today--so am reminded what a pleasure I have derived from reading the Roundel every month for many years from cover to cover.

And for all those E-9 er's who live in North America--if you are not now a BMCCA Member I encourage all to become members of the BMWCCA--membership delivers the ROUNDEL--our monthly car club magazine is now a 145 page publication--and regarded as the top publication for car clubs in the U.S.--for me it has consistently been a source of excellent articles--most are written by talented folks--the tech section is great--always I look forward to its arrival early each month.

And--for BMWCCA members with 12 months of continuous membership--there is a sizable price break on the purchase of any new or CPO BMW.

Contact is: www.bmwcca.org
 
Between Roundel and the numerous discounts I cannot think of a better way to spend $40.
 
OLD GUY TEST

...when exactly, did BMWCCA drop the "Blau Mit Weiss" preamble to Roundel? This was usually on top of the 2nd or "editors" page.

I was checkin through my old roundels last night and couldn't find it.
 
I hope the BMWCCA is bettter than the UK one. I was a member for a few years but finally gave up as they tend to be a mouth piece for BMW UK rather than a club for owners...
just MHO
Malc
 
I hope the BMWCCA is bettter than the UK one. I was a member for a few years but finally gave up as they tend to be a mouth piece for BMW UK rather than a club for owners...
just MHO
Malc
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You could hope, but you'd be disappointed... It should be called the BMWNA CCA.
Just MHO 8)
 
Tony--as you are obviously one of the earliest--#200--member of the BMW ACA--but never been a member of the BMWCCA--how would you know?--hearsay won't cut it.

Even some of my old buddies that were the original founding members of the BMW ACA here in the greater Los Angeles area whom I have known since about 1973 have put away their pessimism, relented and finally merged with the original club from the east--so having come into the 21st century they apparently are satisfied the membership is not the branch or extension of BMWNA as you suggest. If it were--I would likely cancel my renewal and distance myself from South Carolina--a long days drive from Boston.

BTW--that is the headquarter location for BMWCCA--no longer Boston!!
 
For what its worth , I have been a bmwcca member for around 4 yrs, our chapter is the Golden Gate Chapter and they run some great events like the Festorics at Monterey, they run Track day events at Laguna Seca , Thunderhill and Infinion and have an active autocross calender at reasonable fees as well as 4 or 5 bmw-only tours ,they also send out a bi-monthly magazine. I really do think I get my moneys worth out of the club as I participate in as many events as possible. Plus I get a kick out of turning up at events in the coupe and getting special treatment(just ask TJ)
I would recommend it to anyone in the NorCal area

PJ
 
BMW(space)CCA

I've been a member since '80 (#21109), and have attended nemerous O'Fests, national conferences, driving schools, etc. I was a chapter VP, as well a chapter newsletter editor. I've met a lot of great people thru the club, and gained a lot of knowledge.

These days I'm not so active, attending only an event or two a year here in Vermont.

I'm a big advocate of the club, but am disappointed with the direction Roundel has taken in the past ten years. Though Satch does a fantastic job as editor, there is just too much drivel (they'll publish anything), too much focus on what's new from BMWNA, and not enough attention to those of us driving older cars.

Mike Miller is one of the saving graces of the Roundel; a really good writer with an incredible technical knowledge of the the cars.

In my opinion, Bimmer magazine has become the publication of the real car enthusiasts, thanks again to a lot of input from Mike Miller, and Roundel is now the social register.

The cost of membership is worth the magazine alone, and it also gives me a 10% discount on parts at the local dealer.

As always, IMHO........

Jeff
'73 e9:lsd, weber 38s, 5spdOD, 3.5 liter, etc etc
'00 e39 wagon, all stock
'76 Laverda 3CL
 
Been there, done that.

I was #32691 which dates me from the early 80s. Originally I joined the club for the mechanical information, and parts discounts. In those days the CCA was very owner-oriented.

I've been chapter President 2 years, newsletter editor 5 years, Treasurer about the same, but a just a few months ago decided not to renew, and passed it all on.

Some 10 years back or so, Carla Harmon came aboard, she worked for BMW NA, and the tone of the club changed. I'm not blaming her personally, just a time marker, but isn't it a coincidence that her arrival coincided with the tone change.

Now the CCA is all gushy over the new models; they print BMW NA press material, which completely dissasociates them from their supposed primary purpose - to serve members.

BWM pays, I very high manufacturer fines (every year!) for exceeding US Federal CAFE. Millions. Money out of their customers pockets. For a company whose middle name is "Motor" this in inapproriate. Why can't they do better.

A recent Roundel quote hit me particularly hard. A Lexus rep at one of the auto shows said "A 10 year old Lexus has fewer problems than a new BMW". Think about the implications of that with regard to quality control.

The Japanese are probably the world leaders in engine technology now, and their cars have been "better" in many ways for years.

BMW continues to chase an irrelevant goal, producing cars that are wonderful at triple the speed limits in their market. Who the FK cares? My daily drive to work has a max speed of maybe 30. Coming home (6 miles) I might get to 65 briefly.

The internet has largely supplanted my original need for the CCA. I know about as much about my '73 coupe as I will ever have use for. Anything I don't know, there's the internet to tell me - for free. I no longer need a $40 magazine subscription about new cars and all that shit.

Bitter, am I?
 
I've been reading the Roundel and been a CC member for the last 5 years, pretty much when I got my driver's permit.

I have noticed that the Roundel does tend to go more for what the new models are, but to a degree, that is the nature of a marque club magazine, they have to talk about what is new. On the plus side, they don't gush over the cars entirely, but that is certainly the general tone.

Some of the editors, however, are pure gold. Heck, Rob Siegel chatted with me over the phone after swapping some emails about E9 AC units. I don't know of any other publication where some of the editors are so helpful or actually willing to talk with the readers. That camaraderie is something rarely seen from other car clubs, and it is unfortunately something that is slipping away from the marque in general.

On the plus side, the CCA is also good for 10% off parts at some dealers. Usually, you can get much more than that if you check realoem.com before going to the dealer, as I have noticed the parts counter guys tend to want to add about 30-50% to the actual unit price.

As for designing a car to operate swimmingly at triple digit speeds, that is a very good goal. If the car can take those operating conditions flawlessly, then it should be able to handle a daily commute with ease. I think a lot of the problems with newer cars, aside from the cavalcade of electronics shoehorned into all manner of nooks and crannies, is the reliance on FEA during the design phase. They used to design the cars largely by hand, but then they started using FEA at around the early/mid 90s, which is when you see things like subframe tearing and torsional fatigue shearing ruining cars.
 
Tony--as you are obviously one of the earliest--#200--member of the BMW ACA--but never been a member of the BMWCCA--how would you know?--hearsay won't cut it.

Even some of my old buddies that were the original founding members of the BMW ACA here in the greater Los Angeles area whom I have known since about 1973 have put away their pessimism, relented and finally merged with the original club from the east--so having come into the 21st century they apparently are satisfied the membership is not the branch or extension of BMWNA as you suggest. If it were--I would likely cancel my renewal and distance myself from South Carolina--a long days drive from Boston.

BTW--that is the headquarter location for BMWCCA--no longer Boston!!
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I was a BMW CCA member for years. The CCA comes calling to our ACA chapter every couple of years to try to get the Gamma Delta Iota faction of BMW enthusiasts, the last frontier as it were, to join the fold. Once we read through all the bullpucky that goes along with being a CCA chapter, and see how much local control we are expected to surrender, and how much of our dues will NOT be returned to the local club, how many more pages the CCA lawyers have added to the bylaws, the vote always turns out the same -- NAY!

I'll readily acknowledge that this may just be another example of Oregonian obtuseness. What do you expect from a state where the largest city's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird!"
To know us is to love us... 8)
 
Re: Been there, done that.

I was #32691 which dates me from the early 80s. Originally I joined the club for the mechanical information, and parts discounts. In those days the CCA was very owner-oriented.

I've been chapter President 2 years, newsletter editor 5 years, Treasurer about the same, but a just a few months ago decided not to renew, and passed it all on.

Some 10 years back or so, Carla Harmon came aboard, she worked for BMW NA, and the tone of the club changed. I'm not blaming her personally, just a time marker, but isn't it a coincidence that her arrival coincided with the tone change.

Now the CCA is all gushy over the new models; they print BMW NA press material, which completely dissasociates them from their supposed primary purpose - to serve members.

BWM pays, I very high manufacturer fines (every year!) for exceeding US Federal CAFE. Millions. Money out of their customers pockets. For a company whose middle name is "Motor" this in inapproriate. Why can't they do better.

A recent Roundel quote hit me particularly hard. A Lexus rep at one of the auto shows said "A 10 year old Lexus has fewer problems than a new BMW". Think about the implications of that with regard to quality control.

The Japanese are probably the world leaders in engine technology now, and their cars have been "better" in many ways for years.

BMW continues to chase an irrelevant goal, producing cars that are wonderful at triple the speed limits in their market. Who the FK cares? My daily drive to work has a max speed of maybe 30. Coming home (6 miles) I might get to 65 briefly.

The internet has largely supplanted my original need for the CCA. I know about as much about my '73 coupe as I will ever have use for. Anything I don't know, there's the internet to tell me - for free. I no longer need a $40 magazine subscription about new cars and all that shit.

Bitter, am I?
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What does that entire anti-BMW corporate rant have to do with the car club? They hardly gush over new models. Roundel is the most honest BMW magazine out there. I have seen them slam AG and NA and various models on numerous occasions. Just read the Tech Section (as one example) that guy is great and doesn't hold back. It is the magazines like Bimmer that gush and laud every model that comes out because they are afraid NA will take away their candy. And after 20 or so years of talking about the CS and 2002 yes they are going to talk about newer models. Just because some here can't afford to buy a new BMW doesn't mean that you should slam the new classics coming out of Munich, because in 20 years (when you finally can afford one) you'll be complaining that Roundel hasn't had an article in at least 10 years on the innovations of your 2007 335i.
 
you slightly missed my point

it was that in earlier days, CCA had a much more pro-owner stance than it does now. Sure there's Mike Miller and Rob Siegel, but the "up front" and glossy color pages seem an extension of the NA publicity section.

It seems every model has had at least one major "customer engineering" fault that the buyers have had to eat. BMW NA has never acknowledged these - not for lack of data. I believe they are more aware of the prevalence of these things than the owner public, through the computer diagnosis and databasing going on at the dealers.

It took US Federal action to force BMW (among others) to release diagnosis and repair data to the aftermarket. For shame, but that's not a CCA issue.

Guess BMW in their corporate manifestation, which has become too much the view propounded by CCA, just doesn't yank my crank the way they mighta used to. Part of this is my driving a euro '84 MB 500 SEC (303 CID V8) the last couple weeks. My '87 735i doesn't feel like this. My eyes are opening.
 
Re: you slightly missed my point

it was that in earlier days, CCA had a much more pro-owner stance than it does now. Sure there's Mike Miller and Rob Siegel, but the "up front" and glossy color pages seem an extension of the NA publicity section.

It seems every model has had at least one major "customer engineering" fault that the buyers have had to eat. BMW NA has never acknowledged these - not for lack of data. I believe they are more aware of the prevalence of these things than the owner public, through the computer diagnosis and databasing going on at the dealers.

It took US Federal action to force BMW (among others) to release diagnosis and repair data to the aftermarket.
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Again nothing to do with CCA.

For shame, but that's not a CCA issue.
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Which is kinda the gist of what I am saying. Your beef is with NA not CCA. Why don't you start a new thread and complain about NA because CCA doesn't sell or repair cars.

Guess BMW in their corporate manifestation, which has become too much the view propounded by CCA, just doesn't yank my crank the way they mighta used to. Part of this is my driving a euro '84 MB 500 SEC (303 CID V8) the last couple weeks. My '87 735i doesn't feel like this. My eyes are opening.
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Open them in a new thread this thread is about NA
 
Some of you take this way too seriously

I joined in 1973, shortly after I bought a new 72 2002. For many years I participated in a lot of club activities, eventually serving as chapter president. I made a lot of great friends, have enjoyed the Roundel over all these years and continue to feel I get my dues worth, even if I rarely participate these days. I think you get from the club what you put into it.
Bill
BMWCCA 2762
 
Open them in a new thread this thread is about NA
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Supporting the CCA is a choice, not an absolute universal truth. Some people may make a different choice. There's no harm in a little civil debate.
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I meant NA. If he has a problem with NA make a new thread. If you have problem with CCA by all means blast away. But his argument seemed to stem from things that had NOTHING to do with the club such as CAFE standards and quality control. I can assure you that BMWCCA has nothing to do with building BMW automobiles simply enjoying them.
 
I think the point some were trying to make is that despite the fact that BMW is not delivering the highest quality, and has followed a styling and accessory path not appreciated by many enthusiasts, but the Roundel tends to publish puff pieces that look like they were written by the NA Marketing dept. Yes, once in a while one of the columnists who are not operating with their noses buried in the NA trough will offer up some criticism.

The relevance of this is that if the CCA is truly a club of enthusiasts, the content of the Roundel should reflect the opinions and experiences of those enthusiasts, and not read like a corporate brochure.
 
I think the point some were trying to make is that despite the fact that BMW is not delivering the highest quality, and has followed a styling and accessory path not appreciated by many enthusiasts, but the Roundel tends to publish puff pieces that look like they were written by the NA Marketing dept. Yes, once in a while one of the columnists who are not operating with their noses buried in the NA trough will offer up some criticism.

The relevance of this is that if the CCA is truly a club of enthusiasts, the content of the Roundel should reflect the opinions and experiences of those enthusiasts, and not read like a corporate brochure.
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It's not once in a while Mike Miller (the Tech Talk guy) routinely slams BMW for their lifetime fluid pronouncements and various premature failure of components on certain models. The other columnist have criticism of BMW AG and NA all the time. I can tell you do not read Roundel, for if you did you would know this.

Being an BMW enthusiast does not mean you have to own/drive/appreciate a 30 year old BMW. My e46 M3 is every bit an adrenaline rush (if not more) than my coupe (Yes, some of BMW's new cars are actually exciting to).

And honestly how many articles can they write on the 2002? Those articles have been written time and time again and in order to stay fresh, they write articles on the fresher and newer models. I have found Roundel to be far more straight forward than the other BMW magazines that you find at Barnes and Noble.
 
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