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I grew up on a farm outside a small town in Michigan. I was always interested in cars and worked on the Pontiac Motors assembly line for a couple of years during the time the GTO was first introduced. I graduated from Michigan State in the mid-sixties and joined the Marines.

My first new car was a Chevy Corvair Corsa convertible with 4 single barrel carburetor and all of 140 horsepower that I sold when I left for Vietnam. After serving 12 1/2 months overseas I bought a muscle car, a Dodge Cornet with a 440 magnum engine. Really fast acceleration but not much on stopping or cornering.

I stayed in the Marines, attended law school, and retired after 20

years. Sharon and I then moved to Reno where we have lived since 1986. Sharon is a native Nevadan and her family has lived in Reno for generations. I worked for the Nevada Attorney General for a short time, the Washoe County District Attorney for 5 years, and then spent 22 years as an Assistant United States Attorney. Prior to retirement Most of my career was spent as a criminal prosecutor.

I have owned numerous cars over the years including a Rambler American, a Chevy Chevelle 2 door hardtop, a Mustang and an Olds Cutlass. I bought my first BMW, a 320i in 1981and kept it for about 15 years It was a great fun car to drive and I don’t think that model ever got the respect it deserved. My next Bimmer was a 1988 535i with a manual transmission which I owned for about 12 years. I have also had a 2001 Z3 roadster, a 2011 Z4 roadster, and currently have a 2005 and a 2013 X3. My other cars are a 2005 MB CLK 500 and a 2013 MB SL550.

I joined our club around 10 years ago and Sharon and I have greatly enjoyed the experience and comradeship of fellow members. We particularly enjoy the road trips like the annual wine tour, the Virginia City drive, and the Strom “Cabot Cove” trips. We also look forward to more fun times and fun rallies.

Since retiring I have played a lot of golf, spent a lot of time hiking, and we have been on several cruises and made several trips to Europe. We are looking forward too many more years of travel.

Additionally, I have been a SAVE volunteer for the last 3 years working 1 or 2 days a week with the Reno Police Department.

~ Ron Rachow

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I was raised in a copper mining camp in Kimberly, Nevada. I know you never heard of it and if you happened to go there today (even if you can get close) you will find a big open pit mine.  Kimberly was a mining company town. We had our own hospital, K-12 School, post office, small store and company housing. When WW II ended copper price tanked and mining in Kimberly was cut back and parts of the town including the school were shut down. Kimberly kids were bused to Ruth to finish 12th grade.

High school was in Ely, White Pine County HS. Kids from Kimberly, Ruth, McGill and area ranches all went to WP HS.

My first car was not a BMW. In 1955 I acquired 1940 Ford coupe. Ran ok but no brakes. My Dad and I finally got brakes fixed. I went off to college fall 1956 at the University of Nevada.  Note I did not say UNR, Reno because the only UNR in 1956 was in Reno. There was a two year JC in Las Vegas. My Ford did not go to college with me.  In1958 my parents moved to Las Vegas and my Ford disappeared.

Fast forward. College followed by Law School at Stanford, married to Joyce (we met at UNR) and moved to Reno in 1963.  I had a 1954 Ford Fairlane six with column shift. Joyce had 1955 Chev. Coupe.  Both sold, and we got 1960 or so Ford Galaxy. I was admitted to Bar in Nevada in 1963 (55 years ago). We were both working so we splurged and bought a 1964 Pontiac Tempest convertible. When daughter Stefanie was born in 1966 the Tempest was traded in on another Ford sedan. Son Kyle was born in 1969 and a series of cars followed:  SAAB turbo sedan; BMW Bavaria, BMW 2002, Mercedes Benz 450SEL; BMW E36 M3; BMW E46 M3; current 2015 M4; three X5s latest a 2015 diesel- great car.  Also mixed in was a Mitsubishi SUV, a 1964 or 65 Ford pickup and 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup.

In 2000 we attended a charity function that had a silent auction. A GGCBMWCCA two day driving school at Sears Point was one of the auction items. I bought it!  My first track school at Sears was November 2000. I found my application for another GGC school at Sears in November of 2002 that listed schools at Laguna Seca (1) a Thunder Hill (1) and Sears (3). Many other schools and track days at Reno Fernley followed including the BMW M school in Greenville in 2012. I took my M4 purchased in April 2016 to Laguna Seca during Octoberfest 2016.  Probably my last track day. Although on my bucket list is a track day at Mid-Ohio track with my son in the Blue E36 M3 that he bought from me.

The Sierra Chapter was organized October 17, 2006. The Club Charter was issued on January 27, 2007 as the 94^th chapter of BMWCCA. I was a charter member. I was elected as the Treasurer’s when Mart Jaama the original treasurer moved to California and I have not been able to get shed of the position. After 12 years many of the charter members are still active in the Club.  Many new members have joined. Among the great things about the Club is the opportunity to make new friends. Joyce and I look forward to enjoying Club events with old friends and meeting new friends for many years to come.

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This is the last week to register before fees go up this Sunday, August 5!

Avoid will call and save money by registering now!

The early online registration deadline for Legends of the Autobahn and BMW CCA Festorics is this Sunday, August 5. If you register before then you’ll save $5, plus your tickets will be mailed to you in advance, so there’s no need to chase down our will-call booth.

Registration Options!
We Got ‘Em! Meals! Shirts! Race Tickets!

Everything you need for the BMW CCA Monterey Weekend is available via our registration! You can register your car for Legends, buy lunch tickets, order race tickets, pre-purchase event t-shirts, and a whole lot more! Ready to plan out your visit to the BMW CCA Monterey Weekend? You can view the full weekend schedule here.

REGISTER NOW

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The early years.

I became BMW Car Club of America member #54 in October 1969.  The club started and was based in Boston at that time. How did I become a member? I was pumping gas midweek at 1am. I was working on a new BMW 2002 and another 2002 that was driving by makes a screeching U-turn and pulls up to next me at the gas station. Both drivers exchanged their salutations and carried on about their cars for a long time. At that time BMWs were extremely rare If were an owner, and if you saw another one, you didn’t just flash lights as a high sign to the other driver.  You both would probably would get out of the cars, jumping up and down with excitement, to meet another deranged BMW owner. In the 60’s this was big event when BMW’s were rare to see on the street. That night decided, then and there, that a BMW was the car of my dreams.

My dad said he would help me buy my first car, not counting a Triumph TR3 I bought with a friend for the summer, which is another long story. I had to work hard to convince him to let me buy a new 1969 BMW 2002. He thought it would be too slow. He believed a car should be able to have power and go fast. You see, this was the Detroit “Muscle Car” era! The big V8 power-house motors were the craze. After months working to convince him, showing him articles and talking my head off, he finally decided to help me buy my first BMW. I must have done a great job convincing him because he bought one of the first 6 cylinder BMWs. It was a 2800 sedan and was a package deal with my 2002. He got a great deal on the 2800 because Hoffman Motors had a deal with the other BMW dealers at that time. Sell a 2500 or 2800 and your quota of the hot selling 2002’s would be increased. At that time, BMWs were only imported by Hoffman Motors, they had a deal with BMW in Germany. There was no BMW, NA in the United States to import cars from Germany. The result was now I was the proud owner of my first, of many, BMW’s. That’s why and when I became a member of BMWCCA.

My first BMW love was white with blue interior. The only option was a dealer installed AM radio. No power anything. No air-conditioning.  It came equipped with tiny 165 x 13 tires.  This was the first year of smog controls, which kept the car from performing as designed. With help from members of the fledging BMWCCA that was taken care of quickly by removal of the smog pump and drilling out the main jet in the carburetor. The car ran much better with that small modification. There was no smog checking at that time with total reliance on the car manufacture. Smog controls were a band-aid and were designed by companies to comply with the new government regulations.

Rallying was popular on the east coast and I got very involved. Eventually I found out that my car needed some improvements in the suspension and brakes. I did some investigation and I then found Alpina in Germany that had aftermarket parts for the BMW. I wrote them to request their catalog which contained very limited items. After looking over the catalog, I decided to purchase Bilstein rally competition shocks, larger ventilated rotor brakes and a quick ratio steering box. It took over six months to get my order from Germany.  When I went to put on the rotors, not hard, the wheels wouldn’t fit over the new parts. Now I had an added problem, find wheels that did fit. Not an easy task in those days. I finally found some that fit if I filed the calipers a little. Next, I needed bigger tires, gigantic 185 x 13. Now a new problem, they rubbed the inside of the wheel well. So, with some carefully placed 2x4s I was able the flair the fenders just enough and have it look good. The improvements helped with my rallying as the stock brakes would fade with my driving style.

I drove in some heavy semi-professional rallies for a year. There was a Northeast all night rally series that started at around eight in the evening and finished the next morning at nine. Usually we went through several states and about 30 to 40 percent of the time we would be driving on dirt roads. That also proved to be the death of my first love. On a rainy night on a dirt road going a little too fast I found a very big and stout oak tree. With the abrupt stop, the headlights looked at each other, the hood was on the roof and the engine below the firewall. The good strong car crumpled as designed. My navigator and I were very lucky and escaped with only a few bruises.

The next week I bought another BMW 2002. And for the rest of the story…

Stay tuned, to be continued next month!!

~ Mart Jaama

Editor’s note: Mart will be the next president of the Sierra Chapter and is a charter member of the BMWCCA.

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For many of us, summer means road trips and countless hours behind the wheel of our trusty BMWs.  Now that Memorial Day Weekend has passed, and we are officially in the summer season, you may be thinking about what kind of adventures are on the horizon for Summer 2018.  It’s June, then it’s time to hit the open road and explore your own backyard. Nevada is comprised primarily of desert terrain, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to see.  From extraordinary geological formations to incredibly blue waters, Nevada proves that desert doesn’t mean devoid of beauty or things to see.  You will be surprised at how many excellent driving adventures that can be had in the place we call home.  Whether you’re going on a quick weekend road trip or a longer, epic cross-country trip, always be safe, have fun and take that summer road trip of a lifetime.

Observed annually in June, National Safety Month focuses on reducing leading causes of injury and death at work, on the road and in our homes and communities.  Let’s all do our part in keeping our roadways safe for everyone.  Remember that no call, text or email is that important when you are driving.  It can wait!

I am always open to suggestions regarding club functions, so if you have ideas for other events, please do not hesitate to email me at president@sierrabmwcarclub.org

Remember… The Ultimate Driving Machine will always provide the Ultimate Driving Experience!

Until next time.

– Ron Nicasio, President

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This will be the first outing for my E24 M6 after it’s restoration to classic European semi-race specification.  As you might recall in classic days there were many kinds of the same model BMWs – European models, sold only in Europe and Canada; US models; Japanese models; and grey market cars sold everywhere.

My M6 started as a US model, was restored by the original owner, and now has been converted completely to a European model through a total restoration with the help of our chapter member Mike Dietel.

When I get back from this outing, you will be given news about the trip at a Chapter meeting and as a follow-up in the next newsletter. Stay tuned.

The Sierra Chapter could become even better recognized in BMW CCA by sponsoring members attending BMW CCA events like this.  Our Chapter members have an interesting variety of BMWs. They could show off their cars beyond Oktoberfest at other “car fests” events. They are a lot of fun!

Happy Motoring to All,

~ Jim Goodfellow

The post SHARKFEST 2018 appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

Click here to view media and here for the photo gallery.

About 9:15 am, members of the Sierra Chapter, BMWCCA, started to show up for the Virginia City Cruise and Tour. The location for assembling was the Starbucks on Mt Rose Hwy and Wedge Pkwy. John English, the Wagon master, assembled everyone for a briefing at about 9: 35 on the trip details. The nine BMWs soon departed west on Mt Rose Highway on time at 9:45 am. We proceeded up the twisty and windy highway and in about a half hour we were at the parking area where the fog and mist were so heavy that the lake could not be viewed. Besides the beauty of these surroundings, this was a time to meet and talk to the other participants. Some were old friends, and a few were new to the BMWCCA activities.

After about a 15 minute stop, we then proceed to Incline Village where turned left on Hwy 28.  We proceeded a few miles down the road to Starbucks. We arrived there at about 10:30 am. This was a 15-20 minute stop for picking up more members and some refreshments. We departed Starbucks and stayed on Hwy 28 around Lake Tahoe; luckily the heavy traffic was in the other direction. At the intersection of US Hwy 50 we made a left turn toward Carson City. This was an uncontrolled intersection and it was a challenge to get all the cars onto highway. After a mile or so, John pulled over to regroup and make sure that all the cars made the turn. It was downhill from there to Carson City. Then it was to Hwy 395 north to the cut off to I-580 north. Then it was right onto Hwy 50 again to Virginia City. After several miles, we turned left on the old truck route to Virginia City. This route goes up the very curvy road up 6 mile canyon. By the way, if you missed the trip, this is a very pretty drive that you might want to take someday. Once in Virginia City, everyone drove around until they found a parking place.

With a chili cook-off being held this weekend, parking was a challenge. Some had to park on the lower and side streets while others were able to park in the public parking lot. We ended up at the Palace Hotel and Restaurant for lunch at about 12:30 pm. We were able to all set at the same table, unlike last year. After lunch everyone went their own way.

Some returned to Reno and some stayed in V.C to shop until they dropped. In all, if you missed this trip, prepare for the next event. Join the experience and some HAVE FUN.

~ John English

(Click here for the mapped Route)

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You enter to the World Cars gallery, which features a center display of three super-cars – a Porsche 918 Spyder, an Acura NSX and a BMW i8.  Surrounding it are nine other fantastic cars – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Lamborghini and Porsche.  And there’s a beautiful Isetta there too!

The Corvette gallery displays 12 amazing examples, from the 1954 on a turntable in the middle to a brand new ZR1.  Each example is of the top performing model from the year – big block C3s, Z06s and ZR1s.  Inspiring!

Next was the Ford Shelby gallery with examples of each of the most desirable models – from early GT350s and GT500s to racing Cobra SCs.  Two 1970 Boss’s were there too – a Boss 302 and a Boss 429.

The Fin Cars gallery focused on iconic 1950s and 60s rear finned cars.  Two 1954s showed the early beginning of fins – a Buick Skylark and a Kaiser Darrin.  The height of the finned cars was in 1957, represented in the collection by a Chevy Bel Air, a Desoto Adventurer and a Chrysler 300C – all convertibles.  Beautiful finned Cadillacs included a ’58 and two ‘59s.  It’s interesting that every car is a convertible!

The next gallery I visited was dedicated to Mopars.  Just inside the entrance was a great mural of Richard Petty in a racing setting – so appropriate for the collection of cars.   Great Mopar performance cars included a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, Hemi Cudas, early and final edition Vipers and, of course, a new Challenger Hellcat and Demon.

The museum opened just a year ago and final gallery is still in development.  Called American Muscle Then & Now, more examples are being added to the representatives already there – Camaros and Mustangs, an early GTO and some other early muscle cars, such as a ’58 and ’61 Chevy Impala (348 and 409 respectively).

A couple of other notes about the museum:  It’s located in a 17,000 square foot former missile manufacturing plant on the Raytheon Campus in Portsmouth, RI.  There are 50,000 square feet of display space and 5,000 more for events.  The furnishings, art and murals really add to the displays.   They include pieces by iconic designers such as Americans Charles and Ray Eames and Florence Knoll Bassett and Denmark’s Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner.  The museum’s cult classics include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, the Bocca Sofa (representing Marilyn Monroe’s trademark pouty red lips) by Gufram Italy’s Studio 65 and the Joe Chair (inspired by New York Yankees centerfielder Joe DiMaggio’s baseball glove) by Italian designers de Pas, D’Urbino, Lomazzi.

I had a chance to talk with the owner of these great cars, Gunther Buerman, whose philosophy is to share his collection with the public rather than keep it locked away.  While he’s always owned classic cars, he began collecting seriously 13 years ago.  He says he considers classic cars “works of art” so the museum is as much an art museum as a car museum.  It’s a beautiful and continuously growing collection, superbly presented – well worth a visit!

BTW…there’s another car museum in Newport, the Audrain Automobile Museum, which opened three years ago.  I wasn’t able to get there this trip, so maybe the next time we’re in New England I’m make a visit.  I just love car museums!

~ John Strom

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I went to work with Blount Construction right out of college. I worked with Blount for 20 years until the company was sold. Some of my most memorable projects I was on were King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the San Jose Convention Center. I went to work for Rudolph and Sletten in San Mateo, CA building biotech projects for Genentech and Chiron. I finished my career with Webcor Construction building commercial buildings. I was the Director for the Letterman Campus at the Presidio(SF) which was George Lucas’ Star War Campus. My last project was a 27-story condominium in downtown San Jose.

I moved to Reno, NV in 2007. Technically, my last project was building our house in ArrowCreek in 2006. It was great fun and probably my favorite project.

OK, so much for background history, so how did I fall in love with BMW’s you ask. Well, I was at a race in Limerock, Connecticut back in the late 60’s with a friend of mine. We were watching the SCCA races and I spotted this strange looking car cornering with the inside front tire off the ground. I asked my friend’s father what that car was. He said it was a BMW 2002. That car was beating every other car around the track. From that day on I told myself I would own one someday. Fast forward to 1974. I bought my first BMW, a brand new maroon BMW 2002. The rest was history. I now have my 22^nd and 23^rd BMW’s, a 2017 X5 and a 2018 440i convertible.

I have been a member of BMWCCA for 36 years and for the Sierra Chapter of BMWCCA since 2007. I served as Membership Chairman for 2 years and President for 4 years. I think we have one of the most active chapters in the country even being one of the smallest. We are more social that racing due to our location, but we have a lot of fun going to dinners after the meetings with the membership and going on terrific tours.

As you can see, cars are a passion of mine. I love to drive which is a good thing since we love to travel. I also love to ski. I was a ski instructor and served on the National Ski Patrol when I was younger. I also love to play tennis and golf. I walk about 20 miles a week to counter the calories from another passion – WINE.  We love to go wine tasting all over the world. We have been tasting in Germany, Austria, Italy, France, New Zealand as well as in  New York, California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. We have belonged to many wine clubs and have an extensive wine cellar to hold all our wine.

I guess that covers the major things about me. I hope I didn’t bore you. LOL

~ Pat McGoff

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Twenty-seven exceptional BMW 2002s opened the show, gathered from collections across the country, and assembled into four groupings:  Stock, Variants, Modified and Race.  Despite the fact that every car is a BMW 2002, the variety for the eye is stunning.  Beyond the many colors and variations of stock examples, the Variants (cars never sold in the United States) include the world’s best 2002 Vollcabriolet, Baur Cabriolet, Turbo, Touring, and an ultra-rare Lux.

The Modified Grouping, sponsored by Yokohama Tire,features several amazing cars that are not to be missed, including Ali Javidan’s incredible creation, and Robert Chandler’s Estoril-blue tribute to the Turbo…but with a pristine E30 M3 engine tucked under the bonnet.

The 02’s racing heritage is also celebrated.  The very first BMW ever to win points in a sanctioned race in North America was the Hyde Park Motors 2002, and the car proudly leads a contingent of four significant 02 racers.  Included also is the Miller-Norburn #64, the first BMW to ever win a championship at a North American track.

Opening Day also featured talks from three BMW cult celebrities:  BMW author and researcher Jackie Jouret gave a talk about her research for the ICONexhibition book, already being hailed as perhaps the best all-around book on the 2002 ever produced.  Her research in Munich uncovered rare treasures, such as design drawings never before published…until now.  She also found evidence that the “Max Hoffman” creation myth regarding the 2002’s development is just that…a myth.  (Buy the book and get some schoolin’)

Hack Mechanic Rob Siegel also gave this unique perspective on the 2002, and regaled the crowd with the story of Louie…his sturdy but previously neglected 2002 featured in the book Ran When Parked.  Siegel is immensely popular with the 02 crowd, and folks were hanging on every word.

Finally, BMW-commissioned artist Adrian Valentin Mitu talked about his astonishing BMW art featured at the Museum, including the 100-piece Blue Coffee collection, and the new Jochen Neerpasch tribute painting, Blue Hero.  Adrian and his wife Monica traveled all the way from Romania to attend the opening and debut the painting, owned by Foundation Trustee Mike Ura.

THE ICON: 50 Years of the 2002 is the best birthday party in the world for the little car that built a brand, ignited a cult, and launched the largest car club in the world.  In addition to the cars, the museum is also packed to the rafters with hundreds of pieces of 2002-related art and other rarities.

THE ICON runs through January 2019, and is presented by The Werk Shop, along with Modified Grouping Sponsor Yokohama Tire, Car Care Sponsor Griot’s Garage, and partners Bavarian Autosport, Classic BMW, CocoMats, and Odometer Gears.  We’re grateful for all of them!

Plan your road trip and come see the show.  Even the most jaded 2002 fanatic will learn something new.

~ John Strom

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What makes a club great is participation. Not only in going to the events, but also by submitting your life experienced on the road and, especially, about your BMW experiences. This is your newsletter and you are invited to submit things of interest. If they are family friendly they could be published for all club members to enjoy. I know that you have great things to share. Send your contributions to newsletter@sierrabmwcarclub.org. I promise that it doesn’t hurt one little bit to share.

Our club is growing with membership getting close to 180. I hope to see them participate in the many activities that the club has scheduled. Speaking of participation, it would be great if many of you would also participate in another way. Remember our goal is to HAVE FUN. Not only is there are a lot of activities for the fun aspect, but there is a chance to share stories about our favorite car or cars –   the BMW, MINI, & Rolls Royce – That’s the “BMW Group” of fine automobiles.

~ Fred Watson

The post Message from your Editor appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.

• January 11, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• February 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• February 10, National Automobile Museum Tour
• March 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• March ??, Tech Session, Bill Pearce BMW
• April 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• May 10, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• May 19, Virginia City Tour
• June 14, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• June 16, Tour to the Berlin Ghost Town*
• Jul 12, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• July 21, Sierra Buttes Tour & Poker Run
• August 9, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• August 11, Fifth Annual BMWCCA Sierra Chapter Picnic
• September 13, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• September ??, Mammouth Tour*
• October 11, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• October 13-14, El Dorado & Amador County Wine Tour
• November 3, Fun Rally
• November 8, Meeting/Social, Bill Pearce BMW/TBD 6pm
• December 13 – Christmas/Holiday Party

*Details forthcoming

The post 2018 Planned Events appeared first on BMW CCA Sierrra Chapter.