Mike's Alpine White 1991 318is

[mike.bmw]

The 2021 NCC BMW CCA Summit Point Shenandoah HPDE

The weekend went by in a flash. Two days on Summit Point's Shenandoah Circuit was fantastic. The weather was a bit hot, but my 318is performed beautifully. When I wasn't on the track (eight ~25 minute sessions), I was taking photos or catching up with friends. My wife and kids even made it out to this event, which was really great. Avery got some great shots of my car - as you may know she's 7 years old, so I think he photography skills are awesome for her age.

Overlooking the paddock:

DSC_0356 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Avery's shots of me driving:

IMGP8794 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Pit in:

IMGP8825 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Cool down lap:

IMGP8826 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Flat out in 3rd gear approaching the back straight:

IMGP8795 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

IMGP8741 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Up the hill and under the bridge. One of my favorite shots that she tool:

IMGP8667 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Skid pad time (I washed it as soon as I got home 😆 ):

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My shots (I had 160+, so I'm holding back here):

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Video! Check out the end for some cool footage of me following an E30 M3 through the Karussel in our offline exercise (we were supposed to drive offline per our instructor's direction).

[YOUTUBE]o_CBy1qk_XY[YOUTUBE]

https://youtu.be/o_CBy1qk_XY

[mike.bmw]

A quick update related to the HPDE last weekend.

I forgot to take my BBS RS hexes and waffles off for the first two sessions of my HPDE this past weekend. The brakes (and subsequently wheels and hexes) got so hot that tabs on the BBS logo caps actually cracked. Thankfully these fell out in the paddock and not on the track. I used a finishing nail to "paint" some JB Weld Plastic Bonder in the cracked tab and around it. I used some rubber bands to pull the tab back outward. Everything cured nicely and the caps securely pop back into the hexes. The tabs are probably stronger than before they cracked at this point.

20210628_130538 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

20210628_130553 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Upcoming maintenance when time allows: oil change, brake fluid flush, and brake pad inspection. I'm probably going to take it to a shop replace the guibo, the shift-shaft seal, and some other items in that vicinity sometime soon.

[roguetoaster]

That's a pretty good solution for the tab repair. Too bad that the entry worker or another entrant didn't spot the caps and remind you.

[mike.bmw]

That's a pretty good solution for the tab repair. Too bad that the entry worker or another entrant didn't spot the caps and remind you.

Thanks, I've had success with the JB Weld Plastic stuff. I was happy with the simple rubber band solution to pull the tab outward.

Being my first time back at the track in over 18 months I had a checklist of things to do when I arrived in the paddock. Removing the caps was one of them, but obviously I missed that one. :-)

[mike.bmw]

One last tangentially E30-related update...

I took the cover shot for the latest der Bayerische! It's @dhlerner's awesome 325i on the way back from the NCC Dashing Through the Mountains Tour. My first attempt at shooting "rollers".

July_Aug_21_cover by mike.bevels, on Flickr

Additionally, Avery and I co-wrote any article in this issue! Avery and Carter both love the NCC Tours and it's such an enjoyable time with the kids. Check out the article here.

July_Aug_21_4 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

July_Aug_21_dB_Tours_page_2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

I wrote a few additional things for this issue as well (Steering Column, D&V Autobody Masters Sponsor Spotlight, and part of the piece on Lothar's awesome BMW collection). Lots of fun!

[moatilliatta]

That's great! I wish my chapter was more active.

[mike.bmw]

A lot has happened in the past month. I'll separate these by posts.

Mark D Chip!

I've swapped out my SSSquid for a Mark D chip. A local gentleman I've purchased parts from before gave me a deal on a spare DME and Mark D chip. There is a nice bump in the 2500-3500 range which makes it a bit more drivable around town. When you've swapped a dash more than once, installation is a breeze.

20210801_102515 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Photo shoots

I've been spending LOTS of time taking photos. Here are some from a set that will make their way into a der Bayerische article in the Sept-Oct issue:

DSC_0383-Edit by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_0449-Edit-2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

I haven't been taking as many shots of my E30 (haven't had time), but here are some from a few weeks ago.

DSC_0072-2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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Perfecting the pan

I've been taking a LOT of panning shots. Finally down in the 1/15 1/20 shutter range with fairly good sharpness on the cars. Here are some of my favorites, despite not being my sharpest (sometimes the content outranks the quality of the shot).

DSC_0518 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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IMG_20210807_164454_152 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_0631 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

A weekend-long date with a pair of Zs

I had the good fortune to borrow a Z1 and Z8 for a weekend. Lots of photos. Lots of fun. To top it off, I got to hear some amazing stories from the owner. Always a pleasure to spend time with him, hear his stories, and see his incredible restoration work at his workshop. I took about a thousand photos at various locations, but here's a taste.

DSC_0089 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_0148 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

My friend and stunt driver, Jack.

DSC_0317-landscape by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_0387-2 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

The Z1 is really something else. Driving my favorite curvy roads over the course of the weekend with the doors down was quite enjoyable.

[mike.bmw]

Roundel Article

Some may remember my post about The Cherry Blossom run earlier this year. Well, I submitted a piece to Roundel (BMW CCA's national magazine, which is an awesome publication) and it was just published in the August-September issue! I couldn't be more excited about this! Big thanks to the BMW CCA and Roundel folks for publishing my piece!

Who's down for next year?

20210804_174501 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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Some of the original shots (I'd since re-edited for the magazine, but these are what I have hosted at the moment)...

DSC_1434 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_1510 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_1684 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[roguetoaster]

Disappointed that you didn't go with "Catching Some Zs," but otherwise, fantastic!

[mike.bmw]

Vintage Prep

Less than three weeks until I make the drive from the Washington D.C. area to Asheville, NC for The Vintage. My first Vintage!

My clutch had been grabbing quite high over the past few months. Within the first 5-10% of pedal travel. The throwout bearing had been noisy. The shift shaft seal had been leaking quite a bit. The guibo was cracked and needed replacement. So you can probably see where this is going...

I dropped my car off at RRT last Monday and they replaced the following:
- clutch and flywheel (stock, dual-mass, Luk setup)
- rear main seal (it was weeping)
- trans input shaft seal
- pivot pin
- release arm spring
- selector rod joint
- trans throwout bearing
- trans shift shaft seal
- driveshaft flex disc
- various other items while the trans was out

The clutch that came out of the car appears to have been the original (152K miles on it). It still had a little life left, but was pretty worn. The new setup feels great and also sounds great. Clutch engagement feels great. Shifting feels great. No more whining throwout bearing. It should be good for another 150K+ miles!

IMG-4193 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[mike.bmw]

Less than 48 hours until I leave for the Vintage! A friend introduced me to someone to caravan with, so I won't be making the 500 mile drive alone. Many of the people in my area can't make it this year due to the date changes, but I'm looking forward to meeting a number of R3V'ers while I'm there!

I hadn't taken my E30 out for photos much lately, so last weekend I remedied that with two friends, jgerock and dhlerner, for some E30 goodness. I had taken photos of a '64 356 C and '14 911 50th anniversary in the same spot a month earlier, and got married there 12 years prior. :-)

DSC_0492 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

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Mmmmm, Porsches.

DSC_0660 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

DSC_0521 by mike.bevels, on Flickr

[dhlerner]

Mike, those shots look amazing! Have a great time at the Vintage, I wish I could have joined you.

[moatilliatta]

Those brick pavers photograph nicely. Oh and the cars! :)