From root_at_tum.net Fri Mar 20 10:21:12 1998
for <dale_at_unofficialbmw.com>; Fri, 20 Mar 1998 10:20:44 -0800 (PST)
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From: owner-e36-digest_at_tum.net (BMW E36 Digest)
To: e36-digest_at_tum.net
Subject: BMW E36 Digest V1998 #130
Errors-To: owner-e36-digest_at_tum.net
Errors-To: owner-e36-digest_at_tum.net
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Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 11:00:00 -0500

BMW E36 Digest Friday, March 20 1998 Volume 1998 : Number 130

Discussion for BMW E36 Automobiles:

        Bikesh Patel    <bikesh_at_tum.net> http://www.tum.net/bikesh
        Digest Creator/Maintainer

In this issue:

        RE: [e36] new 328 and gs300
        [e36] foglight replacement
        [e36] Fog light replacement
        [e36] RE: 328i vs GS300
        [e36] Last word on the new 328 and gs300
        Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?
        Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?
        Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?

See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the BMW E36 Digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 18:22:19 -0600
From: Jim Pointer <JimP_at_geoaccess.com>
Subject: RE: [e36] new 328 and gs300

> Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 13:41:16 -0600
> From: Sue Kraft <suzym3_at_earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [e36] new 328 and gs300
>
> It really doesn't matter to me if you have a BMW or not, I was just
> curious.
> Seeing as this is a car related list it is interesting to know what
> others on
> the list are driving. I guess it's a way of getting to know someone a
> little
> bit better. I'm sure there must be a few out there who don't drive
> anything
> at all but just like BMW's. Nothing wrong with that either!
>
> And there's nothing wrong with a Lexus, I just get tired of hearing
> about them
> on a BMW list. ( I'd take a BMW any day over just about anything else
> out
> there.) Somebody told me about a cool website the other day that
> lists
> hundreds of different car mailing lists to subscribe to. Check out
> www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1104 This is not meant as a
> flame.
> There are a lot of interesting automotive mailing lists out there that
> most
> people are not aware of. I think I might check a couple of them out
> myself.
>
> Suzy
> 97 M3
>
Highly recommended. Some of them seem a bit rowdy from time to time (BMW-Digest, for one), but most of the others seem to be tight little helpful communities. I'm on a Ford truck list that has been a great source of info when my '66 pickup has acted up. Oh, it's the snow and rain buggy--can't have the 95 M3 putting its dainty feet in such muck, especially when some yahoo might decide to slide into it.:-)

Jim Pointer

GeoAccess, Inc.
jimp_at_geoaccess.com

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 16:31:54 -0800
From: Terry Lee <tlee_at_atwc.teradyne.com> Subject: [e36] foglight replacement

>Michael_Muramoto_at_peoplesoft.com asks:

>Anyway, any
>suggestions as to where I can purchase a replacement? Is this an
>opportunity for an upgrade? Is this pretty much a plug-and-chug kind of
>fix?

I bought mine from SteveG at the ultimate garage: steved3_at_idt.net email addr
www.ultimategarage.com website

for $70 each if I remember correctly. Contact him for an exact price. They are the OE parts, exactly matching what was on my car, a '93 325is.

First, understand the mounting mechanism. The lights have two "pegs" on the top/bottom towards the outside of the vehicle. These act as hinge points, whereby the whole lamp assy hinges and latches into the bumper assy. The latch mechanism is a spring backed clip on the bumper, that catches onto a bar on the lamp. This is hard to describe, but once you see it works, you'll see how simple it is.

REMOVAL
To remove, you must reach behind the lamp assy and undo the spring loaded catch on the inner side of the lamp. My method is to open the hood, and with a flashlight, you will see the catch on the inner side of the lamp. Reach down with a screwdriver and unlatch it. Sounds easy, but it is dark and way down there. Alternative methods I didn't try are

1. removing the under bumper panel to access the latch or
2. using a skinny tool inserted between the side of the lamp and the bumper from the front. Once unlatched, the lamp simply hinges out. Don't use brute force and try to pry it out, you'll only break the latch and have to buy another. Disconnect the wires.

INSERTION
Plug in the wires, then insert the lamp into it's hinge points. Swing it in and push till it latches.

Overall, pretty simple. First one takes 10 minutes to figure out. Next ones take about a minute.

I've also got these lexan foglight covers from BMP for $21. No cracks since, and I do note there is pitting on the covers from rocks - so I guess they're working. They look like they should cost $1. After a while, they do get clouded and scratched up looking.

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:26:32 -0800
From: bmwracer_at_pacbell.net
Subject: [e36] Fog light replacement

Mike:

Try BMP design at:

http://www.bmpd.com/

They appear to have the best price for a E-36 fog light: $65.95 (Gulp!) My nearby dealer, Vasek Polak in Hermosa Beach, CA wants $80.00 ($100.00 if they install it for you)... BMP design even has a free catalog... Now if they could just get a secure online shopping site going...

Good luck!

Mike (bmwracer_at_pacbell.net)

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 20:35:45 -0500
From: "Lin, Gary" <Gary.Lin_at_wang.com>
Subject: [e36] RE: 328i vs GS300

Jackson, while the GS 300/400 is a good car, it should not be compared to a 328i. The car matching its class is the 528/540i, sizewise and performance though pricewise I think the GS's fall between the 328i and 528/540i. The 3 series is more a smaller class like the MB C class, the 5 series like the E class and the GS's.

> Gary Lin Burke, VA National Capital '88 325is
> Metro Washington Council of Sports Car Clubs
>

Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 18:05:07 -0800
From: bmwracer_at_pacbell.net
Subject: [e36] Last word on the new 328 and gs300

Jackson:

You're right... It's pretty irrelevant what you're driving now, but we're all just curious... I've owned five bimmers since 1984 and have NEVER had any regrets... Sure, some friends have had some cars (read: Lexus, Acura, etc.) with some neat gadgets, but why do you think they call 'em gadgets? Function over form, to quote an old phrase...

There's no doubting Japanese reliability and I've had and read a gripe ot two about BMW reliability, but it's the luck of the draw... Of my five BMWs, the E30 325is has the most problems, conking out twice (black box problem)... Despite the initial frustration, I was up and running in a day, ready to gobble up some more pavement...

I've noticed that Nissan is comparing their Altima against the 318is in commercials... Like they did with the Sentra SE-R and the E30 318is... Like the Volvo and the 325is... Again and again... Why? Because BMW IS the standard by which all sport sedans are compared. Granted, the Altima has more power, room, trunk space, yada yada yada, but so does a Ford Crown Victoria! It comes down to INTANGIBLES...

One last thing: Qualcomm, eh? I'm just up the street (well, actually about 100 miles...) from ya in Redondo Beach, CA at Microtek Labs (those PC scanner guys)...

Good luck!

Mike (bmwracer_at_pacbell.net)

Date: Tue, 17 Mar 98 21:16:46 -0600
From: alessi <alessi_at_intersurf.com>
Subject: Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?

I think that LEXUS for all practical purposes in actually just TOYOTA. So as for coming out of nowhere, I think they have been here for a very long time.

Mario Alessi
1997 328is Modena/Black Automatic Sport Package

Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 09:40:50 -0500 (EST) From: Zachariah George <zachg_at_repo-dev.ml.com> Subject: Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?

That's like calling an AUDI a VOLKSWAGEN, ..or Jaguar a FORD!

True, they may be from the same affiliate but toyota has been careful to keep the distinction.

Zach

>
>
> I think that LEXUS for all practical purposes in actually just TOYOTA.
> So as for coming out of nowhere, I think they have been here for a very
> long time.
>
> Mario Alessi
> 1997 328is Modena/Black Automatic Sport Package
>
>

• -- Zachariah George E-Mail zachg_at_ml.com

Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 15:58:47 +0000
From: "Brian Bushe" <syclone_at_itl.net>
Subject: Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhere?

re: Re: [e36] Lexus coming out of nowhe

Well, not really. AUDI and VW, Ford, and Jaguar existed as separate entities before any mergers, or whatever took place.

Toyota wished to attack the high end, prestige market and knew their brand name would be a disadvantage. They created Lexus specifically to avoid this disadvantage. In effect they designed a company to go with the car. This only happened 15 years ago, and Lexus is now a well known name so I guess they were succesful in that respect.

Brian

>
> That's like calling an AUDI a VOLKSWAGEN, ..or Jaguar a FORD!
>
> True, they may be from the same affiliate but toyota has been
> careful to keep the distinction.
>
> Zach
>

Brian Bushe                  syclone_at_itl.net
Syclone Systems           http://users.itl.net/~syclone
Fieldhouse Lane           (44) 01628 476 500
Marlow                    Fax  01628 475 522   

Buckinghamshire SL7 1LU
England

'My mind is going. There is no question of it' - Hal 9000

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