I recently bought through private sale a '97 740iL in immaculate condition. I found out about the club, and figured it wouldn't hurt to join up. I hope to get involved with the community and at the very least make some acquaintances. I'm 20 years old, and many people get the wrong idea when they see the car -- I usually have to inform them that I've been saving the money for a long time, and it was something I really wanted as more than a status symbol. I love big sedans, heavy vehicles with power and purpose, form following function. I'm no mechanic, but I do like to spend time working on my vehicles and getting to know them so I can keep them in the best of shape. I'm glad to find that there is something of a camaraderie amongst BMW owners, and I'd like to be a part of that. I'll see you all soon.
Thanks, that's actually where I heard about you guys. I've been researching pretty extensively, and learning about the car before I even bought it. I appreciate the help!
Welcome to the club! What part of Texas? Houston chapter - http://www.houston-bmwcca.com/ Lone star chapter - http://www.lscbmwcca.org/
Welcome to the asylum! Well, what I like about this outfit is that we seem to have room for people who like big sedans and those who like two-seat roadsters, fans of old 2002s and some who are looking forward to the Next Big Thing from Bavaria. If it's camaraderie you're looking for, I think you've come to the right place!
Thank you all for your welcomes. I'm in San Antonio, which I was dismayed to find lacks its own chapter... I'm definitely here for the camaraderie, Satch, and to that end, I do feel as though I've come to the right place. Ya know, I have to say, I love my 740iL, but I still enjoy the other sizes and styles of vehicles. My previous car was a '96 Saturn four-door; about the same color as my Bimmer (dark green), and was a good A-to-B car. This BMW is a lot more than that to me; it's an experience all its own, an investment to learn from and enjoy all the time. I've not once yet regretted having it. I'll bet you all feel the same about your 3s, 5s, Zs and Xs, and all the ones I missed.
What do you mean, "lacks its own chapter"? You are in a chapter. If it does not serve your needs, then you are free to organize a region-specific chapter. Just read the rules and do it. ISTR there are 3-5 Texas chapters already, so I do not know if it can sustain more. I am not saying this to discourage you. Ohio's statewide chapter (Buckeye) split back around 1991, so there is Buckeye and Northern Ohio (of which I was a charter member and organizer). Wisconsin is still a single statewide chapter.
As was mentioned above, there are three chapters in Texas; Houston, Lone Star (DFW) and Tejas, which covers a big area (including San Antonio). One of the neat things about the Texas Chapters is that we constantly have members from all three chapters attending various events within each others areas. Just check the various chapter websites and you can see all the events we each have running. If Tejas doesn't have something you're interested in one weekend, you may find Lone Star or Houston does. Besides, it's not that far a drive to either one from San Antonio and in your car, it would be a relaxing cruise in the countryside!
I wasn't aware that it worked like that. I was under the impression that the Tejas chapter was generally Austin's chapter, and I had no clue that different chapter members mingled amongst the three cities you mentioned. I don't appreciate being talked down to, CRKrieger, this is my first time joining any sort of club -- and I am not versed in the way things occur in this type of organization. Keep in mind as well that Texas is a big state -- Dallas and Houston each have their own Safari Clubs, and host their own shows that in the outdoor industry are considered to be important on their own. A drive from SA to Houston is three hours easy, and from SA to Austin is about 1.5 to 2. Nevertheless, Dan, I think I would enjoy a run along I10 or I35 to go to Houston or Austin, respectively, for a weekend get-together. After driving the six-hour (at my speed, 4.5-hour) trips to Beaumont and back, anything shorter goes by very quickly. Perhaps soon I'll join in on the fun.
I wasn't talking down to you. I was telling you how it works. I do not want you to think the club is nonresponsive to your needs and I told you (from my own experience) that there are viable alternatives for making it serve your needs. Drives comparable to those in Wisconsin, since most club activity is in Milwaukee and the southeastern part of the state, but outlying members (like me) have to deal with it. The Ohio experience was that the northeastern 1/3 was doing a lot on its own and not making the 2-hour drives to Columbus (or 3-5 for Dayton or Cincinnati) to participate in Buckeye Chapter activities. So we split. As members of the same national club, though, we do have a lot of cross-chapter interaction, depending on the circumstances. Chicago's Windy City Chapter is one of the largest, just south of Wisconsin, but to their everlasting chagrin, their closest race track kinda' sucks and ours (Road America) is great. So they come up here a lot and we try to tolerate them. Some of my best friends are Flatlanders ... P.S.: Some of my best friends are Texans, too. Drag your butt up here for Oktoberfest next year and I'll buy you a beer.
I apologize. In my line of work, people like to talk down to a 20-year-old because it makes them feel smart; so I get a bit defensive. So you know what I'm talking about for long drives, but since you've BTDT it's not a big problem. I can deal with driving to Austin, Houston would be a big maybe (used to live there), but if I tried to start something in SA I bet it would split things up too much. I'll try and get up there next year for Oktoberfest -- I'll stick with New Braunfels this year, only an hour's drive and it's very traditionally-German here. Next year, I'll be 21 - I'll buy.
OK; this is how flaky I can be. I missed your age in the original post. Given your spelling and grammar, I had you figured for a professional twice your age. On behalf of Grammar Nazis everywhere, thank you for failing to conform to your generation's l33tspk! There is nothing wrong with that. Organizers of local events and instigators of chapters are never frowned upon - except by those who prefer to sit back and say, "That ain't gonna work, kid." New Braunfels can take their shot, but they haven't got a chance against an entire state that's almost 50% ethnic German descent.
Most of the drives we do take us out into the Hill Country or up into the Piney Woods anyway so just check out the websites and maybe you can meet us part way on a tour sometime. We just did a drive to Lake Livingston this past weekend. Great turnout for it, we had over 30 cars from Houston! October 17th...The German Faust Hotel in New Braunfels...Tri-Chapter Vintage Event. Come on out, check out the old cars (I'll have my '02 there if it survives the trip...) and meet people from all three chapters!! CR - I grew up in Eau Claire so I know all about the German descent thing (and a lot of Scandinavians...I'm actually half & half) but I do have to say, the Hill Country in Texas (San Antonio, Austin, etc., which might be bigger than the entire state of Wisconsin anyway ) is serious about their European descent! The cheese isn't as good down here but hey, you can't have everything!
That happens over the phone for me as well, at times. I'm not a slurrer, but vocally I do speak different than I write... by far. Of course, thank you for the compliment! And they never accomplish anything anyway Maybe I'll look at gathering some support for it here in SA. We're a pretty big town, with lots of Bimmer owners who are proud of their cars. Thanks for the support, CR. Oh boy! I know right where that is -- I used to live near NB, I know that town far better than I do SA. There's a roundabout very close by that I'm sure someone crazy enough will take to drifting about.
Howdy again, Josh! Don't mind Krieger! He doesn't mean to sound like he's talkin' down to anybody, but he's one o' them Wisconsolables, and it's beginning to be stay-inside-and-stare-at-the-weather time for them. Makes 'em cranky. And I see you've met Dan the Man Baker, chief agitator for the Texas Road Monkeys, so I'd say yer in good hands. And a few prehensile tails.
