Wheel Restoration Tech demo by Wheel Revivers

First time BMW CCA customers can receive 10% off their first service! Just present your valid BMW CCA membership card!

Visit: wheelrevivers.com

By Matt Gage

---

In the spring of 2024, I had a mishap with my wheel and a curb. After getting over the shock, I calmed down and was eventually connected with Ryan from Wheel Revivers, who proved to me that it is possible to restore something as devastating as curb-rash back to pristine condition in most instances.

So impressed with this, I invited Ryan to do a tech session with the club so he could show us his craft in-person. As Ryan is a mobile wheel repair specialist, and does cosmetic repairs at customers' home or office, we hosted the event in the parking lot in Oceanside Motorsports while the sun was bright and all of the details of the damage could be seen.

Watch the video!

We brought in a few demo cars from our members who graciously volunteered to pay Ryan a discounted price for his service for the demo. We watched him as he meticulously worked on each wheel to restore them back to the best possible condition. Some wheels had been previously worked on and other factors affected how the final result would look. But make no mistake, the final results were nothing short of amazing.

Ryan starts by jacking the vehicle up so that he can freely rotate the wheel as he works. Using various degrees of grit, he’ll grind and sand the damaged areas, smoothing out and feathering the damage so there are no hard dips. The damaged area is replaced with a smooth and gradual reduction of the material. This can be time consuming depending on how deep and extensive the damage is.

Next up, Ryan preps the wheel for painting which includes cleaning up the tire and blowing away all the dust. He then tapes off the wheel from the tire and, if applicable, any other tones of the wheel he doesn’t want to paint. The color matching is pretty simple as, especially for BMWs, there are usually only a handful of colors that are always the same. He then spray paints the wheel ensuring the colors are all blended. He even has all kinds of different processes for other textures, including matte or satin finished wheels.

Then it’s just a matter of applying the clear coat, waiting 10 minutes to dry and you’re off! When I had my wheel repaired in the spring, he was able to do it in a crowded parking lot as all he needed was a spot next to me and a level surface. There is no danger of overspraying so he can accommodate any location.

I was surprised to hear that he doesn’t use any bondo material to fill in repairs. The enormous amount of vibration the wheel experiences will cause the bondo to crack loose and pull away the clear coat. Sure, it may look great for a day, a month, or even a few years, but eventually the damage could be revealed again. Anything requiring a very deep correction should be solved with welds.

When you call Ryan, he’ll ask for pictures of the entire wheel and of the damage. These are easy enough to provide via text. He’ll then send you an estimate and you’re off! With my experience, I went from just getting to my calmed down state and making the first phone call to a perfectly corrected and drivable vehicle in a little over an hour including Ryan’s drive time to my location. Incredible!

He can also repair bent or cracked wheels, but in those cases he would need to pick-up and drop off the wheels because they can not be repaired correctly with mobile equipment. This repair is usually able to be done by the following business day. If you can’t get the wheel off and have it ready for pick up, he can remove it and leave it on a jack, then put it back on after the repair is complete for an additional charge. Repairing alloy, magnesium, aluminum, and high-polished wheels are all part of his toolkit.

Ryan has been in this business for over 20 years and the creator of Wheel Revivers for almost just as long. Starting out with BMWs and Mercedes, he was the main contractor for a lot of dealerships seeking customer repairs. Now he gets customers from all of San Diego and serves them out of his mobile truck.

Thanks to Ryan for providing the demo and discounting our volunteers for his services! Stephen and Kenton provided the demo vehicles and Neil served coffee and donuts at Oceanside Motorsports.

Meticulous sanding of the damaged area with multiple grits.

All the damage is smoothed out.

Prep for paint.

Painting.

Painting.

Perfectly restored!

BMW CCA members get 10% off details at Genesis Detailing!

Show your BMW CCA membership card for a 10% discount!

Visit: genesisdetailingsd.com

Located at: 7875 Convoy Ct STE 4, San Diego, CA 92111

Who are they?

Genesis Detailing is a team of highly skilled professional detailers.

The founder Nicholas Bagdasar created Genesis Detailing with one goal in mind. To provide the highest quality detailing services, paired with the highest quality customer service.

Treating each customer’s vehicle as if it were one of our own, delivering beyond showroom results. Raising the bar in the industry as a young entrepreneur, inspiring others to follow their passion and turn their dreams into a reality.

What Do They Do?

Genesis Detailing specializes in paint correcting and ceramic coating. Preserving the life of your vehicle by applying industry leading ceramic coatings. Genesis Detailing is committed to revolutionizing the automotive industry by staying up to date on the latest technology for your vehicle. Offering mobile detailing services to keep your vehicle in pristine condition, servicing all throughout San Diego.

2022 Board of Directors Election Results!

Congratulations to our newly elected 2022 BMW CCA San Diego Chapter Board of Directors!

• President - Greg Uhler

• Vice President - Matt Gage

• Treasurer - Ryan Moore

• Secretary - Paul Silver

• Driving School Director - Lisa Goehring

• Social Director - Tyler Johnson

• Wachmeister - Brett Litoff

• Board Member at Large

  • Catalina Uhler

  • Kim Dais

  • Robert Fisher

  • Reza Sharghi

There are 4 vacant positions:

• Communications Director

• Autocross Director

• Equipment Meister

• Webmaster

Thank you to all of the members that participated in the 2022 Board of Directors election!
We encourage anyone interested in any of the remaining vacant positions to contact us at info@sdbmwcca.com.

Autocross Runoff Results

On June 29 our chapter hosted the 12th Annual Rug Cunningham Memorial Autocross in the west lots at SDCCU Stadium. Our runoff format features early timed runs, from which we gather class winners to go head to head in a Mystery Car. The Mystery Car provides a level playing field to see who's fastest of the fast.

The weather was perfect, with a little bit of spitting rain in the early afternoon. The course for the event was a reprise of a very fast and flowing one previously used for the 2015 runoff. Satakal Khalsa has been hitting the ball out of the park for the Club's recent courses, the runoff was no exception.

Independent Motorcars provided the Mystery Car, a 1993 318is. More than one runoff competitor remarked that the car has great balance and handling, but can be challenging to drive fast if you're not careful with your momentum.

K1 Speed - August 17, 2019

By Tyler Johnson

On Saturday, August 24, the San Diego BMW CCA chapter hosted a great event at the K1 Speed Karting facility in downtown San Diego. The day started off meeting in the parking lot which became a mini car show. Coffee in hand and hoods popped open, you could really tell there was pride in ownership. We had a couple of M2s, a few M3s, and even a Z4 M Coupe to name a few cars at the event.

The group raced in three races for some intense battles against the clock and bragging rights. Toshi claimed the top lap time of the day with a blistering 21.930s and won two of the three races. A true ringer! The action was intense with everyone having a great time on track. One of the sessions we had the course to ourselves which enabled some time to really practice your line and braking points. In between sessions, we discussed tire grip, kart power, racing line, and how best to make a pass without losing the pass in the next corner. The racing was truly wheel to wheel—something we don’t get in autocross and track events for obvious reasons, because who wants to scratch their BMW?! Bring on the Miata and Corvette clubs as we have some fast racers in our group!

After the race, the group walked to a local brewery just a few blocks away for lunch. One of the attendees was a BMW mechanic from a local BMW dealer. Needless to say he got plenty of questions!

All in all, everyone had a great time and met some new friends. Be sure to join us next time at one of our chapter events!

New BMW Intro Night at BMW of Escondido - June 19 2019

By Dan Tackett

On a warm June evening, a large group of San Diego Chapter members went to BMW of Escondido following the invitation to sample several new BMW models for 2019. Our favorite car company has been on a product blitz lately, refreshing some familiar models and entering some new segments.

Our friends at BMW of Escondido were gracious hosts, with experienced technicians and BMW Geniuses on hand to answer our questions about the advanced new engines and latest technology features. Co-owner Tim Brecht greeted all of us and provided a tasty spread of food from Mike’s Barbecue. Several new models were arrayed for us to drive, with no chaperone and no specified route. We were careful not to abuse that level of trust.

These new BMWs made a great impression on our members:

M2 Competition – Nobody was surprised to discover how quick and nimble the M2C is; definitely a crowd favorite. This is a throwback to the size and weight and handling that brought many of us to BMW in the first place. BMW clearly hasn’t forgotten its roots.

M340i – The 3 Series was the first sport sedan, and the latest G20 version takes everything up a notch. Now an M Performance model, the B58 six cylinder has been tuned to a whopping 382 hp, more than M3s had until two generations ago. It’s very quick, but the 3 Series has grown up to be a spacious and comfortable car. Seeing how it can memorize and duplicate steering movements to retrace a maneuver the driver just made was quite impressive.

Z4 30i – The all-new Z4 has returned to driving like a true sports car. Ditching the folding metal top for a traditional lined cloth top has reduced weight and lowered the center of gravity. With the 4 cylinder engine, it feels light and nimble and is still plenty quick. Many members were quite surprised and declared it the most entertaining car of the bunch. The stacked headlights are an interesting update on the traditional BMW style.

X5 40i – The larger new X5 was very luxurious, this one having a rich brown leather interior. We were astonished by how quickly it accelerated with the 6 cylinder engine and how nicely it handled. There really IS a BMW under that large SAV!

X7 50i – BMW has entered a larger category of utility vehicles formerly dominated by Cadillac and Mercedes Benz. BMW says it waited to enter this market until it could produce a large car that felt like a proper BMW. We think they succeeded. It was very quiet, very opulent, and had lots of space. More than just being a larger X5, BMW brings the luxury of a 7 Series to this category. The interior had lots of room and lots of tech and very nice materials. It drove quite well, with a V8 that knew just when to break through the silence.

M850i Convertible – This was the biggest surprise of the night. BMW replaced the 6 Series with the new 8 Series, leapfrogging their big sedan to become the new flagship. It’s a stylish coupe or convertible with a lot of leading-edge technology to justify the price. It can cruise serenely, coddling 2 people (forget the rear seat; small children only) in comfort and grace. But press the Sport Plus button and a tiger is unleashed! Dr. Jekyll, it’s time to run and Hyde as the Adaptive Suspension tightens up and the exhaust gets a whole new voice with a sharp bark on every upshift. I expected a grand touring cruiser, which it capably becomes in Comfort Mode. What shocked me and others is how the M850i is transformed with the push of a button to make you feel like a teenager again. Bravo BMW!

We want to express our sincere thanks to Tim Brecht and the whole team at BMW of Escondido for letting us visit their beautifully updated dealership and get to know the latest BMW models. Many of us are asked for advice on new cars by our friends and colleagues, so now we can offer better information and make some buying plans of our own.

Runoff Autocross Recap - June 29, 2019

By Rob Walker

On June 29, our chapter hosted the 12th Annual Rug Cunningham Memorial Autocross in the west lot of SDCCU Stadium. Our runoff format features early timed runs, from which we gather class winners to go head to head in a Mystery Car. The Mystery Car provides a level playing field to see who's fastest of the fast.

The weather was perfect, with a little bit of spitting rain in the early afternoon. The course was a reprise of a very fast and flowing one previously used for the 2015 runoff.  Satakal Khalsa has been hitting the ball out of the park for the Club's recent courses— this year’s runoff being no exception.

Independent Motorcars provided the Mystery Car, a 1993 318is. More than one runoff competitor remarked that the car had great balance and handling, but could be challenging to drive fast if you're not careful to maintain your momentum.

Runoff competitor results:

• Grayson Marble         88.878

• Clint Boyd                 89.671

• Daniel Ralston             90.516

• Mikey Ross              90.665

• Tyler Johnson                90.746

• Kurt Mlillson 90.827

• Paul Hualde                92.130

• Peter Minero            94.560

• Ryan Moore               94.613

• Rishi Patel               97.316

• Charlie Engen          97.650

Congratulations to Grayson M. for winning this year's showdown and for showing us all what it means to “mind your momentum.”

Thank you to Independent Motorcars for their support!

Aquarian Autocross - February 9, 2019

By Mark Meyer

While there were some sprinkles here and there, this month’s autocross was the fastest one in quite a while. For those of you who read Satakal’s email “manifesto” i.e. plea for help setting up cones, you could tell that Satakal seemed to have a little more invested in this course than usual. Why? Because he took Andrew’s previous course, made some modifications and made it into his own design. How about a course that just begs for third gear? Check! A slalom that was pretty much a slalom in name only? Check! Big long sweepers? Check! A course map that looked just a bit inappropriate if you held it up the right way? Check! (Ask Kim to explain). There was no argument from any of the drivers this month. This was a freaking fun and fast course. Thanks, Satakal.

No doubt, this month’s course was fast. But who made the most of it? As usual, Julien Brandt drew lots of attention with his super cool orange Catfish before the track went hot. But this month, his flashy car was flashy fast and took first place in his class. Congrats Julien!

Lastly a few thoughts from us mere mortals. Having an instructor ride with me during my first set of practice laps is still really valuable. In some ways, the instructor feedback is even more valuable now compared to when I first started because I understand it in a very different way. This month, Sean Thomson was cool enough to ride along with me and share his experience. By the end of the day, my times weren’t as fast as Julien’s but they were certainly faster thanks to Sean’s coaching. I also learned what RE-71R’s feel like when they are heat cycled out (even with a fair bit of tread). They certainly didn’t help my times.

Time to switch to some new rubber before 330 Autocross coming up at the end of March. See you there…

Autocross: My Take - Dec 15, 2018

By Mark Meyer

The 2018 autocross season wrapped up with Ultimate Autocross at Qualcomm on December 15. In addition to the usual autocross format, the instructors competed against each other in the super-fast electric Smart car with William Wong pulling off the victory.

It was a little more than a year ago that I attended my first autocross weekend starting with the Car Control clinic. I was a bit apprehensive about the experience as I knew almost nothing about autocross. The instructors & volunteers were knowledgable, fun, and welcoming. They made my first experience a great one.

Fast forward 14 months and I’ve since attended 5 more BMW autocross days, one HPDE at Thermal with the SD BMW CCA and 10 track days, including a weekend at Laguna Seca. While I’ve clearly caught the racing bug, there is little doubt that my first experience set the tone for what I expect will be many years of being a racing enthusiast. As I drove onto the lot on Dec 15, I was struck at how comfortable I had become and how cool it was to see the folks I’ve gotten to know a bit better since I started. Even though I’ve learned a lot since last year, I still found there was plenty of instruction to be had and a lot more learning that I need to do. I also found that the BMW club still did a great job at welcoming and teaching those who were new to the game.

If you’ve ever considered trying out one of the autocross days, take it from someone who was a little nervous about giving it a go. That first weekend experience is the reason my annoying little Miata is always at autocross. Maybe every month now Rob?