Monthly Archives: March 2023

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How to Organize a BMW Club in Your Area

Clubs are a terrific way to find people with similar interests and share your passions. If your passion is your BMW, you’re not alone. BMWs have been in the U.S. since the 1950s, so there’s a good chance fellow bimmer enthusiasts are in your area. 

So, how do you bring them together and start a club? There are already BMW clubs nationwide, but here are six tips for creating a smaller club in your area.

Pick a Name

A club of any kind is as good as its name. Be creative when deciding on a name and make it memorable. The name isn’t the most pressing matter when starting a club, but you’ll want to make it stand out and garner interest from your bimmer companions.

If you can’t come up with a name, start simple and let future members vote on a name later. You can get the members involved and let them come up with ideas. Start with a generic name that includes BMW and the city you live in. For example, you could name the club “Bimmers of Boston” or “The Chicago BMW Club.”

Recruit With Social Media

To get the club going, you’ll need to recruit members. Start with the people you know best, like your friends, family, co-workers and other familiar faces. They may be more likely to join the club if they see you. Once you’ve exhausted those options, use social media to find your BMW friends.

Social media is an excellent tool for recruiting. More than 300 million Americans use social media across all platforms. Research strategies for going viral on platforms like Tik Tok — satisfying the algorithms and participating in trends can generate high engagement and have users reach out to you about joining. Use YouTube to document the club’s fun events and Facebook and Twitter for news.

Design Cool Gear

A fun part about being in a club is the gear. Repping your club’s colors shows pride, just like you would with your favorite sports teams. To get the most out of your equipment, design a unique logo that’s recognizable and fitting for your club. Members can wear their apparel to meetings, club events or walking around town. After all, the gear serves as free promotion for the club.

Club gear can entail numerous types of clothing and other goodies, but standard T-shirts will look great on all your members. Make the logo large and easy to read on the front when designing the shirts. A full front logo will be about 10 to 12 inches wide and 10 to 14 inches tall. Anyone who sees your shirts around town should easily detect what your club is about.

Find a Common Meeting Area

At some point, you’ll have your first meeting. Find a location in the city that makes sense for all your members and is easy to obtain permission for hosting. You won’t be able to show up and have a meeting in a store’s parking lot without asking.

Start by contacting community centers in the area because they often rent out space to clubs and organizations. A local bar is an excellent place to hold meetings because your members can buy drinks and patronize the business. You also may find new members for your club.

Look for outdoor spaces to hold some of your meetings. BMWs are the center point of your club, so search for fun sites. For example, you could find a local racetrack or a car business if they permit you to occupy the space for a while.

Book Fun Events and Guests

A group of bimmer enthusiasts can talk about their cars for hours. These conversations bring BMW owners together, but what makes these clubs fun is the events. Organize fun events for your car club and invite guest speakers to visit. Nowadays, you can rely on video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to ask people worldwide to speak to your members.

A car club gives you numerous opportunities for events. You can organize an annual car show where your BMW friends can show off their customized rides, fit with aftermarket upgrades. BMW has been in motorsports for nearly a century, so contact someone involved with their race teams, such as drivers, engineers and more.

Delegate Responsibilities

When running a club, you don’t have to do it alone. A BMW group may be your dream hobby, but delegating responsibilities relieves stress and shows you’re a good leader. Find people you trust and assign roles like secretary, treasurer and more. A study from The Leadership Quarterly shows delegation leads to effective leadership, especially when you allow members to be creative and develop ideas for their roles.

Finding BMW Buddies in Your Area

Your bimmer is your pride and joy, and there are others in your city who feel the same way. Car clubs are a fun way to celebrate your favorite automobiles. These six tips show how to start a smaller bimmer club in your area.

Car Care, DIY

Is It Worth It to Winterize Your Garage? 6 Tips for BMW Owners

Winter in most places means cold temperatures, freezing wind chills and layers of snow. Cold climates can take their toll on BMWs of all models, so it’s best to keep yours indoors, such as in a garage. A home garage protects your BMW from the elements, but how far can it go? What should you do to winterize your garage? 

Follow this guide to safeguard your bimmer.

How Does Cold Weather Affect Your BMW?

Winter weather can negatively affect your BMW unless you’re lucky to live in Miami Beach. Low temperatures make your car harder to start and strain your battery. You may even experience a dead battery, leading to time spent with jumper cables and chargers. Battery life is critical if you own an electric vehicle (EV) because it can take hours to complete a charge. 

Cold weather also leads to other unwanted problems like flat tires. Freezing temperatures make the tires contract and reduce pressure, even if you refilled them recently. Your bimmer may see flat spots, putting you at higher risk for a blowout. Flat tires compromise your fuel mileage, reducing it by about 0.2% for every psi lost under your BMW’s recommendations. 

How Can You Winterize Your Garage?

Garages can keep a climate-controlled atmosphere for your BMW. However, all it takes is one crack in your weatherstripping to let the cold air in. Use these six tips for winterizing your garage and protecting your bimmer. 

Install Low-e Windows

Windows significantly affect your living room’s temperature as it does the garage. Many standard windows for houses are single-paned and aren’t energy efficient. The summers are brutal, with high heat entering, and winters bring the opposite problem with cold air. 

One solution is to install low-emissivity (low-e) windows. These windows are more energy efficient because of their coating. The outside weather has a reduced effect, no matter the temperature. The windows will also better protect you from bad weather. High-performance windows like low-e keep moisture outside when it’s raining, preventing mold and mildew buildup in the garage.   

Check the Roof

The roof is vital to keeping your garage and home safe and warm throughout the winter. A strong roof will provide insulation and protect the garage from heavy snow that can turn into leaks and then mold when it melts. Take time to inspect the roof and ensure it’s secure before the winter.

You can contact a local roofing company or do the job yourself. First, examine the flashing. This thin metal strip is critical to your roof’s health and should be in good condition to keep moisture away. You’ll also want to trim any trees that hang over your house. Heavy snow can easily weigh down the weak branches and cause them to fall and damage your roof. 

Along with the roof, check the gutters surrounding your home. Leaves can easily freeze in the winter and cause the gutter to warp. The excess leaves cause water to back up behind them like a beaver’s dam. Clear the leaves before winter to create a clear path for the rain and melted snow to flow from the gutter to the ground. 

Maintain the Door

Your garage door may be strong, but it can weaken over time. You use it in more than just the winter, so it’s essential to maintain the door to ensure its structural integrity. Start by watching the garage door when you open and shut it.

Does it move in one smooth motion, or does it rattle and make noise? You may need to take a wrench and tighten up the door. Add lubricant to help the garage door move effortlessly.

Inspect the Weatherstripping

A loose garage door can lead to unwanted cold air slipping through the cracks. One thing you should pay attention to is the weatherstripping. This maintenance task applies to every door and window in your home, but it’s critical to your garage because of your bimmer. Check the weatherstripping to ensure it’s intact for your winterizing checklist.

The weatherstripping is essential for keeping the freezing temperatures out of the house. Over time, it can become worn and cracked. Find weatherstripping at a home improvement store and measure it to fit your garage door. The Department of Energy (DOE) recommends weatherstripping on a dry surface above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Protect the Fluids

Winterizing the garage means protecting your valuable bimmer, but you should also be vigilant of the fluids you keep there. For example, you likely keep oil, antifreeze and other essential items. Cold temperatures can freeze these liquids, so keep them safe. Insulated cabinets will extend the shelf life and prevent the cold from compromising your fluids. 

Safeguard Your Batteries

Prepping your garage is essential for your bimmer’s battery, but you may have spare batteries if something happens to the current one. Winterizing can help, but you should take extra precautions to save your spare batteries.

When temperatures dip below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, your battery can lose over half its strength. Use blankets and other insulators to keep the spares warm.

Protecting Your Bimmer in the Winter

Winters can be brutal, especially if you live in the northern US or Canada. The cold weather can significantly affect you and your prized bimmer. Use these six tips for winterizing your garage to keep everything safe.