Looks like my car will be on the EQUULEUS LEADER

[sdsanta]

I e-mailed Jessica at Harms in NJ and she told me my car is scheduled to ship on the EQUULEUS LEADER. Scheduled to depart 11/21 and arrive in Port Hueneme on 12/15. I was hoping to have car by Christmas, this could be a stretch!

[cosmos]

When and were did you drop off?

[wcbimmer]

I e-mailed Jessica at Harms in NJ and she told me my car is scheduled to ship on the EQUULEUS LEADER. Scheduled to depart 11/21 and arrive in Port Hueneme on 12/15. I was hoping to have car by Christmas, this could be a stretch!

I just got off the phone with Jessica and she indicated that my car will also be on the EL. I agree that 12/15 is cutting it close. However, you may have better luck then me getting your car by Christmas since you are located in SoCal. Lets keep our fingers crossed . . .

[sdsanta]

When and were did you drop off?

Dropped off 11/6 in Munich.

[cosmos]

Dude 550i looks SICK in white!!

[bagbklyn]

I e-mailed Jessica at Harms in NJ and she told me my car is scheduled to ship on the EQUULEUS LEADER. Scheduled to depart 11/21 and arrive in Port Hueneme on 12/15. I was hoping to have car by Christmas, this could be a stretch!

That would be excellent and tie right into your "tag" name.

[pattjin]

I'm on the Equuleus Leader too, dropped it off 11/5 in Amsterdam, the shipping company told me that they are scheduled to pick up the car 11/20 from the port in Belgium.

I couldn't find anywhere to find real time tracking except that it is scheduled to go through the Panama Canal on 12/7.

[wcbimmer]

Looks like the Equuleus Leader is making a pit stop at Bristol before heading over to Bremerhaven to pick up our cars. How can we send a message asking the captain to hurry up ? :mad:

[tjg98]

Jessica just confirmed that my car is on the EL as well. 11/9 Munich drop off.

[wcbimmer]

The pit stop in Bristol was just that, a pit stop. The Equuleus Leader was only moored for a few hours before lifting anchor. She is now heading to Zeebrugge, Belgium, presumably to pick up Pattjin's car. :) This hopefully should be the last stop before Bremerhaven.:thumbup:

Attached is a pic of it's position as of this morning (west coast time). It's in the Jersey passage and traffic is heavy. The EL is located in the upper left hand corner. With all the added horsepower from the bimmers it will soon pick up, I would think that the voyage to the US will be a bit quicker.:p (I'm not getting too anxious am I ???)

[sdsanta]

Godspeed!

[hlp]

I'd like to find out where my 535i is in the delivery process. Left it in Munich with Thomas on 10/31. Can someone get me Jessica's email??
thanks,...

[dens_310]

When and were did you drop off?

yes where...?

[tjg98]

jessicab@ehharms.com

I emailed Jessica Saturday morning and she emailed me back same day. Outstanding customer service.

[wcbimmer]

Equuleus Leader is now moored at Zeebrugge (@ 8:05 a.m. PST) loading Pittjin's ride. :) Nice to see that someone's car has finally been picked up, and a day early to boot! Soon on to Bremerhaven . . . :smokin:

[sdsanta]

Great updates, should be sailing with our rides on Wednesday!

[wcbimmer]

One last post for the day, Equuleus Leader has lifted anchor and left Zeebrugge on its way to Bremerhaven.:)

As you may have guessed by now, I have found a new way to pass the time until my new toy finally arrives (yes, it's about to drive me crazy already :banghead:). I'm a newbie to this, so it took me awhile to figure out how to track the vessel. In the process, I signed up for the free service of multiple tracking sites - some better than others. These would include digital-seas.com, vesseltracker.com and AISLive.com. I've posted pics from all three sites.

Vessletracker is pretty cool in that it has a feature that integrates with google earth. I've posted a pic from that site. Unfortunately, the free portion of the site is up to 24 hours delayed. So it currently shows the EL still at Zeebrugge (near bottom of pic). The time lag is actually very acceptable if you have nothing else to go by, but a bit frustrating if you are as impatient as moi. :tsk:

The free portion of AISLive is only about 1 hour delayed. However, you can not just type in the vessels name and hit the search button. They force you to hunt and peck your way around unless you upgrade to the fee based version. It's really like finding a needle in the haystack. So you really need to have a pretty good feel for the general area where the vessel is or else you will go stir crazy. But once you have that, finding that missing puppy among all the other moving vessels, in (near) real time, is pretty cool.

By the morning, I would expect the EL to be in, or very near, Bremerhaven. :thumbup:

[wcbimmer]

EL is now approaching German coastline (as of 6:45 a.m. PST), northwest of Emden, Germany. In the attached, the vessel is located on the red box line in the top right third of the pic.

[sdsanta]

Thanks for tracking this for all the rest of us on board! I can't wait to get my car back. BTW, your car looks awesome, and I read your trip report, sounds short and sweet! I haven't posted my full report yet, my home computer was down, and I didn't want to do it at work. We stopped in Mittenwald as well, unfortunately it was foggy, so we couldn't fully appreciate the scenic views. Had fun next day, drove from Mittenwald through Innsbruck, over the Brenner Pass into Italy, and then went on to Salzburg. Had breakfast in Germany, lunch in Italy and dinner in Austria! My parents, who were with me, got a real kick out of that. I'm going to try and get my trip report up this weekend.

[PaulyD]

Thanks for the info. I'm on the same boat! SdSanta let them know you have to make some special deliveries that are on the EL. All I want for Christmas is... LOL

[wcbimmer]

Equuleus Leader has finally docked at Bremerhaven! Looks a bit crowded, huh? It will show up better on google earth once the time delay lapses.

I'm sure my car is the first to be loaded - and likely the last to be offloaded. :rofl:

Sdsanta - Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like you had a great trip. Can't wait to read the full report and see pics of your ride.

[PaulyD]

Equuleus Leader has finally docked at Bremerhaven! Looks a bit crowded, huh? It will show up better on google earth once the time delay lapses.

I'm sure my car is the first to be loaded - and likely the last to be offloaded. :rofl:

Sdsanta - Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like you had a great trip. Can't wait to read the full report and see pics of your ride.


Save the best for last :D

WcBimmer, beautiful car and thank you for updating us with the EL. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[wcbimmer]

Save the best for last :D

WcBimmer, beautiful car and thank you for updating us with the EL. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!


Thanks :thumbup:

EL is still loading. Hopefully she will sail tonight (this waiting sucks!). Here are a few pics, from various altitudes, of the port in Bremerhaven from Google Earth using the Vessel Tracker overlay. The last one is a closeup of the actual berth that EL is using. You'll note that VT simply overlays the EL on the vessel that happened to be there when the GE satellite shot was taken. However, it is way cool IMO particularly seeing all those cars on the dock waiting to be loaded. :drive:

Happy Thanksgiving

[sdsanta]

I hope they're gentle...

[pattjin]

Hope I didn't hold up the ship too much :)

thanks for all the updates wcbimmer :thumbup: :thumbup:

[wcbimmer]

Hope I didn't hold up the ship too much :)

thanks for all the updates wcbimmer :thumbup: :thumbup:


I think what held up the ship was all that turkey the captain was eating! :rofl:

But the EL is now actually making its way out of the Bremerhaven port. Our bimmers setting sail on Thanksgiving Day, how cool is that !! :banana:

[sdsanta]

Full steam ahead! My boss just ordered the 335 convertible in black on saddle, mine is monaco on saddle. He's slated for a 1st week of December build. His parking space is next to mine, so I hope mine is here 1st!

[am_ver]

pic #3 is quite a sight. Was anyone able to spot their baby in the pic?

wcbimmer - can you help in tracking the 'Hojin'?


Thanks :thumbup:

EL is still loading. Hopefully she will sail tonight (this waiting sucks!). Here are a few pics, from various altitudes, of the port in Bremerhaven from Google Earth using the Vessel Tracker overlay. The last one is a closeup of the actual berth that EL is using. You'll note that VT simply overlays the EL on the vessel that happened to be there when the GE satellite shot was taken. However, it is way cool IMO particularly seeing all those cars on the dock waiting to be loaded. :drive:

Happy Thanksgiving

[wcbimmer]

pic #3 is quite a sight. Was anyone able to spot their baby in the pic?

wcbimmer - can you help in tracking the 'Hojin'?



am_ver - I feel your pain as no one else on the Hojin seems to be tracking. I'll try to post what I see from time to time on the Hojin thread. All I ask in return is that you visit this thread occasionally after your car arrives on Dec 7th to keep us company until ours arrive on the 15th. ;)


Well boys and girls, it turns out that the EL is a ferryboat wannabe. After 47 hours docked in Bremerhaven, it has decided its going to drop anchor in Emden, Germany instead of rushing across the atlantic. :mad: Maybe I'm better off not tracking this little turkey . . .:dunno:

[tjg98]

The EL just started showing up on the Port Hueneme schedule. Unfortunately, it is showing December 16. Lets hope it gets back on schedule for the 15th.

http://www.portofhueneme.org/business_at_the_port/vessel_schedule.php

[wcbimmer]

The EL just started showing up on the Port Hueneme schedule. Unfortunately, it is showing December 16. Lets hope it gets back on schedule for the 15th.


:thumbup:



EL is tentatively scheduled to pass thru the Panama Canal on Dec 6th. This will give us a mid point to access progress.

http://www.boydsteamship.com/daily_traffic_report.htm

[wcbimmer]

The ferryboat known as Equuleus Leader is currently passing through the Dover Straits at a speed of 19.3 knots. Unfortunately, its next destination is Brixham, UK, later today. They could probably shave up to a week off the time it takes to get our cars to us if the EL would stop dropping anchor all over Europe. :mad: Oh, well. At least we know where she is (lower left third in attached pic) . . .:tsk:

[sdsanta]

Hopefully this will be the last stop before open seas.

[wcbimmer]

EL has departed Brixham and is headed to open seas. Last report had her off of Lands End which is the southwestern tip of England. Unfortunately for those as impatient as me, the EL is heading for another pit stop in Jacksonville with an ETA of Dec 3rd.

The tracking services that I have access to seem to be limited or at least I haven't figured out how to track on the open sea. :cry: So I'll update whenever I can get any additional info. For now, here are the details:


MMSI 371426000 Last seen at 25/11/2007 4:02:14 UTC
Name EQUULEUS LEADER Latitude N 49°39.256'
Callsign 3ECX3 Longitude W 4°34.421'
IMO number 9342906 Heading 237°
Length 199 m Speed 17.5 knots
Beam 32 m Destination JACKSONVILLE
Draught 9.1 m ETA 3/12/2007 9:00:00 UTC
Vessel Type Cargo Status Under way using engine

[pattjin]

After 47 hours docked in Bremerhaven, it has decided its going to drop anchor in Emden, Germany instead of rushing across the atlantic. :mad: Maybe I'm better off not tracking this little turkey . . .:dunno:

I'm thinking it was picking up some VWs since there seems to be a VW factory in Emden.

[mikeytown]

Hey fellas, I dropped off on 11/9 in Munich and am probably on the EL too! Thanks for tracking the ship for us wcbimmer!

tjg98, I think we were on the same BMW Production Plant Tour on 11/6 at 1:30 PM! Recognize me?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/2048047599_23eb006859.jpg

[tjg98]

mikeytown:

Yes - my wife and I were in the same tour group. The car looks great. Hope you enjoyed the tour as much as we did. We found the whole ED experience great. Now the hard part continues - the wait....

[mikeytown]

Cool thanks! That was the picture taken by the Welt's photographer. Yeah, the tour was cool and glad to hear you had a good time. Haha, don't worry man. Our cars will be here no time! Hopefully by New Year's Eve...


The following link will show you a delayed position of the Equuleus Leader. Just zoom out and you'll see where the ship's at. Not sure what the delay is, but gives us a good idea where it's currently at!

http://www.vesseltracker.com/en/Ships/Equuleus-Leader-9342906.html

[sdsanta]

I think the delay on Vesseltracker is 24 hours if you're not a subscriber.

[wcbimmer]

In case past history is any indication of the present EL schedule, below is a record of her last voyage between Bremerhaven and Port Hueneme (Calif.) in August of this year. The dates are in YY-MM-DD format and represent arrival and departure. The figure in brackets ( ) indicates the number of hours actually spent in port.


Bremerhaven Germany 2007-08-02 2007-08-03 (29 hrs)
Emden Germany 2007-08-04 2007-08-04 (12)
Transit Dover Straits SW 2007-08-05 2007-08-05
Jacksonville United States of America 2007-08-14 2007-08-14 (10)
Panama Canal Atlantic Outer Anchorage Panama 2007-08-18 2007-08-18 (13)
Panama Canal Panama 2007-08-18 2007-08-19 (9)
Balboa Panama 2007-08-19 2007-08-19 (<2)
Long Beach United States of America 2007-08-25 2007-08-26 (13)
Hueneme United States of America 2007-08-26 2007-08-27 (12)


Looks like 10 days to get from Germany to Jacksonville. Obviously, past history is no indication of furture performance so you may want to file this away with other useless information . . . :rolleyes:

[92bmw325is]

oh.. soooo painful to wait...

[tuneout]

Just got an email saying my car is on EL too. I dropped it off in Munich on 11/14

... "expected to arrive in Port Hueneme, CA on December 15th. Typically US Customs clearance takes 2-3 business days (but it is possible that it will take longer) and then your car will be transported to your dealer by BMW."

I wonder how long ground transportations takes from Port Hueneme to Bay Area... :)

[djlfp]

[QUOTE=tuneout;2824643]Typically US Customs clearance takes 2-3 business days (but it is possible that it will take longer) and then your car will be transported to your dealer by BMW."[QUOTE]Is it safe to assume that this is NOT a European Delivery?

[djlfp]

Repeat.

[sdsanta]

[QUOTE=tuneout;2824643]Typically US Customs clearance takes 2-3 business days (but it is possible that it will take longer) and then your car will be transported to your dealer by BMW."[QUOTE]Is it safe to assume that this is NOT a European Delivery?

According to the ED Calendar Tuneout picked up his car at the Welt on 11/5. I hope the timing mentioned in his e-mail is accurate!

[tuneout]

[QUOTE=tuneout;2824643]Typically US Customs clearance takes 2-3 business days (but it is possible that it will take longer) and then your car will be transported to your dealer by BMW."[QUOTE]Is it safe to assume that this is NOT a European Delivery?
sdsanta is right. It was ED. I was referring to the re-delivery, if it wasn't clear.

[djlfp]

Typically US Customs clearance takes 2-3 business days (but it is possible that it will take longer) and then your car will be transported to your dealer by BMW."
sdsanta is right. It was ED. I was referring to the re-delivery, if it wasn't clear*****! I thought it was taking longer than that for ED customs clearance, but if only 2-3 days, that is great. What is your source for that timeframe? Thanks.

[tuneout]

WOW! I thought it was taking longer than that for ED customs clearance, but if only 2-3 days, that is great. What is your source for that timeframe? Thanks.
Jessica @ Harms. But then she also said "it is possible that it will take longer" :-/

[PaulyD]

Has the EL left for the open sea? LOL Christmas is just around the corner. Sorry, I'm just getting impatient. :D

[sdsanta]

Has the EL left for the open sea? LOL Christmas is just around the corner. Sorry, I'm just getting impatient. :D

You and me both! I believe the EL is chugging accross the Atlantic as we speak. What makes it worse for me is that my co-worker, after my fawning about the car, decided to order the same car, but in black. He's scheduled for a build the 1st week of December, and since custom is shorter for new cars, it's possible he'll have his 1st! And we park right next to each other...

[pattjin]

http://www.portofhueneme.org/documents/20071121103315.pdf

says the equuleus leader will be arriving 16 Dec.

[jonsun]

ED cars are not tracked by BMWNA. I called EH Harmes USA, Inc.
Ph 410-837-7613 ext 202, I spoke with Jessica. She was able to give me the ship's name, shipping company, date of departure, and date of arrival. For some reason, my BMW agent was unable to do this or unwilling to make the effort to find out.

Once you have this information, go to the Port Hueneme web site:

http://www.portofhueneme.org/home.php

and click on "Current Vessel Schedule". Look for your ship's name and it will confirm when it is to arrive in port.

*********************************
other info from Nathan on E90post.com

For east coast deliveries, the shipping company’s website (Wallenius Wilhelmsen) is http://www.2wglobal.com/www/WEP/index.jsp. They update their schedule in real-time and changes the color of the ‘stops’ to Red after the ship arrives at different ports, signifying that the ship has docked. My ship took exactly 11 days to get from Bremerhaven to New York City. Sometimes, if your ship reports its status, you can track your ship while it makes its way across the pond. Go to http://www.sailwx.info/ and search by ship name. Keep in mind that my ship never showed up, so its really luck that you may see it.

For west coast deliveries, the shipping company's website (NYK Lines) is http://www2.nykline.com/home/index.html. You can also use http://www.dbh.de/index.php?id=151&L=0
to track the departure of your ship from Bremerhaven to Port Hueneme. Apparently NYK Line doesn't make it easy to find your ship. After that, if you want to know when your ship is planning to dock in San Diego, San Diego Marine Information Systems will give you the arrival schedule for Port Hueneme (west coast delivery) at
http://www.sdmis.org/schedule/.

[PaulyD]

You and me both! I believe the EL is chugging accross the Atlantic as we speak. What makes it worse for me is that my co-worker, after my fawning about the car, decided to order the same car, but in black. He's scheduled for a build the 1st week of December, and since custom is shorter for new cars, it's possible he'll have his 1st! And we park right next to each other...

Have faith SdSanta! Your co-worker probably won't have the bragging rights of saying he picked his car up in Germany:thumbup:

Thanks everyone for tracking the EL!

[sdsanta]

Have faith SdSanta! Your co-worker probably won't have the bragging rights of saying he picked his car up in Germany:thumbup:

Thanks everyone for tracking the EL!

That's right, and he doesn't have the cool Welt personalized key chain!:bigpimp:

[wcbimmer]

In light of the fact that I am bummed that I am unable to track the EL across the big pond, and that sdsanta is stressing about his co-worker, I took the liberty of directly phoning the EL's next port of calling, Jacksonville FL. They were able to verbally confirm that the EL is still scheduled to drop anchor next Monday, Dec 3rd, @ 9 a.m. EST. The Panama Canal daily trafic report (updated this morning) still reflects the EL arriving on Dec 6th. So with a little luck the co-worker will have to get used to parking his 10 yr old Honda Civic next to sdsant's new ride (at least for a few days). :thumbup:

(BTW, my long distance bill is on it's way . . .)

I believe the EL is chugging accross the Atlantic as we speak. What makes it worse for me is that my co-worker, after my fawning about the car, decided to order the same car, but in black. He's scheduled for a build the 1st week of December, and since custom is shorter for new cars, it's possible he'll have his 1st! And we park right next to each other...

[sdsanta]

So by process of interpolation the EL should be about halfway across the pond by now! Tricky part will be how long it takes to clear customs, and how long it takes to fix the scratch on the back of my trunk (presuming there's no other damage en-route).

[sdsanta]

BTW, as a public service announcement, make sure you have your insurance in place when the boat arrives, as has been discussed in other threads here (and stated in the ED documentation) the shipping company and ED insurance terminates once the boat arrives in the States. Not sure if it is technically in the States the minute it's unloaded, or once it clears customs.

[pattjin]

finally my order status says "En Route"... (on Track My Order) :rofl:

[LuizMiranda]

http://LmOffice.com/files/misc/images/ShipLocation.jpg

I hope it makes it by New Years, I want to turn the year in style ;D haha

[wcbimmer]

http://LmOffice.com/files/misc/images/ShipLocation.jpg

I hope it makes it by New Years, I want to turn the year in style ;D haha



Luiz - I hope you noticed that the info that you posted is from Nov 25th. The EL is now in mid Atlantic and will dock in Jacksonville on Monday.

[wcbimmer]

Apparently she made it safe and sound across the Atlantic. As of this morning, the Equuleus Leader finds itself in Jacksonville. :) She is due to drop anchor at Blount Island.

[sdsanta]

Apparently she made it safe and sound across the Atlantic. As of this morning, the Equuleus Leader finds itself in Jacksonville. :) She is due to drop anchor at Blount Island.

Dump that cargo and get a move on! :)

[sdsanta]

Looks like the EL is now scheduled to travel through the Panama Canal on 12/7.

http://www.boydsteamship.com/daily_traffic_report.htm

[E92Carrera]

I'm not a ED but my car is on the E.L. !! Thx everyone for tracking. I'm hoping for a great christmas gift. :thumbup:

[sdsanta]

I'm not a ED but my car is on the E.L. !! Thx everyone for tracking. I'm hoping for a great christmas gift. :thumbup:

You'll probably have yours before us, since ED cars take longer to clear customs.

[wcbimmer]

You'll probably have yours before us, since ED cars take longer to clear customs.


Oh no, not negative vibes :slap:

[wcbimmer]

EL has departed Jacksonville after only 10 hours in port. She is now heading toward the Panama Canal @ 19 knots. :thumbup:

[E92Carrera]

wcbimmer, what do you use to track if you don't mind me asking. Is it one of the free ais tracking sites or do you have a subscription to a service. Thanks

[PaulyD]

EL has departed Jacksonville after only 10 hours in port. She is now heading toward the Panama Canal @ 19 knots. :thumbup:

Full Steam Ahead! :)

[mikeytown]

Anyone going to try and attempt to capture some shots of the EL as it goes through the Panama Canal?

PaulyD: Thanks again for the pixs!

A little off topic, but seeing that some of us have cars on the EL and are from NorCal. There's a Bay Area Bimmefest gathering on January 18th in San Jose in case anyone is interested in meeting other "Festers". SoCal peeps should be more than welcome too if they don't mind the 300 mile trip!

Here's the link:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246735

[sdsanta]

Looks like our trusty tub is now scheduled to arrive at the canal on the 7th and is booked to travel through on the morning of the 8th.

http://www.boydsteamship.com/daily_traffic_report.htm

[LuizMiranda]

Port of Hueneme PDF with Vessel Scheduled updated today! Our girl Equuleus Leader is still scheduled for arrival on Dec 16th :)

Man, and I told myself I wouldn't obsess about it every day lol :D

I can't wait anymore, no more bus please! I wanna be driving!!! :drive:

[sdmikev]

Hey fellas, I dropped off on 11/9 in Munich and am probably on the EL too! Thanks for tracking the ship for us wcbimmer!

tjg98, I think we were on the same BMW Production Plant Tour on 11/6 at 1:30 PM! Recognize me?


Small world. I'm new here. I've read from time to time and did some valuable research on the sight before my ED trip last month. I found this thread yesterday on Google when I searched for "EQUULEUS LEADER" after talking to my dealer. My baby's on the boat, too. Picked up on 11/6 at BMW Welt and dropped off on 11/13 in Frankfurt after putting over 1000 miles on the car. Fantastic trip! Pick up day was an early (and long) day -- 9:40 delivery on the turntable and then the 11 am plant tour. We drove straight to Prague after having lunch at the International Cafe and got in about 8:30.

Through the Panama Canal tomorrow morning, huh? I had been banking on about 8 weeks from dropoff to delivery, so a December 16th arrival at Port Hueneme sounds REALLY good to me. My dealer gave me about 30-70 odds on getting the car down here in SD before Christmas. That's a bummer, but considering I was prepared for mid-January, I'm still thrilled.

I've made it over a month. 3 or so more weeks should be a snap. Right? Right?

[wcbimmer]

wcbimmer, what do you use to track if you don't mind me asking. Is it one of the free ais tracking sites or do you have a subscription to a service. Thanks



Just got back from a biz trip and saw that the EL is about to enter the Panma Canal. :)

I used a number of different free traking service, one of which had overlays on Google Earth which I found to be pretty cool. However, all those services only seemed to track the vessels in Europe and/or have a long delay time. However, Sea - Web allows you to request a 15 day trial of their AIS Live service which is where the attached pic is from. I keep it on background while I work on my computer and check it every few seconds. :D

[sdsanta]

Small world. I'm new here. I've read from time to time and did some valuable research on the sight before my ED trip last month. I found this thread yesterday on Google when I searched for "EQUULEUS LEADER" after talking to my dealer. My baby's on the boat, too. Picked up on 11/6 at BMW Welt and dropped off on 11/13 in Frankfurt after putting over 1000 miles on the car. Fantastic trip! Pick up day was an early (and long) day -- 9:40 delivery on the turntable and then the 11 am plant tour. We drove straight to Prague after having lunch at the International Cafe and got in about 8:30.

Through the Panama Canal tomorrow morning, huh? I had been banking on about 8 weeks from dropoff to delivery, so a December 16th arrival at Port Hueneme sounds REALLY good to me. My dealer gave me about 30-70 odds on getting the car down here in SD before Christmas. That's a bummer, but considering I was prepared for mid-January, I'm still thrilled.

I've made it over a month. 3 or so more weeks should be a snap. Right? Right?

Welcome to our obsessive compulsive thread! I'm eager to get the car ASAP, because my boss just ordered the same car and our parking spaces are right next to each other. I want mine in the slot before his!

I also went to Prague on my ED, loved it. Although based on advise here I parked the car at the hotel and didn't take it out until I left. Great city.

[sdmikev]

Welcome to our obsessive compulsive thread! I'm eager to get the car ASAP, because my boss just ordered the same car and our parking spaces are right next to each other. I want mine in the slot before his!

I also went to Prague on my ED, loved it. Although based on advise here I parked the car at the hotel and didn't take it out until I left. Great city.

Thanks for the welcome. I can't wait for my car to get here because I've been slogging around in a '98 Honda Accord for the past two years since I wound up losing my '00 Z3 as collateral damage resulting from extricating myself from a highly unpleasant matrimonial situation.

I did exactly the same thing in Prague. I have zero pictures of my car there, because it spent all three days we were in the city two floors underground. Too bad, too, because the city is even more gorgeous than I was expecting, even in the rain and the cold.

I did manage to curb rash my front right rim going down the absurdly narrow spiral ramp to get to the garage in Prague. Not a challenge I was properly prepared for less than 5 hours after taking possession. It wasn't that big a scrape (the E.H. Harms guy in Frankfurt didn't even note it on the condition sheet until I pointed it out), but it nearly made me sick to my stomach when I saw it after finally getting to my parking spot and giving the car a once-over. Hopefully, a brand new rim will be there by the time I reclaim the car in a few more weeks.

BTW, I probably shouldn't mention it here, but I briefly spooled her out to about 245 km/h on the A93 northwest of Regensburg. Before the break-in police put out an APB for me, I'll note in my defense that a) I was about 4500 rpm for only about 45 seconds and b) someone (not me) in my factory tour group asked how bad it was to exceed the break-in limits and our trusty guide noted that brief excursions above the specified limits weren't really bad and in fact could be helpful in stretching out the car.

All I have to say is that 145ish mph felt like no effort at all and the car was as solid as a rock. The rest of the trip, I cruised in the 100-105 mph range on the autobahn. the car REALLY seems to like that as a cruising speed. Might not be good for my driving record...

[sdsanta]

Thanks for the welcome. I can't wait for my car to get here because I've been slogging around in a '98 Honda Accord for the past two years since I wound up losing my '00 Z3 as collateral damage resulting from extricating myself from a highly unpleasant matrimonial situation.

I did exactly the same thing in Prague. I have zero pictures of my car there, because it spent all three days we were in the city two floors underground. Too bad, too, because the city is even more gorgeous than I was expecting, even in the rain and the cold.

I did manage to curb rash my front right rim going down the absurdly narrow spiral ramp to get to the garage in Prague. Not a challenge I was properly prepared for less than 5 hours after taking possession. It wasn't that big a scrape (the E.H. Harms guy in Frankfurt didn't even note it on the condition sheet until I pointed it out), but it nearly made me sick to my stomach when I saw it after finally getting to my parking spot and giving the car a once-over. Hopefully, a brand new rim will be there by the time I reclaim the car in a few more weeks.

BTW, I probably shouldn't mention it here, but I briefly spooled her out to about 245 km/h on the A93 northwest of Regensburg. Before the break-in police put out an APB for me, I'll note in my defense that a) I was about 4500 rpm for only about 45 seconds and b) someone (not me) in my factory tour group asked how bad it was to exceed the break-in limits and our trusty guide noted that brief excursions above the specified limits weren't really bad and in fact could be helpful in stretching out the car.

All I have to say is that 145ish mph felt like no effort at all and the car was as solid as a rock. The rest of the trip, I cruised in the 100-105 mph range on the autobahn. the car REALLY seems to like that as a cruising speed. Might not be good for my driving record...


I can sympathize on your tire, I had a nice scratch on the back of my trunk. Actually looked like someone keyed the car, which bummed me out. But I know it will be fixed so, oh well.

And I too pushed the car for a brief spell up to 4500 rpm's. My top speed was less than yours, probably because my convertible is 500 lbs heavier. Had to drive like that at least once, never be able to do it here, at least not legally!

[LuizMiranda]

And I too pushed the car for a brief spell up to 4500 rpm's. My top speed was less than yours, probably because my convertible is 500 lbs heavier!

ahh heim....

http://luizmiranda.com/Photos/EuroTrip2007/PhotoAlbum/thumbs/152%20-%20autobahn%20-%20155mph.jpg (http://luizmiranda.com/Photos/EuroTrip2007/PhotoAlbum/Web/152%20-%20autobahn%20-%20155mph.jpg)

If you can't read it says 155... click to zoom .. maybe the top down gave me better wind resistance?? tee hee :p haha couldn't help it sorry, just messing witcha though :D

[JSpira]

Small world. I'm new here.
Sdmikev

It doens´t look like you were entered into the official European Delivery calendar so I added you. If the listing needs any adjustment, please advise via PM.

You have a 335i btw, not a 335ci, so 335i is what went into the listing. The designation 335ci was discontinued by BMW with the E46.

[wcbimmer]

OK guys, I'm feeling like a girl scout and now sooooooooo embarrassed with my wimpy 102 :(

[JSpira]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTIKHFpnTNI

[wcbimmer]

EL is currently anchored outside the Gatun Locks. Somebody tell that captian to raise anchor and get the hell going . . .:mad:

By the way, if anyone is interested in checking out the web cam at Gatun Locks here is the link: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html
I've attached the current pic from the web cam but the EL is not in view yet.


(Update: After looking at the position of the EL in the AIS picture, and then comparing to a view of the Panama Canal on Google Earth, it seems that the EL has already gone through Gatun Locks and is just waiting to proceed. I'll be busy today but if someone else has time to monitor the web cam for the other locks and post a pic of the EL passing through that would be cool.)

[sdmikev]

And I too pushed the car for a brief spell up to 4500 rpm's. My top speed was less than yours, probably because my convertible is 500 lbs heavier. Had to drive like that at least once, never be able to do it here, at least not legally!

I apparently can't type. Meant to say "above 4500" as opposed to "about 4500." 245 km/h was in the 5500 or so rpm range if I recall correctly. I was more concerned with looking at the road and only quickly scanned the gauges long enough to check speed. How fast the engine was going seemed less important than verifying that the Skoda I was about to pass didn't decide to get cute and pass the truck in front of him at the wrong time...

Sdmikev

It doens´t look like you were entered into the official European Delivery calendar so I added you. If the listing needs any adjustment, please advise via PM.

You have a 335i btw, not a 335ci, so 335i is what went into the listing. The designation 335ci was discontinued by BMW with the E46.

Thanks. Listing in the calendar looks fine. I noted that my car was badged as a 335i. Made me wonder why BMW stopped with the "c." While it is obviously a bit redundant on the car (obviously it's a coupe, it has two doors), typing "I have a 335ci" is less cumbersome than "I have a 335i coupe."

[wcbimmer]

Well I'm a happy camper indeed, sipping a glass of wine now that I just saw my car! :thumbup: Actually, I was just watching the EL on one of the Panama Canal web cams. It was a bit like watching paint dry as I sat here for about an hour while it made its way to the web cam location, the Miraflores Locks. But man was it sweet to see it arrive and pass through. :rofl: I've attached a pic but, unfortunately, I could not copy the view from the high resolution camera where you could clearly read 'Equuleus Leader' on the side of the vessel.

Let the countdown begin . . . :drive::drive::drive:

[sdsanta]

Cool pics! Thanks WC

[wcbimmer]

Cool pics! Thanks WC

:beerchug:

[wcbimmer]

EL has made it thru the Panama Canal and is now heading toward open waters in the Pacific at 19.4 knots (Latitude N 8°05.344' Longitude W 79°40.466' ) .

Sdsanta, what is the satus of your bosses car? Did you happen to send him a copy of the EL pics from the Miraflores Locks ? ;)

[sdsanta]

The completion date for my boss' car is showing as 12/12. There's no doubt he'll be at port well after us. customs and the VPC are the big variables. New cars are pre-cleared, so they get through customs pretty quick. I have a scratch the VPC will have to fix, so that will add a few days. An interesting twist is that the CA that sold both of us our cars is a personal friend of mine that I've known for 20 years. So I've told her if his shows up first to hide it in the back of the garage...:D Like I said, at least he won't have the cool personalized keychain from the Welt!

[mikeytown]

Well I'm a happy camper indeed, sipping a glass of wine now that I just saw my car! :thumbup: Actually, I was just watching the EL on one of the Panama Canal web cams. It was a bit like watching paint dry as I sat here for about an hour while it made its way to the web cam location, the Miraflores Locks. But man was it sweet to see it arrive and pass through. :rofl: I've attached a pic but, unfortunately, I could not copy the view from the high resolution camera where you could clearly read 'Equuleus Leader' on the side of the vessel.

Let the countdown begin . . . :drive::drive::drive:



NICE!!!

[June Bug]

:clap:My 550i, Alpine white with brown leather is on the same boat. I took ED on 11/10 in the snow and rain. This is my hubby's car. His 2004 545i lease expired in October. Once he gets the new one, I get to take my X 5 back to ATL.

[JSpira]

:clap:My 550i, Alpine white with brown leather is on the same boat. I took ED on 11/10 in the snow and rain. This is my hubby's car. His 2004 545i lease expired in October. Once he gets the new one, I get to take my X 5 back to ATL.

Hi June.

Welcome to the Fest. :thumbup:

I don't see you on the Official European Delivery calendar (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/calendar.php?month=11&year=2007&c=3&do=displaymonth). Please add your car (or if you want me to do it, let me know).

[wcbimmer]

EL is chugging along off the Guatemal coastline (12 18.267 N, 91 22.917 W).




Quote:
Originally Posted by June Bug
My 550i, Alpine white with brown leather is on the same boat. I took ED on 11/10 in the snow and rain. This is my hubby's car. His 2004 545i lease expired in October. Once he gets the new one, I get to take my X 5 back to ATL.



June Bug - Have you posted any pics? I almost went for the brown leather interior in my car so I'm curious to see how it looks with Alpine white.

[PaulyD]

What do you all think? Will the EL make it to port by 12/16? :dunno:

[wcbimmer]

What do you all think? Will the EL make it to port by 12/16? :dunno:

The port's arrival schedule reflects 12/16 but the schedule hasn't been updated in 5 days. Hopefully, they will update tomorrow.

My CA tells me that he 'doubts very much' that I will have the car by Christmas but definitely before the end of the year. Rather discouraging since I'll have been admitted to AA by then . . .:(:cry::(

[LuizMiranda]

Oh man, I'm really hoping I get mine by the 30th of Dec, I'm up in Seattle though so probably add another 3-4 days from you wcbimmmer :( It's tuff though with everyone in holiday mode people tend to work slower heheh

[davidk]

Like you, LuizMiranda, I am in the Seattle area and am hoping to have our X3 delivered before the end of the year. Our CA (in Yakima) believes we may even have it before Christmas, but given the amount of time off and generally slower attitudes during the holidays I will be very happy to have it before New Year's Day. Waiting is the toughest part!

[PaulyD]

Wow your CA's in Seattle are telling you by Christmas huh? I'm in San Diego...Hmm... I hope all the cars clear customs soon :thumbup:

[LuizMiranda]

Yakima uh? Did you use Tito? :) I'm picking it up in Yakima as well :p I *really* doubt christmas but hopefully by the 31st :D

[E92Carrera]

My dealer's 30-40 mins from the port. So he said about 7-10 days upon arrival. So that would be up to christmas. :thumbup: Hopefully sooner!!

[davidk]

Yes, I purchased from Tiho - he was great! I really think before Christmas will be quite a stretch, but by New Year...I hope!

[PaulyD]

Hi everyone. Just emailed Phillippe K (he was great to work with) and he replied that under normal circumstances end of month would be the time frame. Because of the holiday's we might have it by the end of the month...or by next year :cry: . Oh well, it's on it's way. All we can do is be patient (easier said than done). Wcbimmer save a seat for me @ AA. LOL

[sdsanta]

I'm hoping for pre-Christmas but year-end seems more realistic, given car has to go through customs, VPC and ship to my dealer. Plus my car has a nice scratch VPC has to fix.

[LuizMiranda]

By the way, for those interested, our EL is making a stop in San Diego port it seems on 12/15 before heading to Port Hueneme still scheduled to 12/16 ...

Here is a link to the san diego marine port schedule:
http://www.sdmis.org/schedule/

Equuleus Leader:
ETA = 12/15 02:30
ETD = 12/15 17:00

for those of us who want a closer look in a couple of days, here are some links to aisfree maps (you can register for free) that will, eventually, let us see EL, in the order listed:
West Coast Mexico (http://aisfree.aislive.com/Influx.aspx?Map=West%20Coast%20Mexico)
San Diego Overview (http://aisfree.aislive.com/Influx.aspx?Map=San%20Diego%20Overview)
LA Overview (http://aisfree.aislive.com/Influx.aspx?Map=Los%20Angeles%20Overview)


hope she is still on track :)

[sdmikev]

By the way, for those interested, our EL is making a stop in San Diego port it seems on 12/15 before heading to Port Hueneme still scheduled to 12/16

I assume this means that she'll be offloading cars destined for San Diego? Now that I re-read the e-mail from my sales guy, he stated only that the EL was scheduled to "be at the port on 12/15." I assumed he meant Port Hueneme, but now I'm hoping he maybe meant SD. I might have to find myself down by S.D. Bay on Saturday afternoon. Although it might hurt to be so close and yet still ~10 days away from delivery. Arrgh.

[sdsanta]

I thought that BMW's were only offloaded at Port Hueneme. I don't think they have a VPC in San Diego.

[sdmikev]

I did a bit more checking and you're right. Now it's really going to kill me to know the car is 5 miles from my house for 4 hours on Saturday only to then head 140 miles northwest before wandering back home a couple of weeks later.

A friend of mine linked me to this tour of the VPC on another site:

VPC tour (http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21112)

[sdsanta]

I know how you feel.

[wcbimmer]

A friend of mine linked me to this tour of the VPC on another site:

VPC tour (http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21112)


Nice link, thanks for posting it. :thumbup: Interesting that they say the quickest turn around is 2 days. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Funny how the days seem to be getting longer and longer (or is it just me?) . . . :confused:

[tjg98]

Port Hueneme schedule was updated tonight. Unfortunately, it now has the EL arriving on 12/17.

http://www.portofhueneme.org/documents/20071213163215.pdf

[LuizMiranda]

A bit of bad news maybe .... *sigh*

As of today, there seems to be some kind of hold up at Customs. I've been tracking the Hojin Thread (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243503&page=5) which is the ship that came before ours (docked on 12/7) and apparently ...

"There appears to be a glut at the US Customs, Port Hueneme. Jupiter Diamond landed over a week ago and cars are still at Customs lot. Since then, there has been 3 ships landed with cars, including Hojin."

Which means, unless they really hurry it all up, expect our ship to be the 4th one on that list :( but hey, you never know right, maybe all of a sudden they'll release a bunch of cars, who knows :dunno:

LAME! :bawling:

[cosmos]

No way are you guys getting your cars before Christmas, would be lucky before the New Year....IMO of course.

[wcbimmer]

Not sure exactly where the EL is at the moment. The last reported location on AIS Live is several days old. As tjg98 noted, the Port Heuneme arrival schedule was updated to reflect the EL arriving now on Monday the 17th which would suggest that it would drop anchor in San Diego one day before (i.e., 16th). However, I just gave a quick call to the port of San Diego to confirm. They told me that their latest info still reflects that the EL will arrive there tomorrow (Sat, 12/15). I'm confused. :dunno:

Since Christmas is fast approaching, even one day could make a difference whether I am released from AA rehab or simply committed for life . . .:banghead:

[pattjin]

Found it, lower right =)

[pattjin]

Upper left, same position as the previous. It's inbetween two regions.

[wcbimmer]

Finally, also found the EL (32 07.074 N, 117 15.029 W) . . .

[sdsanta]

She's gonna sail right by me! Can't take it much longer! :)

[wcbimmer]

She's gonna sail right by me! Can't take it much longer! :)

You should be able to go down to the port right now and walk right on the EL. Perhaps the captain will let you sail to Port Heuneme and then drive your car back to San Diego.;) If not, at least post a pic of the ship for us.

If the past is any indication, the EL should only be in SD for less than a day even though the PH vessel schedule shows her not arriving there until Monday. Maybe, just maybe. . .

[LuizMiranda]

Some good news, the guys on Hojin have their cars on Trucks now!! To recap, their vessel arrived on 12/7 (a friday) and most were released to trucks on 12/14 (following Friday) - meaning, 7 days (5 business days) from Dock till Release (including customs and VPC).... this gives me some hope ..... if you do the math... we could have our cars on trucks as early as 12/21 ... you guys on Cali could have it by Christmas! I am now thinking I may indeed have mine by New Years woohoo :D

[sdsanta]

Christmas would be great, but it's going to be tight. My parents, who were with me on my ED, are flying in for Christmas, it would be fun to have the car re-delivered while they are here.

[pattjin]

On our way to LA! :thumbup:

Just might make it there by tomorrow =)

[wcbimmer]

EL decided to make another pit stop in Long Beach. :(

[LuizMiranda]

Argh it's still sitting in LA.. go go go... :P

[wcbimmer]

The EL has finally lifted anchor and is leaving Long Beach. She will be at Port Hueneme in no time !!! :banana::clap::drive:

[PaulyD]

Please tell me the EL is @ port!

[wcbimmer]

Please tell me the EL is @ port!


yes indeed! :thumbup:

[sdsanta]

yes indeed! :thumbup:

WC, was that a confirmation that the EL is in port or were you re-iterating the request for someone to find out?

[sdmikev]

Some good news, the guys on Hojin have their cars on Trucks now!! To recap, their vessel arrived on 12/7 (a friday) and most were released to trucks on 12/14 (following Friday) - meaning, 7 days (5 business days) from Dock till Release (including customs and VPC).... this gives me some hope ..... if you do the math... we could have our cars on trucks as early as 12/21 ... you guys on Cali could have it by Christmas! I am now thinking I may indeed have mine by New Years woohoo :D

Assuming it docks today, that means that we could potentially be on trucks on Christmas Eve. If there's an early Christmas miracle, maybe the end of this week (but I'd doubt it). Ah well. I'm flying to Virginia on the 23rd, so hopefully my CA will call me the day I get back (27th) to tell me to come in and pick her up before the end of the week. I've already survived almost 5 weeks. I'm pretty sure I can wait another 10 or 11 days. And now that I think about it, even if it takes another two weeks and I don't get it until NYE, that's still less than 7 weeks from drop to delivery. My CA warned me it could be 9 or 10, so I'm still quite pleasantly surprised.

[sdsanta]

Jan 2 would be 8 weeks for me. Hope to have it sooner!

[wcbimmer]

WC, was that a confirmation that the EL is in port or were you re-iterating the request for someone to find out?

Yes, the Equuleus Leader has docked at Port Heuneme. I even called the Euro Delivery desk and they were able to confrim that the ship arrived today. Now it's up to customs, but hopefully the backlog that they had has cleared up. Let's keep our fingers crossed . . .

[sdsanta]

Awesome!

[PaulyD]

:D Now, all we can do is wait for that phone call

[wcbimmer]

WOW, I just saw that this thread has over 3,000 views in just over one month! That seems to suggest that :

a) there are dozens if not hundreds of 'festers on the EL, or

b) there are only 4 or 5 of us on the EL but we have obsessive personalities and no life to speak of. :dunno:

Now that the EL has finally parked herself at Port Heuneme, we should all have our cars with in the next week or two. In the meantime, I guess that there will be another 3,000 or so views checking and checking again. :thumbup:

Hope everyone takes the time to post a pic or two of their new ride. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Christmas surprise . . .

Thanks, sdsanta for getting it all started. :hi:

[sdsanta]

I think b) is the correct answer. :) I plan on calling BMW ED department in a few days to see if they have an update. From reading other threads they sometime have information.

[E92Carrera]

WOW, I just saw that this thread has over 3,000 views in just over one month! That seems to suggest that :

a) there are dozens if not hundreds of 'festers on the EL, or

b) there are only 4 or 5 of us on the EL but we have obsessive personalities and no life to speak of. :dunno:

Now that the EL has finally parked herself at Port Heuneme, we should all have our cars with in the next week or two. In the meantime, I guess that there will be another 3,000 or so views checking and checking again. :thumbup:

Hope everyone takes the time to post a pic or two of their new ride. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Christmas surprise . . .

Thanks, sdsanta for getting it all started. :hi:

Yea, I think its b. I know for sure I myself check this thread a couple of times a day! :yikes: This final wait seems worse than the weeks prior, maybe its just me :eeps: Thanx everyone for keeping us posted!

[PaulyD]

Yes, the answer is B). LOL:rofl: I cant wait to see those redelivery pics!

[tjg98]

I would have to agree with ‘B’ as well. We are heading down to my wife’s parents on Friday. They live in Oxnard which is right next to Port H. So close and yet so far…….

[mikeytown]

Almost there boys... Almost there...

[titusman]

Probably a little bit of a) and b). Because you have done such a good job of posting information, I was not sure my sedan was on Equuleus Leader till I received the letter from the receiving agent last week. It gave me the ship and approximate docking date. I turned in the car on the 11/11 so it is 5 weeks now and before the end of the year would be great. I know they need to replace a rim due to curb rash noted at harms. I've already purchased a trailer hitch so my 328i can be as versatile as my 325i has been the last 6 years. I will post pics assuming it installs ok. Just need it for bikes and very light duty.

[sdsanta]

I called the BMW ED number this morning and they do not show my car at the VPC, which means it hasn't cleared customs yet. I figured it would be to soon, but just thought I'd check.

[wcbimmer]

I called the BMW ED number this morning and they do not show my car at the VPC, which means it hasn't cleared customs yet. I figured it would be to soon, but just thought I'd check.

Hahahaha! I did the same thing. The lady I spoke with was very sympathetic and even encouraging when I told her that I was waiting for Santa to bring me my toy. She mentioned that those guys really try to get the cars out quickly at this time of year because they hate coming back after Christmas to a huge backlog. Don't know if she was referring to the guys at customs, VPC, or both but the positive attitude made my day.:thumbup:

[sdsanta]

Hopefully we won't drive them too crazy!

[E92Carrera]

I called the 1-800 number and it was updated to "awaiting a shipping vessel". I'm guessing that means it was unloaded off the ship and is sitting at the dock. Am I correct in my assumption? Anyone know? Thanks.

[LuizMiranda]

dare I ask, any updates? :)

[sdsanta]

I was too busy to call earier and just tried, but the ED department is closed (after 6 back east).

[LuizMiranda]

Ah it's probably best, man i think i've checked this thread over 5x today, it's definitely "b" hahah :D

[fastjon]

Hope you guys get those cars for Xmas...I didn't drop off until 11/30 and still can't find out the next boat out of Zeebrugge...does anyone have a vessel designated after the EL with a destination of Port Hueneme???

[sdsanta]

Well, minor update. I called BMW ED this morning and the status now shows my car as 'at the port'. The lady there told me that means it probably hasn't cleared customs yet. At least I know it wasn't lost at sea!

[wcbimmer]

Was able to confirm today that my car has cleared customs but it wasn't yet in the VPC inventory. Hopefully, this just means that the car needs to be physically transferred to the VPC. I understand that they process up to 600 cars a day. They will be working Saturday and Monday but it looks like redelivery is clearly after Christmas. Nevertheless, it's nice to know that it will be here soon enough. :thumbup:

[LuizMiranda]

Lame for taking 4 days at customs :( but if they're working saturday and monday then maybe by new years :D

[sdsanta]

Was able to confirm today that my car has cleared customs but it wasn't yet in the VPC inventory. Hopefully, this just means that the car needs to be physically transferred to the VPC. I understand that they process up to 600 cars a day. They will be working Saturday and Monday but it looks like redelivery is clearly after Christmas. Nevertheless, it's nice to know that it will be here soon enough. :thumbup:

Who did you confirm that it cleared customs with?

[wcbimmer]

Who did you confirm that it cleared customs with?

From the nice ladies at the ED desk. (I also had spoken earlier directly with a customs officer at the port who looked it up for me and said that I could come personally pick my car up. I was tempted, but obviously the car needs to go thru VPC.)

[sdsanta]

My CA just confirmed that my car is at the VPC! Let's hope we all get our cars next week.

[wcbimmer]

My CA just confirmed that my car is at the VPC! Let's hope we all get our cars next week.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[tjg98]

Owner’s Circle was updated tonight. This morning it showed ‘En Route’. Tonight it shows ‘At Preparation Center’ with an estimated delivery date of Jan 2.

[pattjin]

Me too! =) Mine now says 'At Preparation Center'

[PaulyD]

Woohoo!:D

[mikeytown]

Owner’s Circle was updated tonight. This morning it showed ‘En Route’. Tonight it shows ‘At Preparation Center’ with an estimated delivery date of Jan 2.

We're gettin' their fellas! :thumbup:

BTW, where'd you see/hear the estimated delivery date? Over the phone it still says, "In Transit", but online it just says "At Preparation Center" but I don't see an estimated delivery date.

[tjg98]

On the left side of the 'Vehicle Order Tracking' screen - select 'Review Order Detail'. This will bring up the detail screen and show an estimated delivery date.

[sdsanta]

My detail screen shows 'at preparation center', burt doesn't show a date. My CA tells me that the VPC time is usually padded a bit (it typically defaults to one week), so let's hope we see are cars before the new year!

[LuizMiranda]

yay mine wasn't lost at sea either, ETA 1/3 .. with some luck maybe that will be 12/30 instead :P mmmm I can taste it already! sweeet :D :D

[mikeytown]

On the left side of the 'Vehicle Order Tracking' screen - select 'Review Order Detail'. This will bring up the detail screen and show an estimated delivery date.

I see. I checked there again and still no date for me. Must mean your car is coming along, while mine is still waiting to get processed maybe?

Hope you get it sooner and keep us posted!

[trojantechy99]

Just wanted to let you know my vehicle tracking screen shows no date either, but I just got confirmation from my CA that my estimated delivery date is also 01/02. I would imagine yours is the same. Good luck to everyone on getting their car back soon and happy holidays!

[PaulyD]

Just got an email from Philippe K. The car should be @ the dealership on the 26th! Will probably pick it up on Friday :thumbup:

Happy Holidays everyone!

[mikeytown]

Just wanted to let you know my vehicle tracking screen shows no date either, but I just got confirmation from my CA that my estimated delivery date is also 01/02. I would imagine yours is the same. Good luck to everyone on getting their car back soon and happy holidays!

Cool, thanks man!

[mikeytown]

Just got an email from Philippe K. The car should be @ the dealership on the 26th! Will probably pick it up on Friday :thumbup:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Good stuff man! Did your BMW Owner's Circle have an estimated delivery date?

[PaulyD]

Good stuff man! Did your BMW Owner's Circle have an estimated delivery date?


Actually, the Owner's Circle still has the car listed as "at the preparation center". I'm not sure that the OC posts an estimated delivery date.

[sdsanta]

Just got an email from Philippe K. The car should be @ the dealership on the 26th! Will probably pick it up on Friday :thumbup:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Awesome PD! Hope we all have ours before New Year!

[wcbimmer]

Just got an email from Philippe K. The car should be @ the dealership on the 26th! Will probably pick it up on Friday :thumbup:

Happy Holidays everyone!

Congrats! :thumbup:

[PaulyD]

Congrats! :thumbup:


Thanks! I'm sure you'll get your new ride to ring in the New Year:D

I hope everyone will be getting a phone call/email with news from their CA's soon!

[sdsanta]

My Car arrived at the dealer yesterday. My CA, who is a personal friend, didn't tell me. Instead, this morning when I went with my parents to a friend's house for Christmas brunch, it was parked outside with a bow on it!

[JSpira]

My Car arrived at the dealer yesterday. My CA, who is a personal friend, didn't tell me. Instead, this morning when I went with my parents to a friend's house for Christmas brunch, it was parked outside with a bow on it!
Great surprise but where´s the photo with the bow? :angel::angel:

[mikeytown]

My Car arrived at the dealer yesterday. My CA, who is a personal friend, didn't tell me. Instead, this morning when I went with my parents to a friend's house for Christmas brunch, it was parked outside with a bow on it!

Good stuff!

Looks like our SoCal boys are being taken care of first!

[wcbimmer]

My Car arrived at the dealer yesterday. My CA, who is a personal friend, didn't tell me. Instead, this morning when I went with my parents to a friend's house for Christmas brunch, it was parked outside with a bow on it!

Sweet! Must have been a great feeling. Now go beat the crap out of your CA. ;)

[PaulyD]

My Car arrived at the dealer yesterday. My CA, who is a personal friend, didn't tell me. Instead, this morning when I went with my parents to a friend's house for Christmas brunch, it was parked outside with a bow on it!


Congrats SdSanta! Santa has his new sled for Christmas day.:thumbup:

[sdsanta]

I was surprised it got to the dealer so quickly. One reason maybe because the VPC did not fix the scratch I got while on ED, so the dealer will have to fix it.

[wcbimmer]

So far at least 2 SoCal cars redelivered. I spoke with trucking company this morning and was told that my car is on the truck and would be leaving for Bay Area sometime this morning. Hopefully, it will arrive at dealer today with redelivery tomorrow. I would imagine other Bay Area cars will be on same truck. :)

[sdsanta]

Great way to ring in the new year!

[LuizMiranda]

Could someone pm me or reply on thread as to who I can call/email regarding which trucking co my car is on? My dealer hasn't gotten back to me yet on it and im hoping it'll be up here by this weekend.

thanks :p

[mikeytown]

So far at least 2 SoCal cars redelivered. I spoke with trucking company this morning and was told that my car is on the truck and would be leaving for Bay Area sometime this morning. Hopefully, it will arrive at dealer today with redelivery tomorrow. I would imagine other Bay Area cars will be on same truck. :)

Yup, yup! I just called my CA and he said the car is on a truck and should be here in a couple of days!

[wcbimmer]

Could someone pm me or reply on thread as to who I can call/email regarding which trucking co my car is on? My dealer hasn't gotten back to me yet on it and im hoping it'll be up here by this weekend.

thanks :p


Try this number and ask for dispatch. You will need the last 7 digits of your VIN.

800-449-3195

[LuizMiranda]

Sweet thanks wcbimmer - "They're loading it right now, ETA 2-3 days" - so that would mean this weekend with fingers crossed YAY :D

[pattjin]

My CA just called, car just arrived. *woohoo* I'm picking it up tomorrow evening. :thumbup: :D I'm Bay Area, so i'm sure everyone here will be getting a call soon...

[titusman]

thanks wcbimmer, my car was supposedly delivered on the 23rd, called the CA and it is there so I will pick it up in 2 days. Awesome!!!!

[PaulyD]

Hey everyone. We picked the car up Wednesday night :thumbup: Philippe K thanks for waiting for us.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDandTomG/Redelivery12262007
Here's the link for redelivery.

However, on the way home the other half was driving the car home (I was in another car behind it) I noticed something hanging underneath the car. I couldn't make it out since the car sits so low. Upon making it home safely... it looks like the fiber glass undercarraige was damaged. I'm guessing when they loaded/unloaded the car onto the transport truck. This piece is bent towards the front of the car (so the damage occured while the car was in reverse)

That's a lesson learned for us when picking up a car late at night. I should have checked it before leaving the dealership. The body of the car was in perfect condition. I did notice that the hood was not closed completely (I did catch that part LOL)

I'm just a little bummed that she's damaged :bawling:. But, I know it will be taken care of. Looking forward to seeing more redelivery pics.

[JSpira]

Congratulations on the redelivery but sorry of course to hear of the damage.

It will be good as new.

[sdsanta]

Hey everyone. We picked the car up Wednesday night :thumbup: Philippe K thanks for waiting for us.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDandTomG/Redelivery12262007
Here's the link for redelivery.

However, on the way home the other half was driving the car home (I was in another car behind it) I noticed something hanging underneath the car. I couldn't make it out since the car sits so low. Upon making it home safely... it looks like the fiber glass undercarraige was damaged. I'm guessing when they loaded/unloaded the car onto the transport truck. This piece is bent towards the front of the car (so the damage occured while the car was in reverse)

That's a lesson learned for us when picking up a car late at night. I should have checked it before leaving the dealership. The body of the car was in perfect condition. I did notice that the hood was not closed completely (I did catch that part LOL)

I'm just a little bummed that she's damaged :bawling:. But, I know it will be taken care of. Looking forward to seeing more redelivery pics.


Glad you got your car, but sorry about the damage. My car is back at the dealer as well, the VPC chose not to fix a scratch I got while on ED, so the dealer is doing it. I'm sure you're car will be like new soon!

[mikeytown]

Hey everyone. We picked the car up Wednesday night :thumbup: Philippe K thanks for waiting for us.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PaulDandTomG/Redelivery12262007
Here's the link for redelivery.

However, on the way home the other half was driving the car home (I was in another car behind it) I noticed something hanging underneath the car. I couldn't make it out since the car sits so low. Upon making it home safely... it looks like the fiber glass undercarraige was damaged. I'm guessing when they loaded/unloaded the car onto the transport truck. This piece is bent towards the front of the car (so the damage occured while the car was in reverse)

That's a lesson learned for us when picking up a car late at night. I should have checked it before leaving the dealership. The body of the car was in perfect condition. I did notice that the hood was not closed completely (I did catch that part LOL)

I'm just a little bummed that she's damaged :bawling:. But, I know it will be taken care of. Looking forward to seeing more redelivery pics.

Awesome dude and good eye! Bummer that's it damaged though. Hope you get it fixed soon!

[mikeytown]

Finally got it, and I hope everyone gets their cars soon! BTW, is that ED front license plate holder/frame thing just taped on? I didn't wanna mess with it until checkin' with you guys.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2062/2142685242_207e724cef_m.jpg

[Calvette]

Finally got it, and I hope everyone gets their cars soon! BTW, is that ED front license plate holder/frame thing just taped on? I didn't wanna mess with it until checkin' with you guys.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2062/2142685242_207e724cef_m.jpg

Was your rear plate still on the car?

[PaulyD]

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I want to thank Philippe K again for a timely response in contacting someone from ED insurance.

Glad to see the cars are making it to their owners:thumbup:

[mikeytown]

Was your rear plate still on the car?


Yeah it was! Whadya think? Should I leave it on until I get the real plates?

[mikeytown]

Thanks everyone for the kind words! I want to thank Philippe K again for a timely response in contacting someone from ED insurance.

Glad to see the cars are making it to their owners:thumbup:

They replaced the missing rear tow hook cover too!

[sdsanta]

I didn't take my plates and both were in the trunk on re-delivery! The only minor disapointment was that they took the Austrian Vignette off my windshield, I was hoping to keep that.

[pattjin]

Just got my car a couple of hours ago... They kept my Austrian Vignette, however, they didn't have any floor mats (I didn't get them originally at the Welt)....

Still has the rear plate mounted on the car =).

[sdsanta]

I didn't have floor mats either, my CA is getting me some.

[wcbimmer]

Great to hear of all the EL 'festers getting their new rides. :thumbup: (but sorry about the damage to PaulyD's car).

Looks like I'll be able to join the party. My car is at dealer getting prepped and having the stock 172 wheels swapped for a set of 167's. Hope to pick her up after work today. Not even the light rain outside can get me down now! Maybe I'll name my car Clear Skies? (LOL) :drive:



EDIT: Just got a call back from CA. Apparently, now my car will not be ready until tomorrow morning due to backlog in service dept. I would be extremely bummed, but at this point few more hours is not worth getting twisted up about. :ouch:

[tjg98]

Congrats to all that have picked up their cars. Just got back from the dealer. Weather here very close to the weather we left in Munich. From drop-off to re-delivery was exactly seven weeks.

[mikeytown]

Glad to see everyone's got their cars or will be getting them soon!

Everything is perfect except t that I took off the front plate holders only to find 2 holes drilled into my front bumper. I thought they were using double-sided tape for this, or were they drilled in by the VPC ya think?

[PaulyD]

Great to hear of all the EL 'festers getting their new rides. :thumbup: (but sorry about the damage to PaulyD's car).

Looks like I'll be able to join the party. My car is at dealer getting prepped and having the stock 172 wheels swapped for a set of 167's. Hope to pick her up after work today. Not even the light rain outside can get me down now! Maybe I'll name my car Clear Skies? (LOL) :drive:



EDIT: Just got a call back from CA. Apparently, now my car will not be ready until tomorrow morning due to backlog in service dept. I would be extremely bummed, but at this point few more hours is not worth getting twisted up about. :ouch:


WcBimmer, I just read your post. I'm hoping that you have your car already:thumbup: Post pics of your ride with the new wheels.

[JSpira]

Everything is perfect except t that I took off the front plate holders only to find 2 holes drilled into my front bumper. I thought they were using double-sided tape for this, or were they drilled in by the VPC ya think?
From your pictures it looks like the front bracket was already on the car in Munich, no?

[samwoo2go]

who's the first one to get a ED car? how long did it take from the day the ship docked?

[titusman]

Picked my car yesterday at Chapman BMW in Phoenix. The car was nicely detailed and mats put back in place and rear plate was in the car. I took everything else out of the car. The VPC did not repair the passenger front rim which had some mild curb rash. I will probably notify my CA next week. I did not have an ipod cable in Europe and the dealer included it and the adapter works great. I do not have the idrive but the hifi display shows 2 lines and inputs all playlist/artist/genre/song information. The sound is also fantastic.

I also received the trailer hitch for a 2006 328xi wagon the same day. It does not fit the sedan and I have already sent it back. A bit of bummer as I was hoping to finally get my bikes off the roof.

[mikeytown]

From your pictures it looks like the front bracket was already on the car in Munich, no?

Yes it was, but I thought they were using double-sided tape nowadays instead of actually drilling into the bumper.

[mikeytown]

who's the first one to get a ED car? how long did it take from the day the ship docked?

Pretty much everyone got it this past week. It took most of us here about an average of 1.5 weeks.

[sdsanta]

Congrats everyone! Glad we can all start out 2008 driving our new cars.

[wcbimmer]

WcBimmer, I just read your post. I'm hoping that you have your car already:thumbup: Post pics of your ride with the new wheels.


Thanks PaulyD, and yes I did take redelivery yesterday. :thumbup:

The dealer's shuttle car driver that picked me up made a nice comment on the way about the new wheels so I was a happy camper even before I got to see the car again. I took my son with me. It was cool to see the expression on his face when we left the dealership and I punched it a bit going up the on ramp to the freeway. :) It was nice that the dealer left the rear euro plate on the car. The front bracket was also still on the car (installed by Welt) so I'll pop in the front euro plate back in until the regular license plates arrive. I've already seen a few smiles.

It's been raining here a bit so I'll take some pics as soon as it clears up.

Congrats to all who now have their cars and best wishes for a very short wait to those still waiting for redelivery. The process for me took 7 1/2 weeks from drop off to redelivery. Actually quite reasonable considering it was 14 days before my car was even loaded onto the EL. It certainly has been fun hanging with all you guys during the wait. It certainly made the wait bearable.

Thanks for the company! :drive:

[davidk]

Well, not everyone has received their car yet. I was hoping to have ours redelivered and in my garage by now, but as of 4:00 today, no delivery truck has shown up to deliver our X3. Looks like I will have to wait until next weekend before seeing it again. :bawling:

[LuizMiranda]

Mine arrived on Monday 12/31 in Yakima. I'm planning on picking it up on saturday, hopefully, the snow over the passes will not hinder my drive to Seattle. I tried getting chains but was told tires are too low profile (335i) and wouldn't fit, so, Go DSC! :P