[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

If you're going through SC, I think it is 2-days by train to the VPC, then 2-7 days at the VPC, then 2-3 days to your dealer. I'm just guessing based on other posts on this site. You're in San Antonio and I'm in Austin, so we'll probably get ours around the same time. (our cars might even get on the same truck!). My best guess is my car will be at my dealer July 9 - 15, but this is an educated guess at best. We also have the July 4th holiday messing everything up.

I actually bought through a Houston dealer. We still might be on the same truck. My CA told me July 10th or 11th. I'm going to e-mail him to see if he changes his estimate. I'll let you know.

[jimbethesda]

Cool, please do. I just emailed mine, so we can compare notes.

[dbtran]

Originally Posted by jimbethesda

Cool, please do. I just emailed mine, so we can compare notes.

Im going to email mine as well.

[HEY32G]

Okay, I just called the Order Status number (1-800-831-1117), and the guy told me that on average it takes about 7 days from the day the boat gets to the dock to the time it gets to my dealer. I told him I was in Houston and he said that's a 1 or 2 day trip. He said basically at the VPC they're going to take plastic off, take some shipping blocks out and get it on a truck. He also said if it does take longer it might be 1 or 2 more days.

So if the Freedom docks on the 1st, add 7 days, that puts it on the 8th add in the 4th of July that puts me on the 9th, and my CA said 10th or 11th, so I guess that's holding true. Unfortunately that day will never get here, because since I ordered the damn thing the Earth's rotation has just about stopped.

Although he did say he saw one spend 2 months at the VPC to repair damage. That will be mine!

[Cabby]

Originally Posted by Stinger

Really? I never noticed the correlation. That's interesting. Now I'm curious to see if you are right.

My suspicion is it isn't the world-wide epidemic these guys would make it out to be on this board.

I'm sure there are others outside that hypothesized group of people, but almost every single post here is something like "Yeah, I have Procede, but it's not that"

I've spoken to several BMW folks who claim almost all the failures were linked to a "software problem" *wink* *wink* that is causing to much fuel to pass through the pump too quickly, pressue issues, etc, causing the failure.... that sure does sound like exactly what you would need to squeeze out a huge boost via something like.... a piggy backed re-mapped ECU *coughProcedecough*

Techs arent stupid. They know that stuff is in there when people take their cars to the dealer for service. If it was so easy to hook a laptop up to the car and get 80 extra horsepower out of it safely, wouldnt they have done that by now. They build engines, they know what it can take and not take. I'm sure you could get 600hp out of it, but the car would last about 1,000 miles if that.

I'm sure stuff like Procede is great, developed by really smart guys, but they probably aren't smarter than the people who designed the car and programmed the ECU. Unless it says Dinan or BMW on it, I wouldnt stick a piggy-back anything directly soldered into the car's computer that was developed by some smart guys in their garage.

But like I said, the folks here are so on their jock, it's not worth the arguement to post anywhere. But I would certainly stay away from stuff like that to avoid future headaches.

[HEY32G]

Just got reply from CA, "tracking July 9-12".

[RacerX64]

My CA called the Process manager at the SC VPC today and was told that the VPC is running a skeleton crew next week due to the holiday. Best case they would receive my car in Athens on 7/7. So it looks like the following week for me

[calle_enell]

I saw my car today!! It got unloaded from the truck as I stopped by on my way home from work to ask my CA if delivery tomorrow was still on.

So, I will get my car tomorrow afternoon. Pictures will follow. It looks great.
Bottom line: Vessel FREEDOM existed in real life and carried a good load.

[Cabby]

Originally Posted by calle_enell

I saw my car today!! It got unloaded from the truck as I stopped by on my way home from work to ask my CA if delivery tomorrow was still on.

So, I will get my car tomorrow afternoon. Pictures will follow. It looks great.
Bottom line: Vessel FREEDOM existed in real life and carried a good load.

Where are you located?

[gerbs]

Awesome enell! Grats on being #1 in the thread! We'll be there soon... Maybe :X


If there's no 2 day train ride to the VPC from the port - I wouldn't worry about July 4th... Even if the VPC is lightly understaffed on Monday/Tuedsay, with the slight possibility of them working the weekend, it's usually a 1-2 day inspection. Maybe I'm wrong and there will be huge delays, but I doubt that's the case. (Thurs/Friday = moderate understaffing I'd assume)

jim, where'd you hear about the train idea? I've never seen that before. edit: just found a thread from 2 years ago with a guy in chicago who's E90 took 3 days to travel from the SC port to the SC VPC. eek. It also took that guy 4 days to wait for a truck, and then 3 days of travel time from Charleston to Chicago. Ouch Hope things have sped up by now.

Oh one last thing, I'm still willing to bet that the Freedom arrives in SC on the 30th.

[gerbs]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Just my end-to end experience:
Placed Vehicle on order for WK 18 Production 3/24
Vehicle Enters Production - 5
Transit from Munich to Bremerhaven Port - 5
At Bremerhaven, Waiting for Ship - 3
Vehicle at Sea - 15
Vehicle undocks at Charleston, SC Port - 1
Transit from Port to VPC - 3
Vehicle at VPC - 1
At VPC, waiting for BMT truck - 4
Transit from VPC to Chicago, IL - 3
Total Time from production to delivery: - 40 days
Total Time i've been waiting since placing order: - 75 days

This was from 2005. I found another guy in Chicago that was disembarked on day 1, at the vpc on day 2, at the dealer on day 4, and finally delivery on day 5. So much variation in these times


After a small bit of research that I've come across: The BMW factory in Greenville, SC is supposedly not only a factory but a VPC aswell. The VPC on site there may only process the vehicles produced there. Or, some vehicles brought into Charleston, SC may be sent there too. This may or may not be true for our cars, however, if it is, then there is *definitely* a train ride from the port to the VPC; since it'd be the most efficient method of transportation (213 mi)

In other words, I have no clue if there is actually a VPC in Charleston. I'm going to try and stalk it down though, if it exists...

[calle_enell]

Originally Posted by Cabby

Where are you located?

1.5 hr south west from VPC in northeast PA. (Bucks County, PA)

[bmrfam]

You guys probably read it elsewhere, but it appears that Dinan is getting squeezed out of the mod business in BMW. BMW will release their own performance parts in the next month or so. Not much confirmed for the e9X but could be down the line.

It is of course a rumor, but not a surprising one since they have finally upped their hp figures to be in line with the rest of the class.

I have already had my Turbo Tuner on the car for 1100 miles in Europe. that included runs to 155mph and average highway speeds of around 100-110mph for most of the trip. No issues yet but plenty of power. I went with the TT since it is more tame that the Proceed and if BMW does come out with their own tune, I will flip over to that then.

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by calle_enell

1.5 hr south west from VPC in northeast PA. (Bucks County, PA)

Are you from there originally. That's where my wife grew up. She went to CB East or West, I can't remember which one. I know whichever it was they were the Patriots.

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by RacerX64

My CA called the Process manager at the SC VPC today and was told that the VPC is running a skeleton crew next week due to the holiday. Best case they would receive my car in Athens on 7/7. So it looks like the following week for me

Skeleton crew!?!?!!? Geez, it's frickin' July 4th. Take the day off, go to a picnic, shoot off some fireworks and then get your butt back to work on the 5th.

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by GH32335i

Skeleton crew!?!?!!? Geez, it's frickin' July 4th. Take the day off, go to a picnic, shoot off some fireworks and then get your butt back to work on the 5th.

I read it as skeleton crew for the whole week which sounds eerily similar to what's happening at our company next week. This July 4th situation may add several days to the normal timing; though, I'm hoping not. Just speculating.

On a separate note:
Anyone else trying to get the new iPhone today? I'm a bit of an Apple geek and will try my best to get one, but if the lines are too insane I'll wait. Good news is the iPhone does integrate with the BMW Bluetooth and iPod adapter...good to know.

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by Stinger

On a separate note:
Anyone else trying to get the new iPhone today? I'm a bit of an Apple geek and will try my best to get one, but if the lines are too insane I'll wait. Good news is the iPhone does integrate with the BMW Bluetooth and iPod adapter...good to know.

Planning on getting my wife one in a few months. After you first adopters get it and work out the problems. I would love to hear your thoughts on it once you get it. Good luck.

[dbtran]

Is the Iphone only Cingular?

[jimbethesda]

Yes, the iPhone only works with Cingular (now re-branded AT&T). My wife works for Apple, and Steve Jobs announced yesterday that every employee gets the 8GB iPhone for free! We just have to wait until the end of July. That's great because then I can try it out before deciding if I won't one. The other phone I'm looking at (when it comes out), is the new Motorola Q 9h.

[gbelgian]

Does anyone know if Freedom has left Baltimore yet? Apparently my CA is discounting the report of a skeleton crew at the VPC and is still showing delivery to Houston on July 8-10. I really hope he's right...

[dbtran]

Originally Posted by gbelgian

Does anyone know if Freedom has left Baltimore yet? Apparently my CA is discounting the report of a skeleton crew at the VPC and is still showing delivery to Houston on July 8-10. I really hope he's right...

What dealership did you order out of?

[gbelgian]

Originally Posted by dbtran

What dealership did you order out of?

Advantage Clear Lake.