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<E36 - misc> Various Questions...

Hello everyone,

As some of you may know, I got delivery of my 96 M3 in Munich last July.
I then drove around Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy for about
a month, and finally dropped off the car in Nice, France. It was a good
summer!

Well, after 6 very looong weeks, I finally picked up my M3 at the local
dealer about 2 weeks ago. Needless to say, I am totally impressed with
the refinement and capability of this car, and can't wipe the smirk off
my face everytime I drive it! You M3 owners know exactly what I mean...

A couple of questions for you all regarding accessories:

1) Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of parking my beloved cosmos
   black baby inside a garage, so it's outside ALL the time, under a tree
   no less! The only protection I can think of for it, is a car cover.
   I had an Evolution 3 car cover for a convertible I had a couple of
   years ago, and I must say, really hated it...bulky, heavy, and the
   fabric started to disintegrate after a year or so, leaving this 
   powdery stuff all over the car. I have seen what looks like a much
   better car cover at a local dealer, called Ultralon. It is also in the
   BMW accessory catalog, and seems to be lighter, and made of a better
   material. Dealer price about $200. Mail order about $150. Does anybody
   have one of these, and if so, do you like it? Any other suggestions...

2) I'm thinking of installing snow tires on the stock wheels, and buying
   a set of Racing Dynamics RGR, or AC Schnitzer Type II wheels as my main
   wheels to be used with the standard MXX3 tires. If you've done this, I'd
   like to hear how it worked out, and whether you've stayed with the stock
   17X7.5 front, 17X8.5 rear setup. Any suggestions for good places to buy
   wheels??

3) While on the subject of snow tires, I think the choices for me are either
   the Bridgestone WT-05, or the Pirelli Winter 210P. Tire rack suggests
   size 225/45-17. Is the WT-05 similar to the Blizzak (which is apparently
   not available in this size)?. Since these tires will be on the car for 
   about 4 months, I'd like tires that will also handle respectably in dry
   conditions, and be reasonably quiet. That's why I'm thinking of going
   with these, as opposed to more serious snow tires with more aggressive
   patterns. Which is better, the Bridgestone or the Pirelli?

4) Anyone own both an E36 coupe AND a dog out there? BMW sells rear seat
   covers for ALL their cars, EXCEPT the E36 coupe! What's up with that?
   Do you guys know any sources for decent custom seat covers?

5) Regarding the issue of front headlight covers, did you know that Meguiers
   makes a decent Plastic Cleaner (#17) and Polish (#10), which is typically
   used for convertible (rear) plastic windows. It "should" also be useful
   to clean/polish the headlight covers, no? Has anybody used it for this??

6) I'll be ordering the I-bus compatible CD Changer, security system, and
   leather armrest in a few days. The best prices I got are ($499+$88), $299,
   ($151+$85) from The BMW Store in Ohio. I've never dealt with them before.
   How's their service; and are these the best prices available?

7) Are there still people out there having trouble with false alarms on their 
   new security systems (p/n 82 11 1 469 444). Vahan just posted a message
   about how he solved this problem, by lowering the sensitivity of the
   microphone on his system. Are there others out there with new alarms that
   DON'T false?

BTW, when I was in Germany, I picked up some stuff from the main BMW dealer
in Munich (where I picked up my Euro Delivery car). Prices are considerably
cheaper. For example, I got the Cargo Net for $55, and I think it's about $95
here. If you're going to Germany, take your wishlist (and your checkbook) with
you!

Sorry for rambling on so long, but hopefully other people can also benefit from
this information.

Thanks in advance (from Delaware) for any replies!

Alan Kamyab
kamyab@domain.elided

1987 325 Bronzit 128,000 mi
1996 M3 Cosmos Black 2,200 mi