[08BMWMB80]

Kassel is in Santa Monica Bay on the graph, already passed my home area. It would take long to reach PH.

[spn]

She's almost there. . . .

[spn]

Originally Posted by 08BMWMB80

Nice graphs, spn, on these graphs, it looks like Kassel was just passing in front of the area I live (Palos Verdes Penisula) where we have broad view of Santa Monica Bay, Malibu coast line, to Point Mugu. When the weather is really clear (rare in LA), we could see with telescope Ventura area many miles away on horizon (including PH). Sometimes I took ship photos from home. Too bad this time I'm still working. As for my car, it's S, not as unique as your SL AMG. Yesterday, I saw in that large pier parking area they seem to put same models together, with quite a bunch of S. Today, if I can get there in time, I will try to track down to VPC (have to follow car carrier). If I succeed, will take pictures and post them here.

djlfp, can we start count down yet?

When I picked up my first SL in Stuttgart two years ago, I went through the S-Class factory. It was a 2-1/2 tour and it was one of the most interesting tours I have ever seen. Everyone who goes on the tour says the same thing. I have a good friend who went last week and took his son and it was the in the top two highlights of their european trip! I think BMW has a similar setup, too. It is so interesting to watch the hundreds of robots, long multiple assembly lines, car parts floating on tracks above your head, indoor test tracks, and watching them perform quality control inspections. . . on and on. It reminds me of something out of Disney's Epcot. Maybe on your next MB, you can do a euro delivery and see it for yourself. Just know it will take a couple extra weeks to get your car through customs, though.

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by 08BMWMB80

djlfp, can we start count down yet?

I am not sure when you should start your countdown - probably now! Almost celebration time. Do you have any idea how long from arriving in port to delivery to dealer in your area, on the average?

I will begin mine tomorrow, but now I am not sure where to start. I think I will start with 12, but that may well be too optimistic with Falstaff and Grand Venus preceding Kassel this week and Easter coming up a week from Sunday. In other words, my guess is that the car will arrive a week from Tuesday. I would say there is a 30% chance that the car will arrive before then.

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by 08BMWMB80

But I managed to take a couple of shots on Benz,

Love the photos. Fantastic lighting. Good detective work.

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by spn

I have read that the cars come off the ship "shrink wrapped" in plastic to help protect the paint finish on the car (another reason why they go through customs so fast is because they are "sealed" in plastic). But, I didn't know if that was true until I saw this web cam today. Do you think that is why most of the cars in the parking lot are "white?"

I think you are exactly right, but it sure did not dawn on me until you mentioned it. I have seen Acuras, iirc, looking like this upon arrival at the dealer. You probably realize it, but the cars are not close to sealed; the workers have to have access to the cars to be able to load and unload them onto/from the ships. They just slap this plastic all over them to minimize risk of dirt and dings while being moved from factory to distribution center or even dealer. I think the customs delay is based on a risk/reward, cost/benefit analysis - tens of thousands of factory direct cars with less opportunity for smuggling, perhaps, than the ed cars which have been accessed by a few hundred totally miscellaneous individuals. I think the ed cars may also be delayed for spot Dept of Ag inspections.

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by spn

Update

Looks as if Grand Venus is on the move at 1525 (but gone at 1711) and Kassel will be able to tie up immediately upon arrival. Thanks for all your efforts with AIS and LA Harbor reports.

[spn]

On Friday, I would start calling BMW's (contractor) trucking co:

Wagoneer's Trucking toll free #: 1-800-449-3195.

You'll need your VIN. They can tell you if your car has been released to them for trucking, and if it has, they can tell you where the truck is and when it will reach the dealership. They have great customer service.

[spn]

Originally Posted by djlfp

Looks as if Grand Venus is on the move at 1525 (but gone at 1711) and Kassel will be able to tie up immediately upon arrival. Thanks for all your efforts with AIS and LA Harbor reports.

It looks like Kassel only has 343 BMWs to unload. That is a small number in comparison to other ships (they usually have closer to 1000 cars), so she should unload fairly quickly. I just don't know how much of a slow down the VPC will have because Grand Venus docked earlier today and unloaded more than 1000 cars. They only need to focus on the priority 1 cars, though, so maybe if there aren't a whole lot of those cars to process from both ships, things will go quickly.

[08BMWMB80]

Just came back from my second trip to the port and new finding of MB VPC.

When I got to the port after 6pm, obviously Kassel already left. To my surprise car carriers were still loading yesterday's cars. Guard told me there is another parking behind which I couldn't see from pier gate where the today's arrivals parked. My god, it's another several hundreds. Though car carriers work two shifts, they cannot transport these many vehicles in time. So, djflp, unfortunately you're probably right regarding transportion/processin delay, it seems like a real backlog issue.

Then I drove my car to follow a car carrier all the way to Benz VPC in nearby Carson. As you can see in the pictures below. The address is 22707 Wilmington. It's across the street from a big oil refinery. Mayby they can pump some cheap gas (like factory direct) from there. Talked to guard there, they work only one shift. They were driving Benz SUV within the parking place to patrol (don't know if it's going to be sold new or executive demo). Anyway, took some pictures and came home (this time no security issue banning photos).

spn: this Benz is one of my two european delivery car I did in one trip to Germany. Like you we went to MB factory tour (S class). It's really impressive. Also glad you mentioned the mileage issue. At that time, I got so carried away by the whole experience that I forgot to check mileage when taking delivery, but presuming it's near 0 mile. Only after I returned home, when checking delivery photos, did I realize it already got 10 miles. Interestingly, I also took a BMW delivery next day, it got 0 mile (zero) on the meter at delivery. That seems to be the mileage for all BMW european deliveries. Who knows how Benz put on some mileage before delivery.

djlfp: I'm starting my count down from today, 10, ......

pictures of
-port
-on freeway
-local street (Wilmington) backdrop of oil refinery, VPC parking, patrol car

more pictures later

[08BMWMB80]

More pictures
-VPC x 2
-Malibu to Point Mugu (left tip of land/mountain into sea), beyond which is Ventura/PH
-ships passing my areas

[spn]

08BMWMB80- Those pictures are VERY COOL! Thanks for going to all that work to get them. I love the ones where you are trailing the truck full of MBs on the freeway. LOL. I never imagined the cars being trucked to the VPC. I once saw a photo of a whole line of cars being driven from a ship to the VPC, but maybe those are old photos of an old VPC. The VPC in these photos looks relatively new.

[spn]

Is that Channel Islands in the distance in that last photo?

[spn]

In case you guys haven't seen this, here is an inside look at the BMW VPC in Oxnard.

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ad.php?t=21112

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by spn

In case you guys haven't seen this, here is an inside look at the BMW VPC in Oxnard.

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ad.php?t=21112

Thanks, spn. I had seen this before, but I enjoyed reviewing.

[djlfp]

Responses included within the quote.

Originally Posted by 08BMWMB80

So, djflp, unfortunately you're probably right regarding transportion/processing delay, it seems like a real backlog issue.

The ED cars (referred to by BMW as Priority 0) are supposed to be processed before any others. The question is are they merely processed before others on their ship or all others? I actually THINK it is the latter, but even so, they cannot be processed at all until they are released from Customs/Dept of Ag Inspection. Conceivably, that MIGHT even speed processing if the inspections are postponed until there are enough to make the inspection trip worthwhile.

Then I drove my car to follow a car carrier all the way to Benz VPC in nearby Carson. As you can see in the pictures below. The address is 22707 Wilmington. It's across the street from a big oil refinery. Mayby they can pump some cheap gas (like factory direct) from there. Talked to guard there, they work only one shift. They were driving Benz SUV within the parking place to patrol (don't know if it's going to be sold new or executive demo). Anyway, took some pictures and came home (this time no security issue banning photos).

spn: this Benz is one of my two european delivery car I did in one trip to Germany. Like you we went to MB factory tour (S class). It's really impressive.

Have you taken the BMW Dingolfing tour where they build 5's, 6's, and 7's on the same line, one right after another? Can you compare the tours?

Also glad you mentioned the mileage issue. At that time, I got so carried away by the whole experience that I forgot to check mileage when taking delivery, but presuming it's near 0 mile. Only after I returned home, when checking delivery photos, did I realize it already got 10 miles. Interestingly, I also took a BMW delivery next day, it got 0 mile (zero) on the meter at delivery. That seems to be the mileage for all BMW european deliveries. Who knows how Benz put on some mileage before delivery.

As you probably know, at Pt Hueneme the BMW's are driven from the holding area about 2?? miles to the Vehicle Distribution Center.

djlfp: I'm starting my count down from today, 10, ......

pictures of
-port
-on freeway
-local street (Wilmington) backdrop of oil refinery, VPC parking, patrol car

more pictures later

I love all the pictures. Again the lighting is beautiful. You are not far from having all the photos you need to put together a great article on ED.

[djlfp]

Questions, answers and comments are included within your quote below.

Originally Posted by spn

It looks like Kassel only has 343 BMWs to unload.

I am assuming that you are getting this from the Pt H calendar. If that is the case, do you know what the meaning of "907/veh" for Falstaff on 3/10? It cannot be total vehicles because the following items total more than 907.

That is a small number in comparison to other ships (they usually have closer to 1000 cars), so she should unload fairly quickly. I just don't know how much of a slow down the VPC will have because Grand Venus docked earlier today and unloaded more than 1000 cars. They only need to focus on the priority 1 cars, though, so maybe if there aren't a whole lot of those cars to process from both ships, things will go quickly.

Just to quibble a little, I think the ED cars are classed as Privately Owned Vehicles (POV's) which BMW designates as Priority 0, according to my sources. As I understand it, Priority 1 vehicles (vehicles ordered by customers for purchase) are supposed to be processed after the Priority 0 vehicles, but before all others.

Thanks again for all of your great work on this thread.

[spn]

Originally Posted by djlfp

I think you are exactly right, but it sure did not dawn on me until you mentioned it. I have seen Acuras, iirc, looking like this upon arrival at the dealer. You probably realize it, but the cars are not close to sealed; the workers have to have access to the cars to be able to load and unload them onto/from the ships. They just slap this plastic all over them to minimize risk of dirt and dings while being moved from factory to distribution center or even dealer. I think the customs delay is based on a risk/reward, cost/benefit analysis - tens of thousands of factory direct cars with less opportunity for smuggling, perhaps, than the ed cars which have been accessed by a few hundred totally miscellaneous individuals. I think the ed cars may also be delayed for spot Dept of Ag inspections.

That is true about the white plastic and accessing the car. They have to be able to get in it. But I have seen the MBs arrive at the dealership with stickers across the cracks in the hood, trunk, gas cap that read, 'Do not break seal.' That must be for inspection reasons and to minimize smuggling.

[spn]

djlfp-I am on my phone and can't look at the PH schedule to see what you mean aout the Falstaff numbers. Could the 900 cars only be BMWs?? I don't know. I will look when I get home.

[spn]

When when my ED car arrived in port two years ago, it went thru customs immediately. it was my understanding that they had the highest priority and that seemed to be true back then. But in the tracking I have done since last summer, ED cars are being held up as long as three weeks (both MBs and BMWs at separate ports). I am sure there are new security measres in place and they are taking longer to inspect. I won't do ED again because of that. I am too impatient to take redelivery of my car. it certainly was a great experience though.

[djlfp]

Originally Posted by spn

djlfp-I am on my phone and can't look at the PH schedule to see what you mean aout the Falstaff numbers. Could the 900 cars only be BMWs?? I don't know. I will look when I get home.

Mar 10...4. Falstaff
907/veh 105/sat/83/hh/1207/bmw/292/mini/2/rrveh/wwl/pac

[08BMWMB80]

spn
-that island in background is not main part of Channel Island. It's a small island, "Santa Barbara" I believe. Actually when weather is good, we could see a bigger island directly behind it (superimposed), San Nicolas. These islands are southwest of our area, about 40-60 miles away, vs. main Channel islands in northwest direction, 60-70 miles away which we could see only when weather is really great. Those main Channel islands are actually very close to Ventura, just like Catalina is closeset to us (20 miles or so)
-MB VPC does look pretty new, in an area of "industrial park"

djlfp
-I didn't go to Dingolfing, only took BMW Munich tour (3 series and engines as you know). I did MB and BMW tours two days in a row. MB took us selectively to body assembly (robots) and whole car assembly, lasted ~1.5 hr. They said the tour route may vary depending on customers, as we were picking up S they took the group to S assembly, but next they were going to E assembly since they would have customer to pick E. In contrast, BMW seems to have a fixed route and longer time (2.5 hr) with more details, such as engine assembly, etc.
-Regarding how port/VPC process our cars, my MB dealer mentioned something I think quite possible, that is if our car is right in the middle of the long lines of cars, we are probably stuck and they may not bother to take out ours first, regardless priority. So now maybe luck is also a factor, where exactly your car is in a big parking lot.

Thanks for all the info, our journey continues, but close to ending.