Buying Advice

[Tracy Dee]

Hi from Hertfordshire

In my case I had a budget in mind a max of 2.5 k max and I looked at about 10 circa 2 /2.5 k
Bit of a shock at the condition of the first 9 really bad condition lots needing new roofs rear windows rust tatty interiors and so on .
I eventually found the car I have now it has a Fsh and 74k miles and very good condition and kept almost genuine original 2 owner car.
But she is 20 years old so be prepared for some repairs I have had to do some and some unexpected expensive ones as well.
I can't fix my own car and garage bills can mount up.
Occasionally cars come up for sale on this forum I think it's a good place to buy from most are enthusiasts and know there Zeds .
If I had known about this site before buying I would have checked it out for cars for sale.
Good luck in your search.
Tracy.

 

[Gundun]

Welcome from Belgium too.

I purchased my 2.2i two months ago and, if it might help, this is my experience:

regardless the condition and the mileage you find it, being a 15y old car with chronic cooling system issues, keep into account you will want to replace all the plastic tubes and rubber hoses around the engines, they get very brittle and have a tendency to spill your cooling fluid all over the place before you realize it, also water pump and thermostat.

Take a test drive: the M54 B22 must pull smoothly but firmly from 3000rpm up to 6000rpm without hesitations, mine is currently a bit asleep below 3000rpm but I blame it on a faulty air mass flow sensor (I have a check engine light on the dash).
Also the 2.2i has drive by wire, check the throttle is not jerking at idle when cold, it must be always responsive.
The steering rack must have no play whatsoever, if the braking is not as powerful as you expected it, it's all normal.

Mine was particularly suffering from aluminum oxidation, so I had it checked for rust but I couldn't find any on the body, so I guess white corrosion on some of the aluminum components is normal...

Even with low miles a bit of wear on the driver's side seat bolster is normal, also depending on who drove it before, gear knob and steering wheel wear out faster then modern cars.

Last but not least, pay attention during test drive at rattling from the vanos"it might mean it's time for a vanos overhaul.

Good luck!

 

[Low Rider]

Any news about your possible purchase

 

[Sean d]

Hi and welcome, you will not regret buying a Z3 and becoming part of this friendly community, masses of help on here and the meets are amazing, Not sure if its been mentioned already but the boot floor is a big one to check, the diff is mounted to a cross member, this can become stressed and the spot welds can seperate, lift the boot mat and have a good look.

 

[Redline]

Probably a bit late for input - The roof seals and drainage holes get a fair few mentions - am sure someone will confirm. Check the carpets and underneath if possible.
Service history of course, but also take a look at the online MOT history. Failures and advisories should be expected but the number and type might tell you something on how the car has generally been looked after and treated. The fewer and less serious they are the more confident you can be about its history on the assumption that someone presenting their car as a pass and without advisories will have taken care of it. Doesn't mean no past or future problems of course - just a guide. I would personally steer clear of any car that has failed every MOT.

 

[DavidM]

Welcome from Ireland!

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Hello and

 

[bod]

Hi from Hertfordshire

In my case I had a budget in mind a max of 2.5 k max and I looked at about 10 circa 2 /2.5 k
Bit of a shock at the condition of the first 9 really bad condition lots needing new roofs rear windows rust tatty interiors and so on .
I eventually found the car I have now it has a Fsh and 74k miles and very good condition and kept almost genuine original 2 owner car.
But she is 20 years old so be prepared for some repairs I have had to do some and some unexpected expensive ones as well.
I can't fix my own car and garage bills can mount up.
Occasionally cars come up for sale on this forum I think it's a good place to buy from most are enthusiasts and know there Zeds .
If I had known about this site before buying I would have checked it out for cars for sale.
Good luck in your search.
Tracy.

Thanks Tracy- I had a look at a car today- will describe in separate post

 

[bod]

Thanks again all,

Had a look at the car I described in my original post and it does look in excellent condition. New tyres, discs look new, very good hood (manual), almost untouched bodywork, no rust under sills, engine compartment looks clean and oil on dipstick clear. No damp detectable in boot or interior of car- and I checked under the carpet in the boot. Rest of interior excellent- seats (electric) not worn Engine sounds smooth and it drove well pulling throughout the rev range. The only thing I wasn't sure about was some vibration/sl wobble through the steering wheel which was most obvious on braking although it didn't pull to one side or the other. This didn't detract from the enjoyment of the ride but I wasn't sure if it could represent something serious etc...
The car has done 52000 miles and passed 7 of it's MOTs since 2006 and failed 4 times usually on fairly minor points (windscreen wipers, headlamp direction etc). Some play in the track rod ball jts and front suspension ball joints was rectified for it to pass in '08 and '11.
The reason I didn't buy it today was this- I asked if I could take it to the independent BMW mechanic who looks after my 3 series who was about 30mins drive away and would have been happy to have a quick look around it and the dealer declined. He said they would fully service and MOT it and would be happy to rectify any faults my guy found after the sale. He also pointed out that he would be happy for my mechanic to look at the car at the dealership.. He then let me test drive the car on my own and I guess I could have shot off to my mechanic but I didn't like to be dishonest. He is currently asking £4995 for the car but volunteered to drop to £4700 as soon as I threatened to walk away.
It's a lovely car (topaz blue) and I'm still very interested but wander if I should get my mechanic to look at it on site before money changes hands- I'm just not sure if he has the time for this....
Was my request to take it to my mechanic unreasonable?? If he had agreed and it worked out I would probably be the proud owner tonight

 

[t-tony]

Thanks again all,

Had a look at the car I described in my original post and it does look in excellent condition. New tyres, discs look new, very good hood (manual), almost untouched bodywork, no rust under sills, engine compartment looks clean and oil on dipstick clear. No damp detectable in boot or interior of car- and I checked under the carpet in the boot. Rest of interior excellent- seats (electric) not worn Engine sounds smooth and it drove well pulling throughout the rev range. The only thing I wasn't sure about was some vibration/sl wobble through the steering wheel which was most obvious on braking although it didn't pull to one side or the other. This didn't detract from the enjoyment of the ride but I wasn't sure if it could represent something serious etc...
The car has done 52000 miles and passed 7 of it's MOTs since 2006 and failed 4 times usually on fairly minor points (windscreen wipers, headlamp direction etc). Some play in the track rod ball jts and front suspension ball joints was rectified for it to pass in '08 and '11.
The reason I didn't buy it today was this- I asked if I could take it to the independent BMW mechanic who looks after my 3 series who was about 30mins drive away and would have been happy to have a quick look around it and the dealer declined. He said they would fully service and MOT it and would be happy to rectify any faults my guy found after the sale. He also pointed out that he would be happy for my mechanic to look at the car at the dealership.. He then let me test drive the car on my own and I guess I could have shot off to my mechanic but I didn't like to be dishonest. He is currently asking £4995 for the car but volunteered to drop to £4700 as soon as I threatened to walk away.
It's a lovely car (topaz blue) and I'm still very interested but wander if I should get my mechanic to look at it on site before money changes hands- I'm just not sure if he has the time for this....
Was my request to take it to my mechanic unreasonable?? If he had agreed and it worked out I would probably be the proud owner tonight

To be honest it is more reasonable for your guy to come and see the car at the dealer in my opinion and experience. The judder from the steering under brake is likely to point to partially seized front brake callipers, a very common issue on the older cars, more so if the front discs and pads are recently new. Sounds as though it's a car worth serious consideration, get your man to go have a look !!

Tony.

 

[bod]

To be honest it is more reasonable for your guy to come and see the car at the dealer in my opinion and experience. The judder from the steering under brake is likely to point to partially seized front brake callipers, a very common issue on the older cars, more so if the front discs and pads are recently new. Sounds as though it's a car worth serious consideration, get your man to go have a look !!

Tony.

OK- thanks Tony- I think I'll ask him if he will....

 

[FRANKIE]

Welcome @bod from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Frankie

 

[Sean d]

OK- thanks Tony- I think I'll ask him if he will....

That seems like a lot of money for a 2.2, if you really want it, take your mechanic along to look at it, if its ok I would bid him closer to 4k then 5

 

[bod]

That seems like a lot of money for a 2.2, if you really want it, take your mechanic along to look at it, if its ok I would bid him closer to 4k then 5

Thanks Sean

 

[Sean d]

Thanks Sean

He can only say no, he seemed quite quick to drop £300, he will more then likely have over a grand profit in there.

 

[Nodzed]

Hi & Welcome to .org

 

[FRANKIE]

Thanks Sean

I've been reading this thread and have seen many of the different opinions that have been posted. I have tried to put myself in your shoes. I can see that the car, as you see it, is in very good condition. I know that you are being very cautious with respect to purchasing it. It seems to be the general consensus that the price is not exactly cheap but on the other hand, you say it's in good condition and there aren't many miles for the year. I know the feeling of wanting to buy something, something that you really like and in asking for opinions, perhaps it may be difficult to hear things you might not like. You might even start to regret asking us as you may be really set in the direction you want to go.
In having your mechanic go over the car, you might get the green light from him with regards to its condition. So that leaves the nagging idea that you might be paying more that you should. To give you an opinion independent of ours, you can always look on e-bay for Z3s and click on the 'already completed' button that will bring up the prices of similar cars that have already sold or those that didn't sell. There, you can click on each example to give you the particular ad for the car giving the condition, price and any other information you might feel pertinent.
I in no way wish to diminish the opinions of this forum. A large number of the members have owned these cars for years and have intimate knowledge of their value, costs of operation and reliability.
I personally feel that while the condition may be very good, the price more that reflects that. There are many of these cars that are babied by their owners and driven sparsely. The car you are interested in with the miles it has on it is not common but certainly not unusual. As another member has mentions, THIS IS THE END OF THE YEAR and they are trying to sell a convertible. Many of our members do not drive their cars in the winter because of the salt on the road but also because they are powerful cars with rear wheel drive. If they don't sell this car now, it will have wait until spring, and that's another year. If you decide to let this go because of price or condition, I can't impress upon you too strongly that THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE COMING DOWN THE ROAD, and sooner that you think. (4700 pounds is $6115.00).
Actually, looking around the internet, that's not a bad deal. Frankie

Some of the prices over here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-Coup...f59b1b1c:g:WLEAAOSwFe5X2A5w&item=291883391772

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-/322...08ea2b00:g:QXMAAOSwRgJXjDKU&item=322272111360
http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5798638618.html
http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5771399653.html

 

[bod]

I've been reading this thread and have seen many of the different opinions that have been posted. I have tried to put myself in your shoes. I can see that the car, as you see it, is in very good condition. I know that you are being very cautious with respect to purchasing it. It seems to be the general consensus that the price is not exactly cheap but on the other hand, you say it's in good condition and there aren't many miles for the year. I know the feeling of wanting to buy something, something that you really like and in asking for opinions, perhaps it may be difficult to hear things you might not like. You might even start to regret asking us as you may be really set in the direction you want to go.
In having your mechanic go over the car, you might get the green light from him with regards to its condition. So that leaves the nagging idea that you might be paying more that you should. To give you an opinion independent of ours, you can always look on e-bay for Z3s and click on the 'already completed' button that will bring up the prices of similar cars that have already sold or those that didn't sell. There, you can click on each example to give you the particular ad for the car giving the condition, price and any other information you might feel pertinent.
I in no way wish to diminish the opinions of this forum. A large number of the members have owned these cars for years and have intimate knowledge of their value, costs of operation and reliability.
I personally feel that while the condition may be very good, the price more that reflects that. There are many of these cars that are babied by their owners and driven sparsely. The car you are interested in with the miles it has on it is not common but certainly not unusual. As another member has mentions, THIS IS THE END OF THE YEAR and they are trying to sell a convertible. Many of our members do not drive their cars in the winter because of the salt on the road but also because they are powerful cars with rear wheel drive. If they don't sell this car now, it will have wait until spring, and that's another year. If you decide to let this go because of price or condition, I can't impress upon you too strongly that THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE COMING DOWN THE ROAD, and sooner that you think. (4700 pounds is $6115.00).
Actually, looking around the internet, that's not a bad deal. Frankie

Some of the prices over here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-Coup...f59b1b1c:g:WLEAAOSwFe5X2A5w&item=291883391772

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-/322...08ea2b00:g:QXMAAOSwRgJXjDKU&item=322272111360
http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5798638618.html
http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5771399653.html

Thanks Frankie- I think you're absolutely right- I'm taking my time and looking around at what else is for sale at the moment- If I decide to go back and get this car I'll feel in a stronger place to negotiate,

Andrew

 

[Mint]

Hi @bod, to the forum from me too in Staffordshire. Did you get it?

 

[bod]

No- decided to look around more- in fact am considering Z4s as well now....