I got my project z3 for £200-250 with 94000 miles on the clock.
I should have broken it. Instead I've spent £500 on a dip, 10 hours fitting a new clutch, flywheel and pressure platr and rebuilt the entire interior of the car. Did an engine flush followed by a good service.
Now waiting to replace the camshaft position sensor and fix an abs issue. Then I need to install a keyless entry as the key won't work in the drivers side door.
Only problem is that the car has no service history or documents so that's getting me slightly worried as to how much its resale value will be.
Point is, I have a basic understanding of cars and I still find myself getting annoyed from time to time at the countless number of problems the project zed has. For someone trying to get into the zed it may be worth spending a bit more and buying something with low miles and good service history. Just my honest opinion.