Dino D's Z3 2.8 Custom build. '98 Montreal Blue
- Thread starter Dino D
- Start date
Watertight
(at last, I hope!)
So last summer I had lots of fun with Butyl and replaced the hood to body frame seal that runs around the back of the car.
I used 2x 8m by 6mm rolls of butyl sealant bought on eBay:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/182375699393
I ran 2 beads of the stuff around the corners where it tends to leak most.
Worth noting my car had a new hood a few years before I bought it (will check the year, have the invoice) from Carhood wharehouse and I don’t think they used enough sealant which caused it to leak again as can be seen from the pics of the gunk left on the frame, it was not much especially in the corners..
When I get a new hood fitted I’ll be looking closely at what sealant the company uses as I don’t fancy a repeat of this job!
After a second attempt (because I originally only ordered 1 roll and ran short so got impatient and bought the tube style sealant to finish the job...which didn’t work so got 2 rolls and did all again properly the following weekend) it was water tight (or so I thought).
Funny note: my neighbour, also a car not rightly pointed out this Z is like the Forth bridge!
This winter I noticed I’m getting a lot of condensation in the car again???
I stripped the boot carpets and carpet begin hoops and check again carefully. Not a drop from the roof frame....
A pillars are all done and window seals were tight...
Luckily I had cut my floor carpets in sections to aid drying the car and chasing leaks so got them out again and found the leak...the bl@@dy door membranes!
The butyl had dried out a fair bit and the water was coming in from there (aided by a split in one of wing mirror base rubber seals, will get a new one..).
So I ordered more of the butyl roll and did both doors.
Top tip:
interior trim removal tools make getting trim off easy and less breaking if clips and also work well to remove old butyl:
I ran a double seal at the bottom where it leaks and used a heat gun to warm the surface before applying and then again to seal the plastic against the butyl really well at the bottom.
I actually then added gorilla tape over the bottom seal for extra good measure!
Gave the car a wash and no leaks!
I’m so used to a water leak of some sort I’m still in a bit of disbelief but I think I can safely say it’s dry!!
Managed a roof down run before the sleet came down!
(at last, I hope!)
So last summer I had lots of fun with Butyl and replaced the hood to body frame seal that runs around the back of the car.
I used 2x 8m by 6mm rolls of butyl sealant bought on eBay:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/182375699393
I ran 2 beads of the stuff around the corners where it tends to leak most.
Worth noting my car had a new hood a few years before I bought it (will check the year, have the invoice) from Carhood wharehouse and I don’t think they used enough sealant which caused it to leak again as can be seen from the pics of the gunk left on the frame, it was not much especially in the corners..
When I get a new hood fitted I’ll be looking closely at what sealant the company uses as I don’t fancy a repeat of this job!
After a second attempt (because I originally only ordered 1 roll and ran short so got impatient and bought the tube style sealant to finish the job...which didn’t work so got 2 rolls and did all again properly the following weekend) it was water tight (or so I thought).
Funny note: my neighbour, also a car not rightly pointed out this Z is like the Forth bridge!
This winter I noticed I’m getting a lot of condensation in the car again???
I stripped the boot carpets and carpet begin hoops and check again carefully. Not a drop from the roof frame....
A pillars are all done and window seals were tight...
Luckily I had cut my floor carpets in sections to aid drying the car and chasing leaks so got them out again and found the leak...the bl@@dy door membranes!
The butyl had dried out a fair bit and the water was coming in from there (aided by a split in one of wing mirror base rubber seals, will get a new one..).
So I ordered more of the butyl roll and did both doors.
Top tip:
interior trim removal tools make getting trim off easy and less breaking if clips and also work well to remove old butyl:
I ran a double seal at the bottom where it leaks and used a heat gun to warm the surface before applying and then again to seal the plastic against the butyl really well at the bottom.
I actually then added gorilla tape over the bottom seal for extra good measure!
Gave the car a wash and no leaks!
I’m so used to a water leak of some sort I’m still in a bit of disbelief but I think I can safely say it’s dry!!
Managed a roof down run before the sleet came down!
I used the tube stuff for one corner after running the putty type so it just didn’t file gaps as well. I was on my own too which made it harder sliding the frame in place without wiping off the sealant. Done properly it should work, I just found the rolls easier to work with.Good job there @Dino D
I replaced the hood on mine last summer and used a whole tube of sealant. So far it’s held for me.
Took my door cards of the other week and there wasn’t even a plastic membrane on the drivers side! So got some plastic sheeting and some butyl of eBay and made my own.
Get a membrane on there quick! If the water drips through the right way you won’t get any in the car but if at the wrong angle it seeps in the carpet very discreetly, not making the carpet wet to gr touch but soaking it slowly underneath...fun and games!
It is just plastic sheeting so no big deal really to cut some out. In the summer I’m going whip the of and whack some Silent coat sheets on the door panels for noise reduction.
I’d been avoiding this job for a couple of years actually and in fact used flashing tape to plug the most of the leaks for a while. Was going to do a new roof just go get this job but spending too much time on this forum seeing others do it gave the push to do it too. Not something I’d do in hurry on my own again but with two people it should be almost fun!Some great work there, you don't mind getting stuck in do you!
Love your car on the M wheels as well, looks superb
Sorry if I've missed it but what are these Sparco's you have? Can't find a picture of them
I’ve been eyeing your wheels actually, so much so a set of 5 series 8/9j 32’s found there way into the garage last year via a thing called eBay...they were apparently on board the Titanic when it sunk so need a serious refurb one day...
Have to say I like the blue roof too...we might have end up with rather similair cars one of these days!
The seats are Sparco R100 on Planted Technology Z3 seat bases.
They need some fettling to get into the car (the bases). I’ve removed sections of the carpet around the sides and back of the seats to give more room for sliding back and forth. I’ve seen other build custom bases as the seat bases were actually more than seats.
The Sparcos come in different finishes. I’d like to recover the Centre section in Alcantara one day.
(The passenger seat has a kiddie booster in it! The kids actually love the bucket seat sides but need a thicker booster to see out as they a bit lower)
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2016
- Points
- 94
Ohhh you kept those wheels quiet! Let's see them then
A blue roof might look very light against your car colour, hard to picture it actually, but yeh crack on, would be good to have both cars together one day
Seats look good, hardly ever see aftermarket seats in a Z3! I've got a set of fixed Sparco buckets in one of my others so may try them in the Z one day
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2016
- Points
- 94
I stand corrected, looks spot on!
They seriously corroded but the wheel place said they be no problem to do. Just need a few spare £££ to do them and tyre themOhhh you kept those wheels quiet! Let's see them then
A blue roof might look very light against your car colour, hard to picture it actually, but yeh crack on, would be good to have both cars together one day
Seats look good, hardly ever see aftermarket seats in a Z3! I've got a set of fixed Sparco buckets in one of my others so may try them in the Z one day
The Sparcos really make for a different car. I couldn’t get on with fixed back I think as I change the angle by a click or two every now and then, ie when wearing a thick coat (for winter top down)!
Not much to report, just been enjoying it and cleaning it.
My Z has finally come of age- Had it’s 21st Birthday on the 15th of Jan
Ticked over 130k now...
Probably time for the scrapper
Some gratuitous shots
My Z has finally come of age- Had it’s 21st Birthday on the 15th of Jan
Ticked over 130k now...
Probably time for the scrapper
Some gratuitous shots
Last edited:
Don’t give him ideas... he knows where I live
pangsterM135i
Regular Member
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2017
- Points
- 18
Great updates Dino!! - glad to see it's still going strong and looking well!!!
I've' changed my car again in the space since my last post.. so I've went from the M135 LCI to a Golf R MK 7.5 (facelift) c310 bhp - last February.. which is an EXCELLENT car.. probably enjoy driving it even more than the M135i if I'm honest.. the M135i was just a touch 'lairy' even on fairly sedate drives - i..e it'd spin the wheels in 3rd on anything but a bone dry road.. where as the R takes a LOT more provocation to even hint at getting bent out of shape!.. and despite both cars being very capable and able to crack 60 somewhere in the 4's.. and despite both being really practical cars.. neither have me grabbing for the keys to take a drive (or look for an excuse to drive) like the Z did!!..
Think i'll get another car next year.. get another winter out of this one and then maybe look at the new Z4 and see if it rekindles some of the 'just drive' feeling the Z3 stirs!..
I've' changed my car again in the space since my last post.. so I've went from the M135 LCI to a Golf R MK 7.5 (facelift) c310 bhp - last February.. which is an EXCELLENT car.. probably enjoy driving it even more than the M135i if I'm honest.. the M135i was just a touch 'lairy' even on fairly sedate drives - i..e it'd spin the wheels in 3rd on anything but a bone dry road.. where as the R takes a LOT more provocation to even hint at getting bent out of shape!.. and despite both cars being very capable and able to crack 60 somewhere in the 4's.. and despite both being really practical cars.. neither have me grabbing for the keys to take a drive (or look for an excuse to drive) like the Z did!!..
Think i'll get another car next year.. get another winter out of this one and then maybe look at the new Z4 and see if it rekindles some of the 'just drive' feeling the Z3 stirs!..
Hey @pangsterM135i seem to have missed this one.
You forget that the Z was the last non M with a proper diff. Makes such a difference- a powerful BMW with an open diff is a frustrating thing to drive.
Now that you’ve been ruined by big turbo power you’ll have to go Z4 3.5i BUT the day you get it take it to somewhere like Birds and get a Quaife and their suspension set up done straight away.
Then when it gets out of shape it does with a grace.
Or save your self lots of cash and get a Z3 but this ones not for sale...ever...can’t believe some bloke let me buy it actually
Quick update (cosmetic cum performance):
I’ve been running 235/40/17 all around on my M replica wheels.
Lovely balance and really enjoy the ‘square’ set up but the rears always looked a little lost (mostly because I used to have monster 9,5 rims back there before).
I didn’t want to go wider so I went higher - 45 profile instead of 40. As they say in America ‘stuffing some meats’ under the arch.
It’s more noticeable in the flesh than in the pics but some gratuitous shots anyway:
Gravel always makes for a classy pic..
Just noticed I still haven’t fitted that new sidelight lens, the black insulation tape just works so well
Jury is out on how it rides but initial impressions are more compliance and I can notice the increased rake (it’s quite a big jump up from worn out 40’s to new 45’s). I’ll need to play with tyre pressures and rear damper settings I think once the tyres are scrubbed in and rear brakes sorted
This year it might even get some more ‘go’ to go with the show now I’ve had some Zshed motivation (and the clutch is finally giving up so I’ll have to bite the bullet if I want to do more than just wash and photograph it)
I’ve been running 235/40/17 all around on my M replica wheels.
Lovely balance and really enjoy the ‘square’ set up but the rears always looked a little lost (mostly because I used to have monster 9,5 rims back there before).
I didn’t want to go wider so I went higher - 45 profile instead of 40. As they say in America ‘stuffing some meats’ under the arch.
It’s more noticeable in the flesh than in the pics but some gratuitous shots anyway:
Gravel always makes for a classy pic..
Just noticed I still haven’t fitted that new sidelight lens, the black insulation tape just works so well
Jury is out on how it rides but initial impressions are more compliance and I can notice the increased rake (it’s quite a big jump up from worn out 40’s to new 45’s). I’ll need to play with tyre pressures and rear damper settings I think once the tyres are scrubbed in and rear brakes sorted
This year it might even get some more ‘go’ to go with the show now I’ve had some Zshed motivation (and the clutch is finally giving up so I’ll have to bite the bullet if I want to do more than just wash and photograph it
)
Looking resplendent 
Wow its out on the road! Looks great as always, love the led indicators in the mirrors. My sidelight is taped on at the moment, waiting to get paint before I fit the new ones.
