Fancying a Z3 now

[JimS]

Having read all the forum members exploits and now appreciating what a beautiful, affordable and fun car a Z3 is, I quite fancy one as a bit of a project car (goodness knows how I can sneak one past the wife, but maybe worth a try).
Surprisingly, I don't have much to do on the G29 Z4 except wash and polish, so a Z3 would be a distraction.
Would you guys recommend a simpler four cylinder or a six cylinder job as the better car, either to drive or work on and what sort of budget would I need?

 

[andyglym]

It's a good Q. The M44 Massive swear by the 1.9 16v Z3, lighter front end than the 6 cylinder so better round the B roads apparently. The 6 cylinder has a great sound to it with an array of engines and pre and post facelift looks.

Budget really would go from probs about £1500 to well over £10k for a low mileage minter (less the Z3///M) though £3-5k should do nicely (£3k needing a bit of fettling with £5k less so)

 

[D R Oldfield]

I have both the 1.9 is my daily driver great round town and very economical , my 2.8 feels heavier but seems to feel more complete and a amazing sound track

 

[JimS]

I tend towards the 'a good big one beats a good little one' club, but am happy to acknowledge the benefits of lightness and economy of smaller engines. It will probably get passed on to the family when I have done with it and they might prefer the 1.9 also.
I was sort of thinking 4000pounds as a reasonable spend, but that would have to include any repair/service parts required as well.

 

[SYMZ3]

IMO, the Z3 presents as a remarkable car. Well engineered, solid, dependable (if looked after) and a joy to drive. If you are good at spannering, then plenty of project cars around for not a lot of money.

Otherwise, the old adage applies = buy the best car you can afford

 

[Nodzed]

Don't get hung up on mileage, buy from an enthusiast if you can. A well looked after/maintained higher mileage car from an enthusiast will always be better than a low mileage car that's not been touched.

 

[JimS]

From someone that's never owned a car with more than 60,000 on it that's asking a lot, but I take your point.

 

[Nodzed]

From someone that's never owned a car with more than 60,000 on it that's asking a lot, but I take your point.

Well a 20 year Z3 with 100k on the clock is still low mileage given the age, A 20 year old Z3 with 100k on the clock that has been meticulously looked after will be a great car. A low mileage Z3 that hasn't been looked after will be a shiny dog and possibly a money pit, but still cost a fortune to buy. Good service history (oils changes etc.) is only a very small part of what these cars need at 20 + years old, the list is long. Good luck, the low mileage well maintained and upgraded Z3s are out there but a lot of garage queens are sitting on factory original perished rubber suspension components, dodgy shocks etc.

 

[andyglym]

From someone that's never owned a car with more than 60,000 on it that's asking a lot, but I take your point.

These cars are now up to 25 years if age, mine is 24 but only has 105k miles on it so at worst is about halfway through its life, barely run in.

 

[JimS]

Well, I have now looked at four Z3's with increasing disappointment. I know they are 20-25 years old now, but does nobody repair their cars when they have obvious faults any more? All have had numerous issues with sill or wing rusting, uneven tyre wear, damaged hoods, serious interior wear and or electrical fault. A couple only had around 60k miles, but to be honest they were hardly any different to the higher mileage cars.
I didn't even get round to minor cosmetic issues, as I was ready to walk after a few minutes looking over these poor condition vehicles.

 

[SYMZ3]

Well, I have now looked at four Z3's with increasing disappointment. I know they are 20-25 years old now, but does nobody repair their cars when they have obvious faults any more? All have had numerous issues with sill or wing rusting, uneven tyre wear, damaged hoods, serious interior wear and or electrical fault. A couple only had around 60k miles, but to be honest they were hardly any different to the higher mileage cars.
I didn't even get round to minor cosmetic issues, as I was ready to walk after a few minutes looking over these poor condition vehicles.

It’s frustrating isn’t it?

I wasted so much time travelling to look at ‘immaculate‘ cars. In the end I bought the best car I could afford from a reputable indie. It’s a minefield looking at buying a car privately.
Some people’s perception of immaculate and well looked after is very different from mine. I hope you find something soon. If you want to buy a Z3 that is exactly what it says it is, PM me and I will put you in touch with somebody who can help. You will buy cheaper, but you won‘t buy better…

 

[Mint]

Well, I have now looked at four Z3's with increasing disappointment. I know they are 20-25 years old now, but does nobody repair their cars when they have obvious faults any more? All have had numerous issues with sill or wing rusting, uneven tyre wear, damaged hoods, serious interior wear and or electrical fault. A couple only had around 60k miles, but to be honest they were hardly any different to the higher mileage cars.
I didn't even get round to minor cosmetic issues, as I was ready to walk after a few minutes looking over these poor condition vehicles.

That's a great shame, but seems to prove what Niall (@Nodzed) said in post #6 and #8.

Have you had a look in our 'For Sale' area? - https://www.zroadster.org/forums/for-sale-section.15/

 

[RickyBobby]

Well, I have now looked at four Z3's with increasing disappointment. I know they are 20-25 years old now, but does nobody repair their cars when they have obvious faults any more? All have had numerous issues with sill or wing rusting, uneven tyre wear, damaged hoods, serious interior wear and or electrical fault. A couple only had around 60k miles, but to be honest they were hardly any different to the higher mileage cars.
I didn't even get round to minor cosmetic issues, as I was ready to walk after a few minutes looking over these poor condition vehicles.

Mines up for sale and could be right in your sweet spot with the advantage of being down the road from you in Sheffield - I honestly think you'd be hard pressed to find a better example for the price and I'm desperate for it to stay on the forum. It's just gone up on a couple of the Z3 Facebook groups but the price to Zroadster members is £4,750.

 

[Nodzed]

If you want a good one buy from enthusiast who has owned the car for years. Trouble is there's a lot of Z3s out there that have been bought for a cheap summer (or two) with the intention of selling on after boredom or expense sets in and usually these sellers don't know the first thing about the cars so when someone who does comes along ...............

 

[JimS]

Mines up for sale and could be right in your sweet spot with the advantage of being down the road from you in Sheffield - I honestly think you'd be hard pressed to find a better example for the price and I'm desperate for it to stay on the forum. It's just gone up on a couple of the Z3 Facebook groups but the price to Zroadster members is £4,750.

Your car looks great condition in the pictures, but Boston Green is not for me. I know I am choosy, but I am only going to do this once and am prepared to wait for the right one. I will keep looking in the For Sale section on here though, as forum members cars have probably had some love, which those I have looked at locally, well maybe not so much.

 

[RickyBobby]

Your car looks great condition in the pictures, but Boston Green is not for me. I know I am choosy, but I am only going to do this once and am prepared to wait for the right one. I will keep looking in the For Sale section on here though, as forum members cars have probably had some love, which those I have looked at locally, well maybe not so much.

Worth waiting for the right one and to be fair that's half the fun - took me a few years to drop on the Boston Green / Black leather combo in the 2.8 widebody which I was after but when it eventually turned up it was worth the wait.
As you've found it's much easier to make a neglected car look presentable in photo's but a lot harder to hide the fact it hasn't had the necessary care and attention when you view it in person - that's why a personal inspection and test drive is essential on these cars.
Anyway at least you have the G29 so as you say you can take your time and when eventually you do find the right one it will feel even better.
Out of interest what colour/s are you looking for - there were some nice special edition Z3's produced but you don't see them come up very often? I always fancied a "Bella Macchina" but the closest I got was a "Kyalami" but for some reason the facelift version never appealed to me.

 

[DrWong]

I only looked at one and bought the first one I looked at

But it was from a member of the other Z forum, so I was able to trawl all their posts and I was fairly confident the car was a good un. Rusty sills and panels are par for the course. My inner sill ends were pretty crusty but I've sorted them now.

Def buy from a forum member though, as it's pretty much a given that the car will have been loved and cared for. And you can do some sleuthing into the history of the car, etc.

 

[Chrisr1949]

Always check the MOT history on the DVLA website or one of the free apps, I've got VehicleSmart at the mo. I've seen some rotten horrors with big price tags being offered.

 

[JimS]

Good advice from all and thankyou for it. Rust is definitely a no for me though. I have been there before with a Jaguar XK I owned and I just don't want to have to deal with it again. The car for me, if I buy one, will be pretty rust free or at least have had the major repairs done. I don't mind a bit of surface stuff to wire brush and treat, but no structural or panel replacements.