First love

littlefeller

littlefeller

Zorg Guru (IV)
British Zeds
The M44 Massive
Joined
Oct 18, 2015
Points
168
Location
evesham
When did you first see a z3, mine was 2006-2007 (i hadnt seen the james bond film) i came up behind one ( funny enoigh a bond coloured one) and thought OMG how cool is that a bmw 2 seater sports car. Never in a million years thought i would actualy own one. I was looking for a replacement for my honda and was searching 350 -370 z, the z3 and 4 kept coming up in the search. So how can i justify a 2 seater convertable, unmm i supose my honda was what was called a 2+2 basically the rear seats were just a sugestion so i was already half way there. If i brought the 350z it too was a 2+2 so why not, plus i wouldnt need a second mortgage to fuel it. So that was that, decision made, glad i did too. I still miss my z3 but nothing is for ever i supose ( i still find myself looking through classifieds though). The z4 i have now is completly different and i do love it but the draw of the 3 is still there.
 
Know what you mean @littlefeller I think my Z4 is a better drive than the Z3 s I've had, but the Z3 remains a better looking car. It was what made me want a sportscar again. Pity I can't really justify having two 'toy' cars.
 
First Z3 I really noticed was about 6 years ago, a badly faded red 1 9 M44. New that the Z3 was to be my big boys toy (also available for girls). 2.8 and up only for me, looked at a few on-line but the only one that jumped out was the one I have now. Black with extended red leather and staggered 18' MV3's. Job done and the rest is history. I may have spent a few ££££££'s along the way :whistle:

The only other car I considered was the MGTF 160, great looking car but mine is better ....... and FASTER!! :D
 
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Definitely not love at first sight for me. I first looked at one in the late 90's when I parked next to it in Doncaster when I had a business meeting at the Yorkshire Outlet. I didn't like the styling at the time and to be honest I completely forgot about them.

Fast forward nearly 15yrs and I decided to get me a boys toy after quitting motorcycling and thought about an old MGB roadster but for my budget at the time all the ones I looked at needed another couple of grand spending on them. I looked at MX5's and MR2's and came close to doing a deal on an Alfa Spider but mulled over it for too long and someone else bought it.

A mate mentioned the Z3 but I initially dismissed the idea but then I thought I'd at least test drive one before I dismiss them entirely.

I did a job on Portland and as I'd finished early I decided to pootle back to the office in Southampton via Poole. I drove past a garage and saw a gleaming black Z3 on the forecourt. I stopped to have a closer look and the salesman came out and threw me the keys and invited me to take it for a drive.

Half an hour later I'd left a deposit and bought my black Zed
 
Bought my first Z3 in 1997 (traded in a MG midget that we had had for 10 years); have had a Z3 ever since (4 now).:)
 
Z3s never crossed my mind tbh, always into 60s Fords. Then one day at one of our work site a colleague was selling his 2.8 to get a Z4 and I was bitten, and bought it Love the pre face lift Z3, personally I think they ruined the lines with the facelift (not trying to cause a row here just my opinion so calm down if you own a facelift :stop::rolleyes:) but Z3 definitely looks good in my eyes. :thumbsup:
 
Nodzed said:
Z3s never crossed my mind tbh, always into 60s Fords. Then one day at one of our work site a colleague was selling his 2.8 to get a Z4 and I was bitten, and bought it Love the pre face lift Z3, personally I think they ruined the lines with the facelift (not trying to cause a row here just my opinion so calm down if you own a facelift :stop::rolleyes:) but Z3 definitely looks good in my eyes. :thumbsup:
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Only one option available at any one time so;

1. Like
2. I agree
3. Funny

:D
 
I first noticed a Z3 years ago outside a car showroom, it was on a raised display platform and looked amazing. I remember the side air intakes reminded me of a spitfire. Back then I would have had a MK1 Mazda MX-5 and the Z3 would have been well out of my price range. I only had to wait 20 years for them to drop into my price range =))
 
gookah said:
However, the face-lift has the curves in the right places, its more sculptured, a bit like Beyonce from behind, and less like Ann Heggarty.....
;)
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What's wrong with Ann Heggarty? :wideyed:

Definitely a case of each to their own.
 
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Known of Z3s for years but never really taken much interest. Then a couple of years ago the engine in my X5 went bang, and whilst it was being repaired i needed a car. It was summer and the sun was being good (for Britain), so decided to see what fun toy i could get for £1,500. Then one evening i was perusing eBay and Autotrader for my usual brand of choice - BMW, and came across a silver ‘97 BMW Z3 1.9 with AC Schnitzer body kit and exhaust and red leather interior. So rang the seller and arranged a viewing the next morning and the rest as they say is history.
 
I liked the look of the Z3 when they first came out but at that time I was very much into old Triumphs. Come 2008 and I was getting tired of keeping old cars on the road and decided to get something newer. It occurred to me that the 3.0 Z3 fitted the bill perectly, watched the adds for a while until I saw the one I have now with only 21,000 on the clock and had a look. It was an approved used BMW with full 12 months warranty so I bought it. Never regretted it for a minute. As for the facelift pre facelift argument, I think I like them equally.
 
I had a facelift once but when I saw the invoice it soon dropped again:(
 
Similar story. I first saw the press shots when it was launched. I thought that the pepperpot wheels were a nice touch - reminded me of the pre-war 328. Then I forgot all about them. Had a stream of old/classic cars over the years ending up with a M-B 380SL which I foolishly started restoring (The good news is you can still get all the bits from M-B. The bad news is you can't afford them :wideyed:). So that got moved on as a project.
Started looking around for another convertible and re-discovered the Z3. Went to see a silver 2.8 at a dealer near Chelmsford. Whilst we were chatting she said 'I've got a blue 3 litre one in the barn that I was going to keep for myself, but I'm a dealer so everything is for sale' Test drive, a big of haggling over a couple of jobs that needed doing and it was mine:)
 
The first Z3 I took notice of was in near total darkness. Terry the bass player in my band in Sussex had brought his to a rehearsal, way back in 2011 I think it was. Our cars were parked in this very dark area, but I could just about see it's size. I asked to have a sit in it and liked the fit of the seat and the smell, which I took to be the leather. Fast forward 3 or so months. Terry said he needed to sell his Z3 as he had bought a dog and could't get the dog and his girlfriend in the Z3! I did a quick check of them on line and thought they looked good, but couldn't remember ever seeing one in the flesh. I asked Terry for the spec.and it seemed fully loaded! My son is a motor Tech and at the time just happened to be working in the same area where terry lived. I arranged to go and see it on a Saturday when my son was working as he said I could bring it over to his workshop so he could look over (and under) it on a post lift. Come the day, sod's law it was raining. I had never been to Terry's house before,so I had to drive down his road counting the house numbers. I noticed it had stopped raining then, and when I got to his house and stopped the car to have a good look at his Z3 the sun came out and shone down on it. It looked so pretty, it actually made me catch my breath. The shape, so smooth and swooping, perfectly (to my eyes) proportioned with no bling to detract the eye as my gaze swept over it.
Montreal Blue loves sunlight, such a deep blue with subtle metallic flecks. It even had the interior colour I would have wanted, with the wood gear knob and centre console, and (although I didn't know it at the time) the extended leather option. I also didn't know the value of the lovely Alpina Softline wheels then either! Terry drove it over to my son's workshop, and and after a good looksee he said it was all good. I had a drive, but didn't explore it's potential as the roads were wet. I loved it. I drove us back to his house, settled on a price and then knocked £100 off as the drivers seat wouldn't adjust fore and aft. Terry said he would get a new MOT for it and deliver it over to my house. To say its now pampered would be an understatement, but it gets lots if interest and attention at the Classic Cars shows I attend with the BMWCC. It even got a Rosette at this year's Ludham Classic Car Show! Apparently all cars that attended were judged, but this was unknown to all of us at the time.

I still get immense pleasure from driving, maintaining, cleaning and just looking at her.

(The driver's seat adjustment fix was a simple 2 minute job aligning the springy bits on the drives.)

Cheers all,

Bonzo.
 
I bought the first Z3 I ever saw, a few months ago. Pre facelift M44. Mid life crisis car because I am 70 and intend to grow old before I grow up. Out here in the badlands of Oz there are not too many sports cars - mainly toyota trucks with pig dogs on top. Class, hey?
 
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