Hello

[billz]

Agree with Tony. It is a personal preference. Our Z4 is manual but our X3 is an Auto.

 

[Mint]

Hi Dave, to the forum from another Dave . Just try as many different cars as you can. You'll know when you've found the right one. We've just bought a Z4 to keep our 3 company. She was the eighth we tried.

 

[t-tony]

another Dave

Must be Dave 12................ ish. Hope he doesn't forget his chairs then .

Tony.

 

[oldcarman]

Well, there you go Dave 24(?) you are now well armed to go forth on thy quest for the perfect Z3 for you!! Let us know how you make out. Waterpumps seem to be a problem area around 70k+. Also check under boot carpet for loose welds especially in the bigger sixes! JIM

 

[Shelly]

Hi and welcome to the forum
From Bradwell near Great Yarmouth

 

[tdhyde]

Bienvenido Dave,
I just bought my first Z 2.8 last week. After shopping for several weeks and taking both the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder models for test drives, there was only one choice for me. The four banger were fun and less expensive but the six was fun and had the WOW factor too.

I could have done better on price and condition had I been willing to drive further from home. As it were, I still had to drive for three hours to pick up the one I bought. Here in Spain there are lots of the four cylinder models and very few of the sixes.

Enjoy your shopping, select carefully, and welcome to a great group of guys and gals.

Terry
Madrid Spain

 

[Tim@Prestige]

Hi & welcome!

I hope you enjoy your time on the forum.

 

[POG]

Welcome from Portsmouth

 

[BMBabe]

.

 

[Kevlaar]

welcome from leicestershire.i brought the first z3 i drove and loved it.cost me 296 insurance with adrianflux.may be could get cheeper but need the no claims on my daily driver.mind you its a 1.9 but goes well enough for me and seems to run on fresh air.nice summer toy and nice winter project.good luck with your car when you get it and enjoy....

 

[Jonno Bee]

Hi Ztec. Thanks for the welcome. I'm in Plymouth, Darkest Devon. Makes trips to view vehicles a bit of a long haul unless I can find something in the westcountry

Hello David. I'm in Exeter and I am about 6 months in to Z3 ownership. I had to travel to find my 2.8. I would highly recommend the six cylinder engine. There is some good gen on this site and I have a buyers guide that was published in Practical classics last year I could copy and mail to you if that's useful.

Cheers, Jonno.

 

[David Sims]

Hi Jonno
Good to hear that I'm not on my own in the Westcountry!
I'd love a copy of the guide if you could please? It's not one that I have come across on the net yet.
I'm beginning to realise myself that I will have to travel as there isn't much within a couple of hundred miles that I can see at the moment.
One thing, I am trawling the usual suspects, Ebay, Gumtree, autotrader etc. as well as this site of course, but does anyone know of any other good car sales sites at all?
Regards
Dave

 

[Brian4]

Hey that was my car in Practical Classics.
Bottom left pic is from the photo shoot.

There are some goodish points in the article

Good article here https://zroadster.org/articles/bmw-z3-general-information-for-potential-buyers-by-mike-fishwick.15/

 

[Rha]

Hi Jonno, welcome from me, test as many different engine model as you can if your overly worried about power, but if not then you'll no doubt find a Z that suits you and your budget fairly quick, all Z's IMO are worth having for those lovely summer top down days, like someone has already said the smile it will put on your face is the icing on the cake. I'm coming into my ninth year of ownership and can't wait for every summer to arrive although it's taxed all year so I don't miss some of those sunny winter days. Try to get to some of the meets, you'll enjoy the company I'm sure and most importantly the first class advice and help you can get from the owners on this forum.Rha,Roy.

 

[metalmickey]

Hi Dave
Welcome from me in sunny Walton on Thames.
I am a 60+ plus owner. I bought my 1.9 in September 2013, a very well maintained, low mileage SE version.
There have been a few replacements of parts that have been necessary due to the age of the vehicle.
1. Bushes replaced on the electric seat threaded spindles. Did this myself with the the help of the forum DIY technical page and Aceman's bushes. See Forum parts store for these.
2. New catalytic converter. Original developed a severe rattle.
3. Replaced front suspension arms and bushes due to MOT failure. Much improved handling.
4. Worn driver's seat bolster. Must be considered a design fault as every Z3 I have looked at as the same issue to a lesser or greater degree. I had mine repaired but this cannot be considered a permanent fix.
The car is not garaged and sits on the drive all year round. I regularly clean and polish it even in the winter and I have invested in a half cover which protects the hood and provides additional security. There is hardly any evidence of rust just a few bubbles around the wing mirror pillars.
I regularly achieve 30+mpg for mainly urban driving. Occasionally I take a spin on the A3 and do a sustained cruise at around the max speed limit. I believe that this helps with performance.
These cars are a great summer drive with the top down and the handling is exceptional. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Good luck with your search. I eventually found mine on AutoTrader. I looked at several and was surprised by the variation in condition of what was available. In the end I upped my budget and was very lucky to find this car only eleven miles away.
By the way my wife loves the car too but only when she is driving!
Regards
MM

 

[tdhyde]

Just in case anyone is interested I saw this ad on ebay in Spain for what looks like a pretty good deal on a 2.8 in the UK.
http://www.ebay.es/itm/BMW-Z3-2-8-B...th-extas-/151654590732?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&

Terry