Dave in Southampton
Regular Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2025
- Points
- 13
My name is obviously Dave and I live in Hedge End, Southampton. As an avid watcher of "Bangers and Cash", my attentiuon was drawn, one evening, to a red body kit 250 GTO SWB on a BMW Z3. It looked fabulous but it had a 1.9L engine. Having researched the kit, I decided to make the time to build my own. I visited Tribute Automotive, near Dorchester, met Chris Welch, paid my deposit, and placed an order.
I am lucky enough to own a 1999 Macrcos Mantis GT. I have had it from new. It is a "rag top" manual transmission monster with a Ford Modular 4.6L motor and a Vortech supercharger. It has had a lot of modifications over the years to improve the drivability, but it is still 475 bhp and 475 lb-ft. It is no fun in the rain and hard work crawling in traffic. I decided the kit would be the antithisis. I managed to find a silver 1999 Z3 2.8 auto with M-sport interior for sale at a reasonable price. The kit will have a roof, so no rain issues, and the automatic transmission will make clutch pumping redundant. It was12 weeks before the kit arrived, delayed by illness at Tribute, so I drove the Z3 on many occasions. And what a pleasure it is. I have owned and driven a lot of miles in BMW 5 series, from a 530i M-Sport E39 to my Current 550e G60 and what amazing cars they are. There was a brief departure when the BIK on a diesel E Class Mercedes was very low, but I soon learned my lesson and came back to BMW. The car I bought turned out to be a Japanese import that came into the country in 2019. The importer sold the car in 2022, ironically through Mathewsons auction; Bangers and Cash. I bought the car July 2024, from a dealer near Stoke Mandaville. The Z3 is very well sorted and rust free. I now look forward to driving a terrific looking car that is fundamentally a BMW. The only criticism I had of the Z3 was the "zip-in" rear window panel. The zip came away from the roof. Otherwise, I would thoroughly recommend a Z3 to anybody looking for a fun, two seater, soft top roadster.
I have joined the forum to share any interesting stories, learn from others, and to sell all the bits I've taken off and don't need anymore.
The build is a learning process, and going much slower than I anticipated. But I want to get it right and avoid doing things twice.
Happy Days!
I am lucky enough to own a 1999 Macrcos Mantis GT. I have had it from new. It is a "rag top" manual transmission monster with a Ford Modular 4.6L motor and a Vortech supercharger. It has had a lot of modifications over the years to improve the drivability, but it is still 475 bhp and 475 lb-ft. It is no fun in the rain and hard work crawling in traffic. I decided the kit would be the antithisis. I managed to find a silver 1999 Z3 2.8 auto with M-sport interior for sale at a reasonable price. The kit will have a roof, so no rain issues, and the automatic transmission will make clutch pumping redundant. It was12 weeks before the kit arrived, delayed by illness at Tribute, so I drove the Z3 on many occasions. And what a pleasure it is. I have owned and driven a lot of miles in BMW 5 series, from a 530i M-Sport E39 to my Current 550e G60 and what amazing cars they are. There was a brief departure when the BIK on a diesel E Class Mercedes was very low, but I soon learned my lesson and came back to BMW. The car I bought turned out to be a Japanese import that came into the country in 2019. The importer sold the car in 2022, ironically through Mathewsons auction; Bangers and Cash. I bought the car July 2024, from a dealer near Stoke Mandaville. The Z3 is very well sorted and rust free. I now look forward to driving a terrific looking car that is fundamentally a BMW. The only criticism I had of the Z3 was the "zip-in" rear window panel. The zip came away from the roof. Otherwise, I would thoroughly recommend a Z3 to anybody looking for a fun, two seater, soft top roadster.
I have joined the forum to share any interesting stories, learn from others, and to sell all the bits I've taken off and don't need anymore.
The build is a learning process, and going much slower than I anticipated. But I want to get it right and avoid doing things twice.
Happy Days!
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