Sorry, I sold the Z3... I bought an SLK.
Hi all
- Thread starter sata
- Start date
Hi @sata and welcome to the forum from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. Right now I have 3 BMWs but am currently selling one of them, a 325ci. the other two are Z's. I've owned 4 Mercedes over the years. One really doesn't count as it was a project car and I ended up selling it before I could get to fix it. Two of them were c230 Kompressors that were my wife's cars and I had an '99 SLK Kompressor. Just the other day, another new member was talking about buying one and I posted the following about it. (Rather than typing the whole thing again, I am copying it and pasting it here:
I owned a '99 SLK Kompressor for several years. It was a very good looking car and never failed to turn heads. Being supercharged, it might have been the fastest 4 cylinder car I ever owned. I loved the feature of the hard top folding down into the trunk (boot). At the same time, I was amazed at the prices the dealership charged for parts and repair. My hardtop convertible folded down into the trunk by the aid of 7 hydraulic cylinders and a pump. Four of the cylinders used a certain kind of internal washer on the shafts that deteriorated because of the hydraulic fluid over a period of time. Two of these cylinders were the main ones to move the top and the other 2 unlocked the top from the windshield. The dealership wanted between $1500 to $2000 to fix it. I bought a kit from e-bay for $24 and fixed it myself over a weekend. The interior paint on things like the glove box and parts of the doors would scratch off if you rubbed it with your fingernail or any hard object. I never saw anything like it. I thought it was just my car but when looking on e-bay pictures of other cars for sale, many had the same problem. How stupid can a car manufacturer be to continue to paint cars in this way? The driver's side kick panels, which are those that are beneath the steering column, are made of the cheapest plastic you can imagine. If you're trying to remove one that's several years old, they just break apart. It just boggles the mind. The Achilles heel of the car is the supercharger. They dont 's last. They are very expensive to buy and replace. I managed to find one purchased by a person who needed one and bought it but whose car was involved in an accident before it could be installed. I got it at a good price. I had first replaced the electric (magnetic) pulley on my unit which cost me $400 for the part only, and to install it and find out it was an electrical part on the pump that caused the damage and it destroyed the new pulley. It took over 2 hours to manuever the pump in and out of the engine compartment. What a nightmare!!
The Z3 is a different animal. It is very well made. No cheap components. It is light years better than the SLK. You have made a good choice purchasing one. Good luck with it and once again, welcome to the forum.
I hope this helps you in your decision making. Once again, welcome to the forum from the other side of the pond. Frankie
Hello and welcome from South Wales, can't beat a Z3 for tinkerability.
sata
Regular Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2016
- Points
- 13
Well, what a welcome from you all, be it from Canada to New Jersey to South Wales, wonderful, and thank you so much for taking the time to say hello.... its really warming when you first get onto a forum.... I am sure that by going for a Z3...it will be the right choice... like many I suppose, I do like the looks of the SLK, and I do fancy the mid engined MR2, but I think for me and what I want to do... (mainly touring and weekends away etc) the Z3 will be the way to go....
So, thank all for your time and thoughts... am really happy by the welcoming... cheers...
Sata
So, thank all for your time and thoughts... am really happy by the welcoming... cheers...
Sata
to the forum from me too in Staffordshire. As said above try as many as you can before you buy, best of luck in your search.
Hello and welcome from Truro
Get a 2.8 , rarer body shape , best engine combo