I'm new to the neighborhood

[roadvoyager1]

Welcome to the forum.
Suggest you fit bilstein/sachs shocks as per OEM to get back to the original ride condition. Whilst doing that change the top mounts and you should be good to go.
Rear axle carrier bushes can give "sloppy" handling, check them, but at low mileae I would hope they would still be good.

 

[Slam]

Hi and welcome from London

 

[Dean Shook]

Hi @Dean Shook, to the forum from me too in Staffordshire, UK. I think you're the first member on here to have actually built Zeds. Lots on here modify them though

Thanks, glad to be here, but I just helped to build them... and we were all taught by our German trainers in Munich and back in Spartanburg.

Welcome to the forum.
Suggest you fit bilstein/sachs shocks as per OEM to get back to the original ride condition. Whilst doing that change the top mounts and you should be good to go.
Rear axle carrier bushes can give "sloppy" handling, check them, but at low mileage I would hope they would still be good.

WIth OEM's costing twice as much, I am leaning toward the other products. This vehicle spent some time living along the west coast of Florida so some of that salty air could have affected her underneath (see pic). I'm ordering some 'Gummi-Pfledge' spray, and stick, for the rubber as well to at least save what is still there.

 

[DavidM]

Welcome from Ireland!

 

[t-tony]

Thanks, glad to be here, but I just helped to build them... and we were all taught by our German trainers in Munich and back in Spartanburg.


WIth OEM's costing twice as much, I am leaning toward the other products. This vehicle spent some time living along the west coast of Florida so some of that salty air could have affected her underneath (see pic). I'm ordering some 'Gummi-Pfledge' spray, and stick, for the rubber as well to at least save what is still there.

That looks mint underneath Dean when you compare it to one having spent it's life over in Europe where they salt the roads, even though a lot never see that it still lingers well into spring when car immerge from their winter hibernation.

Tony.

 

[TaffZee]

Common problem with the rear brakes is the handbrake cable becomes loose causing the shoes to rattle, try that first, after all its only just run in.. Welcome from North Wales.

 

[Grumps]

Hi from Mansfield UK. Your work history is going to be of interest to a lot on here. Prepare to be bombarded!!

 

[Dean Shook]

Hi from Mansfield UK. Your work history is going to be of interest to a lot on here. Prepare to be bombarded!!

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll try to do what I can.

 

[Bonzeau]

Very nice Z, is that Montreal Blue with a blue soft-top? One thing I don't recognize is in the center of the wheels, is that a cover?
Keep it shiny.

Hi Dean, yes, Z3lda is an April 1998 2.8 Roadster in Montreal Blue, but the soft top is black. With Beige/Sand Oregon extended leather interior, Sports Seats and Steering Wheel. I also have a Beige Tonneau Cover. The road wheels are 17"x 8" 20 Spoke Alpina Softlines, which were on the car when I bought her.
She is kept shiny! ....She is VERY well looked after!



Bonzo.

 

[FRANKIE]

Thank you Frankie, and I like your luggage rack too. My Z3 has a black soft-top, but your beige one looks great!

The original one was black but when I needed a new top, I chose the beige one. I like the contrase to the Boston Green.........Frankie

 

[Sean d]

Hi and welcome from Lincolnshire

 

[FRANKIE]

Thank you Frankie, and I like your luggage rack too. My Z3 has a black soft-top, but your beige one looks great!

One thing about the luggage rack. It was on the car when I bought it. It was installed with the 'lip' on the back side, the idea being that it keeps the luggage from sliding off. There are those here on the forum that say the 'lip' should be on the front side so as to prevent your luggage from coming forward and hitting you in the case of an accident. I personally don't think that's correct reasoning as the back of the seats are behind your head as protection and the possibility of you having an accident while there is luggage on the rack is about one tenth of one percent but the possibility of luggage sliding off the rear of the rack with the lip facing forward is 100% of the time. Not really much to think about there. I'm sure you'll hear other opinions very soon though. We'll see what their reasoning is (like being struck by lightning 3 times in the same day).

 

[mwpe]

Hi Dean and welcome from Surrey.

 

[Antm72]

Hello Dean from me in South Yorkshire

 

[Jack Ratt]

Hello and welcome from me too

 

[Dean Shook]

One thing about the luggage rack. It was on the car when I bought it. It was installed with the 'lip' on the back side, the idea being that it keeps the luggage from sliding off. There are those here on the forum that say the 'lip' should be on the front side so as to prevent your luggage from coming forward and hitting you in the case of an accident. I personally don't think that's correct reasoning as the back of the seats are behind your head as protection and the possibility of you having an accident while there is luggage on the rack is about one tenth of one percent but the possibility of luggage sliding off the rear of the rack with the lip facing forward is 100% of the time. Not really much to think about there. I'm sure you'll hear other opinions very soon though. We'll see what their reasoning is (like being struck by lightning 3 times in the same day).

Well, you could always flip a coin... most professional sports use that as a decision maker. I just looked up images of 1950's vehicles with luggage racks, and they were all with fully surrounding support rail on all sides.

 

[roadvoyager1]

WIth OEM's costing twice as much, I am leaning toward the other products.

Is this the price from a motor factor (as we call them in the UK = car parts dealer)? Much cheaper than BMW dealers for many parts.

 

[Dean Shook]

Is this the price from a motor factor (as we call them in the UK = car parts dealer)? Much cheaper than BMW dealers for many parts.

Yes, I'll order from 'ECS Tuning' in Ohio, which has a massive database of parts for German vehicles (and Mini). On their website, the genuine part number 33 52 1 094 187 is $160/ea while the Sachs stock replacement is only $90/ea.
I also found the genuine OEM part at 'GoBMWParts' for $134/ea which still can't beat the Sachs price. I think we have a winner! And I am not affiliated with either of these outfits... just a shopper.

 

[Z Victor 1]

Hi and welcome from Derby, UK. That's a very tidy looking low mileage car in one of my favourite colours too. I can't blame you for what I consider the main flaw in the Z3, the gearbox, presumably shipped to you from Germany. Still love my zed so thanks for helping produce it.

 

[Devon Z]

Hello and welcome from South Devon. Spent a lot of time in North Carolina where we have family (Greensboro) and the Outter Banks is my favourite place in the world.

Rear rattles? I had one that turned out to be fuel/gas tank straps, just added some more packing between the strap and the tank.

Enjoy
Steve