Looking for a Z3..

[Steve Medlock]

@Steve Medlock see your in Sittingbourne, got my Zed not that far from you about 20 miles away in Cranbrook.

I'm often passing Cranbrook on the way to woods near Bodium. Also GF lives in Tenterden.

 

[Steve Medlock]

Man you are fast!
Great car, great color!
Enjoy it!
PS: had you the tramling experience or is just a wheel alignment that is really necessary?

Thanks.
The front tyres have worn on the inside edges and the steering is not quite what i think it ought to be so I think its worth seeing where the wheels are pointing first of all. There is an element of tram lining but I think there's maybe more to it than that.

 

[Steve Medlock]

Hey well done, it was good to meet you last week, glad you found the on for you.

Thanks Simon. Good to meet you too and thank you for the advice.

 

[ZTec]

Hi Steve, welcome from South Wales. I have no problem with head room as I never have the roof up.

 

[Bazza]

from me

 

[Dino D]

Wow, that's a nice find for a first Z3!

As for alignment these cars so run a bit of camber on the front so wear in the inside edges is normal but worth checking it out.

I see you are also Kent based- it might be worth chatting to Chris @ http://www.kentmx5.co.uk
He set mine up (corner weighting and alignment, camber) last year but also does alignment. They are from a racing background and seems to know his stuff.
Mine was the first Z3 he'd worked on but he knows suspension.

There is also Biddenden Motorworks (who is actually in Dartford). The owner is on here @Martyn Scott
I'll be getting mine up to him for servicing, he knows BMW's but I don't think they do alignment but he probably can reccomend.

 

[Steve Medlock]

Thanks Dino. I did go into my local Formula 1 as they are within walking distance and advertise that they have Hunter gear on their website. Unfortunately that branch doesn't have it. I'm already booked in to IA Motorsport on Friday morning though so I'll see how that goes.

 

[Steve Medlock]

While I'm here....Could someone please tell me if there is a knack to removing the hard top? I can't seem to move the back screw handles and there's not much space to get at them for a better purchase.

 

[AllyZ32.8i]

Easy, just change at high revs! More fun, and you can't hear the gearbox!

That's what I do, I even thing of getting a clutch stopper, helps the long travel on the clutch and quicker gear changes

 

[Jack Ratt]

While I'm here....Could someone please tell me if there is a knack to removing the hard top? I can't seem to move the back screw handles and there's not much space to get at them for a better purchase.

Hi Steve, my hard top fitting kit isn't OEM but mine has locking nuts underneath the handles. They are size M24 and you'll need a thin spanner to get it on the nuts. Loosen the lock nuts and its easy to undo the catches.

I don't know if the OEM kit has the same set up though.

 

[Martyn Scott]

Wow, that's a nice find for a first Z3!

As for alignment these cars so run a bit of camber on the front so wear in the inside edges is normal but worth checking it out.

I see you are also Kent based- it might be worth chatting to Chris @ http://www.kentmx5.co.uk
He set mine up (corner weighting and alignment, camber) last year but also does alignment. They are from a racing background and seems to know his stuff.
Mine was the first Z3 he'd worked on but he knows suspension.

There is also Biddenden Motorworks (who is actually in Dartford). The owner is on here @Martyn Scott
I'll be getting mine up to him for servicing, he knows BMW's but I don't think they do alignment but he probably can reccomend.

Hi Steve we do four wheel lazer alignment @biddenden motor works just make sure they toe it out a bit as most people toe these cars in you will get a better turn in with out we also do race set up as well, hope all goes well and welcome.

 

[Steve Medlock]

Update from this morning. Well the only thing that might have been adjustable was the tracking but it was only a little out and the TREs were rusted up solid! The machine did however show me that at the rear I have 2 deg of camber on one side and 3 deg on the other. My man says this is pointless and only needs about 10 minutes, I think he said. The camber being due to the short springs.

He did do a pretty thorough inspection for me though and the poor steering/handling is almost certainly down to knackered bushes, particularly on the rear subframe and trailing arms. I also need to replace the front wishbones and obviously the track rods/ends and polybush as much as poss.

On one hand its quite disappointing how much needs doing but I can look forward to a much better handling car (I hope).

 

[Zeti]

It's a common case and isn't the end of the world. Most of us changed the whole (bushes and wish bone ); I changed too coils and shocks, because lowered suspension (from the German owner) is not suitable in my country and it pop out another car! You will not want to get off it!

 

[Nodzed]

Update from this morning. Well the only thing that might have been adjustable was the tracking but it was only a little out and the TREs were rusted up solid! The machine did however show me that at the rear I have 2 deg of camber on one side and 3 deg on the other. My man says this is pointless and only needs about 10 minutes, I think he said. The camber being due to the short springs.

He did do a pretty thorough inspection for me though and the poor steering/handling is almost certainly down to knackered bushes, particularly on the rear subframe and trailing arms. I also need to replace the front wishbones and obviously the track rods/ends and polybush as much as poss.

On one hand its quite disappointing how much needs doing but I can look forward to a much better handling car (I hope).

Steve I had exactly the same issues with my 2.8, handled like a greasy pig!, I was lucky in as much the rear bushes weren't bad and I suspect they had been done at least once prior to my purchase, I ended up changing every thing on the front end plus rear springs, shocks and drop links that with new tryes transformed the cars handling, I went with full OEM parts. Its not cheap but is well worth the cost and effort.
Niall

 

[Nodzed]

Update from this morning. Well the only thing that might have been adjustable was the tracking but it was only a little out and the TREs were rusted up solid! The machine did however show me that at the rear I have 2 deg of camber on one side and 3 deg on the other. My man says this is pointless and only needs about 10 minutes, I think he said. The camber being due to the short springs.

He did do a pretty thorough inspection for me though and the poor steering/handling is almost certainly down to knackered bushes, particularly on the rear subframe and trailing arms. I also need to replace the front wishbones and obviously the track rods/ends and polybush as much as poss.

On one hand its quite disappointing how much needs doing but I can look forward to a much better handling car (I hope).

@Steve Medlock BTW the before I get jumped on by every member who reads this , I wasn't suggesting OEM parts is the best way, there's lots of options (both cheaper and better quality) I just didn't know any better my remark was meant to mean the work is well worth the cost and effort.

 

[Steve Medlock]

Thanks

Hi Steve, my hard top fitting kit isn't OEM but mine has locking nuts underneath the handles. They are size M24 and you'll need a thin spanner to get it on the nuts. Loosen the lock nuts and its easy to undo the catches.

I don't know if the OEM kit has the same set up though.

Thanks JR - did get it off in the end - it was tight though.

 

[Martyn Scott]

Update from this morning. Well the only thing that might have been adjustable was the tracking but it was only a little out and the TREs were rusted up solid! The machine did however show me that at the rear I have 2 deg of camber on one side and 3 deg on the other. My man says this is pointless and only needs about 10 minutes, I think he said. The camber being due to the short springs.

He did do a pretty thorough inspection for me though and the poor steering/handling is almost certainly down to knackered bushes, particularly on the rear subframe and trailing arms. I also need to replace the front wishbones and obviously the track rods/ends and polybush as much as poss.

On one hand its quite disappointing how much needs doing but I can look forward to a much better handling car (I hope).

Hi Steve not uncommon for the track rod ends to be seized hearly every BM we do are seized. Well worth poly bushing makes for a bit harder ride but worth it agin al the ones we have done which is a lot all customers say how great the car is after wards. You can buy rear camber bolts to get both sides spot on but unless you are going to race it not really worth it, but change the front lower control arm back bush for the E36 3.0lt ones changes the castors and makes for better handling hope this helps

 

[Poprin]

Update from this morning. Well the only thing that might have been adjustable was the tracking but it was only a little out and the TREs were rusted up solid! The machine did however show me that at the rear I have 2 deg of camber on one side and 3 deg on the other. My man says this is pointless and only needs about 10 minutes, I think he said. The camber being due to the short springs.

He did do a pretty thorough inspection for me though and the poor steering/handling is almost certainly down to knackered bushes, particularly on the rear subframe and trailing arms. I also need to replace the front wishbones and obviously the track rods/ends and polybush as much as poss.

On one hand its quite disappointing how much needs doing but I can look forward to a much better handling car (I hope).

Welcome Steve, not to scare you in any way! But to share my experience. When I bought my Z it was on lowered springs and it drove decently but it ground out on pebbles. So I decided to replace the springs with the original ones. This however started me on a several month long money spending hunt to make the car handle like a know one should. This has ended up in the replacement of both rear shocks and top mounts (because the lowering springs toasted the originals). Rear subframe bushes and track control arm bushes. After all this the car was much better but still not right, finally I replaced my aftermarket wheels with some original BMW alloys with conti sport contacts all round and all I can say is WOW. Different car from the day I bought it, it still tramlines but that's just a Z for you!

 

[Dickymint]

"it still tramlines but that's just a Z for you!"
don't give up m8, polly front bushes and eagle F1's sorted mine may have been luck or a combo of that with the sport suspension I don't know