The most important things to check when buying

joepig

joepig

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hi,i'm looking at buying my first Z3 tomorrow( a 1.8 £4000 ) what must I not miss when buying from a private seller,thanks
 
Wow, that's a very good price for a 1.8 Joe, is it very low mileage?

Tony.
 
All I can say is drive it and you will tell soon enough if it's as good as it should be. Common sense applies here, check the tyres for even wear, engine for not breathing too hard if you take off the oil filler cap and no smoke from the exhaust. Possibly the most important is no pressurising of the cooling system ie. the hoses are still soft enough to squeeze when the engine is hot. Good luck mate.:)

Tony.
 
Still sounds a little high but if it is in outstanding condition then it is really down to what you are prepared to pay.

I would look out for signs of rust on the leading and trailing edge of the sills as these are prone to attack from road salts etc. so gives you a good indicator as to how it has been treated.

Also check condition of the soft top and rear window as these can deteriorate even if garaged. All other things as usual when buying a car like tyres and at that price I would expect an excellent service history with every receipt and MOT since new to be present.

Good luck and let us all know how you get on.
 
i am not sure if this is relevant during the summer months but check the floor/carpet around the doors for damp and marks down the window or door plastics, this could be a sign of a leaking top.
ensure the top folds back flush with the boot.
check seat mechanisms and windows go up and down easily.
if you are unsure about anything take some pics and post them here so we can analyse :-)
 
That price is quite steep, however it is low milage. I would still probably haggle quite hard on the price, I just sold my 1.9, with double the mileage and needed some minor work for £1000, if somebody were to spend a fraction of the £3000 difference on the car I just sold I'm sure it could be mint.

But I know with z3's the price isn't always important, if you want a Z you will buy it with no thought to the cost.

Connor.
 
I would be cheeky and take a fault code reader with me! I should say at that price you will be buying from a dealer, so haggle hard and walk away if you can't get him down below £3400
 
Wow!

£4k for a 1.8?

I sold my 2.8 coupe for less that £5k (admittedly LHD with 180,00miles on the clock)

Someone needs to say it - WAY TOO MUCH

I'd be looking at these for that money

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2002-BMW-...164?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cfec20de4

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-BMW-...127?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c9e22e967

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z3/bmw-z3-2-8/4429740

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z3/bmw-z3-2-2-6-cylinder-5-speed-manual/4425401

ETC ETC for that money

Or

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...hall-vx220-2-2-na-2002-hpi-clear-5800/4381875

Or

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-BMW-...998?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3f4d3e3c7e

Or

You see my thought trail!

This - Bloody hell I'm tempted - great colour with a hard top!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-Z4-3-...046?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20ff3b5d3e

OK I'm off to buy a sports Car - Good luck in your hunt!
 
Thank you everyone ,I didn't get chance to look at the one last Sunday(my mother in law was found at 6am slumped at the bottom of the stairs,much better now) I hope I have taken in your advice ,the general feeling was it was over priced anyway.I have had a look at a couple and the online description could have been for different cars they were £3,500 and real dogs like this one all bad wheels and iffy history with 9 owners(http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-BMW-...465?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3aace12161) when I find the "one" I will let you know ,in the mean time I have much to learn .thanks roy
 
joepig said:
hi,i'm looking at buying my first Z3 tomorrow( a 1.8 £4000 ) what must I not miss when buying from a private seller,thanks
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Sorry to say it, but that's too much for a 1.8.
 
Dont buy a 1.8 you will just be trying to make it go faster with expensive mods.
 
You've already twigged into the price problem and spurs has provided you with many options but it comes down to what you want and how much you will spend to get it, how long you'll keep it, main driver or fun weekend car. Etc. YOU have to please yourself and good luck no matter which you buy eventually. Help will always be here!! JIM
 
Thank you everyone the quest is over , I've paid a fortune for a 97 1.9 £5000 + but its very low mileage and its immaculate and its made me happy.I'm in my sixties and have no intention of ever selling it.im very pleased to have found Zroadster.org,again thank you for your replies
 
joepig said:
Thank you everyone the quest is over , I've paid a fortune for a 97 1.9 £5000 + but its very low mileage and its immaculate and its made me happy.I'm in my sixties and have no intention of ever selling it.im very pleased to have found Zroadster.org,again thank you for your replies
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as I am away on vacation I just saw this now. The most important things to look for initially are the condition of the coolant and the oil. It is not unusual for someone to get rid of a car when it has major engine problems. The most common of these is a bad head gasket. This separates the oil and cooling passages from the combustion chambers as they pass from the engine block to the cylinder head and back again. Telltale signs of this are signs of oil in the coolant and engine oil that looks milky white. Exhaust that is still white well after the engine is well warmed up and after all water vapor is gone from the exhaust system could indicate coolant passing into the cylinders and exiting as steam. If these conditions exist, return the car immediately. Also,follow what the other boys have told you above. Good luck with it. Also, I'm having a tough time selling my 1.9 '96 for $3500.00 Frankie
 
Does it just have delivery mileage? :eek::eek:

Must be immaculate. Any Z3 is a winner though.

Connor.
 
joepig said:
Thank you everyone the quest is over , I've paid a fortune for a 97 1.9 £5000 + but its very low mileage and its immaculate and its made me happy.I'm in my sixties and have no intention of ever selling it.im very pleased to have found Zroadster.org,again thank you for your replies
Click to expand...

You're the only person you have to please Joe so it doesn't matter to anyone else what type of deal you struck. The main thing is that you're back in the fold.

Hope you enjoy many happy years with your new car
 
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