Your Best Mods - Preventative & Improving

[Neil K]

Hi all,

New member here and a proud new owner of a 2.0 litre Z3 with 75k miles in Oxford green with creme interior which will be my new daily driver. Affectionately known as 'Zoro' it'll join my other BMW, a DCT equipped M2.

Thanks to this forum I had the confidence to walk away from my usual criteria; Japanese and N/A.

With daily driver duties and some big road trips planned, what has been your best modification to help reliability and improve your driving experience?

All help is welcomed! Thanks in advance all

 

[roadvoyager1]

Preventative measures include; replace all fluids oil, coolant, gearbox and diff oil plus brake fluid, unless you have evidence that they have been done recently. When doing the coolant change your water pump for one with a metal impeller and thermostat which are known to fail at high milage. Also check over the air intake pipes between the MAF and manifold which can develop splits and upset the air:fuel ratio.
Bearing in mind these cars are around 20 years old and many are running original dampers which are very tired. I would suggest you plan on doing a suspension refresh. In addition to dampers look to replace the numerous rubber bushes which all contribute to improved handling.
As with any older car it is always a good idea to check over your brake system.
For now enjoy your car, get to know it and you will soon develop your own priority list.

 

[Slam]

The seat lift mod makes the seats more comfortable on a long journey

 

[Pingu]

My best mod...

https://zroadster.org/threads/air-filter-box-modification.26207/

More power, better mpg

 

[NZ00Z3]

Fitting cruise control to the face-lift models is a plug and play 30 minute job.
https://zroadster.org/threads/fitting-my-new-cruise-control.24988/#post-418499

 

[t-tony]

Seat lifter makes a big difference, made some and fitted on my Z3, and many others. Have some for sale, if interested please PM. Same goes for a 3rd brake light decal.
Cold air inlet also a good investment if only for the sheer smile effect.

Tony.

ps. My Z3 was Oxford Green with the Beige interior.

 

[g8jka]

Best mod I did that improves the whole driving experience was a Royals steering wheel. Along with the seat tilt mod and a weighted gear knob is a good place to start. That's before fitting bigger brakes and a lot of other things, the list can get endless.

 

[Neil K]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I will start to get some prices on what you've all recommended.

Just trying to curb my paranoia that I'll be breaking down in France in some remote village and can't speak a word of French

@t-tony I think I'll take you up on the offer although I'm not entirely sure what a 3rd brake light decal is?

 

[t-tony]

Hi Neil, I will dig out some pictures later. Thank you.

Tony.

 

[Rha]

Go on your Euro trip Niel and let the RAC worry about your thoughts of possible breakdown, do normal checks as for any trip cos if it's got a recent MOT and no warning lights on the dash you'll in all probability be fine. I bought a Z3 2.8 in 2007 and few weeks later went to France didn't know the vehicle at all but just loved driving it. It wasn't till I joined this great crowd of very Z knowledgeable owners did I really start to understand this great vehicle, I paid for RAC membership only because I'd heard how well they look after you if things go wrong. Be great if you can get some of these known faults done before you go but I wouldn't let that put you off if you can't. Good luck and let us all know how you get on. Go enjoy your Z.

RHA,Roy.

 

[Neil K]

Go on your Euro trip Niel and let the RAC worry about your thoughts of possible breakdown, do normal checks as for any trip cos if it's got a recent MOT and no warning lights on the dash you'll in all probability be fine. I bought a Z3 2.8 in 2007 and few weeks later went to France didn't know the vehicle at all but just loved driving it. It wasn't till I joined this great crowd of very Z knowledgeable owners did I really start to understand this great vehicle, I paid for RAC membership only because I'd heard how well they look after you if things go wrong. Be great if you can get some of these known faults done before you go but I wouldn't let that put you off if you can't. Good luck and let us all know how you get on. Go enjoy your Z.

RHA,Roy.

Thank you for the words of encouragement Roy, much appreciated and I'll think a RAC membership will be a worthwhile investment.

My Z had a service 1,000 miles ago and has a fresh MOT, the only things I need to sort out is the dreaded but common seat stuck in the highest position, I'm 6ft 1in so look like Noddy driving around at the moment.

 

[Neil K]

Best mod I did that improves the whole driving experience was a Royals steering wheel. Along with the seat tilt mod and a weighted gear knob is a good place to start. That's before fitting bigger brakes and a lot of other things, the list can get endless.

Great suggestion and thank you! I think I'll approach Royal and see if they can dress it in alcantara

 

[Nodzed]

My favorite upgrade is the Royal steering wheel.

 

[g8jka]

Great suggestion and thank you! I think I'll approach Royal and see if they can dress it in alcantara

He will do pretty much anything you require. I've not heard one person be dissapointed once theyv'e had one from him. Plus if your used to drving an M2 with a thicker steering wheel the Z3 one will feel like your not holding much. Royals can double pad them and it will feel more like a proper wheel and willl improve the driving experience. I think mine was only around £110 when I had it done also.

 

[Felix79]

The only real "mod" my Z4MR has had done to it, is it has had the AC Schnitzer Alloy Pedal set installed. They grip my trainers sole really well and just add some contrast to the black on black colour scheme.

I'm able to "heal toe" much easier, as I just use the side of my right foot to blip when breaking and downshifting. The 6 speed box on my Z4M seems to change much smoother if I rev-match. It's a habit I've had since my days owning an Impreza P1 and the pedal height in my Z4MR is perfect for doing this.

This is not really a mod, but another thing I do to help prevent problems down the line. I will wait until my oiltemp is at 75c before taking the rev's nearer the redline. Even though the LED lights go out on my rev counter before I am at 75c (the cat automatically locks off the higher revs when the engine is cold, which is carried over from the E46 M3) , I will hold off until I know the oil had thinned out enough to coat and protect the engine properly for higher RPM.

 

[Mint]

My best mods were fitting a Royal steering wheel and cruise control

 

[Neil K]

My favorite upgrade is the Royal steering wheel.

View attachment 103181

That wheel looks great! In fact so does the whole interior, really special. I thnk my mind is made up regarding the wheel from Royal, I will definitely get one.

 

[Neil K]

My best mods were fitting a Royal steering wheel and cruise control

Ahh cruise control, didn't think of that, great idea, I'll add that to the list thank you!

 

[Neil K]

The only real "mod" my Z4MR has had done to it, is it has had the AC Schnitzer Alloy Pedal set installed. They grip my trainers sole really well and just add some contrast to the black on black colour scheme.

I'm able to "heal toe" much easier, as I just use the side of my right foot to blip when breaking and downshifting. The 6 speed box on my Z4M seems to change much smoother if I rev-match. It's a habit I've had since my days owning an Impreza P1 and the pedal height in my Z4MR is perfect for doing this.

This is not really a mod, but another thing I do to help prevent problems down the line. I will wait until my oiltemp is at 75c before taking the rev's nearer the redline. Even though the LED lights go out on my rev counter before I am at 75c (the cat automatically locks off the higher revs when the engine is cold, which is carried over from the E46 M3) , I will hold off until I know the oil had thinned out enough to coat and protect the engine properly for higher RPM.

Thanks for the suggestion @Felix79 and it''s something that I noticed when test driving the car- I couldn't get comfortable with hell/toe as the brake pedal sat a little too higher in order for me to do it smoothly.

A pedal set is added to the list and it's a nice little touch to the interior too!

 

[Jonnysnapzzz]

Fitting cruise control to the face-lift models is a plug and play 30 minute job.
https://zroadster.org/threads/fitting-my-new-cruise-control.24988/#post-418499

Can this be done on ‘99 2.8 ?