Hi All,
I thought I’d write up a thread to share what’s going on with my 3.0 2000 Z3.
My plan is to include all the parts I’m using, my logic behind the choice and the ongoing cost (rounded to the nearest £5 or so).
The vehicle was owned by my parents and has been passed on, sold to, inherited by? yours truly.
The care from the “previous owners” is slightly patchy and the condition, patchy.
Everything on it is original. Servicing and essential work has been carried out.
My intention is to subtly improve it but keep the car as true to original specs. I say that now, but....
I took the Z3 on about 4 months ago and the first task was to go down to our Indy garage for an interim service and to get a stamp in the book. Job done. £120.
Second task. Oils.
There was no record of any oil changes other than engine oil.
I spent too long looking at all of this and got quite sick of it. As with so many things everyone has an opinion. America vs Europe vs Track vs Road vs OEM vs DIY mixes.
I settled on:
Gearbox Oil - BMW MTF LT2 - 2 litres £58 total
I was spending too long looking at it, BMW wasn’t much more expensive overall and it doesn’t get changed often. Ask for a discount.
Differential Oil - Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75W-140 Fully Synthetic - 2 litres £33 total
This was an obvious choice based and is recommended for the Z3 (according to the blurb on Opie)
There was (and still is) a noticeable whine from the steering when at full lock.
I thought it prudent to replace the power steering reservoir which has a built in filter (apparently) and the fluid.
Reservoir Meyle £16
Fluid - Fuchs Titan ATF 4000 Multifunctional Automatic Transmission Fluid - 1 litre £7.50
(I should have flushed the cooling system at this point.)
Third task. Fill it up with Shell V power, adding a bottle of cleaning additive (£5), then blast around! This is purely an R&D exercise. I obviously needed to fully assess the driving characteristics prior to carrying out any work. Right. Done. Fill it up again and off we go, further “assessment” needed.
The first thing which really bugged me was the wear and tear of the interior. Nothing catastrophic, colour faded bolsters and gaiters, broken gear knob, filthy steering wheel.
I used the Colour Lock “Leather Dye Kit with Mild Cleaner”, I also got the “Leather Cleaning Spirit” £75. I spent about 2 hours on each seat and an hour on the gaiters.
The mild cleaner was strong enough to clean all the dirt and grime with patience and perseverance.
The amount of each product supplied in the kit is more than enough to do the the interior including door cards.
The dye would cover 4 seats easily.
I found an aftermarket replica gear stick (5 speed with M logo as per original) on eBay for £21, the first one supplied didn’t fit properly (manufacturing error) but the seller was excellent and sorted it out. It is shorter than the original and all black, it has a much nicer throw and feel.
The whole car was pretty filthy inside and out. You can see the state of the soft top in the photos.
Renovo products have helped but it really needs replacing. £45.
I spent a bomb on a load of cleaning stuff as well. None of it has been used properly yet.
Having realised it drives like a bit of a jalopy and now it’s getting cold wet, I thought I’d look to make some mechanical improvements....
I thought I’d write up a thread to share what’s going on with my 3.0 2000 Z3.
My plan is to include all the parts I’m using, my logic behind the choice and the ongoing cost (rounded to the nearest £5 or so).
The vehicle was owned by my parents and has been passed on, sold to, inherited by? yours truly.
The care from the “previous owners” is slightly patchy and the condition, patchy.
Everything on it is original. Servicing and essential work has been carried out.
My intention is to subtly improve it but keep the car as true to original specs. I say that now, but....
I took the Z3 on about 4 months ago and the first task was to go down to our Indy garage for an interim service and to get a stamp in the book. Job done. £120.
Second task. Oils.
There was no record of any oil changes other than engine oil.
I spent too long looking at all of this and got quite sick of it. As with so many things everyone has an opinion. America vs Europe vs Track vs Road vs OEM vs DIY mixes.
I settled on:
Gearbox Oil - BMW MTF LT2 - 2 litres £58 total
I was spending too long looking at it, BMW wasn’t much more expensive overall and it doesn’t get changed often. Ask for a discount.
Differential Oil - Castrol Syntrax Limited Slip 75W-140 Fully Synthetic - 2 litres £33 total
This was an obvious choice based and is recommended for the Z3 (according to the blurb on Opie)
There was (and still is) a noticeable whine from the steering when at full lock.
I thought it prudent to replace the power steering reservoir which has a built in filter (apparently) and the fluid.
Reservoir Meyle £16
Fluid - Fuchs Titan ATF 4000 Multifunctional Automatic Transmission Fluid - 1 litre £7.50
(I should have flushed the cooling system at this point.)
Third task. Fill it up with Shell V power, adding a bottle of cleaning additive (£5), then blast around! This is purely an R&D exercise. I obviously needed to fully assess the driving characteristics prior to carrying out any work. Right. Done. Fill it up again and off we go, further “assessment” needed.
The first thing which really bugged me was the wear and tear of the interior. Nothing catastrophic, colour faded bolsters and gaiters, broken gear knob, filthy steering wheel.
I used the Colour Lock “Leather Dye Kit with Mild Cleaner”, I also got the “Leather Cleaning Spirit” £75. I spent about 2 hours on each seat and an hour on the gaiters.
The mild cleaner was strong enough to clean all the dirt and grime with patience and perseverance.
The amount of each product supplied in the kit is more than enough to do the the interior including door cards.
The dye would cover 4 seats easily.
I found an aftermarket replica gear stick (5 speed with M logo as per original) on eBay for £21, the first one supplied didn’t fit properly (manufacturing error) but the seller was excellent and sorted it out. It is shorter than the original and all black, it has a much nicer throw and feel.
The whole car was pretty filthy inside and out. You can see the state of the soft top in the photos.
Renovo products have helped but it really needs replacing. £45.
I spent a bomb on a load of cleaning stuff as well. None of it has been used properly yet.
Having realised it drives like a bit of a jalopy and now it’s getting cold wet, I thought I’d look to make some mechanical improvements....
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