Hi fellas (and lasses),

Does anyone on here have a Z3?

Pros, cons, any thoughts at all?

I'm having a bit of a think about things at the moment and considering options.

A mate of mine has one with the M series engine - it's about the only BMW I've ever driven that I've actually wanted to own...... however I didn't like the interior much and got out of it thinking 'if only that was a bit lighter'......... lol

now, i love bmws, but are you opening a hairdressers?
for some reason i want a van now. cars wee me off... needing to look nice, they just turn to rust too quick here. at least a van is supposed to be a mess lol

I had a Z3M Coupe. Loved it and only sold it because I needed extra space for a baby.
On the regular roadsters, 1.9 engine is supposedly bulletproof. 2.8 is good.

Check the boot floor for any tearing at the welds (lift the cover and check all round).
Check diff mount for any cracking (higher power cars can break the mount in some cases).
Rust on the mirror stalk can be an expensive repair as it rusts the mount and you end up breaking it when you try and get it off.
I've heard reports of some rust around the boot lock but I never had any on mine.
M cars double Vanos prone to issues. Most likely filters or solenoids but can dump your oil out at high pressure if it fails.
Other than that should drive good and feel pretty solid. Mine was 98 but even at 10 years old and 100k miles still no rattles.

I don't know. I didn't like them when they came out but I think they look pretty good now - especially with the hardtop:



Its the 2.8i I'm looking at. I can get them at about 60k for under £5k.

I'm pondering a car thats fun to drive, two door, rwd, pretty reliable (beemer?), quick, cheap, capable daily driver and not an mx-5 (it really is just that bit too gay).

Thanks for the buying tips speed8

[Edited on 9/7/10 by cd.thomson]

There was a facelift on the roadster around 2000 or 2001. Get a later car if you can, the differences are small but make it slightly nicer to look at I think.

I had a buyers guide of sorts. If I can dig it out I'll PM it to you.

Have a look on zroadster.net


ETA link..

Here's one of the guides from a US forum

http://www.z3ers.com/06/BimmerZ3BuyersGuide122006.pdf

[Edited on 9/7/2010 by speed8]

well, i've got a 328, and its an awesome engine

Okay, okay,

I also need to know how many people on here think they're gay

eta: that came out wrong, you know what I mean..

[Edited on 9/7/10 by cd.thomson]

i've had 2, the one to go for is the facelift 2.2 6 pot,

would have onther tomorrow if i could get away with it !

Take a look on HERE for some good info !

hth

Ray

quote:

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Originally posted by rayward
i've had 2, the one to go for is the facelift 2.2 6 pot,

would have onther tomorrow if i could get away with it !

Take a look on HERE for some good info !

hth

Ray

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Not gay but camp as a field of pink tents.

Nice enough but to heavy to use as a toy.

quote:

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Originally posted by omega 24 v6
Not gay but camp as a field of pink tents.

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I had one 7 years ago... it was a 1999 car (1.9) and it was pretty good! I would probably have one again, but it would have to be the 3.2M.

And who cares what people think! The sheep who bleat about 2-seaters being effete are usually those bitter blokes who have never owned a decent car and are currently driving their kids around in a 1995 Vauxhall Astra diesel estate!

However... if you must have something that has testosterone coursing through it's pipes, then my brothers 450bhp EVO is still for sale!

Great cars, great engines, z3m coupe looks awesome in a batman type way!

Great cars, great engines, z3m coupe looks awesome in a batman type way!

Totally agree.... this was mine.

Nobody that matters thinks an MX5 is gay - true enthusiasts know they are awesome.

But they are a halfway house - a mere pretender. You really need to go to the very extreme of gay-yet-genuinely-awesome. You need a Suzuki Cappucino. Oh yes - trust me. Hard to find a nice one for sale though.

Dont really like beemers at all myself. There are some I'd consider though - maybe the coupe version of the Z3 - that's quite pretty. But it's no Cappucino that's for sure.

Liam

I had a facelift 2.2 on a Y plate, paid five pound short of £20K for it in 2003!!

It was awesome, it turned out to be a bit of a friday afternoon car and I ended up returning it for all my money back, but it wasn't a fault with Z3s, just my particular one.

I loved it and so did the mrs, and so did every other woman I saw whilst driving it , it was quick enough, good looking, and it makes you feel cool driving it, with all that bonnet in front, multi dials on the dash/centre console, sit in it rather than on it etc.

I think they are really nice, however, it isn't quite a sports car if that's what you're after. If so, get an mx5, they will out handle the beemer all day, but make sure you are post op or you're balls might catch getting in

They do go sideways though, combined with the straight six howling away behind you!, and they have an 'engineered' exhaust note that sounds really good.

One of the most memorable cars I've owned, and I think I've had about 15 now

Stott

EDIT: mine>>

Posting these up is making me want another one!!!!!









[Edited on 9/7/10 by Stott]

i bought the 2.8 after driving my mates 1.9 and finding it wasn;t quick enough and it just didn;t seem right, a lot of flat spots and never quite pulled like it should.

sold it and bought the 2.2 a few months later its a totally different animal, will pull from low revs in any gear and keeps going till you bottle it !

Ray

Rule No 1: If it's got less than 6 cyls, it aint a beemer!!!


(E30 M3 excluded! - only just though, it could do with another 2 pots)

I've got a 2.0 straight 6 with auto,love it -fast and frugal.Was thinking of selling but like it too much.

On looks alone I'd choose the MX5 but I agree with alot of the above that you shouldn't really care (It might just be that I've a shortlist of cars I want that every one says are a bit Dale Winton, but he's a cool guy anyway).

I don't want to hijack but its intresting that there are tons of supposedly Girly/camp cars yet very few that are considered macho.

Again, this is only on looks but the Z3 is my least favourite of BMW's Z efforts, The First z4 is my favourite and the Coupé of that looks even more Batman (Plus its how I imaged the Z-Type from GTA2 would look from ground level).

Have you driven one yet? and the same for the alternatives.

quote:

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Again, this is only on looks but the Z3 is my least favourite of BMW's Z efforts,

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It had stupid doors that dropped into the body.

Z1 would be number 2 on my least favourite, but I prefer it to the Z3.

I was about 2minutes away from buying a z3 a couple of months ago before i found it is was Cad C and not a great repair job. Be careful of the cheapy ones, with the cool bodykits and rims, to hide the bad bits....

Otherwise i think cool car, 1.9 isn't that quick though, test drove a few... But still RWD