My midlife crisis purchase; E86 BMW Z4 Coupe
Discussion
Going to give the headlights a bit of a sand and clean?
Something I always notice on older cars! Can always tell when they're looked after if they're spick and span!
Lovely motor, been looking at these for a few months for the missus, so that I can drive it around too! Seems they're gaining a bit of new found love these days, and rightly so!
Something I always notice on older cars! Can always tell when they're looked after if they're spick and span!
Lovely motor, been looking at these for a few months for the missus, so that I can drive it around too! Seems they're gaining a bit of new found love these days, and rightly so!
cerb4.5lee said:
Even my suction cup rear view mirror on the Caterham falls off occasionally, so I'd be a nervous wreck I reckon with a bike on my roof in fairness!
It is a bit nerve racking at first but the rack is solid once it’s one. Each cup has a little pump to expel the air. It has an indicator to let you know when it’s secure. axel1990chp said:
Going to give the headlights a bit of a sand and clean?
Something I always notice on older cars! Can always tell when they're looked after if they're spick and span!
Lovely motor, been looking at these for a few months for the missus, so that I can drive it around too! Seems they're gaining a bit of new found love these days, and rightly so!
Yeah, it’s on the list of jobs to get through. It should smarten the front end up a tad. Something I always notice on older cars! Can always tell when they're looked after if they're spick and span!
Lovely motor, been looking at these for a few months for the missus, so that I can drive it around too! Seems they're gaining a bit of new found love these days, and rightly so!
They do seem like they were forgotten about a bit.
My AUTODOC delivery finally arrived today
Moog front wishbones
Moog tie rod assemblies
Febi covers for tie rods
Moog front and rear drop links
ATE rear discs
ATE ceramic pads front and rear
Plus I have the genuine BMW RTAB carriers and bolts and have taken delivery of Powerflex heritage RTAB.
Looks like a busy weekend coming up.
Moog front wishbones
Moog tie rod assemblies
Febi covers for tie rods
Moog front and rear drop links
ATE rear discs
ATE ceramic pads front and rear
Plus I have the genuine BMW RTAB carriers and bolts and have taken delivery of Powerflex heritage RTAB.
Looks like a busy weekend coming up.
Court_S said:
My AUTODOC delivery finally arrived today
Moog front wishbones
Moog tie rod assemblies
Febi covers for tie rods
Moog front and rear drop links
ATE rear discs
ATE ceramic pads front and rear
Plus I have the genuine BMW RTAB carriers and bolts and have taken delivery of Powerflex heritage RTAB.
Looks like a busy weekend coming up.
Some serious work there Sam; it's gonna be a lot better for it!Moog front wishbones
Moog tie rod assemblies
Febi covers for tie rods
Moog front and rear drop links
ATE rear discs
ATE ceramic pads front and rear
Plus I have the genuine BMW RTAB carriers and bolts and have taken delivery of Powerflex heritage RTAB.
Looks like a busy weekend coming up.
InitialDave said:
Court_S said:
I ticked off a couple more little jobs today.
First up was a replacement filler cap cord with an eBay special (very exciting)
I did the same on my E89, though it looks like the rubber is already cracking a bit on it.First up was a replacement filler cap cord with an eBay special (very exciting)
Still, it's hardly mission critical, and cheap enough if I need to replace it again.
Court_S said:
Gad-Westy said:
Just spotted this. Looks bloody great CS. I have to say these keep tempting me. I don't think they'll ever get cheaper. Beautifully proportioned RWD coupe, manual box and a superb engine. Ticks a lot of boxes. I'll watch how you get on with interest.
Thanks. I think they’re a bit of a bargain too.Court_S said:
Then I waxed the polished areas with Fusso Coat topped off with Kiwami Extreme:
I almost daren't ask this as I know it'll end up costing me £20 but what is the purpose of the Kiwami Extreme? I recently tried soft99 Glaco for the first time which lead onto me trying Fusso and I've been impressed by both. Does the Kiwami just add some gloss on top of the wax? I use Fusso coat for durability and the Kiwami for extra gloss / beading. It seems to give a really nice depth to the paint colour but it’s not a very hardy wax.
Gad-Westy said:
Interesting.... Out of curiosity, do you use the 'black', 'silver' or 'white' stuff? I'm mainly interested in this for my toys which are British racing green and bright red.
Both the Fusso and Kiwami I have are for dark paint although neither wax is actually dark. Go figure. I remember when I had white cars, I used to Purple Haze because it was purple and it made it easy to see what had actually been waxed.
Court_S said:
Gad-Westy said:
Interesting.... Out of curiosity, do you use the 'black', 'silver' or 'white' stuff? I'm mainly interested in this for my toys which are British racing green and bright red.
Both the Fusso and Kiwami I have are for dark paint although neither wax is actually dark. Go figure. I remember when I had white cars, I used to Purple Haze because it was purple and it made it easy to see what had actually been waxed.
Gad-Westy said:
I wonder if anyone has ever bought a used BMW where this is intact. I mean they must exist but I've certainly never seen nor heard of one!
Ignoring the nearly new ones I had I've bought 6 used BMWs and 5 had them intact - although I've had to replace 3 of them!Anyway back on topic it's good to see Z4 Coupes seem to be getting some love again. I bought my first in 2014 when they almost seemed to just go under the radar, which may be why it was a bit of a bargain!
Mr Tidy said:
Anyway back on topic it's good to see Z4 Coupes seem to be getting some love again. I bought my first in 2014 when they almost seemed to just go under the radar, which may be why it was a bit of a bargain!
I’ve always really liked them to be fair, I’ve just not been in a position to have a two seater previously. They’re quite a unique proposition; two seats, manual, RWD and a six cylinder engine even more so with them never being replaced like the roadsters.
I’ve had a good and bad week with the bad being entirely my fault. 
Let’s get the bad out of the way first….
I had to go to the office on Tuesday which if I brave the traffic, means parking in a multi-storey. On the way home, I had a momentary lapse of concentration coming down one of the ramps and thought that I’d caught my rear wheel on the big kerb. I was cross with myself all the way home.
Got home and checked the wheel….nothing. Instead, I saw this…
s
t. I was even more cross with myself however after a clay bar, some very fine wet and dry and touch up paint it looks much better. Luckily it’s very low, so quite hard to see.
There’s a local smart repair chap who I’ve used a few times before, so I’ll give him a call for a quote.
The better news is that I’ve dropped the 261’s off for painting this week and I managed to squeeze a couple of tyres into the boot of the Z4.
My BlueMusic adapter arrived yesterday. Having left the CD changer wires easy to get at in the boot, installing the adapter was dead easy. I plugged the connector that I removed for my aux socket back in too so I now have a fully functioning phone and can stream music via Bluetooth. It’s almost modern.
My spacers arrived this afternoon so I thought I’d fit them quickly.
Rear wheel before.
15mm spacer fitted.
Front wheels as they were.
With a 12mm spacer fitted.
The 261’s will 100% need spacers or they’ll look even more lost in the arches than the 108’s.
I also managed a bit coding too; it I’ve coded in three indicator flashes for a single tap and DRL’s. Unfortunately I was t able to add a digital speedo or code the car to automatically unlock when turning it off, I still have to press the button which is annoying.
Hoping to start tackling the suspension tomorrow night after work. I’m going to start with the rear end.
Let’s get the bad out of the way first….
I had to go to the office on Tuesday which if I brave the traffic, means parking in a multi-storey. On the way home, I had a momentary lapse of concentration coming down one of the ramps and thought that I’d caught my rear wheel on the big kerb. I was cross with myself all the way home.
Got home and checked the wheel….nothing. Instead, I saw this…
s
t. I was even more cross with myself however after a clay bar, some very fine wet and dry and touch up paint it looks much better. Luckily it’s very low, so quite hard to see.There’s a local smart repair chap who I’ve used a few times before, so I’ll give him a call for a quote.
The better news is that I’ve dropped the 261’s off for painting this week and I managed to squeeze a couple of tyres into the boot of the Z4.
My BlueMusic adapter arrived yesterday. Having left the CD changer wires easy to get at in the boot, installing the adapter was dead easy. I plugged the connector that I removed for my aux socket back in too so I now have a fully functioning phone and can stream music via Bluetooth. It’s almost modern.
My spacers arrived this afternoon so I thought I’d fit them quickly.
Rear wheel before.
15mm spacer fitted.
Front wheels as they were.
With a 12mm spacer fitted.
The 261’s will 100% need spacers or they’ll look even more lost in the arches than the 108’s.
I also managed a bit coding too; it I’ve coded in three indicator flashes for a single tap and DRL’s. Unfortunately I was t able to add a digital speedo or code the car to automatically unlock when turning it off, I still have to press the button which is annoying.
Hoping to start tackling the suspension tomorrow night after work. I’m going to start with the rear end.
Edited by Court_S on Thursday 18th April 18:01
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