RE: SOTW: BMW Z3 2.8

[kambites]

I quite like the exterior styling of the Z3, both in coupe and convertible forms. Both much better looking than their Z4 counterparts, IMO.

[turbo-ww]

Martin 480 Turbo said:

Excellent shed. Now wrap it up in some interesting foil for Christmas.
Hint: not matte black

Or matt purple...

[the_g_ster]

All, I am not sure if I am reading a motoring website, or a tax inspectors forum? What's going on, it's friday, the weekend is coming, and HMRC-Heads is not the rebrand today.

Whatever the sub 1200 price, you could beat em' down a bit, and get something that's great fun for next to nothing.

Surely even if it fell to bits there some value in the engine and hood bits for another Z3?

Good shed.

PS, and bad tax, used car scheme applies, on the margin, VAT wouldn't be 200, it would be on the difference between vendors purchase price and sale price. 200 VAT suggests he got this for free.

PPS God nooooooooooo, will get out of my anorak now.

[Hoofy]

the_g_ster said:

PS, and bad tax, used car scheme applies, on the margin, VAT wouldn't be 200, it would be on the difference between vendors purchase price and sale price. 200 VAT suggests he got this for free.

Ah, so you "can" apply VAT to used cars but not on the value of the car?

[Itsallicanafford]

Justin Cyder said:

Oh yes it is. All cars have the right to be ugly, but the Z3 coupé is taking the piss.

Mmmh, Z3m coupe, the bread van, my favourite car...one day you will be mine...

[Tyre Smoke]

Unless that car is a VAT qualifier - highly doubtful, or VAT means something entirely different in Gorton (probably) then that is £999 + 20% VAT as it is advertised. Certainly a 'creative' way of advertising a £1200 car and probably not legal. As someone else has said, if the dealer is VAT registered then he is liable only for the VAT between cost and sale price, not the full VAT on £999.

[MarJay]

Good donor for a GKD legend 6 IMO. The best steering rack allied with that 2.8 litre single VANOS engine. Dump the chassis and use the wheels, brakes, front arms, steering rack, engine etc to build an ace kit car.

It might as well have DONOR written across it in huge letters.

[Usget]

Do these share a wheelbase with an E36 Compact? Would this make a good donor for a 2.8 Compact?

[gareth_r]

Usget said:

Do these share a wheelbase with an E36 Compact? Would this make a good donor for a 2.8 Compact?

Then you could fill the hole in the Z3.

Edited by gareth_r on Friday 7th December 11:12

[RB008]

I had 1.9 16v M44 Engine Z3 and well it was intended to be a weekend car but when I started using it everyday things when wrong such as:

• Power hood stopped working so to use had manual override and lower it by hand
• Traction control no longer could be tuned on (Fun for little mini drifts though )
• Clutch went on a dual carriage way
• Thermostat had to be replaced cutting my fingers in progress
• Driving motorway and crank shaft decided it wanted burst out the engine. Lucky the Engine is chain drive But brakes and alternator were no assisted including power steering.

This was in the space of one year!This is what it must be like to drive a TVR

[Limpet]

Lovely, lovely engine. Wouldn't be at all interested in the rest of it though.

[AdeV]

Tyre Smoke said:

Unless that car is a VAT qualifier - highly doubtful, or VAT means something entirely different in Gorton (probably) then that is £999 + 20% VAT as it is advertised. Certainly a 'creative' way of advertising a £1200 car and probably not legal. As someone else has said, if the dealer is VAT registered then he is liable only for the VAT between cost and sale price, not the full VAT on £999.

I must be missing something obvious here.

IF:
the seller's business is VAT registered, and
he selling the car through his business, and
he paid VAT on the car when he bought it,
THEN
he is required to charge VAT @ 20% on top of the agreed sale price.

IF he bought it from a private seller, THEN he charges VAT on the difference between purchase and sale price (which conveniently allows you to discover exactly how much profit he made).

I would assume that cars taken in part-ex do not have a VAT element, that would require clarification from HMRC.

[schmalex]

I had a T reg 2.8 Z3 many years ago. It was a fantastic car. They were a little primitive inside, only had a single skinned roof up until 2000 and their chassis was a little wobbly. But, aside from that, it was a wonderful, stunning car. The 2.8 suited it perfectly, with a lovely torquey power delivery. It certainly wasn't the most chuckable car in the world, but as a good 2 seater open top cruiser, it fitted the bill perfectly (and I think the body of the 2.8 had flared rear arches)

[Neil G60]

Just couldn't bring myself to drive a car that looks that ugly, a face truly only a mother could love

[tomoleeds]

good shed,good write up ,if i was going buy a £1,000 convertible this looks ok, would rather be seen in that than a mx5,oh he will have put plus vat to make car sound cheap,would still have been cheap at £1,200

[CDP]

RB008 said:

I had 1.9 16v M44 Engine Z3 and well it was intended to be a weekend car but when I started using it everyday things when wrong such as:

• Power hood stopped working so to use had manual override and lower it by hand
• Traction control no longer could be tuned on (Fun for little mini drifts though )
• Clutch went on a dual carriage way
• Thermostat had to be replaced cutting my fingers in progress
• Driving motorway and crank shaft decided it wanted burst out the engine. Lucky the Engine is chain drive But brakes and alternator were no assisted including power steering.

This was in the space of one year!This is what it must be like to drive a TVR

I have never heard of the factory fit traction control on a TVR failing. It just doesn't happen.

[seefarr]

turbo-ww said:

Martin 480 Turbo said:

Excellent shed. Now wrap it up in some interesting foil for Christmas.
Hint: not matte black

Or matt purple...

Really? I think it looks good!

[Tyre Smoke]

AdeV said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Unless that car is a VAT qualifier - highly doubtful, or VAT means something entirely different in Gorton (probably) then that is £999 + 20% VAT as it is advertised. Certainly a 'creative' way of advertising a £1200 car and probably not legal. As someone else has said, if the dealer is VAT registered then he is liable only for the VAT between cost and sale price, not the full VAT on £999.

I must be missing something obvious here.

IF:
the seller's business is VAT registered, and
he selling the car through his business, and
he paid VAT on the car when he bought it,
THEN
he is required to charge VAT @ 20% on top of the agreed sale price.

IF he bought it from a private seller, THEN he charges VAT on the difference between purchase and sale price (which conveniently allows you to discover exactly how much profit he made).

I would assume that cars taken in part-ex do not have a VAT element, that would require clarification from HMRC.

The car would have to be sold from new to a business that was VAT registered for the buyer to reclaim the VAT. This usually only applies to vehicles being used SOLELY in connection with the purchasers business and NO SD+P use at all. Then that seller would have to charge VAT when they sold it, and the next purchaser would also need to fulfill this criteria, etc. Hardly likely on a four owner car. Something very dodgy about the +VAT thing.
I agree with your summation though.

[Agent Orange]

MarJay said:

Good donor for a GKD legend 6 IMO. The best steering rack allied with that 2.8 litre single VANOS engine. Dump the chassis and use the wheels, brakes, front arms, steering rack, engine etc to build an ace kit car.

It might as well have DONOR written across it in huge letters.

That is a VERY good point! Remember reading about the GKD a couple of years back.

[6fire]

I know they're crap, but I love Z3s. They're crap in a slightly funny, entertaining way.

But this one has my spidey senses tingling. It's too cheap*, i'm not convinced on the VAT issue** and it's in a stty area of Manchester***

If I went to see this car, I'd be doing it in daylight and I'd take my time checking it over and making sure all the numbers matched. I'd be doing a full HPI check as well. I might even be inclined to book it in for an MOT somewhere friendly that would allow me under the ramp to poke around.

• could be someone desperate for cash pre-Christmas I suppose...

• I'd be checking the VAT numbers on the invoice before I handed over any cash - there is a way of checking the number is valid (but of course could still be copied from elsewhere...)
• *IME (very broad brush here) people who live in stty areas don't see the value preventative maintenance. They'll do the absolute minimum to keep a car on the road. There are exceptions to the rule, but it's a good starting point to have with areas like Gorton...