To sell or not?

[JB33]

I have a 2006 Z4 Roadster (si Sport 3.0 manual) and love driving it, it’s extremely reliable. It’s a hobby car but also just started a new job where I’ll be commuting 15 miles each way so now I need a car. The car needs about £2,500 of repairs in the next 6 months. In the colder months the car doesn’t heat up and it’s going to be nightmare to drive to work freezing. All 4 arches are showing rust blisters on the inside but someone offered to buy the car for the same money I paid for it 2 years ago despite knowing about the issues.

Part of me wants to take the cash and get out of it as I can use my wife’s old civic for commuting, although it’s also on its last legs. My Z4 would outlast the civic but the winter months will be hard unless I spend money fixing it, but then it’s starting to rust too so at some point soon, will be near worthless and would have missed the opportunity to sell. I’m a little attached but also know it’s going to be miss its opportunity to sell shortly due to rust and don’t want to spend big money replacing panels as it’s already had arches repainted and rust just returns.

I also want to trial this new job to see how I like it so don’t want to go buy another car for a job I might not be staying at. Otherwise I don’t really need a car.

Thoughts?

Edited by JB33 on Sunday 16th April 09:11

Edited by JB33 on Sunday 16th April 10:20

[Bobupndown]

Keep the Z4, use it sparingly, have the rust and paint addressed when you can afford to.
Drive the stty Civic and don't worry about its condition, do the bare minimum to keep it roadworthy.

[ingenieur]

Sell it. Get commuter car that won't lose money. If you don't like the job sell the commuter car and get another z4.

Worth pointing out a lot of what you like about the Z4 may well be the rear wheel drive + straight 6 + manual gearbox (making assumptions) and you can get all those with a 325i hard top.

[keo]

If you like it, tidy it up and use it for 30 miles a day?

[JB33]

Thanks. I do really enjoy driving it. It ticks all the boxes other than the broken heater and rust but I suppose those are fixable. The money spent on repairing would still be less than getting another newer car.

[keo]

You have a known good car that you enjoy I think sometimes it’s worth spending the money. But if you want a change it’s a great excuse to change! Man maths works both ways haha

[soad]

I assume it’s a 6 cylinder version? Won’t be that thirsty (even on the motorway), unless stuck in a slow moving traffic.

[QJumper]

I was faced with a similar decision a few years ago, and lived to regret keeping it.

If you hadn't mentioned the rusting arches, then I'd have said keep it. However, with £2.5k in known repairs, plus whatever it might cost to fix the rust to a point where it wont keep reappearing, I'd be taking the hand off anyone who offered me what I'd paid for it.

[Belle427]

Sell and move on.

[randlemarcus]

For the broken heater, it's worth having a crack at bleeding the radiator system, but make sure the front end is a couple of feet higher than the back end when you do it. Worked a treat on mine

[Mr Tidy]

I'd keep the Z4 until you decide whether you will be keeping the job!

Then if you are have a rethink.

[JB33]

Mr Tidy said:

I'd keep the Z4 until you decide whether you will be keeping the job!

Then if you are have a rethink.

Thanks. I think by that point (6 months in or so) the rust will likely be worse, it will also be close to winter so will likely hang onto it for another 3 months and rust will be worse and then nobody will want it for this price lol

Leaning towards taking the cash while I can and using the wife’s old car as a commuter until I decide if I like the job.