Discussion
Now that the endless summer appears to be ending, thoughts naturally turned to buying a convertible. I’ve been missing the 986 Boxster that I’d sold last year and I fancied something vaguely similar after 2 months in an ill-fated Mk1 TT (very cheap, maintained previously by a halfwit) followed by 6 months in a 1 litre Aygo (utterly dependable and surprisingly fun to drive on B-roads).
My criteria were relatively few: 2 or +2 seating, petrol, manual, a preference for a tuneful exhaust note, a small footprint and as far under my £5k budget as I could get.
The Audi/Toyota experience had cemented in my mind that i did not need the last word in dynamic perfection, in many ways I prefer learning to drive around a cars technical deficiencies rather than eking out the last few tenths of a second. Which helps a great deal at this end of the market.
Initial ideas were MX-5 and MR2-shaped due to their reliability and great aftermarket support but, having had a couple of Mazda’s finest before, I just wasn’t enthused at the prospect of either (their four-pots in particular). SLKs were a possibility, but the meagre number of manual Mercs with a six cylinder engine meant finding a decent one may take time. Z4s seemed promising and I had a regular search on all the usual marketplaces.
Ebay then threw me a curveball in the shape of a Z3 2.8i. I never really liked them much in period, the retro/pastiche styling had never really done it for me. However, what had looked a bit ungainly 30 years ago suddenly looked quite lithe and curvaceous to my eyes.
The car in question was at a BMW specialist about 150 miles away but in a location that was awkward to reach for me (4.5 hours on the train) and work commitments meant I couldn’t really spare the time. I rang with a couple of queries I had regarding things I’d spotted in the pictures on their ad. They gave very thorough, honest answers and walked around the car explaining all the cars features and faults. It all gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Fast-forward a week and a price, including delivery, was agreed and I was looking forward to new car day.
Pics from the advert
First impressions are generally very good;
The car is exactly as described, many thanks go to Daniel at Woods Motor Company near Sleaford, I can heartily recommend them.
I fit in it slightly better than the Boxster although ingress/egress is slightly worse. The engine is a lovely torque-y thing that makes a great noise. It has the typical notch-y but positive gear change of 90s ZF/BMW. Steering is fine, with more feel than most modern stuff, helped by the slim wheel (I hate fat steering wheels) and the car feels very composed at about 5-6 tenths on the road (I’ll push a little harder once I’m more familiar with it). I’ve been surprised by how solid it feels, no squeaks or rattles, after reading of the supposed inferior build quality of the US factory but the materials are of a lower standard than I’ve experienced in other BMWs.
Plans going forward are to address the couple of minor corrosion issues (front of one sill and around the boot lock), investigate a couple of driveline noises (I’m thinking possibly a gearbox mount and exhaust shield) and then just drive it as much as i can. I might investigate the M50 manifold swap to sacrifice a little of the torque for a bit more top-end drama but I don't think I'll be straying too far from standard.
There seem to be very few of these documented within the Readers’ Rides section (I am often drawn towards less popular/fashionable cars for some reason) so I’ll try my best to keep this updated with progress just in case anyone finds it useful.
My criteria were relatively few: 2 or +2 seating, petrol, manual, a preference for a tuneful exhaust note, a small footprint and as far under my £5k budget as I could get.
The Audi/Toyota experience had cemented in my mind that i did not need the last word in dynamic perfection, in many ways I prefer learning to drive around a cars technical deficiencies rather than eking out the last few tenths of a second. Which helps a great deal at this end of the market.
Initial ideas were MX-5 and MR2-shaped due to their reliability and great aftermarket support but, having had a couple of Mazda’s finest before, I just wasn’t enthused at the prospect of either (their four-pots in particular). SLKs were a possibility, but the meagre number of manual Mercs with a six cylinder engine meant finding a decent one may take time. Z4s seemed promising and I had a regular search on all the usual marketplaces.
Ebay then threw me a curveball in the shape of a Z3 2.8i. I never really liked them much in period, the retro/pastiche styling had never really done it for me. However, what had looked a bit ungainly 30 years ago suddenly looked quite lithe and curvaceous to my eyes.
The car in question was at a BMW specialist about 150 miles away but in a location that was awkward to reach for me (4.5 hours on the train) and work commitments meant I couldn’t really spare the time. I rang with a couple of queries I had regarding things I’d spotted in the pictures on their ad. They gave very thorough, honest answers and walked around the car explaining all the cars features and faults. It all gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Fast-forward a week and a price, including delivery, was agreed and I was looking forward to new car day.
Pics from the advert
First impressions are generally very good;
The car is exactly as described, many thanks go to Daniel at Woods Motor Company near Sleaford, I can heartily recommend them.
I fit in it slightly better than the Boxster although ingress/egress is slightly worse. The engine is a lovely torque-y thing that makes a great noise. It has the typical notch-y but positive gear change of 90s ZF/BMW. Steering is fine, with more feel than most modern stuff, helped by the slim wheel (I hate fat steering wheels) and the car feels very composed at about 5-6 tenths on the road (I’ll push a little harder once I’m more familiar with it). I’ve been surprised by how solid it feels, no squeaks or rattles, after reading of the supposed inferior build quality of the US factory but the materials are of a lower standard than I’ve experienced in other BMWs.
Plans going forward are to address the couple of minor corrosion issues (front of one sill and around the boot lock), investigate a couple of driveline noises (I’m thinking possibly a gearbox mount and exhaust shield) and then just drive it as much as i can. I might investigate the M50 manifold swap to sacrifice a little of the torque for a bit more top-end drama but I don't think I'll be straying too far from standard.
There seem to be very few of these documented within the Readers’ Rides section (I am often drawn towards less popular/fashionable cars for some reason) so I’ll try my best to keep this updated with progress just in case anyone finds it useful.
e28525e said:
Excellent purchase. I wouldn't touch the manifold personally! I think being a W reg, it has an ATB-type LSD. It should provide some great fun with a few choice chassis mods. I have been tracking my Z for a few months now, any questions just ask! Cheers
Thanks, I think you're correct regarding the LSD and I'm looking forward to getting to know how this car behaves when pushed a little harder. I have been looking at BC Racing coilovers, but any advice on what works well in fast-ish road use will be welcomed. I'm unlikely to take to the track much.[Edit] Just realised I had checked out the thread for your car before, I absolutely adore the M coupe and yours is fantastic. I really wish that BMW UK had imported the cooking coupes that were available in LHD, the Ms are always just a little out of my budget but a 2.8 tin top would suit me perfectly.
Edited by paddycam on Saturday 20th September 20:40
paddycam said:
Thanks, I think you're correct regarding the LSD and I'm looking forward to getting to know how this car behaves when pushed a little harder. I have been looking at BC Racing coilovers, but any advice on what works well in fast-ish road use will be welcomed. I'm unlikely to take to the track much.
Well, I have Bilstein B8 and Eibach springs on my MC and it does pretty well on track. They would be my choice for a road car, definitely. I have had BC's on two cars, I would certainly go for a trad spring and shock setup for a road car. I had H&R and Koni yellow adjustables on my E30 - also a very capable setup. You have to be careful with lowering too much on the Z3 due to the older rear trailing arm suspension. 40mm maximum drop before camber gets silly (without aftermarket eccentric bushes - which I have)Mad Maximus said:
Very nice. These engines are great. Had a e39 528 and a e36 328 which was really rather hectic (I think it had been played with). I bet that s goes well.
I think it has a really accessible level of performance. It's not the fastest thing in the world but you can easily enjoy using the full rev range in multiple gears without worrying about imprisonment or disappearing too far into the weeds to be found.Mr Tidy said:
There's just something so right about a manual straight 6 petrol BMW, and that is a lovely colour combo. 
Maybe a Euro trip next year like Rob Slom has just done with his Z3!
It is a possibility, my wife is Hungarian so an extended euro road trip to see the in-laws appeals greatly. I really love the colours and the wood trim. I've sworn to never have another black or grey interior.Maybe a Euro trip next year like Rob Slom has just done with his Z3!
paddycam said:
It is a possibility, my wife is Hungarian so an extended euro road trip to see the in-laws appeals greatly. I really love the colours and the wood trim. I've sworn to never have another black or grey interior.
Brilliant, Hungary would be an epic trip. I've managed to avoid black interiors on 5 of my last 6 BMWS, but I just had to buy one with it because the paint was Imola Red!
Be wary of the cooling system.
If the radiator does not look new, swap it now, and whilst in there do the water pump and thermostat.
These engines are of all alloy construction, so keeping them cool is absolutely vital, head gasket failure means that the head bolts WILL rip the threads out of the block, rendering the block scrap.
If the radiator does not look new, swap it now, and whilst in there do the water pump and thermostat.
These engines are of all alloy construction, so keeping them cool is absolutely vital, head gasket failure means that the head bolts WILL rip the threads out of the block, rendering the block scrap.
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