BMW Z3 2.8 - OEM+ long term project
Discussion
Hi Everyone,
Thought i'd create a log of what i'm up to with my Z3.
Picked this up, 2.8i pre facelift, artic silver, sports seats, harmon cardon, chrome pack car a few weeks ago and will probaly spend the next year slowly upgrading with tasteful OEM upgrades aong with making it a great car for next summer.
First upgrades were starting to detango the car to hide its age a little
bought off German eBay for £14 and added some Amber LED bulbs for another £3
next updated the number plate lights with some xenon white LEDs
and then some LED festoon bulbs for the map light and boot (White not Xenon White)
Planned to get the seats out to do the bushes as they were gone on the passenger side and nearly gone on the drivers side. (common problem)
Before i did that i whipped the mats out to clean them (they look original)
cleaned in the shower with some fairy liquid. (wife was away for the weekend)
Then moved outside to get the seats out and fix the bushes.
3/8 mini breaker bar and 16mm socket is perfect for this job!
TREASURE!
State of the 83,000 mile bushes
New bushes in, and i'm grateful for the Z3 / BMW community for having these made but my god they are twice as thick as they need to be. the sanding is THE MOST laborious thing i've ever done on a car. End result is great and the rest was a piece of pie!
Whilst the seats were out i hoovered the car out and cleaned all the plastics
urgh!
seats all in and wobble free!!
last little touch / mod before washing
not technically OEM but if the car was made today i'd imagine they would put a badge on. this is an OEM+ project.
then i went to the pub
next step is seat tilt mod (coming from USA) and a hood treatment from renovo.
managed to give the Z another wash and fit my seat lift kit from Thayer Motorsport.
This is the link for the kit :
http://thayermotorsports.com/collections/z3-custom...
This is what you get:
good selection of fixings
Process is easy:
Unbolt rear seat 16mm bolts
Unbolt front 13mm nuts
Lift front of the seat up
Build up like this:
Original Nut
Big Washer
Seat Rail
Big Washer
Small Washer
Threaded insert
Spacer
Small washer
Leaves you with this:
bolt everything back up to FT
Difference in the non-tilted passenger seat.
repeat on the other chair.
This is by far the best thing i've done on the Z after the seat bushes. The seats hug me now and i dont slide around in the car under spirited driving conditions.
So cheap to do aswell.
Few little jobs finished over the weekend.
First of which was to start treating the roof as the previous owner had obviously never done this. roof was a bit green and a bit grey too.
out came the renovo dye, i'd already cleaned the roof a few days earlier.
roof before
one coat and its already looking much better
whilst this dried i cracked on with my new rear lights, quite literally a 5 minute job. one 8mm ratchet spanner is all you need.
had to tweak the bulb holders too as they had gone slightly out of shape over the years.
£50 eBay rear lights
orange LED bulb to eradicate tango (all bulbs will be changed in due course)
then gave the car a wax whilst i waited for the roof to dry
So after fitting the LED bulbs to the rear lights and side repeaters i was presented with hyperflashing as the relay was thrown out of sync with the lower draw from the LEDs.
3 options here;
fit resistors to all the led bulbs to 'trick' the relay or mod the relay itself.
3rd option is to fit an off the shelf LED flasher but that requires running little pigtail wires as noone makes a 7pin relay.
the resistors are easy and cheap but always feel like a bodge. so i decided to mod the relay follwing a guide on bimmerfest.
what you need:
2 x small screwdrivers to open the relay
soldering iron + tiny amount of solder
very small drill bit (dremel etc)
1 x schottkey diode (i got mine from RS 781-5616)
Go find your fuse box and the relay
this is the original 7 pin BMW relay
wedge open the two sides with some very small screwdivers and then the board pops out
here are the guts
the bit that controls the flashing frequency is the 'M'shaped piece of metal (acts as a resistor)
unsolder the 'M'
next the holes need to be enlarged to get the diode through
pass the diode through and solder the pins
snip the tails off
completed. (note the positon of the band on the diode)
clip the relay back into the holder and pop it back in the car
start your car and test
et voila, no more hyperflashing and the ability to run LEDs all over the car
bought a tri-colour stitched wheel off this very forum for great price and fitted it with my exisiting airbag.
really simple process.
Need to disable the alrm first using this keyhole on top of the siren
disconnect battery (10mm socket)
remove lower steering cowl (one philips screw and some clips)
unscrew airbag from behind steering wheel ( 2 x t30 torx)
pop airbag off and disconnect two wires (horn and airbag)
unbolt 16mm center bolt, force needed!
disconnect wires from under the cowl (2 connectors on my single phase bag)
yank wheel off
reverse the whole process
whilst the wheel was off i used the space to replace some blown dash bulbs
sucker needed to pull binnacle out.
BMW handily make note of which bulb goes where! much better
Next was to finally rid the Z of amber.
the process is really simple, 4 x 8mm screws to each light, easily accessed with an extension.
4 connectors and then they pop out.
i removed the airbox and washer bottle to give myself more room (again really simple to remove)
also drilled some holes in my airbox for more noise, no icnrease at idle but a much much better noise at WOT. almost invidible too so looks stock still
Headlights back in and finished.
[/URL]
thats all happened in the last couple of months, more mechanical bits to next to try and sharpen it up a bit before the big cosmetic push in the New Year
Thought i'd create a log of what i'm up to with my Z3.
Picked this up, 2.8i pre facelift, artic silver, sports seats, harmon cardon, chrome pack car a few weeks ago and will probaly spend the next year slowly upgrading with tasteful OEM upgrades aong with making it a great car for next summer.
First upgrades were starting to detango the car to hide its age a little
bought off German eBay for £14 and added some Amber LED bulbs for another £3
next updated the number plate lights with some xenon white LEDs
and then some LED festoon bulbs for the map light and boot (White not Xenon White)
Planned to get the seats out to do the bushes as they were gone on the passenger side and nearly gone on the drivers side. (common problem)
Before i did that i whipped the mats out to clean them (they look original)
cleaned in the shower with some fairy liquid. (wife was away for the weekend)
Then moved outside to get the seats out and fix the bushes.
3/8 mini breaker bar and 16mm socket is perfect for this job!
TREASURE!
State of the 83,000 mile bushes
New bushes in, and i'm grateful for the Z3 / BMW community for having these made but my god they are twice as thick as they need to be. the sanding is THE MOST laborious thing i've ever done on a car. End result is great and the rest was a piece of pie!
Whilst the seats were out i hoovered the car out and cleaned all the plastics
urgh!
seats all in and wobble free!!
last little touch / mod before washing
not technically OEM but if the car was made today i'd imagine they would put a badge on. this is an OEM+ project.
then i went to the pub
next step is seat tilt mod (coming from USA) and a hood treatment from renovo.
managed to give the Z another wash and fit my seat lift kit from Thayer Motorsport.
This is the link for the kit :
http://thayermotorsports.com/collections/z3-custom...
This is what you get:
good selection of fixings
Process is easy:
Unbolt rear seat 16mm bolts
Unbolt front 13mm nuts
Lift front of the seat up
Build up like this:
Original Nut
Big Washer
Seat Rail
Big Washer
Small Washer
Threaded insert
Spacer
Small washer
Leaves you with this:
bolt everything back up to FT
Difference in the non-tilted passenger seat.
repeat on the other chair.
This is by far the best thing i've done on the Z after the seat bushes. The seats hug me now and i dont slide around in the car under spirited driving conditions.
So cheap to do aswell.
Few little jobs finished over the weekend.
First of which was to start treating the roof as the previous owner had obviously never done this. roof was a bit green and a bit grey too.
out came the renovo dye, i'd already cleaned the roof a few days earlier.
roof before
one coat and its already looking much better
whilst this dried i cracked on with my new rear lights, quite literally a 5 minute job. one 8mm ratchet spanner is all you need.
had to tweak the bulb holders too as they had gone slightly out of shape over the years.
£50 eBay rear lights
orange LED bulb to eradicate tango (all bulbs will be changed in due course)
then gave the car a wax whilst i waited for the roof to dry
So after fitting the LED bulbs to the rear lights and side repeaters i was presented with hyperflashing as the relay was thrown out of sync with the lower draw from the LEDs.
3 options here;
fit resistors to all the led bulbs to 'trick' the relay or mod the relay itself.
3rd option is to fit an off the shelf LED flasher but that requires running little pigtail wires as noone makes a 7pin relay.
the resistors are easy and cheap but always feel like a bodge. so i decided to mod the relay follwing a guide on bimmerfest.
what you need:
2 x small screwdrivers to open the relay
soldering iron + tiny amount of solder
very small drill bit (dremel etc)
1 x schottkey diode (i got mine from RS 781-5616)
Go find your fuse box and the relay
this is the original 7 pin BMW relay
wedge open the two sides with some very small screwdivers and then the board pops out
here are the guts
the bit that controls the flashing frequency is the 'M'shaped piece of metal (acts as a resistor)
unsolder the 'M'
next the holes need to be enlarged to get the diode through
pass the diode through and solder the pins
snip the tails off
completed. (note the positon of the band on the diode)
clip the relay back into the holder and pop it back in the car
start your car and test
et voila, no more hyperflashing and the ability to run LEDs all over the car
bought a tri-colour stitched wheel off this very forum for great price and fitted it with my exisiting airbag.
really simple process.
Need to disable the alrm first using this keyhole on top of the siren
disconnect battery (10mm socket)
remove lower steering cowl (one philips screw and some clips)
unscrew airbag from behind steering wheel ( 2 x t30 torx)
pop airbag off and disconnect two wires (horn and airbag)
unbolt 16mm center bolt, force needed!
disconnect wires from under the cowl (2 connectors on my single phase bag)
yank wheel off
reverse the whole process
whilst the wheel was off i used the space to replace some blown dash bulbs
sucker needed to pull binnacle out.
BMW handily make note of which bulb goes where! much better
Next was to finally rid the Z of amber.
the process is really simple, 4 x 8mm screws to each light, easily accessed with an extension.
4 connectors and then they pop out.
i removed the airbox and washer bottle to give myself more room (again really simple to remove)
also drilled some holes in my airbox for more noise, no icnrease at idle but a much much better noise at WOT. almost invidible too so looks stock still
Headlights back in and finished.
[/URL]thats all happened in the last couple of months, more mechanical bits to next to try and sharpen it up a bit before the big cosmetic push in the New Year
Edited by 5harp3y on Monday 21st September 15:46
2013BRM said:
Nice, my other half has one and it's a great little car, need to do the seat bushings myself, got a link, and where did you find the headlights?
Seat bushings here: https://zroadster.org/threads/z3-z3m-z3-coupe-seat...
Headlights from the same forum, but they pop up on eBay all the time. Set went for only £38 a few days ago (really cheap)
fezst said:
Really nice, used to own the 2.8 myself. Sounded great standard and even better with an aftermarket exhaust system.
Nice alloys too - how does the car handle? Worn front wishbone bushes and anti-roll bar links are common with these.
Handling isn't up there with my old mx5. It prefers to understeer but can be provoked. Nice alloys too - how does the car handle? Worn front wishbone bushes and anti-roll bar links are common with these.
It's got s
t tyres at the moment which won't be helping and most of the rubber bushings will be past their best. Planning on full suspension / drive train overhaul in the new year
NiceCupOfTea said:
I've never understood the hate for these.
Supposedly:
Z3 handling - woeful
e30 handling - best thing since sliced bread
Same rear end isn't it?
Handles fine for my needs, but I'm not Lewis Hamilton. Supposedly:
Z3 handling - woeful
e30 handling - best thing since sliced bread
Same rear end isn't it?
A few choice upgrades can sharpen them up a treat.
My mx5 was much better handling wise, but it didn't have 190bhp and a 6 pot up front
yonex said:
How are these so under the radar...are they that soft to drive compared to the answer to everything (MX5). Much nicer engine, LSD....
I think they got slated when they first came out. they re a bit soft as standard and understeer which doesnt feel great, but i imagione that was to help people to feel confident in a RWD car. This car ost me 2k, has 190bhp and really does shift. I had never driven one before i got this but tried to think of a convertible that does everything i need whilst still being old enough for me to work on myself.
my mx5 WAS a better car to drive, but this is much better to live with.
billzeebub said:
Some excellent work with this car. It now looks really smart. For me I would be looking to add the Z3M alloys if possible as they look,really smart. It also looks like you need a new rear screen. I have always used Carhood Warehouse in Chessington. Very reasonable price and excellent work. Then putting a £250 DVLA private plate on it will complete the look, leaving all but a Pistonheader thinking the car is worth 10 times what it is..
thank youRear screen should be on its way soon and should only be £70 as i can fit myself.
i'm personally not a fan of the Z3M wheels and the money they go for would lead me to something aftermarket and split rim instead.
i really want a 6 digit numberplate for it but the one i want isn't available.
5potTurbo said:
Nice to see some love going to a car like this. Always liked the Z3, the Z4 not so much.
That was a lot of work to fit orange LED indicators when you could have added Phillips Silverline bulbs for the same effect and without any of that work!
yeah looks that way haha That was a lot of work to fit orange LED indicators when you could have added Phillips Silverline bulbs for the same effect and without any of that work!
but i hate those silver bulbs as they are expensive and wear out / flake off
e21Mark said:
5harp3y said:
5potTurbo said:
Nice to see some love going to a car like this. Always liked the Z3, the Z4 not so much.
That was a lot of work to fit orange LED indicators when you could have added Phillips Silverline bulbs for the same effect and without any of that work!
yeah looks that way haha That was a lot of work to fit orange LED indicators when you could have added Phillips Silverline bulbs for the same effect and without any of that work!
but i hate those silver bulbs as they are expensive and wear out / flake off
Another quickie.
Carried on updating the lighting. The headlights i bought from a ZORG user came with some uprated bulbs and made the old side markers look really orange.
so whipped out the old halogen 501s and bunged in some Xenon White LEDs
i think they are a touch tooooooo bright ... but they look good. might play around with some slightly warmer colour temp LEDs
Carried on updating the lighting. The headlights i bought from a ZORG user came with some uprated bulbs and made the old side markers look really orange.
so whipped out the old halogen 501s and bunged in some Xenon White LEDs
i think they are a touch tooooooo bright ... but they look good. might play around with some slightly warmer colour temp LEDs
e21Mark said:
As you obviously know a bit about bulbs / LED's etc, what could be done to get better lighting from old H4 type headlights? My Mrs has an old 2002 and the headlights are like birthday cake candles in filthy jam jars! Any help / advice appreciated muchly.
Upgrade to OSRAM nightbreakers (we did this on the 1997 Golf Gti we have and the difference is great)On some older cars you can upgrade to multiple new relays for the lights which can boost the, i did this on my old Mk1 Golf GTi and it was a massive difference. Not sure the 2002 would benfit from the same as i've not had any experience of them.
the bulbs are the first thing to try. The night breakers are pretty amazing and about £20 a pair
Vince70 said:
This thread is well and truly bookmarked for me it's a great read plus I'm looking forward to your next update and thanks for the advice on doing the seat runners I never knew about the seat height kit so I've just bought one so thanks again for your link..
I bought my new seat rubbers from eBay Germany back in January but have been putting the job off could you please tell me how long did it take to do both seats as I do like to stop for a coffee break of 3 when doing such jobs and do you have to disconnect the battery beforehand..
My seat rubbers are knackered both sides on my 60000 mile Z3 but I guess it's more to do with the age of the car rather than the mileage as mines an early one..
it took about an hour a seat but half of that time was spent sanding down the new bushings. I bought my new seat rubbers from eBay Germany back in January but have been putting the job off could you please tell me how long did it take to do both seats as I do like to stop for a coffee break of 3 when doing such jobs and do you have to disconnect the battery beforehand..
My seat rubbers are knackered both sides on my 60000 mile Z3 but I guess it's more to do with the age of the car rather than the mileage as mines an early one..
Vince70 said:
I can recommend this badge Tim.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/171532790331
I've got one of these on my winter hack E36 and the guy is a uk seller and mine was delivered within a couple of days..
For £2.95 with free delivery it's a fantastic deal and it looks just as good as the original badge, once fitted you can't tell the difference..
I've just seen the badges have gone up by 50p since I bought mine..
Thank you, now i've fitted mine it doesnt bother me too much, it looks identical to one in your link too. i think next to the BMW OEM badge it looked wrong but in isolation it looks fine. http://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/171532790331
I've got one of these on my winter hack E36 and the guy is a uk seller and mine was delivered within a couple of days..
For £2.95 with free delivery it's a fantastic deal and it looks just as good as the original badge, once fitted you can't tell the difference..
I've just seen the badges have gone up by 50p since I bought mine..
Edited by Vince70 on Thursday 1st October 19:32
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