Z4-forum.com

paddy wright wrote:

cj10jeeper wrote:

dpereira wrote:Narrowed down to either a 2.2 manual or a 3.0. I'd like to remain in the straight 6 family.

I'd steer clear of the 2.2 unless you find exactly what you want in spec and colour
Was not a well loved engine and short lived in the Z4. Has much less power then the 2.5 or 3.0

Not a well loved engine? Based on what logic- I've had mine nearly 10 years and very much love it- never missed a beat and is fun to drive. Short lived in the z4 yes, but there are tens of thousands of 3 and 5 series soldiering round with the 2.2 M54 trouble free.
OP with z's getting older buy on condition and history- find the right car, as long as it has 6cyl you can't go wrong.

You've really answered your own question. Very few were sold in Z4's it was only kept for a short time and replaced with the 2.0 4cyl, so no well loved by buyers. I never said it was unreliable, but it will always be the hardest to sell on and that reflects in prices.
Totally agree on age and condition and have said the same many times before.

cj10jeeper wrote:

paddy wright wrote:

cj10jeeper wrote: I'd steer clear of the 2.2 unless you find exactly what you want in spec and colour
Was not a well loved engine and short lived in the Z4. Has much less power then the 2.5 or 3.0

Not a well loved engine? Based on what logic- I've had mine nearly 10 years and very much love it- never missed a beat and is fun to drive. Short lived in the z4 yes, but there are tens of thousands of 3 and 5 series soldiering round with the 2.2 M54 trouble free.
OP with z's getting older buy on condition and history- find the right car, as long as it has 6cyl you can't go wrong.

You've really answered your own question. Very few were sold in Z4's it was only kept for a short time and replaced with the 2.0 4cyl, so no well loved by buyers. I never said it was unreliable, but it will always be the hardest to sell on and that reflects in prices.
Totally agree on age and condition and have said the same many times before.

I still think unloved by buyers is incorrect Phil. All z4s are old now and there are many unloved examples of all engine variations. A well cared for 2.2 is a far superior car to an unloved 3.0

I'm not going to disagree on semantics of engines that anyone owns, as this is only a comment related to what I'd buy all factors equal.
Agree a loved car is what's sought, but hard to deny the 3.0 is the pick if you can find a good one given better spec and performance, but all down to what around when you buy

I agree Phil that 3.0 is the pick of the bunch if a like for like cared for car were compared. Just didn't think the OP should ignore the 2.2 he has found.

Mine!
Step one: Remove the nasty AC Schnitzer boot spoiler.
The bonnet and hardtop were a nice bonus, got it for a great price. Though the bonnet didn't add the +50Bhp I hoped for

I do love that for the same price as my old Cooper S the Z4 gives such a rewarding/great feeling compared. I feel whole again

That looks like a good find. How close did you get to your budget including the hardtop?

cj10jeeper wrote:That looks like a good find. How close did you get to your budget including the hardtop?

Well it's 83k miles which was above my initial limit and 2.5i not a 3.0i but an absolute snatch at £3500. 11 hour round trip with no sleep last night due to the excitement.

I'm adding you to the 'batmobile club'

dpereira wrote:

cj10jeeper wrote:That looks like a good find. How close did you get to your budget including the hardtop?

Well it's 83k miles which was above my initial limit and 2.5i not a 3.0i but an absolute snatch at £3500. 11 hour round trip with no sleep last night due to the excitement.

Looks like a bargain with the hard top fitted! Have you seen the condition/operation of the soft top though?
Rob

dpereira wrote:

cj10jeeper wrote:That looks like a good find. How close did you get to your budget including the hardtop?

Well it's 83k miles which was above my initial limit and 2.5i not a 3.0i but an absolute snatch at £3500. 11 hour round trip with no sleep last night due to the excitement.

Id hang back with the boot spoiler unless you plan to return to OEM it enhances the black stealth look
£ 3500 looks great value incl hardtop especially when the bonnet alone could probably sell for £750/£850

Smartbear wrote:

dpereira wrote:

cj10jeeper wrote:That looks like a good find. How close did you get to your budget including the hardtop?

Well it's 83k miles which was above my initial limit and 2.5i not a 3.0i but an absolute snatch at £3500. 11 hour round trip with no sleep last night due to the excitement.

Looks like a bargain with the hard top fitted! Have you seen the condition/operation of the soft top though?
Rob

Yup, always a large concern and I did gamble a bit on the journey, the car could have been a flop. There is a bit of rusting around the boot lid key hole I'm not sure how to rectify other than a respray or masking it a bit. The leather needs sprucing up but not torn just the usual wear and the third brake light as usual needs replacing due to the tension of the springs. Rear pads were changed yet brake disc wear light remains on in the dash which is interesting. There are a few distasteful touches I will be reversing, such as BMW badges on the aluminium trim I was surprised to hear the previous owner was in their 40's with that and a few other oddities.

Soft top was perfectly fine. went up and down at the same rate as both previous Z4's, no worrying noises and slotted in smoother than either of the previous two. The previous owner knew how to check the drainage holes and coupling that with the hardtop, whether it's the original or not I don't know but it's been looked after. Actually has cup holders and wind deflector even but no heated seats, mfsw, Cruise etc.

I'll order my batman mask to wear when the roofs down

My plan was to return to standard in fairness, recouping a large portion of the purchase price and having less money in the car itself, as my initial plan with this one was to simply enjoy it over the summer. Undecided on this for now though as I'm just looking to sell the Cooper S and I'll be in a comfortable position financially. I'll also be swapping back the carbon badges all round to standard but will keep the black ellipsoids as I quite like them.

A fantastic bargain! Well done!

As others have said, that's a nice looking car you've got yourself

Thanks still considering removal of the Schnitzer spoiler and swapping the M bonnet for standard when I find one, but I think it's better safe than sorry in terms of keeping the hardtop to look after the roof motor during less pleasant weather.

Ditch the Schnitzer (although to be fair the black on black doesn't look too horrible, as Mr. Wilks pointed out), but defo keep the bonnet. Looks mean, and cost you nothing (relatively speaking). Only a very few would know it should be on an ///M, and it's not an uncommon mod, so you won't be looked down on as if you've plastered ///M badges everywhere.
Could the brake warning light just be because the previous owner either didn't replace the brake wear sensor, or damaged the new one replacing the pads? Either way, very cheap & easy to fix if that's all it is.
Congrats on the new (to you) ride