Not joined yet? Register for free and enjoy features such as alerts, private messaging and viewing latest posts and topics.

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

First port of call for new members
craig3.2
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 6384
Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:36 pm
Location: Ayrshire,Scotland

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by craig3.2 » Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:30 am

As other people have said,go look out a nice post facelift,2006-2008/09 3.0 si Roadster.
Came with updated front and Rear lights,more power (2003_2005 had 231bhp),06/09 had 265bhp,and 0-62 came down from5.9s,to 5.7seconds.
Spec wise,the Upgraded DSP hifi is a good option,as are heated seats.
M sport seats and Xenon headlights are a must,imho.

Happy hunting :thumbsup:
Image
Interlagos Blue M RDSTR,2008. Logic7 dsp Hifi;satnav,stubby,htd seats,etc,etc.
Black 2005 3.0i NOW SOLD(and missed)

User avatar
Chris_D
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 6615
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:41 pm
Location: Mostly Holland. Sometimes UK.

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Chris_D » Sun Jan 14, 2018 10:45 am

Hi Karen, welcome to the forum. A great place for advice and guidance which i also benefitted from when i bought my 3.0i e85 the summer before last.
Unlike you and your generous budget, i went the cheap route and bought a fixer-upper for 4k. Once sorted it became and remains a paragon of reliability!
At your budget, i'd be looking at the lowest mileage and latest, most looked after, no expense spared e85 3.0i that i could find. You're definitely in e89 territory with that budget but if it has to be a ragtop and not a tintop then the e85 is where to go!
Alternatively, being a chickypop you could also lower your budget by spending 6-7k on a fine e85 specimen and have change left over for a couple of nice Fendi bags! :lol:
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
Image
'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.

User avatar
Mr Tidy
Legend
Legend
Posts: 23608
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm
Location: North West Surrey

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Mr Tidy » Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:36 pm

Smartbear wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:28 amOr she may prefer the 2.0i turbo with its more economical, cheaper to tax & greater performance than the 30i benefits
Rob
Here we go again! :lol: :thumbsup:

To be fair I didn't mention them as I wasn't sure if they would be in budget. :roll:
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

User avatar
paddy wright
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 7625
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:00 pm
Location: south yorkshire

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by paddy wright » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:28 pm

Welcome- such a shame about your Z3- can you get a second opinion if it had now significant issues at last years MOT?
Z4 2.2 sterling grey,Msport seats,retrofit cupholders,cruise,footwell lights,sound gen and mfsw,18"ellipsoids,xenons+light washers,ZHPknob,folding mirrors,3"stubby,update wheel caps,gateway300 ipod, wind deflector to keep the wife happy!

User avatar
RustyZ4
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3622
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:23 pm
Location: Maidstone, Kent

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by RustyZ4 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:59 pm

Hi & welcome :thumbsup:
If you prefer the soft top then a e85 is the only option, and like others have said, coming from a 2.8 I would think you are looking at a 3.0, for your budget you will get a really nice car, I would put heated seats (preferably m seats and electric) as a must, then it depends if you want manual or auto, then it’s things like sat nav, stereo, xenons whatever suits your tastes, as mentioned build into your budget that if it has run flats fitted the car will be transformed changing them to non run flats, as with them it is prone to tram lining and potholes are teeth shattering, all the usual sources to find one, here, autotrader, piston heads, if you see a car post a link and fire it past us
Z4 Mineral Grey, 28i MSport Auto, lots of goodies
Z4 E85 3.0, gone but now with son :D
Growing Old is Mandatory But Growing Up is Optional

Marekdawg
Member
Member
Posts: 221
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 4:57 pm
Location: Birmingham / Cheltenham

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Marekdawg » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:04 pm

Hi and Welcome! :)
Sorry to hear about your Z3 :thumbsdown: but good luck with finding the right Zed! :driving: Would definitely take as much time as you are able to look around and drive a few! As for the looks of each option I'm sure someone like Mr Wilks will be able to share a few photos of the various options.. :poke:
Good Luck and hopefully see you in a Zed soon! :thumbsup:
Silver E89 Sdrive30I Msport. Black roof and other bits. :D :driving:

User avatar
ph001
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3870
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:53 pm
Location: N. Yorkshire.

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by ph001 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:35 pm

If the soft top is really your thing then for £10k - £12k you can take your pic of the very best E85 3.0Si cars BUT they don't come up for sale very often compared to the E86 Coupes.

The E89 folding hardtop cars are more refined but a little less agile and exciting as a result. Coming from a Z3, you will immediately find the E85 a step up in terms of refinement and handling anyway (assuming the run flats have been swapped out).

You shouldn't encounter any of the major corrosion issues you have on the Z3 with either. I came through the route Z3M (S54 engined) - E46 M3 - Z4 E85 3.0Si.

The Z4 is tons better stability wise compared to the Z3M.

As for your Z3 with 155k and with what sounds like a very imminent MOT fail coming up you might well find the best option would be to break it for parts (esp if you have brand new Goodyears on it). Bit of hassle though I guess. Selling with no MOT is unlikely to net you more than £1k IMHO. It's basically a scrapper with all that corrosion on the chassis.
interior.JPG
interior.JPG (149.09 KiB) Viewed 704 times
exterior.jpg
exterior.jpg (218.76 KiB) Viewed 704 times
2007 E85 Z4 3.0Si manual :driving:
19" CSL's | Eibach Springs | Aeroskirts | Z4M front bumper | Clear brake light | ZHP | RCH+| Stubby

2004 E46 M3 coupe manual - gone but not forgotten.

Image

sad_old_man

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by sad_old_man » Thu Feb 01, 2018 8:47 pm

KarenMWilson1 wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:09 pmHi there,

I bought my Z3 2.8 Montreal blue car from new in 1998 (20 years in May!). It has been fabulous but unfortunately due to corrosion of the sill/floor, suspension arm, corrosion of sub frame mountings amongst other things I was advised to sell. It drives beautifully still and mechanically is sound (one careful lady owner!). I cried all the way home....

I am now considering buying a Z4 approx £10k-£12k budget and would welcome advice on models, engine size etc. I was absolutely delighted with the 2.8 engine in the Z3 with a Bhp of 196 compared to the 1.9 at that time. So I would be looking at the mid/larger engine to provide similar if not improved performance! (-: Also would prefer a soft top. But open to advice on the pros and cons of hard vs soft.

Also did the models change in 2009? Would it be better to buy from then or later e.g. 2010? Were there significant improvements in styling etc from then? Suggestions on which models and years would be really appreciated. Also best places to look for one. My mot on the Z3 runs out on 31 Jan18 so feel a bit shell shocked and not prepared for buying a Z4!! Not quite sure how to go about selling the Z3. It has 4 brand new Good year tyres on and various reasonable saleable parts. It has done 155k miles but always carefully driven! Shall I try on EBay?

Thank you so much
Its a very personal thing but here is my conclusion as to why i bought my Z4 35is.

Things have changed a lot since 1998 in the world of BMW! I bought a brand new 4.4 Sport X5 on a 51 plate and it was a 4.4ltr engine. Now BMW produce certain models where one has the 4 and one has the six cylinder engines in them. They play with the on board computer to either increase or decrease the BHP of the engine.

I would personally always go for the 6 cylinder BMW engine as i don't rate the 4 cylinder one. Its ok but then so is a Mercedes? (please forget I said that)

Other than the engine here is the only other things i looked at.

2009 - Radical change in body style including change from soft top to hard top folding roof. Slight increase in both length and with of the car plus the front wing BMW logo with chrome attachments on certain models.

2013 - DRLs changed from normal bulbs to led DRL.

I can only speak for my car but i wouldn't change it for the world!
DSC_0013.JPG
DSC_0013.JPG (282.59 KiB) Viewed 682 times
.

User avatar
Smartbear
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 13685
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
Location: a barn in Somerset

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Smartbear » Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:03 pm

sad_old_man wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2018 8:47 pm
KarenMWilson1 wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:09 pmHi there,

I bought my Z3 2.8 Montreal blue car from new in 1998 (20 years in May!). It has been fabulous but unfortunately due to corrosion of the sill/floor, suspension arm, corrosion of sub frame mountings amongst other things I was advised to sell. It drives beautifully still and mechanically is sound (one careful lady owner!). I cried all the way home....

I am now considering buying a Z4 approx £10k-£12k budget and would welcome advice on models, engine size etc. I was absolutely delighted with the 2.8 engine in the Z3 with a Bhp of 196 compared to the 1.9 at that time. So I would be looking at the mid/larger engine to provide similar if not improved performance! (-: Also would prefer a soft top. But open to advice on the pros and cons of hard vs soft.

Also did the models change in 2009? Would it be better to buy from then or later e.g. 2010? Were there significant improvements in styling etc from then? Suggestions on which models and years would be really appreciated. Also best places to look for one. My mot on the Z3 runs out on 31 Jan18 so feel a bit shell shocked and not prepared for buying a Z4!! Not quite sure how to go about selling the Z3. It has 4 brand new Good year tyres on and various reasonable saleable parts. It has done 155k miles but always carefully driven! Shall I try on EBay?

Thank you so much
Its a very personal thing but here is my conclusion as to why i bought my Z4 35is.

Things have changed a lot since 1998 in the world of BMW! I bought a brand new 4.4 Sport X5 on a 51 plate and it was a 4.4ltr engine. Now BMW produce certain models where one has the 4 and one has the six cylinder engines in them. They play with the on board computer to either increase or decrease the BHP of the engine.

I would personally always go for the 6 cylinder BMW engine as i don't rate the 4 cylinder one. Its ok but then so is a Mercedes? (please forget I said that)

Other than the engine here is the only other things i looked at.

2009 - Radical change in body style including change from soft top to hard top folding roof. Slight increase in both length and with of the car plus the front wing BMW logo with chrome attachments on certain models.

2013 - DRLs changed from normal bulbs to led DRL.

I can only speak for my car but i wouldn't change it for the world!

DSC_0013.JPG
.
Hi, ignore sad old man-the 4cylinder turbo is a great engine that’s fast & economical :P
Ps, you have my seats in your car :thumbsup:
1675EC11-1F87-4E17-86FA-3962E37E67D3.jpeg
1675EC11-1F87-4E17-86FA-3962E37E67D3.jpeg (358.43 KiB) Viewed 675 times
8CF5C08D-6596-4BD9-ADB9-D3AE1377E177.jpeg
8CF5C08D-6596-4BD9-ADB9-D3AE1377E177.jpeg (376.39 KiB) Viewed 675 times
Rob
Image

e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

User avatar
ph001
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 3870
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:53 pm
Location: N. Yorkshire.

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by ph001 » Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:32 am

Well looks like the OP has gone to sleep, but at least we all got to see some pics of some nice Z's! :rofl:
2007 E85 Z4 3.0Si manual :driving:
19" CSL's | Eibach Springs | Aeroskirts | Z4M front bumper | Clear brake light | ZHP | RCH+| Stubby

2004 E46 M3 coupe manual - gone but not forgotten.

Image

sad_old_man

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by sad_old_man » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:34 pm

Smartbear wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:03 pm
sad_old_man wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2018 8:47 pm
KarenMWilson1 wrote: Sat Jan 13, 2018 2:09 pmHi there,

I bought my Z3 2.8 Montreal blue car from new in 1998 (20 years in May!). It has been fabulous but unfortunately due to corrosion of the sill/floor, suspension arm, corrosion of sub frame mountings amongst other things I was advised to sell. It drives beautifully still and mechanically is sound (one careful lady owner!). I cried all the way home....

I am now considering buying a Z4 approx £10k-£12k budget and would welcome advice on models, engine size etc. I was absolutely delighted with the 2.8 engine in the Z3 with a Bhp of 196 compared to the 1.9 at that time. So I would be looking at the mid/larger engine to provide similar if not improved performance! (-: Also would prefer a soft top. But open to advice on the pros and cons of hard vs soft.

Also did the models change in 2009? Would it be better to buy from then or later e.g. 2010? Were there significant improvements in styling etc from then? Suggestions on which models and years would be really appreciated. Also best places to look for one. My mot on the Z3 runs out on 31 Jan18 so feel a bit shell shocked and not prepared for buying a Z4!! Not quite sure how to go about selling the Z3. It has 4 brand new Good year tyres on and various reasonable saleable parts. It has done 155k miles but always carefully driven! Shall I try on EBay?

Thank you so much
Its a very personal thing but here is my conclusion as to why i bought my Z4 35is.

Things have changed a lot since 1998 in the world of BMW! I bought a brand new 4.4 Sport X5 on a 51 plate and it was a 4.4ltr engine. Now BMW produce certain models where one has the 4 and one has the six cylinder engines in them. They play with the on board computer to either increase or decrease the BHP of the engine.

I would personally always go for the 6 cylinder BMW engine as i don't rate the 4 cylinder one. Its ok but then so is a Mercedes? (please forget I said that)

Other than the engine here is the only other things i looked at.

2009 - Radical change in body style including change from soft top to hard top folding roof. Slight increase in both length and with of the car plus the front wing BMW logo with chrome attachments on certain models.

2013 - DRLs changed from normal bulbs to led DRL.

I can only speak for my car but i wouldn't change it for the world!

DSC_0013.JPG
.
Hi, ignore sad old man-the 4cylinder turbo is a great engine that’s fast & economical :P
Ps, you have my seats in your car :thumbsup:
1675EC11-1F87-4E17-86FA-3962E37E67D3.jpeg8CF5C08D-6596-4BD9-ADB9-D3AE1377E177.jpeg
Rob
Is it bear hunting season yet?

User avatar
Mr Tidy
Legend
Legend
Posts: 23608
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm
Location: North West Surrey

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Mr Tidy » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:39 pm

sad_old_man wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:34 pm Hi, ignore sad old man-the 4cylinder turbo is a great engine that’s fast & economical
Rob

Is it bear hunting season yet?

:rofl:

Seriously though, the OP stated a budget of £10-12K, so I can't see a facelift E89 being in budget somehow!
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

sad_old_man

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by sad_old_man » Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:23 pm

Mr Tidy wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:39 pm
sad_old_man wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:34 pm Hi, ignore sad old man-the 4cylinder turbo is a great engine that’s fast & economical
Rob

Is it bear hunting season yet?

:rofl:

Seriously though, the OP stated a budget of £10-12K, so I can't see a facelift E89 being in budget somehow!
note to myself: Try reading the posts properly?

User avatar
Smartbear
Lifer
Lifer
Posts: 13685
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2014 6:54 pm
Location: a barn in Somerset

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Smartbear » Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:47 pm

Mr Tidy wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:39 pm
sad_old_man wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:34 pm Hi, ignore sad old man-the 4cylinder turbo is a great engine that’s fast & economical
Rob

Is it bear hunting season yet?

:rofl:

Seriously though, the OP stated a budget of £10-12K, so I can't see a facelift E89 being in budget somehow!
You could possibly pick up a high miler 20i for that budget?
Rob
Image

e89 Sdrive 20i, plenty of mumbo & good economy-the thinking bears z4
e89 Sdrive 30i, this ones busted, pass me another...
e85 3.0si sold

User avatar
Mr Tidy
Legend
Legend
Posts: 23608
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2014 12:18 pm
Location: North West Surrey

Lady owner: Advice for buying my 1st Z4 & selling Z3 2.8

Post by Mr Tidy » Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:00 pm

Smartbear wrote: Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:47 pm You could possibly pick up a high miler 20i for that budget?
Rob
Yes, I was thinking that might be possible - but not a 35is! :lol:
Coupes because stunning!
Current - Silver Grey MC, Imola Red heated Nappa & carbon trim. Aeros, H & R Coil-overs, 224s, OE Strut brace, Nav, cup-holders, DSP Hi-Fi, pdc, cruise, MFSW, no CDV! E90 330i daily
Gone - Montego Blue
Gone - Ruby Black

Post Reply