2.5 E85 £300

Good evening all. Newbie here having just purchased my first Z4! I’ve purchased a 2003 53 plate 2.5 with 104k miles on for £300! But there’s a story to tell. So sit tight!
My Father passed away in feb 2020. Prior to his death he had always been a petrol head, and longed for a “classic” sports car like he had in his youth. (Triumph Spitfires, MG’s) When he was admitted to hospital, he was passing his days by trawling classic marts looking for something that caught his eye. With the idea of selling his mobility scooter and buying something he and my mum could cruise around with the wind in their grey hair!
I told him “dad don’t bother with those old dated classics. Get yourself something modern with creature comforts and reliability! Why not get a MX5 or a Z4” he was taken with this idea of a Z4.
I told him of a Z4 near my house that had been parked up for several months and not turned a wheel, with covid just hitting my dad said “I bet the owners lost his job, poor guy. See if he wants to part with it. It’ll be a good project when I get out!” Later that day I placed a note under the wiper blade with my details and waited for some contact. Nothing!!
Whilst out walking a few weeks later I saw a guy looking at he car and tentatively asked “do you know who owns the car?” “Yes I do!” Result. I set about telling him about my dad.
He said that he had driven the car through a flood and it wasn’t running right and that he had just parked it up. Hoping to get the engine looked at when he had the time! And he wasn’t interested in selling.
Later that week my father passed away.
And I all but forgot about the car. Until this week when the guy contacted me if I was still interested.
I agreed to have a look and see if the car would start and to scan for fault codes. Low and behold being sat for 2 years, a freshly charged battery and the car started first turn of the key!!! The car is in desperate need of some TLC and the guy knew it. We settled on £300!!
I even drive the car the 1/4 mile to my house! Thinking what’s the worst that can happen. All be it very slowly!! Let the rebuild begin. And hopefully do my old man proud!!
He’ll be up there looking down wetting his pants seeing what I’ve got to do to get it up and road worthy!

hello and welcome to the forum, cheap car and if you spend £1500 getting it in top shape then that is a bargain and will make your old man proud

Welcome to the forum, with what has to be the cheapest Z4 ever!

Good luck getting it to how your dad would have wanted without too much pain or expense.

Welcome. A bittersweet story, but at least you have all the motivation you'll ever need to get it sorted.
My wife has a 53-plate 2.5i and I am quickly learning a lot about how to keep it running, so if I can help out in any way I will.

Wonderful story, Chobbo. I'm sure your dad would be very proud - especially at the price! Whats not to like? A risk free project that will be a keeper for sure.

Hi and welcome I’m sure your dad would have enjoyed it with you

What a great story. There is an awful lot of expertise on the M54 spread throughout this forum so I am sure you will find it a very valuable resource.

bargain!

I'd be quite interested to know what is actually wrong with it! i'd start with a basic service, check all the fluids are fresh. then if it runs, what error messages come up on the dash. and if it runs alright, get it booked in for an MOT and see what it fails on!

Welcome, this would be a good story to follow, keep us updated.

Brilliant, you must keep us all posted. Such a great story! As others have said - LOAD of expertise around here - just ask and someone will answer

Excellent, what an interesting project to follow. Very best of luck with it, your father would be proud I'm sure!

I have been thinking about this project quite a bit this morning. It certainly is an interesting one, and even if the car never gets back to A1 perfect condition, every mile it covers will bring back memories of your dad. That can't be a bad thing.
I have already said I'm more than happy to help with my limited accrued knowledge.
In addition, though I have little in the way of spares, I do have a pair of front callipers I took off at the weekend.
They need an overhaul as judging by the corrosion on the pistons they are the originals with 100k+ on them. And they are bright yellow, courtesy of wifey's attraction to smoothrite and a desire to have a contrast to the grey paintwork.
I could get the deposit back on them from ECP, but instead of that, if you discover you need new callipers then I am happy to send them your way for just the cost of postage. You could overhaul them and do a straight swap. Just a thought...................

Thankyou all for your kind words. I’m a little teary here!
I’m hoping to do my dad proud and honour him. I know I’ve got a mountain to climb but as some of you have mentioned. This ones going to be a keeper!
So where are we at?
This so far.
The engine seems to run fine on tickover and all the fault codes have cleared!
I’m going to carry out a full engine service.
I’ve just arrived out a compression test on the engine before changing the plugs. Some of the readings were down and the difference between the highest and lowest cylinders was over 20%! So not ideal! I’m hoping to try again once the engines had an oil change and fresh coolant. I’m in hope that the difference might be some carbon build up as the 3 highest cylinders was above 175psi.(lowest being 139) so not sure if it’s been completely hydro locked with water damage! Either way I’ll worry about the engine once the cars had an mot.
To get her moving I’ve just purchased new disc/pads/shoes for the rear as the brakes were locked on solid, plus they look terrible! I’m hoping the fronts might clean up, but ready to replace if needed.
The power steering doesn’t work, I’ve already removed the EPS motor, and hopefully sourced a second hand unit for £100.
The drivers window regulator has a snapped cable. Again second hand regulator sourced for £50.
There appears to be a substantial amount of oil on the under tray. I’ll investigate when she’s jacked up for the oil drop.
The roof doesn’t work. I’m hoping this is related to the window regulator.
No sport function with the button maybe steering related
No central locking, and only 1 key! The previous owner said he has it somewhere!!
The battery had been sat on the car 2 years so not to good, so a new Varta battery has been fitted today (this helped loads with the compression testing!)
The wheels are going to want renovating and 2 new rear tyres!!
Drivers door outer skin damaged, driver front wing damage (Been told it’s repairable by a body shop mate)
I/S headlight loose, (again been told it’s repairable) and both headlights need renovating due to looking like a bathroom window!!
So all in all not much to do really!! :lol:
And all this before I get underneath!!!

What you are doing is much more than restoring a car, albeit one that will be lots of fun for sure. Great to have a project that has an attachment that will drive you to completion and a reminder of what could have been had your dad lived on. I am sure he will in the Z and remind you of him every time you think of it and drive it, lots of adventures ahead. He’d want you to have fun.

Typically if the engine has hydrolocked it results in big and very noticeable damage (big ends, crank, pistons etc). I would very much doubt it would run smoothly or quietly if you had that kind of damage so fingers crossed. You might just have some surface corrosion in the bores or valve seats which should clean up after a few hundred miles so I re-run the compression test again then before worrying too much

Chobbo said:

Thankyou all for your kind words. I’m a little teary here!
I’m hoping to do my dad proud and honour him. I know I’ve got a mountain to climb but as some of you have mentioned. This ones going to be a keeper!
So where are we at?
This so far.
The engine seems to run fine on tickover and all the fault codes have cleared!
I’m going to carry out a full engine service.
I’ve just arrived out a compression test on the engine before changing the plugs. Some of the readings were down and the difference between the highest and lowest cylinders was over 20%! So not ideal! I’m hoping to try again once the engines had an oil change and fresh coolant. I’m in hope that the difference might be some carbon build up as the 3 highest cylinders was above 175psi.(lowest being 139) so not sure if it’s been completely hydro locked with water damage! Either way I’ll worry about the engine once the cars had an mot.
To get her moving I’ve just purchased new disc/pads/shoes for the rear as the brakes were locked on solid, plus they look terrible! I’m hoping the fronts might clean up, but ready to replace if needed.
The power steering doesn’t work, I’ve already removed the EPS motor, and hopefully sourced a second hand unit for £100.
The drivers window regulator has a snapped cable. Again second hand regulator sourced for £50.
There appears to be a substantial amount of oil on the under tray. I’ll investigate when she’s jacked up for the oil drop.
The roof doesn’t work. I’m hoping this is related to the window regulator.
No sport function with the button maybe steering related
No central locking, and only 1 key! The previous owner said he has it somewhere!!
The battery had been sat on the car 2 years so not to good, so a new Varta battery has been fitted today (this helped loads with the compression testing!)
The wheels are going to want renovating and 2 new rear tyres!!
Drivers door outer skin damaged, driver front wing damage (Been told it’s repairable by a body shop mate)
I/S headlight loose, (again been told it’s repairable) and both headlights need renovating due to looking like a bathroom window!!
So all in all not much to do really!! :lol:
And all this before I get underneath!!!

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Absolutely love the can do approach / positivity so far; uplifting and great to read. Top marks to those who can offer technical support and 'enuff zed' for practical support. Good luck with this project

ph001 said:

Typically if the engine has hydrolocked it results in big and very noticeable damage (big ends, crank, pistons etc). I would very much doubt it would run smoothly or quietly if you had that kind of damage so fingers crossed. You might just have some surface corrosion in the bores or valve seats which should clean up after a few hundred miles so I re-run the compression test again then before worrying too much

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Exactly this, I’d have thought it would be rough as hell or not running at all if genuinely hydro-locked. The phrase ‘Italian tune up’ springs to mind, once it’s safe and road legal of course

Congratulations on the new purchase, that certainly seems a great bargain, I watched a YouTube video recently where a mondeo had suffered from hydro lock, when it was restarted it ran fine for a few hundred miles until the conrod let go a punched a hole in the side of the engine, apparently it had bent the conrod and stressed it and then eventually let go wrecking the engine

Low compression and oil in the pan may indicate a leaking head gasket, no?

Chippie said:

Congratulations on the new purchase, that certainly seems a great bargain, I watched a YouTube video recently where a mondeo had suffered from hydro lock, when it was restarted it ran fine for a few hundred miles until the conrod let go a punched a hole in the side of the engine, apparently it had bent the conrod and stressed it and then eventually let go wrecking the engine

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Oh you're cheerful! :rofl: