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smorris_12
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Post by smorris_12 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:40 am

Hello all,

Slightly late as I bought my Z4 in about April (from someone on here, oddly enough) but just haven't got round to joining in yet. Been saying to anyone who'd listen that I ought to buy one for years but kept sitting on the idea until a particularly dull bank holiday when I saw it up for sale and, on a whim, phoned the owner and asked him to talk me out of buying it. Which he completely failed to do...

It joins my 275,000 mile E46 320d and a 177,000 mile E53 X5 as another financial burden! I joke: neither have cost serious money to run. The 3er makes granite look tricky and unstable. This is the first car I've run since my E36 20 years ago that has come to me at under 100,000 miles (Zeds on about 95k IIRC.) The idea of a low mileage car fills me with dread! Even the 13 year old, 10 owner wreck of a Disco that the X5 replaced went from 170k to 210k in 5 years at minimal cost (if not minimal amounts of parts!) Though blowing its heater matrix most inconveniently in the January snows made me say "sod mending that, where's the Autotrader" and I bought about the cheapest E53 to replace it, handily found at a car dealer at the bottom of the village.

As you can tell I work on my cars myself. So far the Zed has had:

* Front suspension jacked up 12mm to stop it grinding its nose on every last bl00dy speed hump in christendom
* A rattle-can respray of the aforementioned bumper (actually can't see the join in paint, so pleased)
* Respray of the door pulls (the success of which made me try doing the bumper)
* Respray of the steering wheel and window switch plastics (the success of which made me try doing the door pulls....)
* Aux-in added (the CD laser is going blind)
* 5v buck converter, USB socket and Bluetooth dongle nailed under the dash to save using the aux-lead (only just done that bit)
* CDV removed (that was in about week 1)
* Gearbox and diff oils changed.
* Added an extiontionately expensive, if new, cruise control stalk
* I have even washed it several times. This is not something that I normally do to my cars
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Last edited by smorris_12 on Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
------
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

2006 Z4 2.5si Silbergrau und rot

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Owdgit
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Post by Owdgit » Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:47 am

Hi Scott, welcome aboard.
I appreciate your writing style, you should fit in well.
Sorry to say but I have a 12 year old Z4 which only has 40k miles on, in fairness I bought it with 35k on it 1 month before lockdown and have been working from home since so it really is a weekend toy.
Had some good trips with some on here and have made some good friends too. I also ride bikes so that reduces the opportunity to put miles on the Z4.
Great source of information and help here too, makes working on the car less daunting.
BTW, someone will be along soon demanding photos of your car :D
I like to think I'm an optimist.

2010 Grey Z4 E89 N52 3.0 with stuff
2018 VW Arteon 2.0tsi daily workhorse
2020 KTM 1290 Superduke GT

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Post by Griffo46 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 8:56 am

Very nice Zed and a great introduction! More photos please! Looks very much like mine.
2007 3.0si Roadster Stratus Grey/ Red Leather
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smorris_12
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Post by smorris_12 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:03 am

Thanks both for the welcome!

Argh! 40k miles!! It's agin nature, I tell 'ee!!!

The last car I had with mileage like that was my first. A 10 year old Vx Nova with maybe 35k that had belonged to my grandfather. It was going rusty and the 993cc engine was a) ancient and b) had very wonky timing. If nothing else I learned a fair bit tinkering with it though!

This is a very useful forum from what I've turned up googling things. I haven't been an active member of a forum for years since BMWLand died with its creator. Having done a few things (and actually, gasp, remembered to take photos) I have this sudden urge to contribute threads.

I have updated the post up there with a photo of the Z4 and the X5; a working vehicle that is nearly as filthy inside as out! I'm dredging through my phone looking for others now!
------
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

2006 Z4 2.5si Silbergrau und rot

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1536Z4
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Post by 1536Z4 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:17 am

Hi and welcome Scott . I was on BMWland a long time ago with my E91 ( which I still have ) but didn`t post very often . It was a good forum and didn`t know it was no longer going . I see you have already done a post helping out with the track rods :thumbsup:
Montego Blue E86 . MILV`s . Simpson Custom Manifold Race Exhaust . xHP transmission stage 3 . VT engine mounts . BC RA coilovers . H&R arbs . Adjustable rear camber arms . Ultra Racing front strut brace . Drexler LSD .

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buzyg
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Post by buzyg » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:17 am

Great intro. Your Z4 is looking very shiny and clean there. Welcome aboard. :thumbsup:
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Ole gits rule
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Post by Ole gits rule » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:29 am

Hello and welcome,great first post and very nice looking zed :thumbsup:
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2011 23i M Sport Highline in Alpine White with Smart Top installed - Gone but not forgotten.

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smorris_12
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Post by smorris_12 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:34 am

1536Z4 wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:17 am Hi and welcome Scott . I was on BMWland a long time ago with my E91 ( which I still have ) but didn`t post very often . It was a good forum and didn`t know it was no longer going . I see you have already done a post helping out with the track rods :thumbsup:
Cheers! BMWLand's owner Matt died and the site died with him as his widow didn't want it carried on. He was only in his 40s IIRC. A few of the regulars got a follow up started, BMWLander, but without any of the original posts. I signed up but lost interest; I think I was miffed that my many useful posts had all gone phut (not that anyone ever searched through old stuff!) I notice that's now been renamed BMWLand.org.uk

Re the track rods: Slinging my tuppence in on mechanical topics was always my thing. I've always maintained my own (and friend's!) cars as I'm mean and they're broke and find it interesting.

buzyg wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:17 am Great intro. Your Z4 is looking very shiny and clean there. Welcome aboard. :thumbsup:
Thank you! That pic was the day after I got it home (it turns out the only way to transport a hard top is as the roof) and the previous owner was a meticulous cleaner of his cars. In an attempt to keep it up I've bought many buckets from the Range and several green, hairy things from Halfords.

Ole gits rule wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:29 amHello and welcome,great first post and very nice looking zed :thumbsup:
Good to meet you, as it were! I've got an Old Gits Rule tee-shirt with a Land Rover on it courtesy of the Disco owner. I refute the idea that I'm old!
------
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

2006 Z4 2.5si Silbergrau und rot

Silverstar
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Post by Silverstar » Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:01 am

Hello and welcome, I like the colour combo of your new Zed. Clearly you are not listening to advice from Scotty Kilmer, he would have a heart attack if he saw all the old high mileage BMWs you've been buying! :rofl:
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Post by smorris_12 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 1:42 pm

Silverstar wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:01 am Hello and welcome, I like the colour combo of your new Zed. Clearly you are not listening to advice from Scotty Kilmer, he would have a heart attack if he saw all the old high mileage BMWs you've been buying! :rofl:
The thought of spending more money to get less mileage is anathama! The E46 I bought at 3.5 years old and 127k miles. I've put another 150,000 miles on it and I'm still on the original clutch, turbo and injectors. It's currently running me about £500 a year in depreciation and I'm still not sure I've had my monies worth out of it! I spotted a very tidy F30 320d with 200,000 on the clock and thought about buying that a while ago........

I love red leather - I had a black Jag S-Type with red leather, big wheels and the R-grill and it looked a million quid.!
------
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

2006 Z4 2.5si Silbergrau und rot

Pondrew
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Post by Pondrew » Sat Sep 24, 2022 4:04 pm

Hi and welcome.
Sorry but can't get my head around this high mileage thing. I think I have 'mileaphobia'. I have three cars with a collective age of 18 (4,5 and 9) with a collective mileage of 70,000 (12k, 29k and 29k) and I think two of those are high! :o :D
All good things come to those who wait. I'm really impatient which explains a lot.

F31 320i. Good car.
E89 20i Now fully dried
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Post by Mr Tidy » Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:59 pm

Hi Scott and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

Your Z4 looks great with those red M-Sport seats and Piano Black trim, and congratulations on reaching those mileages on your other BMWs! Maybe my E90 isn't that leggy at just 119K miles. :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

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smorris_12
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Post by smorris_12 » Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:38 pm

For my first 5 cars every one had higher mileage and younger than the last and was ever better for it.

Number of owners kills cars faster than mileage IMO.
------
Scott

Where are we going and why am I in this handbasket?

2006 Z4 2.5si Silbergrau und rot

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