Buy a previously written off Z4?

S

skmattwell

Active member
 London
Hello everyone, I'm looking to purchase a 2003 2.5 Z4. Found one for £3250 but after a reg check found out it had been involved in a Cat C write off in 2016. However it has passed each MOT since then including one just last month, and looks in good nick. What is your thoughts, a good deal or one to avoid? I love this car so would want it for the long haul.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/2003-bmw-z4-2.5-automatic-do-not-need-any-maintenance-ready-to-drive/1349941450
 
I’d be concerned that the seller was not upfront about the Cat C write off - if he’s beating around the bush on that, what else is he not saying? It’s not cheap either at £3250 with over 120,000 miles. It also doesn’t look like a particularly rare spec to me (silver 2.5i with black standard leather seats and SatNav). And he’s saying the roof motor has been relocated but there’s no sign of it in the boot pics - where to has it been relocated then? Also not a fan of those fake air intakes on the bonnet but I suppose that’s personal preference. But all in all this doesn’t feel quite right to me and I’d walk away if I were you. There’s plenty out there at that price point - might be worth for you having a look at the sales section in the forum as well :wink:
 
Thanks mate, yes he wasn't exactly transparent, think I'll give it a miss. Although I thought £3250 was quite cheap, a common spec but it is an automatic which seems to bump the price a little. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places?
 
Hello and welcome, as above expensive for a Cat C and probably topish money even without the marker.

The HPI is a bit misleading with the ticks and no declaration by the seller. That would also put me off straight away.

Auto more likely to drop the price rather than bump it :thumbsup:

Don’t know if you’ve browsed the for sale section on here but here’s a couple a bit more money that the one you’ve quoted but open to offers. Also the 3.0 and nicer cars where you can see a lot more detail.

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=128181

https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=127650
 
Thanks Andy. Will definitely have a look at the for sale section, although it will have to be an auto as that's what I learnt in (I know worst decision ever, please don't crucify me :cry: )
 
I think that price would be okay (but not great) if it didn’t have the Cat C (which will impact your resale and possibly insurance).

Had a quick look on AutoTrade and found few under £4000 for 2.5 automatics, so it does indeed seem to be slim pickings right now ( though there are some ). However, you’re not looking for a rare spec or model, so something is bound to come around soon if you have the patience. And, as Andy pointed out, there are a few offers on the forum right now.

Also worth to consider that if you go for a cheaper (thus likely less well maintained) one, you might end up paying an arm and a leg to get all the niggles of an ageing car sorted.
 
You're right, after a bit of researching the added cost of insurance due to the Cat C nullified the slightly lower asking price anyway. Will keep a look out and save my pennies in the meantime, thanks for your advice!
 
skmattwell said:
Thanks Andy. Will definitely have a look at the for sale section, although it will have to be an auto as that's what I learnt in (I know worst decision ever, please don't crucify me :cry: )
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You’ll get crucified for many things on here and that’ll be one of the better ones :lol:

If it needs to be an auto it needs to be :thumbsup:

Mine is a DCT auto as they don’t make my model in manual and I love it.

As well as a for sale section there’s also wanted too so stick a post up there with what you want, gearbox, colours, max budget, must have specs etc and you may be offered a car that’s not up for sale yet.

The one thing I would do is decide what options are musts and what are desirable. For me heated seats are a must, whereas something like cruise control or a wind deflector are nice to have but easily retrofitted if not there so not a must.

Good luck with the search, it’s half the fun :thumbsup:

EDIT, obviously ignore the wanted bit as I see you’ve just posted a wanted ad :oops:
 
Thanks Andy, I must have read your mind haha!
I realise my budget is minimal so not too fussed with all the bells and whistles, I just want to make a bit of noise!

Thanks again!
 
skmattwell said:
You're right, after a bit of researching the added cost of insurance due to the Cat C nullified the slightly lower asking price anyway.
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So how much is that extra cost of insurance with Cat C ? (I'm not in the UK)

I know Cat C is an economic write off, but if I look at how dirt cheap Z4's are in the UK, there is very little that has to happen for a z4 (e85) to become a Cat C.
And I take it that the estimation of damage (and repair costs) is done by a certified damage expert, usually estimating the damage based on new partprices.
I mean if a certain z4 has a used market price of £4k, and its damaged value is £1,5k (and that's probably very high) then repair costs may be £2,5k otherwise Cat C.
£2,5k damage is very little. If you have a little crash and your bumper and the impact bar/frame behind it are broken, then you're already over that.
But a used bumper (not aero/M) and that frame (used) is maybe £750 max. Paint £250 and for £1k repaired.

I would look at what the damage was and how it was repaired and then, foremost look at the rest of the condition of the car.
If I look at those pictures from the offered car, and I see rusted bolts on the air filter box and on the front seal strip, I already knows how this car looks from underneath :thumbsdown: It'll be a nightmare.
And that's my point, If you have a very clean always garaged car, that once had that front bump being a Cat C and it was properly repaired, you could have a real gem for £3,5k :thumbsup:
 
Works out about £300 more for insurance compared to a car that hasn't been previously written off. Taking into account it's a reoccurring cost, probably doesn't make economic sense in the long run. Doesn't help that I'm 24, so insurance is usually astronomical anyway!
 
£300 annually on a car costing £3,5k is indeed a considerable amount.

What do you have to pay for insurance annually anyway? (and is that just a liability insurance or does it also covers insurance to the car?)
I don't know a lot about UK insurance apart from that it can be very expensive for young people, in certain areas, especially depending on the car.
(like a golf GTI in London for an 18 year old is not the best combination...)

When you buy a car with the idea to keep it a long time (5-10 years) and you have a garage, always try to get the best one.
But if you are 24, I can imagine that 5 years seems an eternity and you probably don't have a garage. Then things to look for in a car change of course.
 
I've been driving almost three years now and insurance for a Z4 that hasn't been written off averages around £1,500 for comprehensive cover, which insures the car against anything. You can get policies that only cover fire, theft, etc. but it's a little more risky.

Most people get a throwaway car to start off with for cheap insurance, but my mantra is that if I have a car I actually like I'll want to take care of it, and thus be a better long term investment. It's not uncommon for the insurance to be more expensive than the car itself for young drivers here, especially if it's considered a 'boy racer' car like the Golf.
 
[ref]skmattwell[/ref], I’m sure you know this but make sure to but one of your parents on the insurance as the second driver. This will usually drive down the price considerably (and it’s legal as long as you don’t put them as the main driver).
 
I would walk away just from the Bonnet vents alone :headbang: I would want to buy a Z4 off a Forum member if there's one available. The guys on here look after and nurture their Zeds and IMO it's the best place to start. I bought mine off a Forum member and it had been cherished and all the preventative maintenance had been completed. Roof motor, Disa, Vanos etc. Much less likely to get a dodgy one from the Forum :thumbsup:
 
Thadeus1991 said:
[ref]skmattwell[/ref], I’m sure you know this but make sure to but one of your parents on the insurance as the second driver. This will usually drive down the price considerably (and it’s legal as long as you don’t put them as the main driver).
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Second that. Also try Admiral, my son’s 20 and insures his 2.5i for less than a grand fully comp, albeit we are in a low insurance postcode).
 
Quick Google of the reg has brought up the link below,

https://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/126995-cat-c-cars/

Wrighty
 
Thanks everyone, yes I've tried adding my parents but that actually pushes the price up for me? The cheapest quote I can get on a z4 is £1400 with Admiral, perhaps because I live in greater London.

Good spot wrighty! Having read that thread I'm not sure whether it's more positive or negative. People saying they wouldn't buy it, but the buyer seemed happy when they did. Although if it were still up for £2.2k I'd have taken a punt too
 
skmattwell said:
Thanks everyone, yes I've tried adding my parents but that actually pushes the price up for me?
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When my lad added me to his insurance it went down. OR if he added my wife it also went down to the same figure.
But add BOTH of us and it went higher than just him on his own.
 
It fluctuates so wildly, last night I was getting silly quotes like £2,000 and then £1,350 an hour later without changing anything! The latter quote was no different to a Z4 without a previous write off and having looked at the thread Wrighty shared, still undecided whether I should be put off. Was obviously looked after by a forum member at some point of its life, have tried to get in contact to ask him about his previous car but hasn't been active since 2019
 
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