First time Z4 Owner

S

Stretch_Blanco

Member
 Scotland
Hi all,

Just got my first ever Z4 this week! Bought it without seeing it in person due to the lockdown which in reflection was a bit of a mistake but anyway still very chuffed!

Heres some pictures from a recent essential drive...

Side front sun set.jpeg

View attachment 2

View attachment 2

It has a couple faults and needs a lot of TLC, I have already machined polished just under half the car which has made a considerable difference to the swirl marks! But it will definitely need some fresh paint in places!

After some spirited driving though I am well chuffed with it, the engine, gearbox and clutch all feel very strong. It also feels a good bit faster than my 330Ci E46 I had in the past which is the best car I have owned.
It actually seems like quite a good track car to me, the steering is very precise and it almost handles like its on rails! The closest car to it I have driven in the past was a Lotus Exige S2 at a car experience event at Knockhill.

I'd like to do a few wee mods such as a stubby ariel (which I have been trying to find a link or a specific one to buy on here but no luck as of yet) and possibly an exhaust mod to free up a bit more noise. Previously I had an Eisenmann system on my 330 which I absolutely loved but the Eisenmann for the Z4 aint cheap!!

I'd also like some cupholders, I was quite surprised when it did not come with any! I thought with the spec of the rest of the car it would have had them for sure. After browsing posts on here I think I'd rather go with original ones and accept the fact that they are not fantastic. The ones that clip onto the centre console at left knee doesn't really appeal to me or the one that clips on close to the handbrake lever.

This looks like a great forum, will take me some hours of research reading into all the mods and stuff you can do!
 

Attachments

  • Front end sunset.jpeg
    Front end sunset.jpeg
    166.3 KB · Views: 881
  • Side shot sun set.jpeg
    Side shot sun set.jpeg
    90.1 KB · Views: 881
Welcome to the forum and Z ownership. Car looks great, brave buying it sight unseen, sometimes you just have to go for it, well done. I have a similar car and found it well balanced on the track and surprisingly quick. Have driven Knockhill in a variety of cars when I lived in Scotland, a tricky circuit but great fun.
 
Hi and welcome
Always a risk when buying unseen, but it looks like you will have a great one when you are finished with it, enjoy :driving:
 
I also had a 330ci prior to my Z purchase great car,
Think the big difference you noticed in the speed is due to weight and driving position(a bit lower).
Enjoy your Z you will not be disapointed with how it unfolds against the e46.
It is more demanding in how it wants to be driven,but still a nice enough place to be as a daily driver.
 
Welcome, looks like a nice buy 👍🤞 didn’t realise the cup holders weren’t standard on all Z4, seems crazy! I agree with you and am not keen on the aftermarket ones, though be careful if you get the OE ones as there easily broken if you forget to put away when getting out of the car dont ask me how I know :headbang:
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

Some lovely photos too which seem to suggest you have a 3.0Si, so it definitely should feel a fair bit quicker than an E46 330i! And the lower seating position just in front of the rear wheels just adds to the experience.

There are loads of stubby aerial options:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=bmw%20stubby%20aerial. I bought a Peugeot/Citroen one for my previous Z4 and it fitted a treat, but there are whippy fans too!

The 3 litres have the Sound Generator that "pipes" induction noise into the cabin. BMW fitted a filter at each end, but you can remove or modify one or both depending how much volume you want.

Standard spec on Z4s was always a bit miserly compared to even a 3 Series, and although the OE cup-holders aren't exactly great quality they are probably the best option if you can find them.
 
Welcome to Z4 roadster ownership. I was thinking what a cracking good intro post. :thumbsup: But then you mentioned cup holders? :lol:
 
Mr Tidy said:
Hi and welcome to the forum. :thumbsup:

Some lovely photos too which seem to suggest you have a 3.0Si, so it definitely should feel a fair bit quicker than an E46 330i! And the lower seating position just in front of the rear wheels just adds to the experience.

There are loads of stubby aerial options:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=bmw%20stubby%20aerial. I bought a Peugeot/Citroen one for my previous Z4 and it fitted a treat, but there are whippy fans too!

The 3 litres have the Sound Generator that "pipes" induction noise into the cabin. BMW fitted a filter at each end, but you can remove or modify one or both depending how much volume you want.

Standard spec on Z4s was always a bit miserly compared to even a 3 Series, and although the OE cup-holders aren't exactly great quality they are probably the best option if you can find them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it’s a 30Si. It does have a very different feel to the 3 series although the same straight 6 sound! I actually had a play around with the sound generator last night, I think I am going to try cutting the engine side one in half and just putting that half in and see if that will get rid of the harsh noise at high RPM.

Thank you for the link! Are The fItments of Ariels a universal thing ? Do I want one with a screw on the bottom that screws into the base or does the base have the screw for the Ariel?

Yeah finding them new is not to hard, but the price is a bit much! Especially when you then see you have to buy the front cover plate that’s an extra £15 each!
 
N52 (262BHP) will always feel quicker :driving: than previous 3.0 M54 (230BHP) you would have had in the 330CI .
Car looks great in the pics 8) hope you find the roof button soon enough to enjoy the sunset drives :poke: :D
 
Stretch_Blanco said:
Thank you for the link! Are The fItments of Ariels a universal thing ? Do I want one with a screw on the bottom that screws into the base or does the base have the screw for the Ariel?
Click to expand...

The standard aerial has a protruding thread on the end that screws into a hole in the base, so you need to buy one with a protruding thread. Some of the universal ones comes with a selection of different sized threaded pieces, but there is a Peugeot/Citroen one that fits straight in although I couldn't find it. :roll:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom