Greetings! New Member!

A

ari1856

Member
Greetings everyone!

My name is Ari and I am an avid auto fan. About 5 years ago I decided to get off the leasing train and instead buy and collect cars. I don't get a new car every 3 years, but every 5 years or so I get a GREAT used car I can keep forever! I currently own a very modified 911 turbo and have recently decided to add an 06-08 M Roadster to the stable. My previous car was an E46 M3 so I am very familiar with the fabulous engine.

I am wondering if there are any specific issue areas to look for in these cars.

At present I'm looking for a blue, red or white, preferably with the ivory interior but will consider red or black with heated seats and a NAV. Will travel and ship anywhere in the US.

I hope to be contributing member here (I have over 4,000 posts in my Porsche forum).
 
Hello Ari! If you enjoyed your M3 you're likely to also love the Z4M, it's got the same power but is lighter and even more tail happy, no rasp too!

Not a lot of issues with them in general but these are some points to think about:

Make sure the car has a full service history and that it's had the first and very important break-in service at 1200 miles.

Z4M's tend to go through a lot of Oxygen (also called Lambda) sensors although i've noticed this is much more common on European Z4M's than North American ones.

The rear springs also tend to break at some point as well but again for some reason this is reported more often for European cars than NA ones. They're not expensive to replace though. You dont really notice anything different in the handling or the suspension height of the car and unless the severed part of the spring starts rattling it's hard to tell unless you remove the wheels and do a visual check. I had a broken spring and only noticed when i went to have my tires changed...

Changing from 1st to 2nd gear very quickly at high revs can result in grinding and missing the change but it's been reported that changing to stiffer transmission mounts helps in resolving that. Some owners report no such shift problems but others do (like myself for example).

Not an issue per se but the gearbox is very notchy and in combination with the finicky clutch action can result in kangarooing the car off the line in slow city driving, you get used to the transmission and clutch soon though and you'll stop doing than in no time at all.

The cars have what's called a Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) which is a restrictor between the clutch slave cylinder and clutch master cylinder. It "delays" the engagement of the clutch to supposedly protect the driveline from shock in case you dump the clutch. The result is that it makes the clutch pedal action feel strange as it slips the clutch against your will basically. It contributes to the kangaroo effect i described earlier. You can modify the valve so it doesnt restrict the flow or you can altogether remove it with no ill effect, as i have. You can find plenty of related information on the forums.

The brakes we use are the same as the CSL and ZCP E46 M3s not the same as the regular E46 M3, something to keep in mind in case you want to replace your brake discs or pads sometime.


Well that's all i can think of at the moment, i'm sure others will chime in with their tips in a bit. Again, best of luck in finding your perfect Z4M and in the meantime post some pictures of your 911!! :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the fast response! I just finished reading this as well: http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26420

I am very familiar with the clutch delay system as my E46 had one too. Never did remove it.

Here's a pic of my 911. Honest, bonified 700HP car :) I love it and will never sell.
X50%20with%20Champions%20Small.jpg
 
ari1856 said:
Ok I'll stop. I'm not bragging. Just really like it!
Click to expand...

Don't see it as bragging, just someone who loves their cars - thanks for sharing. Am a huge Porsche fan - 2.7 RS or 964 RS for me please... or maybe the 997 GTS or the GT3 or maybe the GT2 RS... or maybe just a 968CS... enough now :oops:

Anyway, welcome, look forward to see what you make of the Z4M... quite a raw car, reminds me more of the 993.

Taz, the roof is much less of an issue on the facelift models - and is caused by water, looking at Ari's photo of the 911 I don't think that's going to be too much of an issue! But worth noting :thumbsup:

Good luck with the search :thumbsup:
 
lovely Porsche. Shame about the engine being in the wrong place :poke:

After the 996 Turbo you might find the Z4M:
1. has got a rubbish primary ride leading to traction issues - decent tyres really help.
2. sounds a lot better than that 3.6 boxer :P
3. Is nowhere near as comfortable or accomplished GT

Plus all the little characterful niggles such as heavy clutch, useless sports button, average gearbox, CDV etc.

And thats exactly why we love those cars :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom