Lookign for my first Z4

S

Smallzoo

Member
Ive seen a Z4 and someone on the BMW forum has kindly done some investigation and it looks sound

We have a tiny budget of less than £4k

..but I'm no mechanic and it not in my area...its in Pinxton on the derbyshire/nottingham border

Its a 2003 2.5 auto Z4 with cream leather. Good MOT, 2 owners and no accident history. He is only asking £2k

Is there anyone that could take a look at the car for me with a z4 reader to reassure me its a good one

Happy to part with some wine and beer for helping me out

Longshot but maybe someone can help

cheers
 
Looks like Rockhopper is the nearest. Maybe send him a PM?

Car looks nice in Merlot with the light interior. It also has the 'nice' wheels on it! :thumbsup:
 
No comment on this car, but you have a lot of 2.5 litres to choose from for £4k and quite a few 3.0 litres too. Buy the best you can find for the money.
 
I love that colour and it looks pretty smart in the photos.

The only possible downside is it doesn't have heated seats which most E85 owners always want to extend the top-down season.

Anyway welcome to the forum and good luck with your Z4 search. :thumbsup:
 
Zedebee said:
No comment on this car, but you have a lot of 2.5 litres to choose from for £4k and quite a few 3.0 litres too. Buy the best you can find for the money.
Click to expand...

Trouble is I don't know much about these cars and I'm no mechanic so find the 'best buy' is going to be difficult..cheers anyway
 
Smallzoo said:
Pondrew wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:57 pm
Looks like Rockhopper is the nearest. Maybe send him a PM?
How do I contact him ?
Click to expand...

Go into "Private messages" at the top right of the screen then click on "Compose message" and put "Rockhopper" into the recipient box. :thumbsup:
 
Quite rightly , after offering me some sound advice rockhopper didn't feel it was right to go and see the car and make a decision for me.

Anyone recommend a company (locally to derbyshire or national) that I could trust to examine the car and give me an expert opinion on the car mechanically and bodywork ?

My wife really likes it , it's a good price but we really can't afford to buy a lemon

Thanks
 
How have you bought your previous cars?

Given your concerns I'm not sure buying a 20 year old BMW for £2K is really for you, although you said your budget was less than £4K so you'd have a bit to spare for potential issues.

Because there will be some for sure. I bought a 2002 E46 325ti Compact on 80K miles in 2014 (same M54 engine as that Z4) and within a few months the radiator developed a major leak. A cooling system refresh cost the best part of £500.

Then at 94K a PAS pipe split and that cost over £300 to get replaced - although that wouldn't happen on a Z4 as they have Electric PAS.

I replaced it with a 132K mile 2006 325i in 2018 and 6 months later it needed a new electric water pump, so another £500+ bill. Although that Z4 doesn't have an electric water pump.

Replaced that in 2019 with a 2005 330i on 107K. Just before 110K it needed a new lower front tension arm for £236. In June 2020 on 114K it needed new rear shocks and a top arm that cost over £400. Then in 2022 a wire in the loom for the boot lid split at 117K. That ended up burning out the control module for the light failure warning light so a rebuilt module, repaired wire and new rear top mounts cost £536. I got it MOTd in 2023 on 122K and the central locking died leaving all the doors unlocked, except the driver's one that wouldn't open. It turns out a rear door lock had failed and blew the fuse. Diagnosis, new door lock and membrane and almost £500 later it was all sorted.

And that's before I get to my Z4s, although to be fair they have been a bit less troublesome thankfully - well so far!

While a couple of those issues wouldn't apply to that Z4 maybe it gives you an indication of what to expect running older BMWs so you need to go into it with your eyes open.

I can live with it because I love them, and it's far cheaper than depreciation on a newer car. :D
 
Thanks so much

You would be shocked if I told you how many cars I've had and it's obvious I've been very very lucky. Over 40years I can count on the fingers of one hand how many bills have cost me more than £250. I've had everything from an old Porsche to a Volvo 940 but never a Z4

The trouble is that from my personal opinion the used car market has changed over the last 5 years or so. Very sadly I don't trust anyone who is selling a car anymore whereas before I would have bought on take a quick look at a car and a drive and trusting the seller. I honestly can't do that anymore.

The last big bills I had were a year a go when I bought an old Nissan xtrail.over 6 months it's cost me £800 to put right and that's because I trusted the seller in what he had done.

Maybe I'm wrong but I thought at £2k with a good history and if a mechanic checks it out ok even if it cost me £500 over the next 18 months it's cheap motoring

Thanks again
 
If it costs you £500 over 18 months you’ll be doing very well! They can bite you fast with various engine gaskets, brake lines, and other bits.

Or not, of course. But I’d have a bigger slush fund in mind than £500.
 
Maybe do get yourself up to speed on basics of mechanics if you have owned so many cars? You Tube is a great source of info.
It really isn't that hard to do some jobs, that would set you back a couple hundred quid in a garage.
Life skills as well, all transferable to the next car :thumbsup:
 
I take it that £500 is for unexpected bills and does not include VED/fuel/insurance etc?

Tbh a mechanical inspection is no guarantee that a big bill will not present itself a few weeks/months after purchasing. At that age and price point i'd be expecting some bills along the way.
 
You know that post I made up there, about £500 over 18 months being a bit lean possibly?

I then got in my car and the power steering ECU appears to have shat itself - £500 fix on the nose. So I didn’t even make it 1.8 hours let alone 18 months.

Edit: Sorry, I'm painting a bad picture of them - it was more the comical timing from drinking a coffee and posting that they can bite you, and then my own biting me for £500 an hour later!

They have foibles, they have 'problems' but the thing is they're not exaggerated - they're real! They will leak oil, they will fizzle brake lines, their expansion tanks will go and they will do other stuff like throw airbag module problems or apparently crap their PS ECU If you buy one and you get away without one or a few of these problems hitting you, then you will be doing well - and I hope you do, that one looks very nice and may have had a load of these things done already....that's what my advice would be - look for one of them.
 
Cars can throw up problems at any age, I must admit I've been very impressed by my E89. I've owned it 9 years and all that I've had to fix (touch wood...apart from serviceable items and tyres) were the two rear springs and a headlight adjusting rod, not bad for a car that will be 15 this year. Made me decide that its replacement will be another Z4, but this time I'll have a long warranty with it.... just incase :lol: .
 
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