New boy needs advise!

[Jake1987]

Hello everyone, after a crap year of having to sell my house and campervan for obvious reasons, I've decided to treat myself to a Z4.

I have done a bit of my own research, but want the cold hard facts which only exist in forums.

So long story short, on Sunday I am meant to be picking up a 2003 3.0i M54 with 77k on the clock and FSH for £4.2k. I am aware the MPG is bad and the road tax is silly, but what else should I be worried about?

I am doing that standard thing of now over-thinking spending what is a decent amount of money to me.

Throw some positives and negatives at me.

 

[Zulu4]

The positive is that you will have a huge smile on your face on the next sunny day with the roof down 8)

 

[brillomaster]

77k for £4200 sounds like a decent price to me, so thats a positive...

 

[Jake1987]

2 positives to start... not too shabby!

Do they cost a lot to maintain?

 

[bigwinn]

2 positives to start... not too shabby!

Do they cost a lot to maintain?

Great cars and very easy to work on… you can pay bmw prices or find v cheap pattern parts out there

 

[rdm05z4]

Welcome and GLWTH purchase. Like anything else get what pay for. Others will chime in but things to check replace if needed. DISA valve, Vanos, Head Gasket ,springs, shocks. It also depends on the history of maintenance a well-cared for car will not have many issues down the road if kept up. Change oil at recommended intervals or sooner, if car has run flats replace with non run flats. Stops trimlining and not as harsh a ride. All these things can be done over time if not needed right away. And just to easy your mind my 05 this past summer just went over 200k. So these cars can last if looked after. As for cost look into a INPA shop stay away from dealer. Depending were you located members here can recommend shops for you. Again Good Luck! Oh and when purchased we do like pic's.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on finding a barely run in Z4.

Make sure you drive home the long way on Sunday so you can enjoy your new acquisition.

But don't forget we like to see photos of new members' cars!

A big positive is you have bought a RWD sports car with a 3 litre straight 6 in an era of down-sizing! For the performance you get I think they are pretty economical - my two 3.0Sis easily averaged over 30 mpg for the 5+ years I had them, although they were weekend cars.

Hopefully your Z4 will put a smile back on your face after your crap year.

 

[MikeyH]

Sorry to hear you’ve had a crap year but the Zed 4 will change all that. Sun out, roof down, foot on accelerator and glorious exhaust sound. Yep you'll be smiling. looking forward to pics.

 

[LittleZ4]

Mpg isn't bad at all on a sensible (boring) drive, I just did a 160 mile round trip in my 3.0l and got 39.2mpg (cruise control was my friend on that one)
As above there are some preventative maintenance bits to do if they haven't already been done, disa valve upgrade, VANOS seals ect. Easy car to work on with a bloody strong engine to boot.
Enjoy it, and remember to post the pics when you buy it!!

 

[MKZ4000]

I agree with the above. The mpg is actually really good when you take into account the performance on offer

 

[buzyg]

Welcome aboard Jake.
They are generally very reliable cars.
Good tyres cost a few bob? But are a must have on a sports car. :driving:

 

[enuff_zed]

Welcome to the 'help you spend your money' club.
I agree you seem to have got that at a good price.
Most of the maintenance stuff has been covered above.
I would say if it's on original suspension then consider getting that done. If the springs aren't broken then I'd keep the ones you have, but look into new shocks, top mounts, bump stops and bushes, front and rear. (If you were able to do it all yourself that would total around £450)
Checking the DISA valve is a must. It is on a plastic pivot pin and if that fails then the gubbins set off to meet the inlet valves.
The Vanos seals are more than likely to be knackered by now. A full overhaul kit is around £150, which includes all new gaskets etc.
Doing this will make the car much smoother and responsive and I've seen a 1-2mpg improvement every time I've done it.
Another little thing to check is the coolant expansion tank: if the coolant is dropping with no real sign of where from then it is likely to be a hairline crack in the tank. Another easy swap.
Also, check the intake elbow that goes into the throttle body. On the top is a convoluted pipe. These split which messes up the running and the fuel consumption.

Sounds like a big expensive list but not all needs doing straight away. Get the DISA valve off and check that is ok first as it is the thing that can cause more damage if it fails. While that's off, check that inlet pipe as it's easier to see then.
The rest you can put on the list for later.

My suggestion would be to state where you are and see if there is anyone local-ish to you who could give the car a once over and highlight all the salient points.
For example, I'd be more than happy to help out if you happened to be near Norfolk?
Stuart (bigwinn) is near Lincoln. Like me he is an M54 addict and happy to help out.

That all sounds negative I guess.
But the big positive is that you can already see the advice, experience and support is all close to hand.
I would be extremely surprised if you came up with an issue that hasn't been dealt with a dozen times by forum members. You only have to ask.

 

[Jake1987]

Thank you everyone for your replies - nothing better than a forum for a reality check, in a constructive way!

I am located in Dorset (Dad lives in Norfolk, Wroxham I believe) - are car meets a thing in this community? I have found with previous vehicles I have had, they all tend to be in the midlands or above (where I am told people are friendlier haha!)

I am now insured and deposit paid, so will be collecting the car on Sunday at 1pm - I shall drive it sensibly home, take some pics and see what you guys and girls?! think.

Also, really annoyed I spelt "Advice" wrong, but over-the-moon no one has come at me for it haha!

 

[tiglon]

My advise, other than using spellcheck, is to put the roof down and enjoy it!

Sounds like you've bought a good car and you've definitely done the right thing getting a straight six roadster before it's too late. Enjoy the drive home