New Purchase
- Thread starter PAH
- Start date
North West Surrey
Welcome to the forum anyway. 
If it is a private sale you and the seller can't keep 2 metres apart in a Z4! And I can see why a private seller would be reluctant to just let you take it out on your own. But they might if you gave them the cash or your car keys - you can only ask! Obviously all contact surfaces would need a wipe-down before and after, or use of gloves, but there ought to be some way to do it.
I went to look at an MC for sale by a trader last year for another forum member and the trader just fired it up and said he would see me later. :lol:
Hope it goes well anyway.
If it is a private sale you and the seller can't keep 2 metres apart in a Z4! And I can see why a private seller would be reluctant to just let you take it out on your own. But they might if you gave them the cash or your car keys - you can only ask! Obviously all contact surfaces would need a wipe-down before and after, or use of gloves, but there ought to be some way to do it.
I went to look at an MC for sale by a trader last year for another forum member and the trader just fired it up and said he would see me later. :lol:
Hope it goes well anyway.
Would be a no for me.
Understandable to a point but a bit to far.
Nothing wrong with having the car wiped down afterwards and maybe wearing a mask if really fussy.
Might just be cautious, but then again I'd suspect something was wrong with the car.
Why put a car up for sale if not willing to let you drive the car.
Understandable to a point but a bit to far.
Nothing wrong with having the car wiped down afterwards and maybe wearing a mask if really fussy.
Might just be cautious, but then again I'd suspect something was wrong with the car.
Why put a car up for sale if not willing to let you drive the car.
Walk away. The seller is a _______ (fill in the blank).
I have bought a few runabouts at auction for peanuts without driving them. There was nothing major wrong with any of them. But it's a risk and similar with a private sale. It's a question of trust and confidence. There is so much you can learn about a car from a test drive and it is, after all, what sports cars are about.
I doubt I could bring myself to buy an old sports car without a test drive to be honest.
I doubt I could bring myself to buy an old sports car without a test drive to be honest.
What is the mileage?
It could be great, it could need £1000 worth of suspension work straight away.
I would leave it, no way I would buy one of these without driving it, they are pretty hard on bushes, dampers and even springs.
Is it a manual? Surely you want to test that and make sure the clutch is not super heavy and on its way out?
It could be great, it could need £1000 worth of suspension work straight away.
I would leave it, no way I would buy one of these without driving it, they are pretty hard on bushes, dampers and even springs.
Is it a manual? Surely you want to test that and make sure the clutch is not super heavy and on its way out?
A
Anonymous
Guest
I wouldn't buy an old car without a 10mile test drive.
But then I'm fairly risk adverse.
Are you feeling lucky?
But then I'm fairly risk adverse.
Are you feeling lucky?
PAH said:
MOT history on these means nothing really.
Our E91 just flew through the MOT, he said it was all really tight. I had only just got it, but after driving it around it didn't feel how it should, how a new car should.
I had it on the ramp, and couldn't find any play at all, so presumed it was dampers and maybe top mounts that had gone as they are hard to test properly.
When I got the arms off to get the strut out every single ball joint was shagged, so it had new struts, new top mounts, new control arms, drop links, track rod ends, in fact the only part of the front suspension I kept was the springs and spring pads.
It is now showing up the rear is not as it should be, that however is dampers I think. I will whack a pair in at some point.
Never fail to be amazed at what some buyers of used cars expect with buying a "used " car :roll:
The car is clearly priced keenly to reflect it needs some spend, the seller has even described the cosmetic flaws yet folks still want to slate & nitpick
its a low owner, low mile, rare colour combo well specced example that could prove a great proposition.
If you'd rather pay more for a "pristine" car presented in a glitzy showroom with a worthless warranty crack on , even those examples can still need money spending.
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z4-roadster/bmw-2007-e85-z4-3-0si-auto-roadster--low-mileage-fsh/10552585
The car is clearly priced keenly to reflect it needs some spend, the seller has even described the cosmetic flaws yet folks still want to slate & nitpick
its a low owner, low mile, rare colour combo well specced example that could prove a great proposition.
If you'd rather pay more for a "pristine" car presented in a glitzy showroom with a worthless warranty crack on , even those examples can still need money spending.
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/bmw/z4-roadster/bmw-2007-e85-z4-3-0si-auto-roadster--low-mileage-fsh/10552585
I think that is a bit harsh. 
All the OP said was he was going to look at a car, owner said he couldn't test drive it.
Didn't say it was a roadster, didn't say what the price was, and said it was in the classifieds, I got to page 10. Didn't realise it was on Pistonheads classifieds.
I was simply saying, because the MOT had no issues doesn't mean the car at 15 years old will not need work doing, I would want to drive it before deciding.
If the op had said "It is priced well enough for me to be happy to spend a few quid if needed." that changes things.
All the OP said was he was going to look at a car, owner said he couldn't test drive it.
Didn't say it was a roadster, didn't say what the price was, and said it was in the classifieds, I got to page 10. Didn't realise it was on Pistonheads classifieds.
I was simply saying, because the MOT had no issues doesn't mean the car at 15 years old will not need work doing, I would want to drive it before deciding.
If the op had said "It is priced well enough for me to be happy to spend a few quid if needed." that changes things.
gIzzE said:I think that is a bit harsh.
All the OP said was he was going to look at a car, owner said he couldn't test drive it.
Didn't say it was a roadster, didn't say what the price was, and said it was in the classifieds, I got to page 10. Didn't realise it was on Pistonheads classifieds.
I was simply saying, because the MOT had no issues doesn't mean the car at 15 years old will not need work doing, I would want to drive it before deciding.
If the op had said "It is priced well enough for me to be happy to spend a few quid if needed." that changes things.
It wasn't intended to you directly , more to the forum member seemingly intent on rubbishing the car yet he should know as well as anyone what a sub 50k Si roady is likely to sell for.
The car above will most likely change hands at £7k (possibly less)
£1200-£1500 goes a long way on these cars at which point the new owner should have a great example to enjoy.
Very few used cars of 12-14 yrs age will require zero spend no matter what the odometer says so to my mind I'd prefer one priced to reflect a little time & investment is required , I accept not everyone else does but looking at a clearly cheap example then moaning about it just winds me up :wink:
On the surface of things it looks like a decent car. If you aren’t allowed to drive it that could be reflected in the offer you make. Buying an older car is always something of a gamble. I bought a low mileage pre-facelift roadster before I had joined this Forum. I knew nothing of the ‘sticky steering’ issue which affected some of these cars. I did all the usual checks and had a half our test drive. Everything seemed fine. However, on a long drive home the steering issue began to manifest itself and in truth whilst I managed to improve it I never really got it completely sorted. My point is that if you are buying privately it is always ‘caveat emptor’.