Newbie advice on coupe purchase

R

Robbo82

Member
Hi guys new to forum....

Looking to get a coupe, wont be a daily driver so unlikely I will put many miles on the clock. Will mainly be weekend drives. Budget around 8k

Should I go for

1. A lower mileage car ( seen ones at 70k) which is lower spec
2. A higher spec car (e.g heated seats, folding mirrors etc) but that is higher miles (90k to 100k+)

Also any obvious things outside of water pump I should look for ?

Cheers
Adam
 
Don’t be put off with high mileages, the engines are good for 250k plus....

I’d personally would go on condition and spec and service history etc...

Only probs that tend to go is water pump, springs can snap, expansion tanks can split, leaky oil filter housings/ cam cover gaskets... all of which are easy fixes. :thumbsup:
 
Also consider the Roadster as you'll probably get an SI for 8k with a decent spec.

Check on the For Sale section here as there's usually a lot of cars that have either been well looked after or need some work to bring them up to standard.

I'd budget for an extra £500 - £1000 for any work required on these cars although it can probably be sorted over a few months / winter.
 
Welcome to the forum. Maybe just me, but 70k is not particularly low mileage, on a weekend car. :wink:

It is however where many decent Z4's sit these days. 90k plus is approaching the psychological milestone of 100k. Many people searching Autontrader for a weekend toy won't even consider the higher milage cars, they are mistaken to do so. Those extra 20-30k are pretty irrelevant in engineering terms. What is far more important is that the car has been looked after and runs sweetly.

Just bare in mind all the cars you are looking at could probably benefit from a suspension refresh. Not essential, but something that those miles probably affect more than they affect the engine. :)
 
I suppose deciding whether you go for lower mileage or higher spec depends on how badly you want options like heated seats, Bi-Xenons (I'd recommended them), cruise control, parking sensors, etc.

But you definitely should look for the M-Sport seats that all Sport models have - some SEs have them as they were an option on those.

Bear in mind all E86s are over 10 years old, so 90/100K isn't high mileage although people seem to think a car stops working when it gets to 100,000 miles - but these don't!

Higher mileage may affect resale, but you'll probably be paying less when you buy so it's kind of swings and roundabouts.

There are a couple for sale in the Classifieds on here, which is a good place to start as you're more likely to be buying from an enthusiast who will have looked after the car.

Happy hunting. :thumbsup:
 
Robbo82 said:
Cool cheers guys... wondered if lower miles might help with re sale at later date :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Depending on the spec of the car it'll make £500 - 1000 more or £500 - 1000 less than similarly spec'd cars probably.

Where they're sitting at the moment I'd be looking at the service history and receipts for work that's been done.

Springs
Bushes
Brake Discs
Water Pump 70 - 80k
ABS Pump
Plugs and Coilpacks changed
Oil leaks if any?
Rusty bootlid on the hatchback!
What state are the tyres in?
What oil is in it?

How the owner has looked after and maintained the car when they get to this age is probably more important.

Just about everything can be fixed and there's plenty of info on the forum on the best ways to get things fixed.

A low mileage car will not guarantee trouble free motoring and neither will a high mileage car. I'd be looking for one that someone has had for a few years rather than a summer toy that's changed hands more times than Katy Price!
 
Some great advice there from skelters. :thumbsup:

I'd forgotten about the tailgates. :oops: If it is rusty it doesn't show on the outside - look all around the edges when the hatch is open.

Most of them will probably have had a new water pump by now - my 1st Coupe needed one at just 9 years and 60K miles, but it's useful to know how long the pump has been on the car.
 
Forgot to say...
This is close seems a decent enough price although a fairly basic car with limited options based on listing and buttons I can see in pics... any thoughts guys ?

https://www.dsi-performance-cars.co.uk/used/cars/bmw/z4/z4-si-se-coupe-full-history-last-owner-since-2013-182
 
....some cracking advice there. Finally (just to add to your confusion) the E86 did of course only come with the N52 engine, but it was revised around a year later in the form of the N52K. You can read about that here... https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=105709&hilit=N52k&start=30
 
Robbo82 said:
Forgot to say...
This is close seems a decent enough price although a fairly basic car with limited options based on listing and buttons I can see in pics... any thoughts guys ?

https://www.dsi-performance-cars.co.uk/used/cars/bmw/z4/z4-si-se-coupe-full-history-last-owner-since-2013-182
Click to expand...

Thoughts ? Yes id ignore that car & Id take the montego blue one of Nicks regardless of its proximity to you .
Was discussing it earlier today with another forum guy , its cheap , a bit too cheap imo :( highly likely if you wanted rid next spring / summer with another 2-3k on it could well sell for more than the current ask :wink: just my own thoughts of course
 
Robbo82 said:
Forgot to say...
This is close seems a decent enough price although a fairly basic car with limited options based on listing and buttons I can see in pics... any thoughts guys ?

https://www.dsi-performance-cars.co.uk/ ... e-2013-182
Click to expand...

I wouldn't pay that much for that one seeing as it is the SE model, so doesn't have the M-Sport seats that the Sport models had - and even used M-Sport seats sell for the best part of £1,000!

Plus it doesn't have a great spec. - no parking sensors, Bi-Xenons, cruise control, heated seats or multi-function steering wheel.

Nick's definitely looks like a better buy for the money.

Bearing in mind that only just over 3,000 Coupes were registered in the UK, and less than 2,500 of them had a manual gearbox, it's worth travelling for the right car.

I live in Berkshire, but went to Portsmouth for my 1st and to Rugby for my 2nd!
 
I would ignore mileage, Everyone has differing opinions so I have to accept some people do seem to really get in a twist about mileage being some bearer of value. Although I have a hatred for people commenting in for sales threads regarding someones ad regarding price/mileage.

At best, Any coupe is going to be what, 10 years old now? Even at 50k, Thats still 10 year old rubber bushings, ball joints, calipers, etc.
You could pay top money for a 50k car and still end up having to replace all manner of things.

The only reason I would consider a low mileage car over other factors would be resale value to other people who cant overlook mileage.
 
I’m in the south and my coupe is for sale.
A 2007 M sport in Ruby Black, with red leather interior. MV2 Alloys
Just under 120K miles.
She has folding mirrors and rear parking sensors. Multi function steering wheel and recently fitted a ZHP gear knob.
Matt black grille and BMW stubby aerial
Just serviced at BMW and was health checked.
It needs a repair to the Odometer display.
Which has been quoted at £150.
The engine received recent work by BMW too. Have owned her for over two years.
I’m after £5K. Though was offered £5.3K as a px yesterday.
PM me if interested....or to view.
 
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