Newbie looking for z4 roadster

R

ross101

Member
Hi all,

I've recently signed up as I am on the hunt for a 3.0si z4 roadster, hopefully a decision I won't regret. I originally wanted an s2000 but at 6"2 and with no adjustable steering it was a no go..
Anyway onto the hunt, I'm after a post 06 roadster 3.0si manual, below 60k ideally, and in terms of extras only really bothered about heated seats and maybe xenon and parking sensors. My budget is 10k max.

Originally I wanted it in black or gun grey with red leather, but I've stumbled across this which I quite like and have arranged a viewing:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201408266877949

My only thoughts are it's priced a tad high and I'm unsure if the previous gearbox change and what seemed to be early clutch failure is a concern or possibly a good thing in that it's all new now and done under bmw. I think the car itself looks really tidy and in good condition, it's also had the rear springs done a few months ago. What are people's thoughts?

Cheers, Ross
 
Superb looking zed
Gorgeous colour scheme
Good mileage
Price a bit on the high side but I don't think that matters in the long term
 
A nice example chosen but agree price is dealer figure & private you would want to be knocking a decent lump off .
Others have had clutch / gearbox issues ( DPG ? ) so not totally unknown
Shame they have spoiled the piano dash with what appears to be half a George Foreman grill :o
 
I'm hoping it's a removal George foreman as well. I agree about the price but it does look well maintained and has evidently lots of history with it.

Spec wise can anyone tell me what options this doesn't have as I don't know the whole list, presume a few would be no navigation, bluetooth, extending seats, stereo upgrade, elec fold mirrors. Also are those definitely xenon lights from the pics?

I guess will just have too see how it goes when I view it. Is it worth asking for him to not run the engine before I get there so I can test the box from cold and hear potential engine noises?
 
i would always want to hear a car from cold & again re start from hot , listen & look for smoke both times
I would be listening for noises on box+clutch both in gear & freewheeling with clutch depressed as well if its had previous work there
Its £10k which is a lot of money so always show caution .
There is a buyers guide made up on the forum so have a read :thumbsup:
 
Cheers for the advice.

In terms of engine start up noise from cold would it sound much different to hot? my old car for example was commonly slightly tappy from cold but quieter when warm. What possible warning signs am I looking for?

Also should the clutch bite be relatively low? And roughly how long should the roof take to go up and down, presume extended time could represent motor issues?
 
Yeah mine had a new gearbox fitted about 5k miles ago. I wouldn't let that put you off

Great looking car

WTF Is that on the dash?
 
Nothing else to add but this would be my second colour combo of choice if I didn't find my initial of black + red.

Excellent taste.

DPG, its for your phone. Can only hope the p/o has not glued or drilled it in!
 
Hi and welcome. Regarding spec, parking sensors are not that important as they are only on the rear which is about 2 foot behind you. If they were on the front it would be a different story.

Agree above about starting from cold. Very important on a face lift 6 cyl model as they have the N52 engine which suffers from the infamous HVA issue. It should only be Tappety for 1-2 seconds. Any longer then it has a problem. It might not do it every time and BMW say it doesn't cause any issues, but I would beg to differ on that.
 
Hi Ross - welcome to the Forum - you're looking for the right Zed and that does look lovely.

For info - I paid £10,500 for my 2008 3.0si with 54K miles in January as an Authorised Used Car from BMW with 1 years warranty. Stratus Grey with Piano Black interior. Heated seats Park assist, no xenons. I thought it a good deal at the time (Px'ed my 2 litre). So I think the 07 is strong money but it's a good colour and interior looks good too - they are quite rare so it's a bit of a sellers market for the 3.0si - would still want a good wodge off the price though.
There aren't too many of the later 3.0si on the market - plenty of high priced 06s though (some dealers looking for same money as this 07!). Many of us pay over the odds for our first Zed though. . . it's that kind of sports car!

Can't comment on the gearbox issue - though some members have above, so one less thing to worry about. We all know about the potential hood electric motor failure through water ingress - bit of a lottery really, that one, but keeping the drain holes clear should help and it can be fixed by contacts on the forum for half or less dealer prices. The hood takes time to react to the pushing of the open and close button so don't freak when nothing happens immediately - it's also quite noisy but you get used to expecting the crash of the roof closing and the whine when it opens and closes - takes about 10 seconds to open and close. The windows should drop slightly to aid the opening and closing and should close (if already open) and finger left on button after the roof is closed.

I'd be checking consumables like tyres and brakes as they will add to the costs if needed. Decent tyres are £400+ a set (staggered tyres on the sport version). Ask what tyres are fitted - most of us fit non runflats to improve the ride and that's ok (as long as they are decent sports tyres!). Check wheels are ok - refurbs cost if you're not happy with them.

Check the drivers side cushion - it gets worn getting in and out (I slide down into my seat to try and minimise this - roof is always down!)

Expect a tappity noise when you lift the bonnet - it concerned me at first but I was reassured by my mechanic of 30 years that it's the noise of the injectors (sounds like me tapping on the keys of this laptop).

I'd judge on the owner and how they come across - are they an enthusiast? Have they just run the car into the ground or is it well cared for and cherished? The Zed's take lots of punishment though and keep coming back for more - it amazes me - we had 8-10 cars being driven hard over 2/3 days to Skye and they never missed a beat and are ready for more - even with what appears like long service intervals - very impressive performance.

Also check there is no condensation in the fog lights or main lights - can happen - if the fog lights are bad they'll need replacing and its a negotiation point (I got mine replaced in my deal).

I'll post more if anything comes to mind. Best wishes with your search - I was patient waiting for my Zed as I wanted an AUC from BMW and it took months for one to come up at the price I wanted to pay.

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
Well car was a no goer for me. Seats were so badly worn they were yellow in areas, general condition elsewhere wasn't loved which is a shame.
Also the engine sounded quite ticky to me, I've heard a friends 2003 330 at work and it was a lot quieter than that. Are the 3.0si engines louder than the older 3.0 due to the changes made?

The engine pull and note is fantastic though, I fitted in comfortably too, definitely the car for me. Just need to find a good example, which I think may take longer than I thought..
 
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