Test drive - but reservations...

T

tallstevef

Member
Hi,

Went to drive a '54 plate 3.0i roadster today, looked great in the darker grey and black leather. Paintwork immaculate, rims pretty good (a few minor scuffs, nothing much). Ride was a bit jiggly - yep, it was on runflats. A few creaks and rattles, not what I was expecting, wasn't too bad but maybe I didn't notice too much as I was concentrating on the driving - RWD and v.cold weather demands respect (in my book!).

Did a few higher speed accelerations, thought I detected potential clutch slip going from 2nd to 3rd at about 4000rpm, felt like there was a "lag" in acceleration - only momentary, but indicative of something else?? Not sure as it's the 1st Z4 I've driven... Opinions welcome!

Heated seats were nice - especially in this weather. Hood looked in great condition, and went up and down without hesitation or noise.

Dealer (local 2nd hand place - not BMW main / franchise) phoned up Dealer to get info on what work had been done at the last service (back in 2009) - no records, had been archived - could phone up BMW UK, but apparently they'd only be able to confirm when serviced and by who, not what work had been done / what parts replaced...

On the plus side, it was offered with 1 year warranty.

Tempted, as it is a great looking car and felt great on the road - nice lowdown grunt, great driving position - but a bit worried about the clutch and lack of service info...

Any thoughts / advice?

Thanks

Steven
 
I have the same model and there shouldn't be any lag like what you describe. On the plus side a clutch is a fairly easy job on a Z4, can be done for as little as £350 from an indy so not the end of the world.

I wouldn't worry about the servicing if it drives alright, just make sure you haggle the price down to reflect this. Just my opinion though.
 
Not sure about the clutch lag thing? I certainly wouldn't buy unless I was sure about the clutch, you could get it checked but don't assume a warranty will always cover basic clutch wear as some don't. The service history sounds wrong, last service 2009? whatever the service indicator says it needs servicing after a max of two years anyway, and missing history is always a worry, and will affect resale.

If it all checks out, well and good but there are loads of excellent examples out there and some real deals to be had, be picky. Good luck with the search it's worth the wait :thumbsup:
 
Try posting where your from , members are very helpfull on here and iam sure some one may meet up with you and take you for a spin in a sorted car .
 
Am based in SE London / Kent borders... If anyone local has a sorted Z4 3.0 that I could try out then it'd be appreciated, feel free to message me!

Thought the gap in service history was a bit odd / too long a gap - especially when only the stamped service book is available, rather than the printed out worksheets... No mark on the "odometer" display to indicate tampering - found that little gem out on here!

One I was looking at was up at 8K - which I thought was a competitive price for a late '54 with 53K miles. Prices do seem to be "variable" shall we say! :)
 
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