Thoughts On This Please
- Thread starter paulgjohnston
- Start date
+1 the sentiments above. The irony and the arrogance. Robs been on here for years yet the newbie just assumed he doesnt have a clue about roof issues. Then there's the broad brush assumptions about 100k cars. Not even considering for a moment that plenty have had alot of work on the suspension and bushes by that mileage that actually puts them in better shape than some lower mileage cars. Anyone with any decent experience of these cars also knows multiple owners isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to the z4
Davz said:
The OP is actively seeking opinion & "advice" i assume in order to forumulate a decision as to which car would be the best for him :?
Many don't do that , buy the first car they like the look of then spend a lot of time + money adding sports seats , heated seats , cupholders , windbreak etc etc
Your opinion is of course part of that debate but to suggest a better car is one without those would contradict the desires of the majority of owners that have joined , stayed , left the forum .
The optional extras are also proving very reliable even in the 15yr old examples & its pretty rare to experience a fail with them other than well known & documented problems that affect every example regardless of engine size or spec ( control arms , bushes , wing mirrors falling out , misted fog lamps etc)
As for your Mx5 owning pal :wink: he could always look out for one of the earlier Zs that were available without electric roof :roll: or simply put aside £100 to have the motor checked over & relocated by one of the many forum contacts who offer that service .
The OP clearly wants to know that they are not overpaying and came here seeking advice. What I see in this thread is a broad range of opinions to help him base his judgement ranging from 'I like it' to 'I don't like it' and lots of advice on alternative options to measure his expectations against.
I haven't offered an opinion, but for the sake of adding my two penneth and being a 2.0 owner I would advise going for a bigger engine because of my own personal experience, but the OP may have already taken this into consideration in their search.
If anything Davz's advice is the most vague and confusing. How do you put a value on items that you may not essentially require, and then expect to pay a higher price for the privilege of not having them?
Also, Top Gear might have been a decent programme once upon a time, but I wouldn't go quoting Jeremy Clarkson's words as gospel and in all honestly he's certainly not the kind of figure I would aspire to be, but each to their own and all that.
I haven't offered an opinion, but for the sake of adding my two penneth and being a 2.0 owner I would advise going for a bigger engine because of my own personal experience, but the OP may have already taken this into consideration in their search.
If anything Davz's advice is the most vague and confusing. How do you put a value on items that you may not essentially require, and then expect to pay a higher price for the privilege of not having them?
Also, Top Gear might have been a decent programme once upon a time, but I wouldn't go quoting Jeremy Clarkson's words as gospel and in all honestly he's certainly not the kind of figure I would aspire to be, but each to their own and all that.
paulgjohnston
Member
God. Didn't want to start a war on here.......
There's a nice one listed on Ebay that ticks my boxes, it's in Yorkshire and I'm in Scotland but I'm willing to travel down to look.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bmw-z4-2-5si-Sport-low-mileage/152927364547?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Loads of previous owners receipts etc....
Just looking for sound advice from people in the know, I don't want to end up making the mistakes I did buying a 1.9 Z3 with a gubbed window..........
There's a nice one listed on Ebay that ticks my boxes, it's in Yorkshire and I'm in Scotland but I'm willing to travel down to look.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bmw-z4-2-5si-Sport-low-mileage/152927364547?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
Loads of previous owners receipts etc....
Just looking for sound advice from people in the know, I don't want to end up making the mistakes I did buying a 1.9 Z3 with a gubbed window..........
paulgjohnston said:
Obviously it's hard to say based on an ad with low nunber of pics. A few of the concerns I'd have with that one are;
1) what does partial service history actually mean in this case?
2) the wear on the drivers seat bolster looks a bit excessive for a 50k car to me. Obviously there can be legitimate reasons for this but that bolster is noticable more worn than mine on 70k seats.
3) the wheel finish isn't to my taste but obviously this is personal choice and reversible for a few hundred.
I'm not saying rule it out, but I'd definetly want a bit more info on the first point before travelling, especially as your not exactly around the corner. It would be worth checking the mot history online at this point to see if it's failed on anything major and the mileage stacks up
paulgjohnston
Member
MACK said:
MACK said:
It has stamped service book but not all BMW garages
mileage/MOT's agree.
Agree that wheels are a matter of taste.
many thanks for the input, appreciated.
paulgjohnston
Member
Yes. owner previous to this one had it 6 years and it was kept in a garage, comes with all receipts for work done. Seller stated that the hood is mint and has sent pictures. Body work apparently is in superb condition also.
paulgjohnston said:
Pointers & advice from here is all well & good but what someone sees as great others may not :? at some point you have to collate any knowledge & advice then make your own decision , nobody here can say 100% " mate , that is a once in a lifetime Z opportunity you should buy immediately without hesitation " :wink: ( though that did happen once when Lynchy bought a ZMR but unlikely ever to be repeated
)As for the ebay car you linked ? I have the same black sports seats in my 121k coupe ( electric not manual ) , i'l post a pic of the drivers seat when i get home if you like but i can tell you it looks nothing like the 50k ones pictured in the 2.5si roadster above
it may well be a decent example but it doesn't shout " buy me " for some reason , , , others may see something differentpaulgjohnston
Member
Many thanks for the comment.
paulgjohnston said:
For what it's worth I like that one much more than the first one. And saying it 'ticks all my boxes' is a much more passionate response than a hesitant 'what does everyone else think'. At the end of the day you've got to go with what feels like it ticks those boxes for you so whether or not that's the one, you seem to have a clearer idea of what it is you're looking for.
I used to have them wheels and it's an acquired taste but I think they look decent with that darker refurb.
I travelled from Manchester to London for mine and though I regret not getting a bigger engine I still love the car. What I would say is if you're making an exceptionally long trip like I did you're almost 99% coming home with a new car or a wasted journey and the seller knows that.
paulgjohnston
Member
thanatu55 said:
Many thanks. It is very difficult when all you are dealing with is pictures and chat from the seller. It is a long way to go that's why I wanted peoples thoughts on it.
Taking the seat wear in isolation. If you do go to view it and feel everything else is right about the car but the seat wear is putting you off, it could literally be one of the previous owners was a bit rough on it getting in and out etc, rather than anything sinister. However about £100 recolonisation will have the pair looking as good as new.assuming the leather and foam are intact.paulgjohnston said:
paulgjohnston
Member
MACK said:
I hadn't thought that the seats looked particularly bad to be honest. Your suggestion re the seats is one I had done on my Z3 (amongst other things) and they came out looking good. The fact that the mileage tallies with the MOT's is also a good thing. I don't think anything sinister has been going on but it's right to be cautious.
Many thanks for the comment.
raymond.harper
Senior member
DN06JUY is the registration. Mileage checks out with MOT history. Feedback is good from seller
paulgjohnston
Member
raymond.harper said:
Thanks Raymond. Chatted to the seller at length on the phone and he seems like a nice guy. He spent a lot of time looking for a Z4 and this was bought in Newcastle from a real enthusiast.
paulgjohnston
Member
thanatu55 said:Sounds promising from what you've said and what it is you're after
Hopefully not a wasted trip...