What to do.....8 years of ownership now and I want to make some cheap improvements...

[Markyboy]

Hi Guys, I've had my 2004 Z4 3.0i for about 8 years and it only has about 33k on the clock. Its a 2nd car and until recently I worked abroad for over 6 months of the year.



Ive done the CDV, fitted a ZHP knob and it has clear rearlights. I have just got some clear side repeaters but haven't fitted them yet. If work hadn't slowed up as it has the last 18 months I'd be Z4M hunting but that's not feasible now.

Just want to do some small bits to improve things without spending allot....I'm thinking 330i brakes, Royal steering wheel and maybe some spacers and Eibach springs.

Any other ideas guys??

Mark.

 

[Ducklakeview]

330i/330D brakes are a straight swap, and good improvement, especially with some decent discs and pads. Spacers, I would go with 15mm front & 20mm rear, funnily enough just like the set I have for sale on the forum, complete with long bolts

I had my std wheel retrimmed with half perforated nappa leather and extra thickness, and I loved it - That is until I managed to get my hands on an ///M wheel, which I can highly recommend..

Mike

 

[mr wilks]

Id forget the Eibach's unless its purely for looks spacers will work magic on your car ( & M size rubber even more )
Aeroskirts got to top the list around £500ish but can't fail to love the look once fitted & down the line if you keep your existing cills then you should see 85% of the money back :wink:
M steering wheel is a nice thing to have , add that to the list too
The car looks mighty fine as is imo

 

[Markyboy]

I was hoping some Eibachs would improve the ride a little? I do think some spacers would improve the looks but I don't want to worsen the ride or handling at all and I have no experience of them.

I've read your posts on going up to the M size tyres Mr Wilks. I would have done that 18 months ago when I got the new F1s but I hadn't read your advice at the time. Bit gutted as I think it would have given a good improvement in ride quality.

With the number of miles I do it will be at least 4 years before I change them! lol

Do The Aero skirts really go for over £400 second hand? Thats got me thinking. Could probably justify that as an investment! lol

Maybe a one touch module could be an option. I'n defo going to have a Royal wheel upgrade, M wheels look mighty expensive.

I do still hanker after an M but the best ragtops are close to 20k now. I do wonder if I should just push the boat out and just do it on the basis that doing 2k a year it should appreciate.

 

[Ducklakeview]

GapTech RC+ was the first mod I did to mine, and it's worth every penny, yes the roof can be coded to open from the remote, and SOME can be coded to close, BUT you have to stand next to the car holding the key, looking a bit, erm... The GapTech also gives you one touch, so you can press the raise/lower button and drive off whilst it's doing it's thing, especially handy if you have a manual, and the lights have just changed to green!

+1 on the Eibachs not doing anything for the ride, probably even more harsh IMO. And yes, aero skirts are like money in the bank..

Mike

 

[mr wilks]

I do still hanker after an M but the best ragtops are close to 20k now. I do wonder if I should just push the boat out and just do it on the basis that doing 2k a year it should appreciate.

Mine won't be £20k & 2K a year converted into ///Miles will mean 3 or even 4
Seriously though if you only plan to do minimal miles i would consider a higher mile car for much less spend , they can be bought , driven & enjoyed on a fairly strict budget if you buy at the right point of the service / repair cycle

 

[Markyboy]

How much for a really good 30k mile ragtop M now then? I keep looking at a really nice 30k miler online, full BMW history and satnav etc for just under 20k.

My father recently sold a car he bought in 1960 that had 26k on the clock. We like to keep cars a while in our family! lol

 

[aquarianone]

The DLV exhaust mod, definitely adds a bit more drama and puts a smile on your face

 

[Ducklakeview]

The DLV exhaust mod, definitely adds a bit more drama and puts a smile on your face

Well, obviously I can highly recommended that!

Mike

 

[A5 VRX]

I'd go spacers 100%, really improves the look of the car no end. I think it's the first thing Z4 owners should do as the wheels really look lost tucked away in those arches

 

[domsz4]

i have a set of spacers for mine and never fitted the .... i remember something about needing bolts cut down to right length??

 

[Rusky]

I put eibachs on mine and found a huge improvement in the ride, I found they made the drive less harsh. I would Def go for a DLV exhaust mod too, I have a power flow back box but am getting a dlv box . 12th spacers on all corners have improved the looks too

 

[Izzyspi]

Royals wheel is a great shout and well worth the dosh, IMHO. It's the main contact point with the car and makes a massive difference to the enjoyment.
224 M wheels are a great add too - can be picked up for a reasonable price if you are patient, and the offset fills the arches of a non-M car perfectly.
Finally, I'd echo the recs for a DLV box above. I got mine done a while back from Mike, and loved it. After 6 weeks, it was playing havoc with my tinnitus, so I contacted Mike and he just re-did a slightly reined in version. Now I have the same rasp and pops on the overrun, at a volume my ears can cope with - still a HUUUGE improvement over the standard set up.
All the above should be no more than £800, give or take a few quid, but give you a much better looking and feeling car.
Good luck with the mods!!!

 

[Marlon]

Lovely low mileage Zed you have there.
I will echo what others have mentioned: You've done the CDV and ZHP So hub-centric spacers (20mm rear, 15mm front) will improve the stance, Royal wheels refurb or better still a M Sport wheel (if you can find one that's not at silly money), DLV back box mod to release the sound of the straight 6, you could look at different alloys (224s - personal choice though) but that is not a cheap mod, Cruise Control (yours should be pre-wired - although I guess you don't do many motorway miles)
(I'm basically giving you a list of my mods )

 

[jamie_z4]

i think you should keep the orange side repeaters & sell me your rear lights

as above tho - Spacers & Retrimmmed steering wheel are the best asthetic mods you can do for under £200 for both

 

[ph001]

Clear brake light on the boot is super easy and makes a noticeable difference

 

[hopz121]

Id go, M Sport seats or Bilstein B12 Suspension kit or 330Ci brakes or an M sport steering wheel.

 

[Magicarcher]

330i/330D brakes are a straight swap, and good improvement, especially with some decent discs and pads. Spacers, I would go with 15mm front & 20mm rear, funnily enough just like the set I have for sale on the forum, complete with long bolts

What is involved in the 330i brake change, presumably this is 3 series?

I assume it needs new calipers, caliper brackets, disks and pads?

 

[hopz121]

330i/330D brakes are a straight swap, and good improvement, especially with some decent discs and pads. Spacers, I would go with 15mm front & 20mm rear, funnily enough just like the set I have for sale on the forum, complete with long bolts

What is involved in the 330i brake change, presumably this is 3 series?

I assume it needs new calipers, caliper brackets, disks and pads?

Yep that's it new calipers and carriers then new disc's and pads to suit

Great upgrade and cheap too

 

[kis]

330i/330D brakes are a straight swap, and good improvement, especially with some decent discs and pads. Spacers, I would go with 15mm front & 20mm rear, funnily enough just like the set I have for sale on the forum, complete with long bolts

What is involved in the 330i brake change, presumably this is 3 series?

I assume it needs new calipers, caliper brackets, disks and pads?

Yep the e46. Everything you could possibly need to do the upgrade here.