Z4M Colour Change

[Mangozac]

So I want a Z4MR and have been watching used listings for over 2 years. They are rare here in Australia and the majority are black/silver/grey. A few are in red. I've only seen one Interlagos blue and there is the only white one currently for sale (stupidly overpriced and a stubborn seller).

I've just sold my Maldives Blue 2.5i after upgrading to a Silbergrau 3.0si. As much as I love the idea of a white car (which has always been my unicorn), there's something about blue that I miss already. I'm just a blue colour person (although I don't love Interlagos) and I feel that vibrant blues are up there with red as exciting sports car colours. The colours BMW offered for Z4Ms are generally quite dull - they should have been colours that E92 M3s are!

Then I saw this: Black sapphire coupe repainted Estoril Blue. That is sex on wheels! I do realise that's a matte finish - I would go for gloss.

There is a black sapphire M for sale locally with 100k kms on the clock. Average for other Ms in Oz is around 50k kms, so it's a lot higher but still extremely low for a 9 year old car. In the photos the interior looks in very good condition and having done kms it's more likely to have not run past the time based servicing requirements like most other cars do. Best of all is that I think it can be had for about $7-8k less than the other cars.

Then I had an idea: what about buying this car and respraying to Estoril Blue? Being a black base means that you could get away with not touching a lot of areas like the engine bay. I had my blue Zed for 5 years, so a Z4M I would intend to keep for even longer. I understand that resale would take a hit, but surely not a silly amount once the car reaches high kms.

Thoughts?

(I have searched and read a few other threads on this subject, including a recent one by beanie, but I think my reasoning for the change is slightly different)

 

[MrPT]

If you do this you will be a forum hero. That's got to be worth something.

 

[Mangozac]

If you do this you will be a forum hero. That's got to be worth something.

Haha the praise of internet strangers is priceless!

 

[mmm-five]

How about 'wrapping' it in a different colour, so that it's easy to return to standard when/if you come to sell?

You could even try different blues until you find the perfect one.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Why not respray... Seems like a great idea given they are rare cars in your area and this way you get what you want.
I'd want a top end glass out respray, but agree you could leave engine bay untouched.

 

[Vanne]

Glass out probably will mean glass broken.. if you do a proper respray.. will prob cost between 7 and 10k aus. The rear quater windows are glued in, so be very bloody carefull with those rubbers.. ask me how I know... its a bloody massive job to do it right... not even talking about paint and or its quality.... let alone if you know a shop that can spray to perfection...

I just went through this, but stayed in the same colour, and fark me dead mate, its much more of a job than you might think.. please have a good think about all the areas that will need part removal…

think i went backwards and forewords to the shop 10 times about s**t i wasn't happy with, there are still a couple of things now that i can see, that are not perfect.. man.. soo much prep work.. and thats staying in the same colour, under bonnet, if you did it right, you'd need to pull the donk and a s**t load of other stuff..

but if you do get it done… boy does it look magic afterwards.. and its personalised..

not saying don't do it, just have a bloody good think about what your getting yourself into mate.

 

[Yorkie Z]

How about 'wrapping' it in a different colour, so that it's easy to return to standard when/if you come to sell?

You could even try different blues until you find the perfect one.

+1

Wrapping is a no brainier, plus you have an excellent choice of unusual colours.

 

[cj10jeeper]

Glass out probably will mean glass broken.. if you do a proper respray.. will prob cost between 7 and 10k aus. The rear quater windows are glued in, so be very bloody carefull with those rubbers.. ask me how I know... its a bloody massive job to do it right... not even talking about paint and or its quality.... let alone if you know a shop that can spray to perfection...

I just went through this, but stayed in the same colour, and fark me dead mate, its much more of a job than you might think.. please have a good think about all the areas that will need part removal…

think i went backwards and forewords to the shop 10 times about s**t i wasn't happy with, there are still a couple of things now that i can see, that are not perfect.. man.. soo much prep work.. and thats staying in the same colour, under bonnet, if you did it right, you'd need to pull the donk and a s**t load of other stuff..

but if you do get it done… boy does it look magic afterwards.. and its personalised..

not saying don't do it, just have a bloody good think about what your getting yourself into mate.

I know - I've done it too, but if you're going to spray and change colours it's the only way. Simple things like if you change windscreen you can end up seeing the old colour of if a piece of trim moves, shrinks - same again.

 

[M-ster]

I like the idea of wrapping to try sample colours. Surely it must be less expensive and the hassle than a re-paint.

 

[Mangozac]

Thanks for the comments, guys!

Wrapping did cross my mind, but it's still not inexpensive and I've only ever seen is as a kind of temporary thing. So it's something you would do just over the top of an existing colour that you are bored with. Buying a car in a colour you dislike and then wrapping it doesn't seem to make sense.

Glass out probably will mean glass broken.. if you do a proper respray.. will prob cost between 7 and 10k aus. The rear quater windows are glued in, so be very bloody carefull with those rubbers.. ask me how I know... its a bloody massive job to do it right... not even talking about paint and or its quality.... let alone if you know a shop that can spray to perfection...

I appreciate the Aussie perspective, Vanne

I'm talking roadsters, so less glass to worry about. Would you really pull the windscreen or worry about the engine bay? Blue cars have quite dark blue primer as the colour in the engine bay, so surely the black wouldn't look too far out of place? I'd likely to a lot of the disassembly/reassembly myself (because I can do it properly via the TIS instructions and wouldn't trust a panelbeater to do it without breaking too many clips). I have however spent some time (as you suggest) thinking about exactly what would need to be removed and it is indeed not a simple task!

I know - I've done it too, but if you're going to spray and change colours it's the only way. Simple things like if you change windscreen you can end up seeing the old colour of if a piece of trim moves, shrinks - same again.

Surely just pulling the surrounding rubber and painting into the channel would be enough?

At this stage I'm starting to think that the colour change is too much of a headache...

 

[srhutch]

Have you seen the thread posted on here yesterday. Roadster resprayed in Sepang.

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=82759&p=1224204&hilit=Sepang#p1224204

 

[Vanne]

mate, wasn't trying to turn you off and as you said buddy, roady would be much, much easier.. MUCH!!! yeah i didn't pull the window and it looks great, though i did have to get my roof redone twice .. and also i cant get the window rubber back in for the life of me… it actually looks much cooler without it, though i do have the side rubbers in place (cut them), this is after ordering a spanker rubber too..

it all depends on how long your gong to keep the car matey..

the front and rear bumpers are very easy.. i think the side skirts are simple too..
some of the other stuff is pretty easy man, like the 3rd brake light, and while your there mate, id remove the pop up sprayers for the headlights (looks very, very ugly)… lots of fun stuff.. least of which on mine was the door rubbers...

 

[Mangozac]

Have you seen the thread posted on here yesterday. Roadster resprayed in Sepang.

No I hadn't. Thanks man - gives a really good idea of how much disassembly is required! I'd go to a similar level, but like I said would do most of the disassembly and reassembly myself.

mate, wasn't trying to turn you off and as you said buddy, roady would be much, much easier.. MUCH!!!

Not coming across like that at all - very constructive advice!
I plan to be keeping the car long enough that the depreciation caused by the respray wouldn't be a problem.

I looked a little more into wrapping and I'm not sold on it. As a temporary colour change it's cool, but long term it's just not going to last. I want a more permanent solution

To repaint, just how much of the original paint needs to be removed? Just scuffing up the top coat? Down to primer?

 

[cj10jeeper]

Totally agree on wrapping. I see it as a great temporary way to change colour, but it's not a long term solution. I also get really concerned about what happens to the paint underneath with all the neat slicing with razor blades that takes place.

In terms of screen out you could avoid that on the Zed as it has a separate trim rubber that goes around both sides and top. That would be an easy out and refit. (Took the glass out of my Jeep as being old style rubbers it was about 1 minute to do and 10 to put back in )

 

[srhutch]

Totally agree on wrapping. I see it as a great temporary way to change colour, but it's not a long term solution. I also get really concerned about what happens to the paint underneath with all the neat slicing with razor blades that takes place.

THis is why I would never wrap a car.

 

[Jaw]

Honesltly, Estroil is my fav colour.. BUT I really don't think it suits the Z4

Maybe it'l look better in gloss, I just don't think it goes personally..

I was so close to pulling the trigger on that alpine white / red interior z4m as a second toy but thought against it - if you hold out there are some bargain z4m's that pop up for quick sales, You'll land a great one if you hold out! the dealer who bought mine sold it whole sale to another wholesaler and he sold it for less than I offloaded it for to him. Not much more than that black one, half the kms, rpi exhaust, afe intake, csl rims, replenished all the trims etc.

When that 100k one is only 10-15k less than an immaculate sepang coupe or alpine example on a fraction of the kms, I know where my cash would go!

 

[Mangozac]

Honesltly, Estroil is my fav colour.. BUT I really don't think it suits the Z4

Maybe it'l look better in gloss, I just don't think it goes personally..

Jay, hey man! I saw your car go for a crazy low price and have been meaning to get in touch since but never got around to it! Will drop you an email shortly

I hear what you're saying RE: Estoril on a Z4, but remember that I loved the colour of my Maldives blue 2.5i.

In terms of screen out you could avoid that on the Zed as it has a separate trim rubber that goes around both sides and top. That would be an easy out and refit.

Thanks for confirming what I thought

 

[jimmybell]

I'd be wrapping it if i were you, if you're concerned about the wrap application process go down to your local (decent) custom place and see them in action.

 

[Mangozac]

When that 100k one is only 10-15k less than an immaculate sepang coupe or alpine example on a fraction of the kms, I know where my cash would go!

The 100k kms black car actually looks to be in very good condition - possibly better than the white on red one. So there's no way that it's worth paying $10k more just to have 50k kms less on the car.

I'd be wrapping it if i were you, if you're concerned about the wrap application process go down to your local (decent) custom place and see them in action.

I'm sure that a proper place can do it without damaging the paint, but like I said it's the temporary nature of the wrap that turns me off. It would have to be a LOT cheaper to justify.

 

[Mangozac]

Just thought some would be interested in an update on this. I was getting really keen on the idea of repainting the black car but then it got sold from under me! So I'm back on the hunt: either Interlagos or another black car to repaint