Hello everyone berore I buy

Desiro · Post by **Desiro** » Mon 04 Aug, 2008 11:45

I must sadly say goodby to the wifes yaris and buy myself a toy...sigh
Before I do though I'd like a little of advice from the experts.
My thoughts are a 2.8 Z3 roadster 1998 or 1999
1: should I buy one with a hard top as it will be used year round?
2: how will the new road tax changes affect me?
3: where is the best place to find a good one without paying silly money?
thanks in advance for your help
John

aceman · Post by **aceman** » Mon 04 Aug, 2008 12:18

Hi John

Welcome to the forum, I have had my Z for a couple of months now and found this forum most educational.

Regarding your questions;

1. I think if you hold out for a car with a hardtop your choices are going to be limited so I would budget £6-700 on top as one can be bought on Ebay for about that price and maybe another £100 if it needs respraying to the colour of your car.

2. As long as you buy a car registered before 1st March 2001 there are no changes to the road fund licence so a '98-'99 2.8 one your after will be £185 a year.

3. I found my Z on Autotrader but be prepared to wait and travel to find the one you want. Also keep an eye out on these forums and other BMW forums where you can pick up cherished examples for not much more.

Hope you find one and remember if you have questions just do a quick search on hear and it will invariably be answered otherwise feel free to ask.

Zed_Steve · Post by **Zed_Steve** » Mon 04 Aug, 2008 12:51

You dont ultimately need a hardtop, though it is a useful addition. The soft top is highly durable. The top on my 1999 2.8 hasnt worn much and i use it everyday. Also if you do have a hardtop make sure you have somewhere to store it when its not in use.

Road tax changes will be small on the 2.8 i think it rises to £200 pa in 2010. Only cars from March '01 onwards are subject to large tax rises.

Now is a great time to buy one. People are struggling to sell theirs mainly because of the current economic climate, and prices are taking a knock.
You should be able to get a good deal on one be it a private seller, or reputable trader.

Justin Time · Post by **Justin Time** » Mon 04 Aug, 2008 13:27

If you purchase a Z without a hard top and want to buy one separately, realise that on top of the usual £500-700 that you'd pay for the hard top, you'll also need to locate a fitting kit for roughly £300 new. These kits are very rare, and IIRC, some members on this forum had to order from the USA and fly them over. Trying to locate a second hand fitting kit is a difficult task to say the least. If you find a Z3 with a lined soft top, you'll find that in the winter months the heating isn't a problem. The use of the hard top is really only for cosmetic reasons.

As for the best place to find one? Here. There are several on sale in the stock exchange, and considering that the owners of Z's that use this site tend to look after their vehicles better than non members, I'd say give them a look at first. Also it is a good idea just to find Z3's on sale around your local area and try them out, just to get a feel for what they are like to drive. Look for buying guides on this forum as well so you can identify issues not normally considered by newcomers to the Z scene.

Best of luck.

Desiro · Post by **Desiro** » Mon 04 Aug, 2008 13:56

Thanks for your rapid response guys.

You have put my mind at rest about not having a hard top and as you said
they are difficult to find.

Going to try and find a really good example that I can cherish and enjoy for a long time. Going to read some buying guides now.

I wil lpost some pics when I get it.

John