The Z Replacement
The Z Replacement
As I've mentioned on other recent posts, due to current work (five x 10 hour permanent nightshifts per week) and personal reasons ( elderly parents who are becoming increasingly dependant on our help for weekly shopping trips, gardening, etc.) my poor Zed was spending far too much time in the garage and not enough being used. Between when I had it MoT'd in April and when I sold it about three weeks ago, it had covered just 120 miles.
Hence the sale. I couldn't justify the cost of keeping a car to go nowhere and felt that it was too costly for me to run as a daily driver. My wife didn't like driving it as being quite short, couldn't get comfortable in it so there was no option of her using it as a daily driver.
I have to say that it was with a heavy heart that I watched it disappear round the corner at the end of my road as the new owner drove it away.
Onto pastures new, though and we also sold my wife's sensible diesel hatchback to buy her a convertible that she likes and feels comfortable in. Initially we looked at a Mk 3 Mazda MX5 and found one locally that she really liked, complete with a Mazda bodykit, 2.0 engine, sports spec with a Bose sound system and 18,000 miles but the dealer was too greedy and wouldn't do a mutually agreeable deal, so we moved on.
Bearing in mind that we were looking for a car for her to use on her relatively short daily commute to work and for us to use for weekend trips and holidays I wasn't too bothered about engine size so tried to look for a 3.0 Z4, but everything within our budget had galactic mileage so again we looked elsewhere and came up with this;
Unlike the Zed which is a German car built in the USA, the Crossfire is an American car built by Karmann in Germany and is largely Merc SLK under the skin.
I am well aware that it is a tourer and not a true sports car, but the days of driving like I stole it are largely over for me.
Amongst the plus sides are that it was very good value at 6.5k for an 05 plate car with 36,000 miles on the clock, the wife loves it and grins like the proverbial Cheshire Cat every time she drives it and the exhaust note is absolutely fantastic when pressing quite hard on the loud pedal.
I had a friend of mine who is a mechanic and who looked after my Zed, check over it and he gave it a clean bill of health which was a relief, so some fettling here and there and a good waxing will follow.
It is a true Marmite car, which will probably not impress many of you Zedders, but it pleases the wife who is capable of giving me more grief and I like it too.
Thanks for the help and advice I've received from many of the members on here over the last two and a half years. I will still look in and contribute when and if I can.
Who knows, when my circumstances change, another Zed could be back on my drive?
Hence the sale. I couldn't justify the cost of keeping a car to go nowhere and felt that it was too costly for me to run as a daily driver. My wife didn't like driving it as being quite short, couldn't get comfortable in it so there was no option of her using it as a daily driver.
I have to say that it was with a heavy heart that I watched it disappear round the corner at the end of my road as the new owner drove it away.
Onto pastures new, though and we also sold my wife's sensible diesel hatchback to buy her a convertible that she likes and feels comfortable in. Initially we looked at a Mk 3 Mazda MX5 and found one locally that she really liked, complete with a Mazda bodykit, 2.0 engine, sports spec with a Bose sound system and 18,000 miles but the dealer was too greedy and wouldn't do a mutually agreeable deal, so we moved on.
Bearing in mind that we were looking for a car for her to use on her relatively short daily commute to work and for us to use for weekend trips and holidays I wasn't too bothered about engine size so tried to look for a 3.0 Z4, but everything within our budget had galactic mileage so again we looked elsewhere and came up with this;
Unlike the Zed which is a German car built in the USA, the Crossfire is an American car built by Karmann in Germany and is largely Merc SLK under the skin.
I am well aware that it is a tourer and not a true sports car, but the days of driving like I stole it are largely over for me.
Amongst the plus sides are that it was very good value at 6.5k for an 05 plate car with 36,000 miles on the clock, the wife loves it and grins like the proverbial Cheshire Cat every time she drives it and the exhaust note is absolutely fantastic when pressing quite hard on the loud pedal.
I had a friend of mine who is a mechanic and who looked after my Zed, check over it and he gave it a clean bill of health which was a relief, so some fettling here and there and a good waxing will follow.
It is a true Marmite car, which will probably not impress many of you Zedders, but it pleases the wife who is capable of giving me more grief and I like it too.
Thanks for the help and advice I've received from many of the members on here over the last two and a half years. I will still look in and contribute when and if I can.
Who knows, when my circumstances change, another Zed could be back on my drive?
Last edited by Mouldy on Tue 30 Aug, 2011 10:46, edited 1 time in total.
Skoda Octavia vRS TSi DSG on Tour at Rocamadour
-
- Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
- Posts: 454
- Location: Munich
That looks to be in fantastic condition.
I pulled up behind one a couple of days after I got my Z, it did make me wonder if I had bought the wrong car!
The exhaust note is fantastic and he even waved his spoiler at me, he vanished before I could think of anything to wave back with!
I hope you have as much fun as I did with my Crossfire!
I pulled up behind one a couple of days after I got my Z, it did make me wonder if I had bought the wrong car!
The exhaust note is fantastic and he even waved his spoiler at me, he vanished before I could think of anything to wave back with!
I hope you have as much fun as I did with my Crossfire!
1997 Z3 2.8 in Montreal Blue, only 130k on the clock!
OEM Roll Hoops
M50B25 Inlet manifold
BMC CDA Induction kit
Beige roof
OEM Roll Hoops
M50B25 Inlet manifold
BMC CDA Induction kit
Beige roof
I like that.
I had a test drive in one when they first came on the market.
Not a roadster :-
http://youtu.be/bNr8qH0d--Y
I had a test drive in one when they first came on the market.
Not a roadster :-
http://youtu.be/bNr8qH0d--Y
HT
Titan's apprentice.
Titan's apprentice.
http://www.lde.nu/index.htmTitan wrote:Occupations ?
Official Devil's Advocate
Leg Puller
Micky Taker
Again, thanks for the positive comments. I hadn't seen that test before on Fifth Gear. Thanks for posting the link. No surprise with the conclusion, though.Hard Top wrote:I like that.
I had a test drive in one when they first came on the market.
Not a roadster :-
http://youtu.be/bNr8qH0d--Y
As I said above, we've bought the car as a convertible tourer and the out and out handling is not a primary concern. I like the 350Z and the TT and either in roadster form could have been a possibility, but with prices starting at 8.5k it was just a bit too much of a stretch with keeping some cash back for resolving any little problems that may have arisen from the purchase.
The Crossfire looks good (IMHO), has a fair bit of rarity value that makes it stand out on the road, is in good condition, goes and handles well enough for what we want and was great value for money.
Skoda Octavia vRS TSi DSG on Tour at Rocamadour
Except for the ugly lines in the bonnet, cheap looking dashboard, rear end that looks as if it's about to go airborne and Mercedes technology it's probably a great car.
The important ting is that you and your wife are happy with the car - so from cold and windy Denmark comes a
The important ting is that you and your wife are happy with the car - so from cold and windy Denmark comes a
Ferdinand
BMW 3.0iA Sport Edition 08/2002 - iPod kit, CTEK MXS 7000 batterycharger & Protek Protector Roof Cover ;o)
Range Rover 4.6 V8 HSE 03/2000, Webasto preheater and CTEK MXS 7000 batterycharger
Citroën Xsara 2.0 110 Hdi Prestige hatchback with VTS alloys, Musketier rear spoiler and Webasto preheater
Volvo 144 1.8 B18 09/1967
http://www.zroadster.org
http://www.zroadster.net
http://www.z3-roadster-forum.de
http://www.z3-forum.de
http://www.zroadster.com
BMW 3.0iA Sport Edition 08/2002 - iPod kit, CTEK MXS 7000 batterycharger & Protek Protector Roof Cover ;o)
Range Rover 4.6 V8 HSE 03/2000, Webasto preheater and CTEK MXS 7000 batterycharger
Citroën Xsara 2.0 110 Hdi Prestige hatchback with VTS alloys, Musketier rear spoiler and Webasto preheater
Volvo 144 1.8 B18 09/1967
http://www.zroadster.org
http://www.zroadster.net
http://www.z3-roadster-forum.de
http://www.z3-forum.de
http://www.zroadster.com
Eh what was all that about?Ferdinand wrote:Except for the ugly lines in the bonnet, cheap looking dashboard, rear end that looks as if it's about to go airborne and Mercedes technology it's probably a great car.
The important ting is that you and your wife are happy with the car - so from cold and windy Denmark comes a
You can't deny your getting a hell of alot of car for your money and a bit of a design classic IMHO albeight not to everyones taste just like the Zed
Tim.