The Z Replacement

Post pictures of your car and discuss it here. One car per thread, and keep it on-topic, please!
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Mouldy
Joined: Mon 26 Jan, 2009 19:40
Posts: 538

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Location: Northampton

The Z Replacement

Post by Mouldy »

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;

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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.
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Skoda Octavia vRS TSi DSG on Tour at Rocamadour
VinceR
Joined: Fri 13 May, 2011 10:24
Posts: 98

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Camberley

Post by VinceR »

Nice! I considered one of these before buying my Zed, but could not find a roadster in my price range .. enjoy!
Wolverine_1999
Joined: Mon 15 Feb, 2010 20:07
Posts: 454

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Munich

Post by Wolverine_1999 »

Interesting choice, has a very classic feel to the interior as well.

Enjoy!
Jackster
Joined: Sun 21 Mar, 2010 12:59
Posts: 80

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Doncaster

Post by Jackster »

Excellent choice mate, I think they are a good looking car and you don't see too many of them around. Lovely colour as well. Hope you keep dropping by now and then, have fun.
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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

I really like these cars and as you say Mouldy great value, theyre just different and you dont see that many about, enjoy it :lol:

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
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Mouldy
Joined: Mon 26 Jan, 2009 19:40
Posts: 538

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Location: Northampton

Post by Mouldy »

I know it's a Z Roadster Forum and the subject matter is generally off topic, but I appreciate your positive comments.
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Skoda Octavia vRS TSi DSG on Tour at Rocamadour
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wildeboy
Joined: Sat 18 Jun, 2011 19:54
Posts: 149

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Leeds

Post by wildeboy »

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! :lol:

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1997 Z3 2.8 in Montreal Blue, only 130k on the clock!
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Hard Top
Joined: Sun 17 Jan, 2010 23:16
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Netherlands

Post by Hard Top »

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
HT

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Mouldy
Joined: Mon 26 Jan, 2009 19:40
Posts: 538

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Location: Northampton

Post by Mouldy »

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
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.

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.
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Ferdinand
Joined: Sun 16 Nov, 2008 17:25
Posts: 444

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Sjælland, Denmark

Post by Ferdinand »

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 :cheers
Ferdinand


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http://www.zroadster.org
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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
Posts: 5488

  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

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 :cheers
Eh what was all that about?

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 :wink:

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
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Titan
Joined: Fri 01 Apr, 2005 20:20
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  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: North Yorkshire

Post by Titan »

TitanTim wrote:You can't deny your getting a hell of alot of car for your money and a bit of a design classic
Which "bit" would that be then? :devil:
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Jonesy
Joined: Thu 05 Aug, 2010 18:30
Posts: 93

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Location: Cambridge

Post by Jonesy »

personally i really like the coupe, which a lot of others will not, the convertable im not so keen on but theres no denying that its great value for money, much like the zeds these days, the car looks like its worth 2-3 time what you paid for it
all the best
luke
Luke Jones

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TitanTim
Joined: Mon 23 Jun, 2008 18:56
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  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: Stafford

Post by TitanTim »

Titan wrote:
TitanTim wrote:You can't deny your getting a hell of alot of car for your money and a bit of a design classic
Which "bit" would that be then? :devil:
The aerial :devil:

Tim.
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2001 Z3 1.9 Roadster Sport - 2012 Z4 sDrive 2.0 M Sport
Bill-
Joined: Sat 21 May, 2011 10:57
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Post by Bill- »

very nice, Enjoy mate :)
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TaffZee
Joined: Thu 20 May, 2010 09:45
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Post by TaffZee »

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Enjoy your very nice new wheels.
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