Anybody had their Z from new?

UK forum for general and technical discussion about the Z3 roadster
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Warrior
Joined: Tue 11 May, 2010 10:02
Posts: 497

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by Warrior »

I was asked by a friend what inspired me to buy a Z3 and the best answer I could come up with was that i'd known a couple of people who had them from new - one a firey red driven by the footy teams goalkeeper hand brake turned on the car park James Bond style, the other in green metallic with a grey interior I think? A 2.8 that was badly vandalised when just a few months old. I guess the Z3 left an impression on me.

Both sold them after a while, kids, mortgages or just impractical at the time and I wondered how many .net cars have been owned from new?
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by bertiejaffa »

I work with a guy who has had his 4 pot from new. Mine have had a few owners - the blue one was first owned by the head of BMW UK
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mrscalex
Joined: Fri 13 Mar, 2015 09:14
Posts: 910

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by mrscalex »

Yep. Although 'my' Z3 is actually my brother's Z3. A Boston Green 1.9.

He had it brand spanking new from Dick Lovett in Swindon on 29 Jan 1999. He ran it as his daily driver until age got the better of it for the daily commute 2 years ago. Because he had it from new and kept it for 15 years he said he never wanted to part with it and would restore it when he had the money. But realistically that was never going to happen any time soon.

It sat there clogging up our parent's garage for 9 months before I said I would foster it to save it from rotting away. It was pretty sorry for itself when I took it on. Much better cars are routinely broken for spares. My brother is a messy b*gger and there was several years worth of rubbish in the passenger footwell and he hadn't cleaned inside or out for years. The lacquer was badly peeling and the rear window was non existent where it went hard and crumbled. The electric windows didn't work and the driver's interior door handle was held on with several feet of gaffer tape. It was a certain MOT failure due to an ABS fault. It was touch and go if it ever started as it needed a new battery.

After I cleared the rubbish out with the kids and Vax'd the interior it actually looked very, very good with very little wear (it's cloth so doesn't suffer when neglected like leather). It even has the original and perfectly serviceable mats. I sorted the ABS fault with a new module and it passed the MOT at the 2nd attempt needing a new exhaust (£45). I found a bargain priced heavy duty Exide battery for £45 on Ebay and it now starts first time, every time.

It got taken out several times last year with my Mum (82), son and daughter taking it in turns in the passenger seat for a blast round the country lanes.

But the outside looked awful and the hood had to be kept down due to the nasty looking remanants of the rear window.

I've fixed the electric windows now. I had to put a replacement door on the driver's side due to the regulator mountings all fracturing. The driver's door card is nearly sorted and I'll have to post how I did it as it nearly went in the bin but is now looking almost like new.

The boot lid, rear bumper and bonnet are all seriously affected by the peeling lacquer. I've fitted a replacement boot lid as a cheaper option to respraying. I'm looking for a rear bumper now - also to avoid respraying. But the bonnet will be getting paint as it's too much hassle to bring a new bonnet home and swap it.

The alloys have been blasted with Bilberry and are actually very good with just the odd scab.

Next Tuesday the rear window gets replaced and the soft top will get a steam clean.

Me and the lad polished out most of the scratches and scuffs on Monday and the outside started showing glimpses of how nice it's actually going to look when tidied up. There are a few car parking dents but these will come out easily enough with PDR. There's just a small touch of rust easily remedied. Then it will get a machine polish when the boot/bonnet are resprayed and I reckon it will be as good as the vast majority of cars that have done 98k (and some less) when finished.

It runs great (touch wood) although I have to put a replacement DISA valve on as it's throwing an error.

In the space of a year I have become obsessed with sorting it out and spend waaaay too much time every day looking for parts, reading how tos and planning the work!
ImageImage
2001 Z3 2.2 Topaz Blue (Trudy) - Keeper rebuilt from a write-off
2002 Z3 2.2 Titan Silver (Cookies) - Keeper rebuilt having been bought with a seized engine
2002 Z3 3.0 Sapphire Black (Peanut) - Keeper awaiting rebuilding having been bought as an abandoned project
Plus Willy, Kodak & Maycee - All 2.2 Sport projects. Yes, 6 is a lot of Z3s :)
Always happy to try and help with spares :)
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kjb1
Joined: Thu 04 Feb, 2016 11:12
Posts: 238

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by kjb1 »

mrscalex wrote:Yep. Although 'my' Z3 is actually my brother's Z3. A Boston Green 1.9.

He had it brand spanking new from Dick Lovett in Swindon on 29 Jan 1999. He ran it as his daily driver until age got the better of it for the daily commute 2 years ago. Because he had it from new and kept it for 15 years he said he never wanted to part with it and would restore it when he had the money. But realistically that was never going to happen any time soon.

It sat there clogging up our parent's garage for 9 months before I said I would foster it to save it from rotting away. It was pretty sorry for itself when I took it on. Much better cars are routinely broken for spares. My brother is a messy b*gger and there was several years worth of rubbish in the passenger footwell and he hadn't cleaned inside or out for years. The lacquer was badly peeling and the rear window was non existent where it went hard and crumbled. The electric windows didn't work and the driver's interior door handle was held on with several feet of gaffer tape. It was a certain MOT failure due to an ABS fault. It was touch and go if it ever started as it needed a new battery.

After I cleared the rubbish out with the kids and Vax'd the interior it actually looked very, very good with very little wear (it's cloth so doesn't suffer when neglected like leather). It even has the original and perfectly serviceable mats. I sorted the ABS fault with a new module and it passed the MOT at the 2nd attempt needing a new exhaust (£45). I found a bargain priced heavy duty Exide battery for £45 on Ebay and it now starts first time, every time.

It got taken out several times last year with my Mum (82), son and daughter taking it in turns in the passenger seat for a blast round the country lanes.

But the outside looked awful and the hood had to be kept down due to the nasty looking remanants of the rear window.

I've fixed the electric windows now. I had to put a replacement door on the driver's side due to the regulator mountings all fracturing. The driver's door card is nearly sorted and I'll have to post how I did it as it nearly went in the bin but is now looking almost like new.

The boot lid, rear bumper and bonnet are all seriously affected by the peeling lacquer. I've fitted a replacement boot lid as a cheaper option to respraying. I'm looking for a rear bumper now - also to avoid respraying. But the bonnet will be getting paint as it's too much hassle to bring a new bonnet home and swap it.

The alloys have been blasted with Bilberry and are actually very good with just the odd scab.

Next Tuesday the rear window gets replaced and the soft top will get a steam clean.

Me and the lad polished out most of the scratches and scuffs on Monday and the outside started showing glimpses of how nice it's actually going to look when tidied up. There are a few car parking dents but these will come out easily enough with PDR. There's just a small touch of rust easily remedied. Then it will get a machine polish when the boot/bonnet are resprayed and I reckon it will be as good as the vast majority of cars that have done 98k (and some less) when finished.

It runs great (touch wood) although I have to put a replacement DISA valve on as it's throwing an error.

In the space of a year I have become obsessed with sorting it out and spend waaaay too much time every day looking for parts, reading how tos and planning the work!
great day!! my birthday was day he picked it up!! albeit in 1982!


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Robert T
Site Admin
Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by Robert T »

Had mine 17 years tomorrow and I still love driving it.

I had to wait 6 months for it to arrive, which was probably the longest 6 months of my life. And the name of the guy who sold it to me... one J Bond.

I bought a hardtop for it when it was 6 months old and it has never had a winter without it. It is my daily driver, so it has never been SORNed either. 75,000 miles and looking forward to the next 75,000.

Cheers R.

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Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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peter2b
Joined: Sat 01 Nov, 2014 18:47
Posts: 963

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: cheshire

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by peter2b »

I whish I had mine from new, but when I got her she had 5 owners but 3 were bmw garages the last owner only had her for 6 months before crash that wrote her off
peter2b
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mich
Joined: Wed 16 Feb, 2005 05:53
Posts: 824

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: King Country
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Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by mich »

Not from new but second owner @5000 kilometers.
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ogII
Joined: Tue 03 Feb, 2004 22:14
Posts: 79

  Z3 roadster 1.9i
Location: London

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by ogII »

Sadly not. Second owner, got it when it was18 months old.
peter2b
Joined: Sat 01 Nov, 2014 18:47
Posts: 963

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: cheshire

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by peter2b »

see the state of the stearing wheel just shows how much gunge come off you hands
peter2b
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Devon Z
Z Register member
Joined: Thu 20 Nov, 2003 21:39
Posts: 651

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Brixham, Devon

Re: Anybody had their Z from new?

Post by Devon Z »

Yes, ordered mine at the end of 98, I bought 97 1.9 16valve from the dealership while I was waiting for it to be delivered, was going to have met black with black and red leather but they called me up early in 99 with the new specs for the facelift model and when I saw the brochure car in Topaz with the two tone extended leather I said I want that car! 6k of extras later and order changed.

Picked her up September 1st 1999 she's never been a daily driver so only covered 28k and still smells like new.
99 2.0 Topaz Individual
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