My New zed
My New zed
So, week last thursday i picked up a nice 1997 2.8 Z3 in cosmos black and have thus far enjoyed it. Here are the few pictures i have at the moment
Standard front end picture
And a rear end shot
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 0032-1.jpg
Nice reflection of the tree in the garden
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010031.jpg
The stonechips
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010029.jpg
Cleaned wheel
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010030.jpg
Lovely beading
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0040.jpg
So, as you can see from the pictures its not in bad nick for saying its 14 years old. The bonnet is fairly stonechiped and in need of some TLC. I think the damage is a bit too extensive to take to chips away (pretty much all the front is litterd with small chips and bubbles) so i'll grab some fine polish and see what i can get out with that and then maybe have a go at filling the bigger ones myself.
She was fully washed, clayed and waxed this morning inbetween the rain and came up lovely. The wheel that was quite badly stained has now been cleaned (thanks frank.a cream cleaner worked a treat) and now matches the rest of them. They have a few scuffs and parts fo the paint are bubbling but they will do fine over the winter and then be replaced by something newer and shinier in the spring.
While im here i have a few quick questions. First up i was wondering if the standard airbox and filter was a K&N unit. The dealer tells me it was an option on the original car and its only a K&N sticker but im not overly sure and if it isnt it needs to come off as the insurers would charge me a fortune for having it on (same with the strut brace, told it was an option but im not 100%)
Onto more important things, modifications:
The lights in the front bumper (dont know what the proper name is) are chipped and have started leaking water so some nice chrome ones will be bought shortly. The front headlights ive decided not to de-tango and just buy some angel eye lights when cashflow allows, same with the indicators and rear lights. Some Pressed plates have been bought and are just waiting on delivery of my logbook before they can be made. Wheels are a work in progress (looking for some split rims that i can re-furbish over the winter. Planning on changing the inside form beige/black to red/black or fully black. Aftermarket exhaust will have to wait until i can afford the extra insurance (unless i can get away with fitting a back box only). One thing i wont be doing which seems popular is lowering it. The roads round here are quite bad and filled with speedbumps that come dangerously close to hitting the front bumper allready so ride height is staying as it is.
Few small facts:
Falken 425 on the rear, Event something or others on the front. Stock staggered 17's. Electric hood, no AC, unbranded strut bar which seems to work very well and looks nice in the engine bay. Bought for £3k which i think was an excelent price for the condition of the car (only missed 2 services and 99k miles on the clock, paint/roof is pretty good all round apart from the bonnet) Insurance costs come it at allmost half the value fo the car (bieng 21 has some downfalls).
Standard front end picture
And a rear end shot
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 0032-1.jpg
Nice reflection of the tree in the garden
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010031.jpg
The stonechips
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010029.jpg
Cleaned wheel
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... 010030.jpg
Lovely beading
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0040.jpg
So, as you can see from the pictures its not in bad nick for saying its 14 years old. The bonnet is fairly stonechiped and in need of some TLC. I think the damage is a bit too extensive to take to chips away (pretty much all the front is litterd with small chips and bubbles) so i'll grab some fine polish and see what i can get out with that and then maybe have a go at filling the bigger ones myself.
She was fully washed, clayed and waxed this morning inbetween the rain and came up lovely. The wheel that was quite badly stained has now been cleaned (thanks frank.a cream cleaner worked a treat) and now matches the rest of them. They have a few scuffs and parts fo the paint are bubbling but they will do fine over the winter and then be replaced by something newer and shinier in the spring.
While im here i have a few quick questions. First up i was wondering if the standard airbox and filter was a K&N unit. The dealer tells me it was an option on the original car and its only a K&N sticker but im not overly sure and if it isnt it needs to come off as the insurers would charge me a fortune for having it on (same with the strut brace, told it was an option but im not 100%)
Onto more important things, modifications:
The lights in the front bumper (dont know what the proper name is) are chipped and have started leaking water so some nice chrome ones will be bought shortly. The front headlights ive decided not to de-tango and just buy some angel eye lights when cashflow allows, same with the indicators and rear lights. Some Pressed plates have been bought and are just waiting on delivery of my logbook before they can be made. Wheels are a work in progress (looking for some split rims that i can re-furbish over the winter. Planning on changing the inside form beige/black to red/black or fully black. Aftermarket exhaust will have to wait until i can afford the extra insurance (unless i can get away with fitting a back box only). One thing i wont be doing which seems popular is lowering it. The roads round here are quite bad and filled with speedbumps that come dangerously close to hitting the front bumper allready so ride height is staying as it is.
Few small facts:
Falken 425 on the rear, Event something or others on the front. Stock staggered 17's. Electric hood, no AC, unbranded strut bar which seems to work very well and looks nice in the engine bay. Bought for £3k which i think was an excelent price for the condition of the car (only missed 2 services and 99k miles on the clock, paint/roof is pretty good all round apart from the bonnet) Insurance costs come it at allmost half the value fo the car (bieng 21 has some downfalls).
Lovely looking Zed you have there!
BMW Z3 2.0 Titan Silver - Progress Thread
(Pictures - http://s852.photobucket.com/home/gazhyde/allalbums)
(Pictures - http://s852.photobucket.com/home/gazhyde/allalbums)
Nice looking Zed!
As for the stone chips I suggest a skilled detail and paint correction as the results can be amazing. But the areas where the paint is bubbling will need more attention.
If you have the standard air box with a K&N panel filter then you do not need to inform your insurance comp. Only if you have an induction kit or alter the original air intake.
BMW spent a great deal of money on development of these cars and I always find it funny when someone spends a couple of hundred on induction kits etc and think they can better it (just my humble opinion).
Enjoy it! once you start you will never stop. I started with a 1.9 which I just sold and now on the look out for a nice 2.8...!
As for the stone chips I suggest a skilled detail and paint correction as the results can be amazing. But the areas where the paint is bubbling will need more attention.
If you have the standard air box with a K&N panel filter then you do not need to inform your insurance comp. Only if you have an induction kit or alter the original air intake.
BMW spent a great deal of money on development of these cars and I always find it funny when someone spends a couple of hundred on induction kits etc and think they can better it (just my humble opinion).
Enjoy it! once you start you will never stop. I started with a 1.9 which I just sold and now on the look out for a nice 2.8...!
I'm almost certain a K&N badged panel filter in the standard airbox was never a dealer option but I agree with the comment above fitted to the standard airbox should not affect your insurance.
Also a strut brace was never a dealer option on the Z3 and even if it was you would still need to declare it as most see one as a performance enhancement. You could try blagging it as its unbranded and state that you assumed it was a standard item which I think would be a legitimate argument given the age of the car and would not be an obvious add on (plenty of car have them as standard now).
Welcome to the forum though an keep us updated with your progress
Also a strut brace was never a dealer option on the Z3 and even if it was you would still need to declare it as most see one as a performance enhancement. You could try blagging it as its unbranded and state that you assumed it was a standard item which I think would be a legitimate argument given the age of the car and would not be an obvious add on (plenty of car have them as standard now).
Welcome to the forum though an keep us updated with your progress
Welcome to the forum,
Really nice looking car I have a similar way of thinking re: lowering as I couldn't take the scraping. Every time I have bottomed my car out (the worst being the first cruise I went on a day after buying - would have been a normal drop in any other car I've owned) I've almost died and had to make sure everything is still where it should be.
Enjoy your new toy,
Regards,
Dave
Really nice looking car I have a similar way of thinking re: lowering as I couldn't take the scraping. Every time I have bottomed my car out (the worst being the first cruise I went on a day after buying - would have been a normal drop in any other car I've owned) I've almost died and had to make sure everything is still where it should be.
Enjoy your new toy,
Regards,
Dave
Factor 30? Check! Keys? Check! Grin? Check!
Progress/Damage report: http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 784#310784
Photo thread: http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=
Sorry if this is cheeky, but Business venture: http://www.fixtechsolutions.com
Progress/Damage report: http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... 784#310784
Photo thread: http://www.zroadster.net/forum/viewtopi ... highlight=
Sorry if this is cheeky, but Business venture: http://www.fixtechsolutions.com
thanks all for the great comments and advice. Special thanks for thoes that pointed out the strut bar should be declared. Phoned the insurers this morning and they wanted an extra £84 for me to keep it on, so off it came and i popped to the shops for some milk and phoned them up to say it was going back on again. Really makes a difference, steering felt soft and delayed without it in.
had all the bushes and a new set of rear shocks done 3 months ago so i'd hope it isnt them. When i said mushy i meant compared to with the strut brace on. Without it the steering felt very loose and allmost disconnected from the wheels. Now its back on i can feel the cats eyes and potholes through the wheel very nicely. Certainly worth the £84 extra.
New Z3
I too have just bought a z3 2.8 but in artic silver. It has the red black interior which in pictures looks dated but in reality gives it a real classic roadster look. The Zed is completely stock and has done 123,000miles and traded my wifes wimpering 54plate micra for it. I completed the deal giving micra and £500 cash.
We purchased the micra for £2950 3 years ago and it hasnt skipped a beat but when i saw this zed in a paisley showroom i just had to ask if he would take a trade in. I took the car to a BMW specialist prior to purchaing it and got a full report on the car done. It came back with a couple minor things, such as noisy viscous fan and steering wheel squeak (very annoying).
So took the car out at 11pm last night on a cold novemeber night. Put the hood down and drove down some country roads, just me the road, the stars and the sounds of a straight six. LOVE IT.
Plans to modify it will be lowering 40mm, 18" wheels, front splitter, oem aero sideskirts ( if i can locate a set). Halo lights and some tastefully smoked rear clusters.
Being 28 this is a car which means a lot to me. When i was learning to drive these were the cars floating off the showroom floors at around £30K and now having the opportunity to own one is just great.
Cant seem to reduce filesize to upload pics at this time
We purchased the micra for £2950 3 years ago and it hasnt skipped a beat but when i saw this zed in a paisley showroom i just had to ask if he would take a trade in. I took the car to a BMW specialist prior to purchaing it and got a full report on the car done. It came back with a couple minor things, such as noisy viscous fan and steering wheel squeak (very annoying).
So took the car out at 11pm last night on a cold novemeber night. Put the hood down and drove down some country roads, just me the road, the stars and the sounds of a straight six. LOVE IT.
Plans to modify it will be lowering 40mm, 18" wheels, front splitter, oem aero sideskirts ( if i can locate a set). Halo lights and some tastefully smoked rear clusters.
Being 28 this is a car which means a lot to me. When i was learning to drive these were the cars floating off the showroom floors at around £30K and now having the opportunity to own one is just great.
Cant seem to reduce filesize to upload pics at this time
Right, update time. The mirror bases had been refurbed before i bought the car, in matte black, and with a brush. As you can imagine it was quite untidy and had left paint on both the mirror stem and part of the door. The reasoning for this is probobly that the mirrors are completely siezed and wont budge so i'd guess it was done in situe.
To try and get a quick fix i bought some of the 3m carbon fibre wrap with the intentions of wrapping the mirrors and hiding the bad paint until i can free the mirrors and have time to paint them. The vinyl went on fairly easily on the main part of the mirror and looked quite nice but when i tried to wrap the base the matte black paint stuck to the vinyl and flaked off. revealing the original paint underneath and bare metal in some areas. Clearly not a pro job on the refurb, looked like it had been scraped off with a screwdriver then just brushed over. So off came the vinyl and on went some spots of primer to protect the base until i can find some time to do a full respray.
pictures
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0043.jpg
back of mirror wrapped and partly finished.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0042.jpg
Finished wrap
After realizing the mirrors couldnt be done i had enough vinyl to do one of the side grilles
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0044.jpg
Very happy with the result (picture is mid-process) but with no left over vinyl i couldnt do the other side so off it came
Finally a picture of my nicely cleaned engine bay
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0041.jpg
the black mark on the rocker cover is a mark in the plastic and would need re-painting. Guess normal paint would do because it doesnt get above 80C?
To try and get a quick fix i bought some of the 3m carbon fibre wrap with the intentions of wrapping the mirrors and hiding the bad paint until i can free the mirrors and have time to paint them. The vinyl went on fairly easily on the main part of the mirror and looked quite nice but when i tried to wrap the base the matte black paint stuck to the vinyl and flaked off. revealing the original paint underneath and bare metal in some areas. Clearly not a pro job on the refurb, looked like it had been scraped off with a screwdriver then just brushed over. So off came the vinyl and on went some spots of primer to protect the base until i can find some time to do a full respray.
pictures
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0043.jpg
back of mirror wrapped and partly finished.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0042.jpg
Finished wrap
After realizing the mirrors couldnt be done i had enough vinyl to do one of the side grilles
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0044.jpg
Very happy with the result (picture is mid-process) but with no left over vinyl i couldnt do the other side so off it came
Finally a picture of my nicely cleaned engine bay
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa25 ... AG0041.jpg
the black mark on the rocker cover is a mark in the plastic and would need re-painting. Guess normal paint would do because it doesnt get above 80C?
i got mine from here
http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/
Was the cheapest i could find for genuine 3m carbon fibre wrap and very quick postage too. Wrapping the bottom part of the mirror was a bit tricky but it went on ok and if you screw it up it just peels off, heat it up and it returns to its original form. Nice stuff to work with.
http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/
Was the cheapest i could find for genuine 3m carbon fibre wrap and very quick postage too. Wrapping the bottom part of the mirror was a bit tricky but it went on ok and if you screw it up it just peels off, heat it up and it returns to its original form. Nice stuff to work with.
http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Departments ... vinyl.aspx
i bought the 300x1220 black di-noc vinyl. They also do white or metallic gray. The roll is 4 feet long and at a rough guess i needed 2 x 1'x1' sheets to do each mirror (one for the back one for the front) so that roll should just about do.
i bought the 300x1220 black di-noc vinyl. They also do white or metallic gray. The roll is 4 feet long and at a rough guess i needed 2 x 1'x1' sheets to do each mirror (one for the back one for the front) so that roll should just about do.
New Z3
I too have just bought a z3 2.8 but in artic silver. It has the red black interior which in pictures looks dated but in reality gives it a real classic roadster look. The Zed is completely stock and has done 123,000miles and traded my wifes wimpering 54plate micra for it. I completed the deal giving micra and £500 cash.
We purchased the micra for £2950 3 years ago and it hasnt skipped a beat but when i saw this zed in a paisley showroom i just had to ask if he would take a trade in. I took the car to a BMW specialist prior to purchaing it and got a full report on the car done. It came back with a couple minor things, such as noisy viscous fan and steering wheel squeak (very annoying).
So took the car out at 11pm last night on a cold novemeber night. Put the hood down and drove down some country roads, just me the road, the stars and the sounds of a straight six. LOVE IT.
Plans to modify it will be lowering 40mm, 18" wheels, front splitter, oem aero sideskirts ( if i can locate a set). Halo lights and some tastefully smoked rear clusters.
Being 28 this is a car which means a lot to me. When i was learning to drive these were the cars floating off the showroom floors at around £30K and now having the opportunity to own one is just great.
Cant seem to reduce filesize to upload pics at this time
We purchased the micra for £2950 3 years ago and it hasnt skipped a beat but when i saw this zed in a paisley showroom i just had to ask if he would take a trade in. I took the car to a BMW specialist prior to purchaing it and got a full report on the car done. It came back with a couple minor things, such as noisy viscous fan and steering wheel squeak (very annoying).
So took the car out at 11pm last night on a cold novemeber night. Put the hood down and drove down some country roads, just me the road, the stars and the sounds of a straight six. LOVE IT.
Plans to modify it will be lowering 40mm, 18" wheels, front splitter, oem aero sideskirts ( if i can locate a set). Halo lights and some tastefully smoked rear clusters.
Being 28 this is a car which means a lot to me. When i was learning to drive these were the cars floating off the showroom floors at around £30K and now having the opportunity to own one is just great.
Cant seem to reduce filesize to upload pics at this time