new kid on teh block

[BEAMERBABE]

hi there everyone

i am from australia and female so i am not that cluey when it comes to mechanical things like engines. i am considering buying a z3 and pretty much was interested in having a chat with you guys about bmw's. any information you have both positive and negative would be appreciated, stuff like parts are they easy to get are they expensive, what should i look for when buying should i take a mechanic with me??

but generally i wouldnt just mind talking cars. so drop me a line if your bored.

see ya
wanna be beamer babe

 

[BEAMERBABE]

woops i should learn how to spell THE shouldn't i

 

[Big Daddy]

First welcome to the board. Second it is a Bimmer, not a Beamer. A Beamer is a motorcycle! There is tons of Z3 information in this Z Series section. What are you interested in, a four cylinder, six cyliner, an M version, or do you care? How much do you want to spend and what do you consider acceptable mileage? There are a lot of Z3's here in the states for sale between $7k and 35k depending on what a person is interested in.

They are pretty reliable and with care mileage should not be a factor until well beyone 150k. If you are looking at the six cylinder versions some have had subframe crack issues, I believe related to how they have been driven. It does not appear to be wide spread at this point, but something to look for when looking over the car. Let us know your interests and we will see if we can help.

 

[beersheva]

In the Czech Republic, the Z3s of the first production years are relatively cheap, this is no sunny Australia here, two seats only, but the Spartanburg factory in the USA had bellow-bmw-standards quality in the begining. Good choice Z3, maybe check also Alfa Spider (exotic wow-car) or MB SLK (the metal roof is better on a convertible).

 

[Big Daddy]

the Spartanburg factory in the USA had bellow-bmw-standards quality in the begining.

I never heard anything about quality build issues in the 96 or 97 Z3's. I owned a 97 and it was a wonderful car with zero build issues. All Z3's were built in Spartenberg and even my 98 has had no issues. If you need a hardtop they are available for the Z3's as well.

 

[jrt67ss350]

I never heard anything about quality build issues in the 96 or 97 Z3's. I owned a 97 and it was a wonderful car with zero build issues. All Z3's were built in Spartenberg and even my 98 has had no issues.

I second this. Just because the factory is in Spartanburg, SC USA, does not mean the cars that are built there are below the usual level of BMW quality.

Not many people realize this, but the Z3 wasn't even the first vehicle that was built in the Spartanburg, SC plant. E36 318i's were the first cars to roll of the line there and were all that was built at that plant until the plant was later retooled to build the Z3. There was even a period where Z3s and 318i's were rolling down the line together. It wasn't until the sales of the Z3 really took off that the plant was converted to Z3 production exclusively.

I have driven one of the first 10 vehicles to roll off of the assembly line at the SC plant - a red E36 318i manual with black leatherette interior. Even this extremely early production vehicle did not have any unexpected quality issues whatsoever.

Here is a picture of the first car to roll off the assembly line at the Spartanburg, SC plant:

 

[BEAMERBABE]

Ok My Apologies, Bimmer From Now On, Thank You For The Welcome And Your Help.i Would Love A 6 Cylinder 2.8 But They Are Very Expensive Over Here In Australia, The 4cylinder 1.9 Is More In My Price Range, I Want Something Reliable And That Will Last As I Dont Plan On Getting Rid Of It For A Very Long Time, I Have Never Owned A Bmw But I Have Heard Great Things About Them. I Would Like To Go For A 97/98 Model Z3. Worried Withthe Fact That Its 10 Years Old And Am I Gonna Be Haveing To Shell Out Heaps On Parts And Things??

 

[Big Daddy]

If the car has been cared for it should give you 150 - 250k mileage easily. Just take your time and look them over well. Have a trusted BMW mechanic go over the car before you buy.

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Hey Beamerbabe,

Big D. is right about the mileage if the car is looked after. This is why a service record is imperative IMO.

Here's a little bible I keep when looking at second-hand cars:

This is the Car Buyer's Bible:
1) If you're not buying from a dealer, make sure you're buying from the owner.

2) View the car in daylight, and NEVER in the rain. Take a torch to check for crash damage.

3) Lift carpets to check for welding across the sills and floorpan (ie, under the carpet in the boot etc). Check for rust also. Rust is VERY BAD! Run if you see rust.

4) Irregular tyre wear (ie, if the inside of the tyre tread is more worn than the outside and vice-versa) can mean steering/suspension damage.

5) Look for poorly matched paintwork, uneven shutlines and evidence of respray work or filler.

6) Check that the mileage matches the wear on the seats, pedal rubbers and steering wheel. If the odo says the car has done 30K miles and the seats are shitty and worn then you know something is dodgy.

7) Check coolant, oil, and brake fluid levels. If they're really low then this means neglect.

8) Try all the switches to make sure electrical systems are ok (ie, demister, A/C, lights etc).

9) This is important: ALWAYS test-drive the car from cold. If you go to drive a car and the temp. gauge says it's warm then go back the next day and tell them you want to drive it from cold. Cars behave very differently when they're cold and sometimes irregularities can show up when all the oils aren't warmed through. Listen for odd metally noises, squeaks, rattles etc. Anything ridiculously loud is usually a problem.

10) Look for smoke from the exhaust when you first start the car. Smoke means worn piston-rings, which is not good.

11) If you know anyone that is a mechanic then take them with you.

I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to the Z3 but these tips apply to any and every car! Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

And yes, we still pay ridiculously high prices for I6 Z3's in OZ.

 

[BEAMERBABE]

big daddy and chesty bonds thanks for your help i will definetly take on board your advice. Hey chesty bond love the burnout dont think i would buy a car from you though hahaha

 

[Chesty Bonds]

Hey chesty bond love the burnout dont think i would buy a car from you though hahaha

Haha yeah it was one of my mate's cars too. I wouldn't do it to my own, of course!

 

[Tom]

Welcome aboard BEAMERBABE

 

[BEAMERBABE]

thanks Tom i appreciate you guys being good to me.

 

[///M SPEED]

Welcome aboard the board. This is a great community for information or just for idle chat....

As for the car, I agree with Bid D. and Chesty Bonds....