Old Z3???

You have a good grasp of the Z3. Might I suggest for your consideration, a similar year 3 Series convertible. I'm not certain the Z3 is built on a 318 chassis or not, but now that you mentiion the possibility, I can see the resemblence and you might be right.

I am not retired, but I generally have only me and my wife in the car, or me and the dog, and occasionally me the wife and the dog. This last scenario is when the extra seating comes in very handy.

The wife and I took a ride one pleasant Sunday to the electronics superstore near us. We went to get a flat panel dislay for one of our computers. While at the store, we decided to buy a Christmas present for our daughter, so we selected a Toshiba notebook. We could not fit the two boxes into the trunk of the car -- a '94 325i Convertible -- which means you would not get the same payload into the trunk of a Z3.

Our problem was easily solved by puting one box into the back seat and the other into the trunk. We could have taken the items out of the box and then carried both items in the trunk, but if that's not an option AND you're plying the highways and byways in a Z3, then you're gonna have trouble because the back seat option isn't ging to be available to you.

I'm VERY happy with my 3 Series convertible as a fun car to drive. You will be happy with the Z3 too, but the lack of space can become a serious issue without proper planning, Trips to the electronics superstore can toss any and all "proper planning" right out the window.

Take a look at the 3 Series cars as an alternative to the Z3. In the years you are looking at, you can select a 325 or 328, and if you go a year or two newer, the 330 becomes a very good option and does not exceed the price point you have dialed in on. Well, there are the M-car convertibles, but they are going to cost a bit more than you appear to be looking to spend.

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h75049$cdq$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

Gentlemen,

The problem sould have been avoided with a Coupé. Recently a friend of mine gave me a 17'' monitor in its original box plus a medium-tower PC and accessories. I easily put all the equipment into the trunk. At home, surprized of this feat, I tried to put the box of a 19"". It entered as easily as the 17'' did. The sole problem was with the rear window touching the edge of the box, avoiding to close the hatchback. In my old E30 I even wouldn't have been able to put the box into the trunk and I'm not sure that the monitor box would have passed through the rear door.

A Z3 alone is probably not convenient because of its two seats only. However, I'd recommend the coupé, because of the trunck's room and the I6 engine for its smoothness, regularity and power. Rather economic, one youth failure over 130000 km (thermostat at 17000 km) plus a broken fuel gauge that is common to all the series whatever their age and their type are and a battery after 7 years. Two tire sets for 110000 km. An average of 9 l/100 with 36 km kighway + 24 km in the city for the daily commuting.

Should I add that I might put a carpet on the garage floor without fearing stains on it ! That wasn't the same with the Spitfire !

I have some insight on this since I've had a 99 Z3 2.8 Roadster since it was new. We're up to 143K miles and it is still fun every time we head out for a drive. But like any used car there are a few things you need to consider.

1) It might be inexpensive now but parts are still based on a car that cost $40K when it was new and parts prices will reflect that reality. 2.) Typical maintenance items are. A.) Radiator at 60 K miles B. Thermostat housing at 60 K miles C.) Lower front control arms and reaction bushings before 80 K D.) Widow Regulators, both sides. E.) Seat bushings on power seat hardware.

None of these are monumental but they cost some money to fix. If you can do those kind of repairs yourself you could do all of it for less than $600.00 in parts.

As far as ride comfort and noise -- its a convertible!

It holds enough that my wife and I can take it on a one week vacation to the mountains where it shines compared to hardtops. There is something exhilarating about driving through the mountains with an open top car.

It can't be your only car unless you have lots of stuff delivered as it is small but that is what makes it fun.

Good Luck

RJD

These itemsm are common across the 3 Series line, they're not unique to the Z3. Good points, all. But not unique to the Z3.

You make several good points, all of which merit consideration. I'll try to become more familiar with the 3xx series say, '96-'00, as time permits.

I should have mentioned that I am sort of a "loner retiree", it's just me and my crazy birddawg, I'm not very active (health's not so great), etc. Lack of cargo space would eventually inconvenience me, but, hopefully, one can still rent a lite pick-up or such for $25 or so. With careful planning, the inconvenience should be minimized.

Thanks, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

+1.

I put 65,000 miles on my '97 Z3 2.8. As it replaced a motorcycle for touring, my wife and I found the 6 cu.ft. of trunk space to be adequate for

4 week trips - if both pack very carefully and plan on doing laundry every 5 days or so. I recommend the 6 cyl. as it has plenty of power but still gave me 26.5 mpg overall with mostly highway and spirited mountain road driving. Having the E36 suspension and conventional tires, the ride was quite comfortable for a roadster - much better than the later Z4; although the handling was more boulevard than hard core sportscar. Also, unlike the later Z4 and E46 'verts, the top was unlined and had a large plastic rear window.

My only real expense out of warranty was a repaint due to excessive stone chip damage - avoid the black paint if at all possible.

Tom

You might meet the next Mrs. Wonderful at the shuffleboard court and wish you had the backseat.

I love my '94 325i convertible (E36), but I still drool with desire for the clean E46 convertibles. I've not driven the 2-seater (Z3 or Z4), and this experience might change my outlook but I doubt it. I think you can get a nice 4-seater and get the meaningful driving experience. You may find the insurance policy is cheaper too, but I don't know that to be factual.

In any case, my suggestion is to not get fixated on the Z3, but include the entire line of 3 Series convertibles. My humble opinion is that the space is very desireable, and the lines of the car draw lots of attention.

PS I fitted my car with 17" rims (225/45ZR17, BFGoodrich) from a '95 M3. This tire combination is the same overall diameter as the factory fitment, but LOOKS waaay better. Perhaps this is what causes pedestrians to make positive remarks about my old car.

PS2 All you need to say is 3 Series, not 3xx.Series. The E36 cars were built until '99-ish, then became the E46. The E number defines the chassis, so any

3 Series from '93-ish until '99-ish is the E36, the Z3 is the E37 (as you already pointed out) The 3 Series generation that follows is the E46. The convertibles in this generation get a glass back window and a better top, the earlier cars get a plastic window that folds in half, and the fold can cause a distortion of your view out the back. Of course, the glass window gets a defroster that the plastic window does not tolerate. I bring this up because your price range appears to include the earliest E46 cars, and I think the upgrades that the E46 brings to the table are well worth the cost up, if any.

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h794mj$4bd$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

The two seaters are funny to drive, especially because you're sitting (almost) on the rear wheels :)

So, you're able to make the comparison of 16" wrt 17" with lower & wider tires ! Did you fit the 245x40 on the rear ? What's your feeling ? I'm interested because the Z3 on bad roads, with large tires is a pain. I've to avoid some streets of my city otherwise, a lack of inattention would throw me against the curb.

Regards

I'll assume you mean just flush, etc, and not replacement.

This is the kind of info I hoped to find.

Given good info and a manual, I could likely manage all but C.).

Interesting. Here's the blurb from consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1996-to-2002-bmw-z3-6.htm:

------------------------------------------------------------------- This table lists costs of likely repairs for comparison with other vehicles. The dollar amount includes the cost of the part(s) and labor (based on $50 per hour) for the typical repair without extras or add-ons. Like the pricing information, replacement costs can vary widely depending on region. Expect charges at a new-car dealership to be slightly higher.

Item Name Repair Cost A/C Compressor $1,250 Alternator $410 Automatic Transmission or Transaxle $1,150 Brakes $295 Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing $570 Constant Velocity Joints $960 Exhaust System $1,140 Radiator $710 Shocks and/or Struts $1,310 Timing Chain or Belt $840

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, a sports convertible. Good enough.

Glad you're happy with it.

So long as it'll hold 3-4 bags of groceries, I could manage. I'm not very active, plan no home improvements, etc. I can rent a truck if necessary.

Thanks, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

Sounds good.

That's OK with me. Super-stiff suspension and the like would be more minus than plus for most of my needs.

Did you have to replace the rear window?

Anybody had to replace an entire convertible top? At what cost?

Check.

Much thanks, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

I didn't, although it was getting a bit scratched. Even though one can see a zipper around it, I understand it was a dealer only job - circa $300 for parts & labor. If I hadn't succombed to the lure of the Z4, I probably would have replaced the window.

My top was in perfect shape when I traded mine in after 5 1/2 years. Applying RaggTopp fabric top protectant 2 or 3 times a year helps considerably.

However, the OEM boot cover was a royal pain, as it had to be completely removed when the top was raised, yet top down driving on gravel roads without it allowed a great deal of dust and dirt to get into the top compartment. It also took up an inordinate amount of trunk space when the top was up, so I replaced it with a soft boot cover from HMS motorsports.

Tom

Hi Puddin Man:

On the question of the radiator, I mean replacement in total. The radiator end caps are plastic and typically will fail where the expansion tank return line exits the upper radiator. It is common to all 3 series and those in the know replace the thermostat housing and the water pump at the same time. They are all there together so its quick and a good investment to prevent a very expensive engine replacement. That is an aluminum engine and they don't do well when overheated thanks to a coolant leak.

Ours serves as the daily grocery getter so you would find the trunk to be large enough for that duty.

I have replaced the rear window and you can do it yourself (the wife and I did) but it helps if you are flexible enough to do yoga as it is a contortionists dream trying to get it started. Removal is easy

--installation is a bitch. Our top is original and still works well and looks new.

RJD

I run the 225/45x17 on all four corners. They fit perfectly without any modifications too the car. My car came equipped with the Sports Package, and that gave me 225/55x15s. There is a 16 inch equivelent to the tires,

225/50x16, and the 17 inch variant. The 15 gives an overall diameter of 24.7 inches, the 16 is 24.86 inches, and the 17 is 24.97 inches. The change in the revs per mile is -7.4 when the change goes from the 15 to the 17 -- the 17 is larger by 1/4 inch on the diameter, or 1/8 inch on the radius, so there are fewer revs per mile. The result is that the speedo is damn near perfect -- when it says I'm doing 85, my GPS reports 83.7, 1.3 mph below the indicated speed. Formerly, when the indicated speed was 85, the actual speed was closer to 80. (This is common, by the way)

If your car has 16s already, the revs per mile is 811.3, so the difference with the 17s is -3.7, so the change to the speedo for you won't be so noticeable. Your speedo is already closer to being accurate than my car was, so the change in tire size won't have the impact it had for me.

The 245/40 takes a staggered rim -- the rear rims are wider than the front. My rims are all the same at 8.5 inches.

Tire Diameter

225 55 15 24.744 225 50 16 24.858 225 45 17 24.972

Notice that for every 5% decrease in the aspect ratio (the second set of digits in the size), the rim increases 1 inch to maintain the overall diameter.

Tire Circumference

225 55 15 77.736 225 50 16 78.094 225 45 17 78.453

Revs / Mile

225 55 15 815.068 225 50 16 811.325 225 45 17 807.616

Width in Inches ALL SIZES 8.858

Sidewall Height

225 55 15 4.872 225 50 16 4.429 225 45 17 3.986

Two notes:

1. This is due to a poor design. I don't know if the design has been corrected by BMW or not.

1. There are aftermarket radiators, some with brass end caps, which solve the problem completely.

2. 60k seems a little early to change it pre-emptively, and they usually start leaking before they fail. So if you do a weekly look-over in the engine compartment, you should notice something wrong long before it actually goes.

--scott

I doubt she'd wanna ride in back. :-)

I'm not just after "flash". I'm not even 100% sold on a ragtop. I'd consider a coupe if I could find one (never seen a Z3 hardtop hereabouts).

...

All of 'em? Coupes, sedans, etc etc? All with the same chassis, motors? I was confused on this point.

Yeah, the old plastic windows can be a pain. I've seen some become virtually opaque. I tend to sacrifice newer years for lo miles and pampered condition.

Thanks, P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

In the U.S, 1999 was the first model year for E46 4 doors and 2000 for the 2 door models. The '99 coupes & convertibles were the last year for the E36 line. With the E46, BMW dropped the 4 cylinder engines and began offering only inline sixes. And if you try to associate model numbers with displacement, it certainly becomes confusing as the 323i was a 2.5 litre, the 325 is a 3 litre, and while the E46 328i had a 2.8 litre engine, current (E90) 328i BMWs are 3 litres.

Tom

I'm not sure where the cut-in was, that's why I said "99-ISH". I shoulda said, "heavy on the ish."

This is -very- helpful info. Much Thanks!

P

"Law Without Equity Is No Law At All. It Is A Form Of Jungle Rule."

"Jeff Strickland" a écrit dans le message de news: h79k10$830$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org...

Thanks Jeff for the details. When I ordered the car, the baseline was 225x50x16 for the 4 wheels and by option: 225x45x17 on the front and 245x40x17 on the rear. I chose the option because of the look of the hell the style # 42 have.

However the handling is very poor on bad roads and the tramlining pretty heavy as soon as grooves are present. This is particularly noticeable on the right lane on some parts of the motorways.

I got the car with Dunlop tires (SP Sport perhaps), I replaced all of them by Bridgestone Potenza S03 then by Potenza SE050 on the rear and Dunlop SP Sport MAXX on the front. It seems that the new Dunlop on the front improve a little bit the handling. However this may be subjective.

The rims are not painted but varnished. Although an alomst weekly cleaning with wash and wax, they started to oxydize some years ago and now the propagation is running. The repair cost, needing to separate the two parts of the rims, is comparable to the price of aftermarket brand new ones.

I was wondering if going back to the baseline dimensions would solve the handling issues, the reason why I'm looking for references.

Regards