Z3 owned from new

[ktnez99]

Thank you - some helpful thoughts.

It's clear that the rust is on the inner sills too. And the outer sills have some bubbling at the back end too, which suggests I am likely to find some rust on the back end of the inner sills.

I don't have the time or experience to work on the car myself.

Why would I keep it:

- I like the very precise feedback through the steering wheel (I've been told that later cars with full power steering don't have that precise feedback).
- it's very comfortable
- I like the shape
- I've never had any problem with the engine
- I like that it has very basic electrics - I can disconnect the battery with no problem (there are periods when I don't use the car much, so don't want the battery to drain).
- hassle, cost and wait of buying a new car.

Why would I get rid of it? If it was going to need more structural repair in the future so that I would be throwing good money after bad.

I've been saying until now "if I can keep it running for just one or two thousand a year, on average, then that makes it cheaper than the depreciation on a new car"

But since Nov 2024 it's been expensive: about £4,000 of work:

- Renew both rear brake back plates
- Renew both rear wheel bearings
- Renew handbrake shoes
- Renew rear brake discs and pads

- replace Roof microswitch

- Renew front shock absorbers
- Renew front coil springs
- Renew top mounts
- Renew bump stops and duat covers

- replace seat bushes
- Renew viscous fan hub

It’s a 25yo car. You can expect maintenance costs especially in light of the age. Apologies for being blunt but this is a fact when we keep our beloved Zs.

 

[Jam03]

If it’s any consolation, I have spent more than what I paid form my Z3 on maintenance and repairs in the 3,5yrs I’ve had it. But, I’ve also done 23k miles of mostly recreational very enjoyable driving. No regrets! It’s still relatively cheap motoring compared to new sports cars.

 

[RustyZ3Fan]

If the outers are rusted beyond repair then why would you want to put them back on.

Because I don't know if it is legal to drive the car without them and my partner is likely to object to the car looking like it is falling apart

 

[RustyZ3Fan]

I've realised that the question I am trying to answer is a tricky one: how much is it likely to cost me to keep the car running for the next 5 to 10 years - as an annualised number. I'm fine with an annualised cost of say £1,000 to £2,000.

So I need to find out: what are the big things that go wrong with Z3s and how much does it cost to put them right.

I wish someone had told me ten or fifteen years ago that it would be a good idea to remove the outer sills clean up the inner sills and put some high quality protective treatment on them and then check them again at say 5 year intervals.

I'm wondering what other preventative/protective work Z3 owners do?

 

[RustyZ3Fan]

This seems to be what I am looking for.

https://classicsworld.co.uk/guides/bmw-z3-buyers-guide/

This seems encouraging:

"The BMW Z3 doesn’t suffer from serious rot like an MX-5 can and they are normally solid where it counts even if the wings and outer sill panels are in a state – these are bolt on panels as are the front and rear wings. Good original panels are rare because many BMW Z3s will be showing rust in these areas. Sill and wing replacement is easy enough but new panels are pricey from BMW so weigh up the restoration costs when buying. Rot in the main shell is pretty rare with the main spot being at the front of the floor where the sill bolts on."

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Fantastic - always nice to see an original owner car. I think this would probably influence its value slightly, especially if you have all its history & paperwork.

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the car new? - Just out of curiosity.

I'm new to z3 ownership, it didn't take me long to get hooked!

I like the z3 for the same reasons you do, its small, nimble - handles fairly well and puts a big smile on my face.
If you were to get rid of the z3, what would you replace it with?

At 25 years, its done really well - for comparison I had a 2001 Fiesta I scrapped back in 2009 due to corrosion.

In my opinion, if there is no other car that tickles your fancy, it may be worth considering giving your car a birthday.
What I have found with other cars and bodywork is to try and find someone that's familiar with the platform - not only because they will know all the areas to work on, but they can sometimes get the job done with more efficiency = lower pricing.
I know Redish will be incredibly thorough - you pays your money.

I'm a part of the e39 5 series world - they have the typical corrosion issues of the era, when approaching bodyshops for sills I was getting quotes I thought were reasonable, until I was told about a chap down the road that everyone with e39s needing bodywork gravitates towards, turns out he can knock them out within a few days for a much more palatable cost, because hes done so many he knows all the little things to look out for, like the drain holes that most people seem to weld / seal up.

 

[lalinsorinoco]

Welcome from Farnborough, Hampshire

 

[RustyZ3Fan]

If you don't mind me asking, how much was the car new? - Just out of curiosity.

It was 1,321,931 Belgian Francs!

So £20,044. I had to pay VAT when I drove it to the UK, so the price including VAT was about £23,500. I probably had to pay a custom duty as well, but I can't remember how much that was, not much I don't think.

In 2000, the UK car trade was saying things like "you won't be able to get it serviced and you won't be able to sell it, since it's a grey import". That was because they were selling it for £28,000 - £30,000 and wan't to preserve their margin,

 

[RustyZ3Fan]

I was very interested by the comment about the aircon: "If it doesn’t work, it’s worth having it fixed because parts like a new condenser or a used compressor are surprisingly cheap." Mine stopped about 10 years ago and the garage told me it would cost £2,000 to replace the pipes, so I never bothered.