Hello

[Craig H-B]

Hi, my name's Craig and I've just entered the world of Z3 motoring with a 1998 2.8l with 136k on the clock, black with beige interior and a new hood. I absolutely love the car after having so many modern cars it's nice to go back a little and get a car that has bags of character and makes me smile each time I drive her.

My only concern is that whilst I'd thought if been thorough I missed what appears to be a popped boot weld, just the one thankfully. Should I be looking at getting this looked at and being based in Hampshire near Reading have you any recommendations? The car does make a slightly audible clunk from 1st to 2nd but not noticeable in other gears, I've yet to go underneath but will try to see if there's a dreaded weld/diff mount issue I really hope there isn't.

Any thoughts if all is well underneath if I should concern myself with the one popped weld, I've no idea how long it's been popped the rest of the boot is as it should be. Cheers Craig
PS: a great site and some really friendly and passionate people on here great to see.

 

[oldcarman]

Welcome Craig from frigid Canada! You are correct about the people on the forum. They are a very knowledgable group but also like a bit of fun and games. Sounds like you've been stalking us for a while and I'm sure you'll have a solution to your problem as soon as everyone awakes and checks in. Enjoy the car and please don't hesitate to ask questions. JIM

 

[Shelly]

Welcome to the forum Craig
Hope you enjoy our site as much as we all do
From Bradwell near Great Yarmouth

 

[POG]

Welcome... From Portsmouth.

 

[GazHyde]

Welcome Craig,

Sounds like it just needs a thorough looking over with it up in the air. There are a lot of scare stories going around about boot welds and diff hangers being ripped off, but I wouldn't worry too much till you've investigated further.

My 2001 was a bit clunky in the drive train, but a refresh of the rear end bushes has pretty much cleared that now. It can be a shock coming from a modern car to a 16 year old car. Regular maintenance and a project to refresh the rubber components will keep her going for many more years

Let us know what you see when she is in the air!

Gary

 

[jonco]

to our community.

 

[Jack Ratt]

Hello from Cornwall

 

[Kit]

And me
I went all over mine, but still took it to a local independent BMW garage so they could give it the once over just to put my mind at rest.
All the pickups they found I had seen, bar the wrong engine coolant.
Get a local garage to give it a once over.

 

[DavidM]

Welcome from Ireland!

 

[t-tony]

Hi Craig from near Lincoln and welcome to the forum it's a great place to belong to. I would check out the boot floor for peace of mind but it's not likely to be a massive worry.

Tony.

 

[hard top]

Welcome from me too.

 

[Craig H-B]

Thanks everyone I managed to squeeze underneath myself and have a look at the diff mount and it looks solid to me, crack free etc but will still take her to an independent for peace of mind.

I know what you mean re plastic and rubber upgrading, I've already got the seat spacers on order as the seat has some slack in it.

would anyone know where to pick up the following items?

Rear lights rubber surround and door handles surround and both have seen better days for sure.

Thanks everyone

 

[jonco]

...........Rear lights rubber surround and door handles surround and both have seen better days for sure

Rear light rubbers are still available from dealer - I had one replaced last summer following a bump. Try Sopers link on this forum.

I tried to get door handle rubbers last week from local dealers and was told they are no longer available so I'm searching to.

 

[Mint]

Hi Craig, from me too in Staffordshire.

 

[bonzo]

And another glorious 2.8 joins our ranks.....and another with a fine beige interior!... from Bonzo and Z3lda.

Cheers, and lots of fun.

 

[FRANKIE]

Thanks everyone I managed to squeeze underneath myself and have a look at the diff mount and it looks solid to me, crack free etc but will still take her to an independent for peace of mind.

I know what you mean re plastic and rubber upgrading, I've already got the seat spacers on order as the seat has some slack in it.

would anyone know where to pick up the following items?

Rear lights rubber surround and door handles surround and both have seen better days for sure.

Thanks everyone

Hi, Craig, and welcome to the forum from the other side of the pond. Frankie

 

[oldcarman]

I'd check with Sopers first then eBay UK , they come up occasionally. Then try the many different countries eBay sites. If all else fails eBay Japan as there are a lot of BMW Z3's there. HTH JIM

 

[nachos23]

Hey. Welcome to the forum and to Z3 ownership. The single popped weld isnt an issue YET, but I would look into the Randy Forbes kit. I'm going to be buying one for my Z3M this week which hasn't popped any yet, but a few look like they're stressed and about to pull/pop. Rear subframe separation is common on these models if you push them. The rivets tend to pop and that can lead to serious issues if not detected and repaired prior to them completely popping. I connected to him through Facebook. Have done alot of research into this issue and his kit seems to the best and used by most of the guys that track or push their e36/e37 over on this side of the pond.. The kit is around $550USD plus the cost to install.. In your non-M version, I believe there is a clutch delay value which many guys disconnect. If yours is bypassed and you're hard on the clutch, it will make a noticable clunk. The CDV ensures a smooth clutch engagement, but many guys bypass to provide more immediate clutch response.. Might be worth looking into. If you want to see what can happen if you get rear subframe separation, do a quick search; many posts and videos relating to this issue.

 

[Lee]

Welcome @Craig H-B You cant be too far from me, I'm also near reading in hampshire.

 

[Craig H-B]

Cheers Lee, yes based in Bramley so not far at all