New Z3 owner, makes a change from Triumphs!

[TriumphZ3]

Hi all! Just picked up a 1998 Boston Green Z3 1.9 from a trader on August 1st, 46000 miles and quite clean, but has a few niggles so will be plaguing the experts with all sorts of silly questions. I've had classic Triumphs, Heralds and GT6 mostly, for the last 30 years or more and do all my own work bar panel spraying so I'm used to the other side of the coin and answering queries on Triumph forums, but the Z3 is a total diversion. MOT just expired, at present I'm working out why the rear fog lights stay on all the time when the headlights come on and will not go off at all, what the ticking noise is from the rear N/S wheel, and why it leaks so much in rain... the passenger seat and door pocket were swimming this morning! One of my first priorities was to swap over the CD player for one of my old favourite units from the shelf so sat last night in the dark and just listened to music whilst fine tuning the display to match the colour of the car's display. Sad, I know. I need to find a good, reputable supplier for parts - rubber grommets, service items, replacement rear window etc and if the rain stops I might even get it out on the road. I'm known for working on cars that never see the road - Triumph TR7, Reliant Scimitar, Triumph Spitfire, more than one Herald - driven into my garage, almost completely rebuilt, then sold after a while when I lose interest or need space and I never drove a single mile in any of them myself. I guess I just like working on them and the challenge of finding rare or obsolete parts.
Anyway thanks for letting me join the forum; I'm off now to post the first of probably many questions.
Colin

 

[PHILIP BAXTER]

Hi Colin, and welcome from me in Cardiff. Everything you need to know about Zeds is here!

 

[andyglym]

to the Forum from West Cumbria.

 

[Z Victor 1]

Hi and welcome, Enjoy your renovation work on your new toy, but cars are made to be driven! Had a Herald 1250,a mk1 and a mk3 GT6 then a Triumph 2000 back in my young days.

 

[Tony Francis]

Welcome Colin, from a fellow Triumph owner. I have had my TR7 for 20 years. You are sure to find the answers to your questions here

 

[hard top]

to the Forum.

 

[Mus Musculus]

to the forum.

I am also a recent convert to the Z3, and own a Triumph Spitfire IV, which I love. It's been badly neglected after I bought the Z3, though.

 

[mwpe]

Hi and to the forum from Surrey. I bought a Spitfire in 1966 and always had one until I sold my GT6 in about 2010. replaced by the Z3 in 2008.

 

[t-tony]

Hi Colin and welcome from me near Lincoln. I've had some experiences with Triumphs over the years.
Where are you located please?

Tony.

 

[Slam]

Hi and welcome. I’ve had a couple of stags in the past and would welcome another one , love them.

 

[Jack Ratt]

Hello welcome to the forum

 

[Pingu]

A man after my own heart. I prefer the mechanicking than the driving .

Where abouts in the country are you? You may find that there is someone local.

Looking at the wet seats, I think you should strip out the carpets. They have a foam backing and can hold more than 10 litres of water. It's a lot of work compared to removing the carpets from a Triumph, but not too bad if you have a large garage. It's an outside job if you only have a single garage.

Hood open. Seats out (heavy - 20kg each). Front trim and glove box out. Centre console out. Rear console out. Carpets out.

You'll learn a lot about the car if you do this. Have fun

 

[Althulas]

Hi Colin and welcome from me. Typical leaks from the A pillar bungs, the membrane behind the door cards not sealed and windows not sitting right against the rubber seals, there is some adjustments you can do for the tilt on the window. A freshen up with gummifledge on the rubbers keeps them supple and compliant.

 

[Shelly]

 

[Mint]

Hi Colin and to the forum from me too in Stafford. The only Triumph I've owned was a Dolomite back in the day.

 

[TriumphZ3]

I'm in Northern Ireland, just collected this car and so much going on in the garage, house and garden that I'm still trying to work out where my head and feet are; just back from a week touring the mainland from Gloucester to Shrewsbury and Chester to Carlisle, Stranraer and home and picked up the BMW a day later. It looks to be in good order, a few small scratches to paintwork, but a strong smell of damp and indeed the water leaks are amazing. I need to get it into the garage and do a pre-MOT service, which over here means a waiting list of months - earliest date bar a cancellation is November - but that means moving three or four Heralds around to find space... only one of which drives and due to the heavy and almost constant rain I cannot risk leaving any outside. I'm off this morning for oil, filter and brake pads - I checked the oil last night and the dipstick appeared to be rusted in place, plus there's a slightly erratic idle. Need to find out where the plugs are! If I ever get it into the garage work will commence properly.

 

[Slam]

Well jealous !!!!

 

[motco]

My first Herald was a red saloon 1960 model with the twin SU carburetted engine of a coupé. I though it was the dog's danglies at the time as it was quicker than my Dad's Herald 1200.

I worked in Chiswick at the time and on one occasion in about 1968 we all traipsed off to a local pub for a Christmas lunch. This pub, the Old Station House in Grove Park Road, has room for a few cars directly outside parked nose-in to the kerb. There's quite a camber on the road at that point and I parked facing in and pulled on the handbrake on my old Herald, switched off, and took my foot off the brake pedal. What followed was potentially a disaster. There was an ominous crunching sound and the car moved forwards under the influence of gravity until the front wheels stopped against the kerb. In true 1960s fashion this sub-ten year old car had terminal rust in the chassis outriggers, and the radius arms had pulled out of the chassis mounting points because there was only iron oxide flakes holding them in!

Fortunately for me a garage on the A308 between Windsor and Maidenhead was able to replace both rear outriggers for £40 (more than £750 in modern money) and I was soon back on the road. The drive from W4 to Maidenhead was interesting though...

Not long afterwards a loud clacking noise from the engine was the sound of a piston ring being hammered into the crown of a piston. Recon engine time. That was before the diff lost all its oil through a blown oil seal on my homeward journey one day. Filled it up after a repair and found someone to buy it complete with howling final drive.

Nice cars, but not too reliable in my experience. Like an idiot I bought a 1967 Estate Herald for my Good Lady after all that!

 

[motco]

Oh, and I didn't mention the universal joints on the half shafts chewing up their needle bearings did I...

 

[Mus Musculus]

Old Station House in Grove Park Road

Eh, you're bringing some memories here… In a previous life I was a motorcycle courier for Island Records in St. Peter's Square; many nights spent at the Old Station House.

ETA: I never rode the bike after a session there. I promise!