Z3 2.2 (2001), 100k miles, same owner since 2005, £3495 - a good buy?

[inhocsigno]

Hello everyone,

I'm seriously considering buying a 2001 Z3 2.2 roadster, 100k miles, 2 previous owners, same owner since 2005; the trader is asking £3495 for it; I have a limited budget of around £4000, and honestly I did not expect the Z3 to be available for this - I was looking at convertible six cylinder E46s, but they tend to be very high mileage and feel like a risky gamble.

I'm somewhat particular about the specification, looking for a six cylinder manual with a light leather interior and as original a specification as possible. I found one that seems to fit the bill and am wondering whether to go for it, and what I should ask the dealer before moving forward. I've read about some M54s eating oil, is this something to look out for? Is that an expensive or even necessary fix (I don't expect to cover more than 6-8k miles per year). Anything else I should perhaps ask? The plate is GL51OTA if it helps. I had a look at the MOT history and there's no mention of corrosion.. photos look clean.

I remember seeing these as a teenager - to think I could own one now - they are very beautiful.

I'm not in a rush to buy, but this one looks quite nice, and at a good price? What do you think?

Thank you,

Constantin
Durham, UK

 

[AntStark]

Do you know why it’s been sat since October 21 and also how it has been stored during that time? Worth asking. Z3s are much better when they are used. Bear in mind you are buying a 20 plus year old car. Maintenance records/evidence of care are everything. Mileage less important.

edit ..it looks nice

 

[Jam03]

I test drove that car just over 2 yrs ago and it needed a new rear window and was saturated, radio didn’t work and had mud all over the boot.

 

[Jam03]

This was mid Feb 2022. It’s been for sale at the same place and same price ever since. The roof was leaking then already and I had to drive it through a 4 inch flood on the test drive. Engine sounded good though. Would need to spend a few grand to get it nice.

 

[inhocsigno]

Thanks for the prompt replies!

Wow, this is a bit sobering. Thank you @Jam03 - you mean a few thousand pounds to repair/replace the roof alone, or are there multiple issues here? Do you think it's had water ingress, is that what you mean by saturated? I know electric issues can be a nightmare..

Hum, hm. Maybe not a wonderful find after all. I'll see what the dealer says and keep my eyes and tabs open. Any other opinions, suggestions, similar spec cars for sale, please share! Thank you

 

[AntStark]

There is a nice , cared for 3.0 in the for sale section https://zroadster.org/threads/bmw-z3-3-0-2000-axz-330.68271/

 

[as400]

Offer £2K especially if as one member noticed the radio wasn't working.

 

[Pond]

Hum, hm. Maybe not a wonderful find after all.

Welcome to the world of old used cars (and newer IME).
If I were to buy another Z3 or Z4, I think I would ONLY look at cars from private sellers who could prove they had been stored inside most of their life.
Z3s are old now and suffer with water ingress if not cared for very well. Water inside cars is not a recipe for anything good, other than a PITA and much expense.

Looks like James (@Jam03) has maybe helped you dodge a bullet?

 

[Jam03]

Offer £2K especially if as one member noticed the radio wasn't working.

Not unless you’re willing to end up spending >£5k to get it to a reasonable standard. Not worth it.

 

[inhocsigno]

It indeed feels like a very instructive first day here. Thank you very much everyone. Thank you @Jam03.

Honestly if they'd agree to a £2k offer, I'd be tempted; could start with a window replacement (I'm reading the relevant threads and googling around for recommended specialists; ha, ruminative episode building and then take it slow and steady with the restoration.. Still may be foolish if water ingress an issue for years... Will see/share more after talk with trader.

I'm now devouring the sales thread - thank you for the link, @AntStark! The silver 3.0 does look clean, it's a shame about the colour and the black interior; also, coming from a 1.5 mk4 MX-5 RF, the 3.0 engine sounds like a beastly upgrade, possibly too large for my shoes. The 2.2 sounded so sweet.

Keeping an open mind nonetheless.

 

[AntStark]

To be honest there are never a large number of cars listed in this forums FS thread..most of us want to keep them..but those that are are usually top notch being maintained by enthusiasts. The 2.2 and the 3.0 is the same M54 engine and has pretty much the same running costs…just 60 more HP

 

[Jam03]

It indeed feels like a very instructive first day here. Thank you very much everyone. Thank you @Jam03.

Honestly if they'd agree to a £2k offer, I'd be tempted; could start with a window replacement (I'm reading the relevant threads and googling around for recommended specialists; ha, ruminative episode building and then take it slow and steady with the restoration.. Still may be foolish if water ingress an issue for years... Will see/share more after talk with trader.

I'm now devouring the sales thread - thank you for the link, @AntStark! The silver 3.0 does look clean, it's a shame about the colour and the black interior; also, coming from a 1.5 mk4 MX-5 RF, the 3.0 engine sounds like a beastly upgrade, possibly too large for my shoes. The 2.2 sounded so sweet.

Keeping an open mind nonetheless.

I wouldn’t fear the 3.0 engine. The point is that there’s good stuff out there within your budget. I would avoid cars at dealers. At this price point you need to watch out for tired suspension and old or budget tyres that can spoil the driving experience and very quickly cost you a few grand to put right.

 

[AntStark]

I agree with @Jam03 ..don’t dismiss the 3.0 or the 2.8. 4k will definitely get you a good one. Keep posting them up here if you want unbiased opinions . Seriously ..there is usually always a member local to you who would happily accompany you to look at a prospective purchase

 

[Zephyr]

coming from a 1.5 mk4 MX-5 RF, .

have you driven a Z3 yet?
i went the opposite way, from a 2001 Z3 1.9 to a 2023 Mx5 2.0 and never coming back unless its an M Coupe in top condition.
Just asking because if not you may be disappointed

 

[AntStark]

100% you need to drive one ..they feel old school (analog versus digital) compared to modern cars, but are also much more engaging in my opinion..a proper mechanical drivers car.
@Zephyr just couldn’t handle his….although strangely he is still very active on this forum

 

[inhocsigno]

Thanks so much everyone, it's humbling to see how much of a community these cars still create, and to receive so much suppport on my first day here!

@Zephyr: Ah, interesting. I haven't driven one yet, no; I found the new MX5 chasis to be impressive, yes, light and surgical and fun and very easy to drive (although have you noticed how annoyingly precise it is? It's like every nanometer of steering input actually moves the car in that direction; and that's certainly beautiful on some roads, on some days, but it began to feel tiring on longer, faster drives). It's very Japanese, it's very nice, but I don't know.. I'm getting older and feel something shift inside (was actually looking at older SL500s recently, ah the blasphemy, never thought I would - alas expensive and slightly too stuttgarty for me but you get the point!).

I think I understand what you're trying to warn me about - althought I haven't driven the 2.0 engine on the MX5; the 1.5 seemed like the classical choice, in the spirit of the car, lighter and slightly more revvy than the 2.0, plus within the budget at that time. However with these Z3s (says he who has never driven one) I made a decision to only consider the 6-cylinder verions; so while the 1.9 can probably feel very nice (just finished reading the charming story of Paul's 'Ratty' in the Highlands! I really like this forum! , I fear a 1.9 would feel too similar to the 1.5 MX5 experience, MINUS the inevitable disadvantges of an older car. Ah, but the more powerful Z3 engines - now I'm very curious about them! Plus the Z3s are simply beautiful, the lines, the proportions - just as beautiful but a bit more masculine than the mx5; seeing they'll probably be parked next to each other, I'm thinking older evil brother, ha.

 

[Jam03]

I test drove a few mk3 MX5’s before I got my 2.2. My take is that the Mazda is a bit less refined than the Z3. To me, it felt very much like an actual go kart. Z3 is a bit more grown up and the six cylinder engines sound great. They like to be revved without it feeling like a bad thing. If ULEZ is not a factor for you, then the 2.0 and 2.8 are ones to look out for in your search. People are having to offload these if they live in or near London as they are not ULEZ compliant. Also, there are some great special edition colour combinations in 2.0.

 

[Zephyr]

@Zephyr just couldn’t handle his….although strangely he is still very active on this forum

cause I like to hang out with real car enthusiasts and blokes who take a piece of coal and turn it into a diamond instead reading about vegan tyres and bad hair days from a bunch of vaping weirdos that usually frequent the mx5 forums.
plus, my friend @ExMX5owner told me that he will post more “lamps”, so…

 

[Zephyr]

(although have you noticed how annoyingly precise it is? It's like every nanometer of steering input actually moves the car in that direction; and that's certainly beautiful on some roads, on some days, but it began to feel tiring on longer, faster drives). It's very Japanese, it's very nice, but I don't know..

The Z and the MX lately were bought with just one purpose, drive the hell out of them and enjoy the road. Even travelled from Greece to UK and back and the only mishap was a broken tyre (in UK for all that matters - where I met the mother of all potholes).
having a factory gps, a screen to select my music, a reliable engine and that steering-gearbox combo, made me smile all the way even with my wife busting my balls during the whole trip nagging about comfort, legroom and something about her back being sore nonsense.
My Z on the other hand, always, and I mean daily, needed something replaced. It was a very low mileage one, parked for 10 years. Unfortunately parked cars need tons of maintenance and that one was not an exception. Had it been a high mileage well maintained one, it would still be in my garage. But I never trusted that car. So it was sold.

 

[inhocsigno]

My new finds; thanks for the heads up about the ULEZ situation (not an issue for me here in the North East).

https://shorturl.at/hzCPQ - beautiful, so much so that I would overlook the black interior - but very unlikely for seller to accept £4000ish.. [I could probably streeeetch the budget slightly - it looks unlikely to incur unexpected costs beyond servicing? and if I could perhaps sell the hardtop to create a contingency repair fund.. - no idea where I would store the thing anyway; please do not sing its praises!]

https://shorturl.at/dfqLN - I like burgundy, in principle, but am unsure about those silver gills and the silver door handles; and of course same issue with the price.

I'm going to attempt sleep now.

Thanks again everyone!