I have a chance to buy the above. It'll be a 3rd fun/Sunday drive car. North Ga mountain roads. It's been sitting for a few years outside in a driveway. I know the owner and they have decided to sell. I need to take a good visual inspection and throw a battery in it for an initial inspection. Those in know, what do I need to look out for with this vehicle? I do all my own auto repairs except major transmission or differential repairs/teardowns.

I'm good with American and Asian vehicles but don't have much experience with German. Other than "they're expensive". But that can be any vehicle at some point.

This is not a must have just a vehicle to have fun for a few years. If purchased.

I have a scanner to check for MIL codes if any.

It will have to pass emissions to register through 2026. Afterwards it's exempt.

Major issues with any system.

Engine
Transmission
Diff
Clutch
Timing chains or belts, haven't checked which it has.
Valve adjustments
Fuel system
Suspension
Brakes
Fluid leaks
Coolant system
Exhaust
Hidden body rust areas
Convertible top - leaks, repairs or replacement


Special items that are BMW specific

Certain parts
Fluids ( like I only use OE Honda ATF and oil filters for example)
- Oils
- Brake
- Coolant
- Trans
Don't produce anymore items
Have to send if to a specialist for repairs or replacement


Thanks in advance. I figured there would be a few out there that have some good insight.

It was nickel and diming the PO to death. Don't want to be the next owner, ymmv

Fantastic car. It's like if a Miata had a personality or an S2000 had a soul.

Do you know which 6? The 2.5 inline six is an incredible little motor, and well known for reliability - if not power - in its normally aspirated form. They do, as many German motors will, tend to leak oil when they get older.

I don't know as much about the 2.8L, but you already did the best thing you can do with any sporty car by avoiding the automatic transmission.

I'm still about a year away from shopping for one - waiting until my son gets out of college - but a used Z3 with a manual is a contender for my money next January.

I have experience with the powertrain from a relative's 325i convertible coupe, but I haven't actually driven a Z3 yet.

The fuel injectors will fail.
They're $325 each.
They have to be programmed by a number printed on them.

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:
Fantastic car. It's like if a Miata had a personality or an S2000 had a soul.

You must be hanging around the wrong places. My S2K definitely has a soul!

In general, I am very wary of ANY German car out of warranty. Very expensive repair bills even if you do the work yourself. I found that out with my 2016 Boxster. Things just start going wrong and they aint cheap or easy to work on (Porsche, I can't speak to BMW). Some specialty tools were needed, also the computer diagnostic software. The local dealer charges an arm and a leg to scan so I had to purchase it. My golf buddy had the same luck with a 2015 BMW 3(???) series. Both cars were fun as hell but dang, we both had to keep the checkbook handy when the warranty expired.

One additional item (at least with Porsche), they aren't kidding about service intervals. If you purchase I wouldn't go much past the suggest maintenance mileage and/or maintenance date.

valve cover gasket
oil pan gasket
both will be leaking, not that hard of a job.

Coolant lines are a weak point of almost all BMWs.

I'd kinda worry about a 23 year old car with only 70k on it. In 2019 I got a 2002 E46 325xi wagon (manual) with 62k from the original owner, it's got about 85 on it now. Rubber and plastic things if original will have started to or have met their half life.

If it's a 2001 Z3 M, it has the s54 engine from the M3 - 315 hp, and requires even higher maintenance than the regular bmw engines. This makes it a relatively rare car, and SUPER FUN.

If you're mechanically inclined, it isn't out of reach to do it all yourself. The cooling system in this era of bmw is somewhat disposable, but they really are easy to work on.

I'll have to verify engine but according to the web this model year should have the S54 (3.2L) engine. Which is supposed to be pretty reliable. There is mention of the oil leaks and coolant leaks due to old age and or infrequent maintenance. Haven't seen anything about injectors yet. And the VANOS system, BMW VVT system need to be checked.

It was in a James Bond movie, so you have that going for you!

quote:

This is not a must have just a vehicle to have fun for a few years. If purchased.

That sounds like the right plan. It should be fun, but don't let it sit.

The M cars are better built btw. And unless you put a squilion miles on it, or really tear it up it will at least hold it's relative value against inflation.

quote:

You must be hanging around the wrong places. My S2K definitely has a soul!

I honestly thought the Miata guys would come for me first.

S2000 has a lot of heart - around 9000RPM worth - but it's still very much a Honda. (In styling anyway).

Top Gear readers voted the S2000 the best car to own. Not that many actually did.
Even my AP2 with the 8000 rpm red-line is a lot of fun. It's been very reliable.
A silly and well-known problem has happened this week: a little plastic plug disintegrated that fills a hole in the brake pedal lever. Without that the brake light switch, which is a dead-man switch, closes and the brake lights stay on. I had a temp fix which failed; battery died. I cannot get my 80-year-old body scrunched in there to fix it so will have to take to local mechanic.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:

quote:

Originally posted by bionic218:
Fantastic car. It's like if a Miata had a personality or an S2000 had a soul.

You must be hanging around the wrong places. My S2K definitely has a soul!

Indeed, especially the F20 AP1 screamer, even if they're reportedly tougher to drove hard than their AP2 siblings.

Even if you have the capability and tools to work on Euro cars remember the parts are very expensive. Also BMW seems to use some magic computer to make certain adjustments. At least my BMW motorcycles did.

Parts aren’t as expensive for E46-era cars as people think. I owned one for 13 years (a 330Ci ZHP coupé) and did all work myself.
BMW parts fall into two categories: those that are BMW branded and the handful of aftermarket companies (like Lemforder or Mann).

Both parts are made by Lemforder - only the branding is different. Buying the aftermarket branded parts is the way to go.

E46 cars are really hard on the front control arm bushings. They are also the secret to their handling and steering ‘feel’. Replacing every few years really keeps the car feeling great up front.

Rear subframes were known to pop the welds. There are repair kits available for that.

Cooling system has a lot of plastic, from endtanks to overflow reservoir. Keep an eye out for cracks. Timing is via chain and the VANOS oil pressure driven system. Rebuild kits are available for those, too.

Air-oil separators crumble from years of heat and are under the intake manifold.

If you do your own work, a Bentley manual is worth its weight in gold. As good as a factory service manual. Maybe better.

Lastly, starters are harder to replace than you’d think. Not a lot of room in there.

Worth it? Absolutely. The naturally-aspirated in-line sixes are as smooth as silk, the steering is hydraulic. These are the last of the analog BMWs and are fantastic cars.

I haven't had a Z3, but I've had a lot of BMWs and I had a 2003 330i, so around that era. They all tend to have window regulator issues and they're a pain in the ass to DIY. There are several "while you're in there" upgrades to do when messing with the coolant system. You'll need an OBDII scanner. I doubt a dealer would even touch a car that old these days. If you can't DIY, you'll need to find a trusted independent shop.

I own a 2006 Z4 M Roadster. Has 46,000 or so miles. I change the oil myself annually (probably overkill, but it gives me peace of mind). I’ve done the Inspection II with the valve shims procedure at 30k. Annual maintenance items have run a few hundred dollars each year. I am getting ready to replace the engine mounts, trans mounts, and a couple bushings in the rear, it’s developed a clunk going over certain bumps. Parts for that project have run under $350, and frankly those are really more age related than anything. I have once needed the AC recharged, and the headlight reflectors got dim, so I replaced them with better Euro ones. The S54 is a fantastic motor, especially if you can do your own maintenance.