AlexGSi2000
Newbie
Thought I would start a progress thread for my recently acquired 2002 Z3.
Z3's were never on my radar in years past, however, having recently purchased a newer 5 series, it gave me a serious desire for something small, analogue and old school, without breaking the bank.
The 5 series is great, its smooth, powerful - the 8 speed ZF box is fantastic, however on the whole, it feels numb and a step further away from "driving", its essentially a point-and-shoot car, it will get there quickly and tackle most roads well, however you never feel too "involved".
My criteria for purchasing the Z3 was to have something for occasional use and also to have as a light project.
The Z3 will have the sole purpose for going out and enjoying the roads during the summer months.
Therefore, the work I carry out on the car will be carried out with handling improvements in mind.
The car will live in my garage for most of the time, its now time for this car to get the love it deserves / semi-retirement after a busy life so far.
I collected my Z3 in early April of 25' for the sum of £2,150 - its fairly high miles at 150k, however it doesn't bother me too much as suspension components.etc will be replaced over time.
Originally I was looking at the 3.0, however with a budget in mind, it was more appropriate to select the 2.2.
With the M54 engine in mind, my thoughts are that its going to be easier to swap in a 3.0 when the time comes.
Its clear that the car has been loved at some-point, but in recent years has probably not quite had the attention it deserves, there are lots of little niggles that need addressing, my plan is to address these first and then move onto improvements.
After getting the car home, my first plan was to formulate my initial list;
- Bonnet release catches / Bowden cable. One of the catches was missing and the other released by pulling the cable from under the bumper.
- Instrument cluster - Dials not illuminating, sometimes shows ERR_2 along with the dials not working
- Paintwork - Probably one of the flattest cars Ive seen when it came to paint, loads of oxidation to the point I thought it was unrecoverable.
- Handling - The car feels a little woolly / unsure / vague.
After reviewing the previous invoices / receipts, I was pleasantly surprised to find an invoice from 2020 showing the car had somewhat of a rear end refresh - the rear trailing arms had been replaced, along with the fitment of a few polybushes and diff mounts.
I had the car on the ramp over the weekend - it was going to be a make or break moment for the car, if it was rotten then the project may end up being a failure to launch.
I was pleased to see that the corrosion was as expected for a car of this age and mileage - nothing too serious and far from being rotten. The sills / front arch panels will need addressing at some point, but they are still solid in the key areas / jacking points.etc
The shocks are original to the car and will be well past their best, one of the coils on the front springs has cracked / failed - so I think this may well help explain the iffy / unsettling handling.
I have ordered a set of MTS coilovers in order to address / stiffen the ride a little.
I spent a good few hours taking advantage of the fantastic weather we had this weekend and treated the car to a full machine polish and wax, to my surprise, most of the heavy oxidation was lifted, a few before and after shots;
Heavy Oxidation on the bonnet;
After a quick test patch with a cutting pad & Menzerna cut force pro;
50/50;
Final result, I wet-sanded and polished the headlights also;
I tried on a set of Style 66 I had laying around from one of my old e39's - I love the rear fit, however the fronts are a tad too wide.
Will be on the lookout for a different set of wheels over the next few months, quite fancy a set of wheels with a nice dish.
Thats all for now - will report back in a few weeks.
Z3's were never on my radar in years past, however, having recently purchased a newer 5 series, it gave me a serious desire for something small, analogue and old school, without breaking the bank.
The 5 series is great, its smooth, powerful - the 8 speed ZF box is fantastic, however on the whole, it feels numb and a step further away from "driving", its essentially a point-and-shoot car, it will get there quickly and tackle most roads well, however you never feel too "involved".
My criteria for purchasing the Z3 was to have something for occasional use and also to have as a light project.
The Z3 will have the sole purpose for going out and enjoying the roads during the summer months.
Therefore, the work I carry out on the car will be carried out with handling improvements in mind.
The car will live in my garage for most of the time, its now time for this car to get the love it deserves / semi-retirement after a busy life so far.
I collected my Z3 in early April of 25' for the sum of £2,150 - its fairly high miles at 150k, however it doesn't bother me too much as suspension components.etc will be replaced over time.
Originally I was looking at the 3.0, however with a budget in mind, it was more appropriate to select the 2.2.
With the M54 engine in mind, my thoughts are that its going to be easier to swap in a 3.0 when the time comes.
Its clear that the car has been loved at some-point, but in recent years has probably not quite had the attention it deserves, there are lots of little niggles that need addressing, my plan is to address these first and then move onto improvements.
After getting the car home, my first plan was to formulate my initial list;
- Bonnet release catches / Bowden cable. One of the catches was missing and the other released by pulling the cable from under the bumper.
- Instrument cluster - Dials not illuminating, sometimes shows ERR_2 along with the dials not working
- Paintwork - Probably one of the flattest cars Ive seen when it came to paint, loads of oxidation to the point I thought it was unrecoverable.
- Handling - The car feels a little woolly / unsure / vague.
After reviewing the previous invoices / receipts, I was pleasantly surprised to find an invoice from 2020 showing the car had somewhat of a rear end refresh - the rear trailing arms had been replaced, along with the fitment of a few polybushes and diff mounts.
I had the car on the ramp over the weekend - it was going to be a make or break moment for the car, if it was rotten then the project may end up being a failure to launch.
I was pleased to see that the corrosion was as expected for a car of this age and mileage - nothing too serious and far from being rotten. The sills / front arch panels will need addressing at some point, but they are still solid in the key areas / jacking points.etc
The shocks are original to the car and will be well past their best, one of the coils on the front springs has cracked / failed - so I think this may well help explain the iffy / unsettling handling.
I have ordered a set of MTS coilovers in order to address / stiffen the ride a little.
I spent a good few hours taking advantage of the fantastic weather we had this weekend and treated the car to a full machine polish and wax, to my surprise, most of the heavy oxidation was lifted, a few before and after shots;
Heavy Oxidation on the bonnet;
After a quick test patch with a cutting pad & Menzerna cut force pro;
50/50;
Final result, I wet-sanded and polished the headlights also;
I tried on a set of Style 66 I had laying around from one of my old e39's - I love the rear fit, however the fronts are a tad too wide.
Will be on the lookout for a different set of wheels over the next few months, quite fancy a set of wheels with a nice dish.
Thats all for now - will report back in a few weeks.
