Z3 buying advice sought

[Halo in Reverse]

Hi Folks

Im set on buying a Z3 and am looking for some buying advice if thats ok ?

Ive seen a decent ish example, 2.2. Sports Roadster, Met paint...90k miles with good hisory, MOT until mid summer.

It has a bit of laqeur peel on 1 spot (by rear arch), nice clean tidy eather sports seats - advisories on last MOT were slight corrosion on all 4 brake pipes

What sort of money should i look to negotiate off for these points ?

Also what sort of money should i be paying?

Thanks

[BladeRunner919]

How much is it up for?

[Del]

Also what sort of money should i be paying?

Stick my neck out - £3,000.

[Davejue1]

Coming into spring I'd say £3000 would be fair dependant on just how much paint is really required. Without sounding to much of a chleche it's really worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

[Halo in Reverse]

It's advertised for a fair bit more than £3k

Sounds like it may be a bit high

How often do 2.2 Z3s come up for grabs....? Maybe I should find one word less money

[Del]

The most common ones on the 2nd hand market are the 1.9s - either the earlier twin cam versions or later single cam versions. These tend to be the cheapest and it's fair to say that there are a lot of early "rough" ones around nowadays. I've noticed that they tend to get less common as the engines get bigger i.e. 2.0, 2.2, 2.8. 3.0 and the M 3.2. From 2.0 onwards they are all desirable, six cylinder engines and it's likely that a 2.2 version will be one of the later Z3s - of which there are some nice ones around. Even for one (2.2) in mint condition, with say 50,000 miles, the top price in my view would be £4,500.

[therealdb1]

Unfortunately the Z3 is now at an age where the price depends on the condition rather than age, engine size, toys although as Del says unloved 4 pots are plentiful and cheap.

Had a quick look on Autotrader and Pistonheads and there are lots of 2.2's for sale ranging from less than £3000 to £8000 so there is no need to rush into a purchase as the choice is yours.

Not sure where you are in the country but it is Spring-like in Norfolk at the moment and sunshine always inflates the price of a desirable soft toplike a Z!

[Halo in Reverse]

Many thanks to all of you who've replied so far

I have a budget of £3500 tops really (ideally less of course)....no offence to anyone with a 4 cylinder engine but I really do want a 6 cylinder engine as its so smooth and was looking at the 2.2 but maybe the 2.0 will be ok. Happy to hear from any 2.0 Z3 owners with regard to power etc..

Im down on the South Coast (near Portsmouth) and the sun is shining here too

[therealdb1]

Hi again, mine is a 2.0 and the power is adequate but then I changed from a 4.0 supercharged Jaguar! You may need to stir the gearstick a little more than with a larger engine but owning one of these cars isn't just about the performance which is why the good condition 4 cylinder cars are popular. Having said that I test drove a 1.9 and a 2.0 within an hour on the same day and I was sold on a six. There are no disadvantages to owning one these days and they are smooth and sound better in my opinion. M52TU vs M54 engine? Both are good but maybe the 2.2 just wins as it is a more modern design. A good condition 2.0 is probably a better buy than a tatty 2.2 for the same money but the best advice is to drive a few and see what they feel like to you. Car choice is very much a personal thing. Good luck!

[Halo in Reverse]

thanks Therealdb....thats my concern really on the car I like the look of but its a long way from me and whilst the car has good (not perfect history) it has a few bad points as mentioned above so reluctant to make the long journey only to be disappointed when I see it in the flesh.

The lacquer peel is on the driver side rear wing - is it right the wing can be removed. How much would it cost to respray the rear wing ??

Also what are the key differences between the wide bodied Roadster and the Sport Roadster ?