Mad Max's Z3 1.9 - Gone!

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 14:24

Well having a history of e36's, my M3 now too track orientated for every day use, for some reason I went out and bought a Saxo:

Yea, I know. Bad idea! One year of that and I was sick of it, tacky French sh*t... not so nice to live with! So with some cash in my pocket I decided an e36 318iS would make a better run around. I'd know where I was with it mechanically, and I know they're a nice car to drive... but then I saw a Z3 and I thought why the hell not, I'm man enough to laugh at people making hair dresser jokes!

Autotrader pics:

She's a Z3 1.9 (M44B19). Semi-power hood (brand new! Woo!), Evo wheel, ASC (for when the missus uses her

), elec seats, wind deflector, toneau cover, totally stock, even down to the BMW radio. It drives well, handles great... what more could I want? The car feels very light, so brakes and cornering are good.

Picked her up, popped straight down to my local BMW to get the obligatory BMW dust caps, BMW tax disc holder and a new BMW keyring. Also, she needs a new seal on the third brake light (and a few bulbs). All great bargaining points when you're buying

She was dirty when I picked her up, the dealership I got her from is right by a sand refining factory-thing and their extractor filter is broken at the min, so it's covering all the dealers cars every day! Lol! So I gave her to the local £5-hand-wash place (it's too friggin' cold to get my own hands wet!

) and she came out looking good

Unfortunately by this time it was dark! So before the missus took her for a spin I parked it under a street light and did my best with a phone camera. Sorry!!

First off was a new resonator box (bit off to the side of the airbox, whilst I was at it I ripped off all the sound deadening for some cheap thrills).

Nuts 'eh, keeping the coupe into the garage over the winter for use in the summer, and driving the roadster all year round.

A quick clean of the throttle body and ICV, it couldn't do any harm...

Got myself two of these (don't ask...!) just to find they don't fit my early shape! D'oh!

Then my mate Paul saw mine and decided he wanted one too. So he got a facelifted 3.0:

I had a bit of a drive in his, and I've got to say... I wasn't overly impressed!

The fly-by wire throttle felt awful and the steering wasn't nearly as direct. Shame but the power was nice! It's a bit more refined having a head liner inside the hood, it's facelifted, it's got an OBC and nice brushed metal trim, bigger arches, it's a nice car and bloomin' quick too.

Then all of a sudden the missus's Minis clamshell bonnet didn't look quite as good:

...when compared to the Z3s!

Nice touch! That's one bit of sound deadening I won't be ripping out

Then she had to have a new cat section, after the old one came apart and started sounding like a V8

Also, I got really, really bored of Merc number plates. I mean, Merc! They're soft, rolly, slush boxes.... euch!

So on with a nice new set from Bluebell BMW. Much better

Thanks for looking

Post by **Robert T** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 18:37

Looking good and I am sure it will bring you lots of smiles.

Out of interest, which Blue Bell did you use, as I'm sure there was a blue zed in the Alty one when I dropped mine off the other day for its new 'xaust.

Cheers R.

muppet · Post by **muppet** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 18:44

Shiney Zed.... shiney bits of Zed

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 19:22

It's Bluebell in Crewe that I use, I've been going there for years and the guys there are really good. I can't recommend the parts guys highly enough. If you ever get told that a dealer can't get something, give them a call and mention my name (to anyone but Keith - he's new!) and see what they can do before you give up.

Nice to see there's some locals on here

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 20:53

Max,

Good to see you've made yourself welcome, nice first post!

The Z3 is looking good, is Paul anyone from BMWowner or just a generic friend?

Come show time, who you going to back... the E36 brigade, or us hairdressers?

Yal.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 06 Mar, 2010 21:58

Paul isn't on any of the forums, but he's featured occasionally in mine if you've seen him... or at least his bikes have

I'll try and get him on...!

TREGZY · Post by **TREGZY** » Sun 07 Mar, 2010 10:39

Nice one

I think this picture really illistrates the facelift difference on the back end, looks like 2 completely different models!

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 13:53

Got bored of the naff old scratched alarm fob, so I got a new case. For the few quid it costs why the hell not eh

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 20:35

Nice one Max... I didn't realise that earlier Z's had a separate fob, a little like my old E36 one!

I really ought to switch the battery in my key to the spare as my current one is badly worn!

Do you have anything else planned?

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 20 Mar, 2010 20:44

I don't know really... I want to be spending on the M3 at the moment to get her ready for the summer. I also wanna steal it's steering rack for the M3!

I'll just be keeping it tidy I think, but if any bargains come up I'll take them - never say never!

Wolverine_1999 · Post by **Wolverine_1999** » Fri 09 Apr, 2010 07:19

TREGZY wrote:Nice one

I think this picture really illistrates the facelift difference on the back end, looks like 2 completely different models!

Ditto. The facelift has a much bigger "ass" which suits it so much better..

On it's own, you wouldn't notice the difference that much. But when placed side by side, it looks like the daddy and the baby

I drove the pre-facelift as well though, and found that there wasn't half as much space inside

They must have made some increases on the inside as well! (unless the one I drove was more battered than it actually looked already..)

Nice car all the same!

peterandjenny · Post by **peterandjenny** » Fri 09 Apr, 2010 08:09

are exactly the same size as the trim and seats are interchangeable.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Wed 28 Apr, 2010 14:08

The Zed's boot. It's bigger than I thought it was!

Dropped the top the other day... but I felt like a change, so I had a go at putting the tonneau cover on. Didn't take long and I loved the look!

(Please excuse the volcanic ash all over the car - blame Iceland!)

I'm f*cking loving driving it in the sunshine!

There's nothing more fun than kicking the back end out with the top down, and it's been exceptionally easy of late so I checked the tyres and decided on a new set. So there I was about to set off to Demon Tweeks to have them fitted when I thought it'd be prudent to check the locking wheel nut key was somewhere in the car... and it wasn't! D'oh! I bought a car that came without a locking wheel nut key!

So off to 'Tweeks anyways where their finest made removing a locking wheel nut look all too easy!

I've gone for some Falkens this time, I'll let you know my opinions in due course:

When she was there they also pointed out I had a snapped rear spring! D'ouble D'oh! Is it an excuse to lower it? It's only a 1.9! I'll just see how much springs are from BM I think.

Oh and here's a tip, if you want some locking wheel nuts from BMW don't buy them individually. They're about £8 each, but if you buy them as a kit with a key (I was just going to get the same number as is on the M3 for ease) they send out a random set and they're £17 for the whole lot.

BMW, giving you more, for less!

Actually, just got off the phone from BM - £160-170 for a set of rear springs! If I can't find some used one's it's gonna have to be Eibachs...! D'oh...

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Wed 28 Apr, 2010 14:46

Nice journal Max! Can I ask where you got your alarm fob from? Mine is looking very sorry for itself and the sticker has long since gone

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Wed 28 Apr, 2010 14:57

Hey Murf, it's from BMW mate, and it was under a tenner - can't really complain at that!

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Wed 28 Apr, 2010 15:05

Cheers mate - will have to pop in to my local stealer this weekend

Can't grumble for a tenner!

canonhannon · Post by **canonhannon** » Sun 02 May, 2010 20:33

TREGZY wrote:Nice one

I think this picture really illistrates the facelift difference on the back end, looks like 2 completely different models!

Maybe it is just me, but there is not much i the 2.

Are the older cars better to drive?

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Tue 04 May, 2010 10:37

canonhannon wrote:Maybe it is just me, but there is not much i the 2.

I'm really not sure what you're trying to say here. You failed. Maybe think about it, read what you've written, CORRECT IT, then hit submit...

canonhannon wrote:Are the older cars better to drive?

In my opinion you feel a lot more connected to the 1.9 than you do the 3.0. The 3.0's fly-by-wire throttle takes some getting used to and the steering rack isn't as tight. Also the front end feels a lot heavier which doesn't help turn in. This is all just in my opinion from driving just these two cars.

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Tue 04 May, 2010 10:41

Not much of an update held a mini-meet at mine the other day for some mates from e36coupe. Mostly it was to nudge them into helping me put the intake plenum back on the M3, but I let Daz and Steve out in the Z today, it looked funny!

Also a quick diagnostic and clearing of faults

I did two other peoples cars today so why not mine! Lol!

(Yes, I know the number plate needs re-sticking It's been done now!)

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sun 16 May, 2010 19:06

Well I've now got an outdoor tap at home, that's a bonus, so I washed the cars today. I gave it a good going over and actually cleaned and protected the hood, which is something I'd planned on doing it since I got it

I touched up some car park dings (f*ckers!

), gave the leather a quick feed and the interior a quick clean up:

So I started taking some pics...:

But I didn't really think these were showing off the lines of the zed, so I tried some black and white:

Think it looks quite nice in B&W

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Fri 21 May, 2010 18:14

Ah well, this is what a van driver decided to do to it today:

Rear arch is a gonner. The bonnet could be saved with filler, but who really wants that. The door looks OK, bar the hole in the paint

Whilst driving it back the engine has been hunting for an idle and the wheels are not all pointing in the same way any more.

I was going down a dual carrigeway when a van decided he wanted to overtake the van in front, so he just pulled straight out into me, scraping down the side of the car and bumping me up the kerb into the central reservation.

I'll be honest, it was hard not to punch him. I'm in half a mind to call the feds and tell them what happened, try and get him done for due care or something.

Maybe it's time to go back to the M for a bit... or buy Paul's 3.0 (higher up in the thread)

estocks · Post by **estocks** » Fri 21 May, 2010 18:44

Sorry to hear the bad news. Hope the insurance coughs up without a quibble.

yalden · Post by **yalden** » Sat 22 May, 2010 10:52

Sorry to hear that Max, the van driver was clearly a numb nuts - as above, I assume he was insured etc?

freelandm · Post by **freelandm** » Sat 22 May, 2010 11:08

Bad One Max at least your ok , it seems that when i am out in my car it attracts idiots like moths to light the ammount of tools that. "Didn't see you mate" truly beegers belief and don't even let me get into car parks either.

Good Luck with the insurance and for what its worth i would have got the feds involved.

Matt

mid life crisis · Post by **mid life crisis** » Sat 22 May, 2010 15:45

Bad news max looks just like the modification some old git did to mine a couple of weeks ago with a camper, just got mine back from the body shop, now the insurance wrangling starts GRRRRRRRR

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 22 May, 2010 17:38

Right, well due to the premature demise of my Z3 (

) I had to speed up the re-assembly of the M3:

Off to my mate Cat's for an MoT:

Sweeeeet. Now got an advisory of the rear rubber hoops, also my mate Paul's 3.0 Z3 was MoT'd too, and he needed rubber all around... so it was a quick call to Demon Tweeks to book ourselves in for 4 x 245/40/17 and 2 x 225/45/17. They did us a good deal, so it was onto the second set of ramps for the day:

Cat came along to keep us company

Nice new rear rubber:

Then to Burger King, as I hadn't eaten yet and it was about 5pm!

She's still covered in dust from being in the garage for so long:

...and the rear wing really needs sorting soon! Hate it without it!

(got a GT ii one to go on)

The holes don't look too pretty either:

Still, that'll be sorted soonish, I hope. 'Til it's done I'm gonna stick some black vinyl over them, so it looks a little neater.

As the car's back on the road before I expected I may go to Oulton on the 2nd of June to test her out

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 22 May, 2010 22:22

Don't know if any of you guys are interested...

I decided to give M3me a good scrub, so she looks less like a sh*tter! And you know there's a lot to love about the e36. Even if it does take at least twice as long to wash as the Z3..!

They've used lovely short valves on the wheels, they look brill!

Even shorter ones on the fronts, I'll get some new BMW caps for them soon... in fact I'll just steal them off the Z3 tomorrow!

It is!

Then I brushed all the sh*t out of the garage, no point in putting a clean car in a dusty garage! Then it got dark, put the car in and noticed how cool it looks!

Love the red needles

One thing I'd forgotten is how you can't see the nose of the car when you're sat in it!

Then there's the power... it's a bit brutal! Steering feels like a boat compared to the Z3. Gotta sort that rack out... but then at the same time when you're going at speed it's nice to have the slightly slower steering! Trade off I guess.

I really have enjoyed driving it around today...

Finally time for her oil change tomorrow. New plugs, filters, can't do any harm

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Fri 11 Jun, 2010 22:02

Well the M3 has been a bit of fun to drive to work and back, and a few laps around Oulton last week

Still, at the height of the British summer there's only so long I can go without a Zed... so my next one gets delivered at 10am tomorrow morning!

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Sat 12 Jun, 2010 16:25

I'll start a new journal soon...

Ian_C · Post by **Ian_C** » Sat 12 Jun, 2010 18:25

Mad Max wrote: I'll start a new journal soon...

Looking forward to seeing what you've found

Mad Max · Post by **Mad Max** » Fri 30 Jul, 2010 22:44

Well, another journal over! Phil from Shropshire BMW popped over this evening and off she went:

She's gonna get fixed up, which is nice

That's not the best pic, so here's a good one to end it on:

zroadster.net

Mad Max's Z3 1.9 - Gone!

Mad Max's Z3 1.9 - Gone!

insides