M Roadster owner from tomorrow

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Thesurveyor
Joined: Tue 15 Oct, 2013 13:36
Posts: 119

  M roadster S50
Location: Kent

M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Thesurveyor »

So I waved good bye to my 2.8 1998 today. Sold unseen to a chap from Northern Ireland. Tomorrow I pick up a '98 S50 M Roadster in Estoril Blue, more miles, a few niggles, but more than twice as much money naturally. Have I done the right thing?
Well it was advertised on EBay and the vendor had had very little interest until I came along. The reason was partly I think that he had a racing steering wheel on it and partly because it was pictured in a rather gritty urban setting. Scant detail in the description of the sort of stuff that people on here prefer to know about.
So it's straight and clean but the vendor knows very little about it, this was worrying, but a look at the history revealed that the Vanos was replaced by Mr Vanos in 2012 very few miles ago. A BMW service log print out shows a recall for rear subframe and repairs to the diff carrier. The original steering wheel is available and can easily be (has been) replaced. It has four matching Falken tyres.
91k miles and 9 owners.
It drove well enough idled cleanly when hot and I can report that it is much faster and more, well, "planted" on the road than the 2.8.
So did I miss loads of electrics that don't work ? Are there clonks, knocks and rattles all over the place?
Watch this space. Pictures tomorrow evening.
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Southernboy
Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
Posts: 6436

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Johannesburg

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Southernboy »

Good luck...I'll be watching this space... :cheers
"Normal is overrated"
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Ragtop
Joined: Sun 26 Jul, 2009 20:38
Posts: 790

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Bexhill on Sea

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Ragtop »

Didn't get a chance to chat to you about you wanting a Z3M on the Kent Cruise a couple of weeks ago. :drive

Looking forward to seeing the pictures.
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Thesurveyor
Joined: Tue 15 Oct, 2013 13:36
Posts: 119

  M roadster S50
Location: Kent

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Thesurveyor »

Ok so I made it home in one piece and have spent the afternoon going over it.
It goes very well, starts on the button idles smoothly and quite quietly, there is a canary trapped at the front of the engine chirping away but I'm hoping a few miles will sort that out because It has barely turned a wheel recently. It took a new water pump and idler pulley to fix a similar noise on the 2.8.
Just like the green car it needs seat bushes (yes please Aceman) but the seat electrics are good and so is all the leather.
The interior is so much better than the other one all round. The dials light up but my knob doesn't so that's on the list.
I think there's a loose wire round the back of the clocks because the external temp boings around and thinks its 10 degrees.
One broken seat belt guide and the net thing is missing from the footwell.
Paint is good for age I think, one tiny rust bubble on the top of the door.
There are three rusty spot welds in the boot but no splits or cracks, I knew this but thought that the rebuilt Vanos compensated for it.
Just one key, which is annoying because the vendor said there were two. Oh and the hood is a bit tatty but works as it should.
All in all it's exactly what a wanted, a smart M with lots of little jobs to keep me interested. That is a big part of the hobby isn't it? Pics tomorrow
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Southernboy
Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
Posts: 6436

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Johannesburg

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Southernboy »

Sounds like you have a fair buy by your account... Yes, the canary is likely a belt tnsioner pulley... Maybe a squirt of WD40 will shut it's beak in the short term... :wink:
Let me know if you want a set of seatbelt guide fixers...I'll get them off to you... and looking forward to seeing the pictures soon too !!
"Normal is overrated"
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Mint
Joined: Tue 01 Nov, 2011 18:43
Posts: 475

  blank

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Mint »

Sound like a good purchase you've got there, look forward to the photos.
Thesurveyor wrote:The dials light up but my knob doesn't ...
Yes, it's a bit of time since we had a good knob thread!! :D :D :D
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Southernboy
Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
Posts: 6436

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Johannesburg

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Southernboy »

...... his knob may not light up, but I'll bet his eyes do when he sees it in his garage in the morning... :roflmao:
"Normal is overrated"
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Buz007
Joined: Fri 16 Jul, 2010 20:18
Posts: 254

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Leeds

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Buz007 »

Another gem. Brilliant :lol: :lol: :lol:
''need I remind you 007, you have a licence to kill...not to break the traffic laws''
Thesurveyor
Joined: Tue 15 Oct, 2013 13:36
Posts: 119

  M roadster S50
Location: Kent

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Thesurveyor »

Here we go. I am spending a very pleasant bank holliday just fiddling with this and that on the car.
No nasty surprises yet and a squirt of WD on the idler pulley seems to have silenced the canary for the moment at least.
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If any one thinks it looks familiar...... and yes I know that all Estoril Blue Ms look pretty much the same........
It used to wear the number S250 TWG. There are lots of former owners out there so quite a good chance that one of you will see this.

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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Brian H »

^^ Nice looking ///M, congrats :)
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Southernboy
Joined: Thu 07 Oct, 2010 12:39
Posts: 6436

  Z3 roadster 3.0i
Location: Johannesburg

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Southernboy »

Looks like you did alright with the purchase... happy motoring. :wave
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Bi11
Joined: Mon 05 Nov, 2012 21:26
Posts: 150

  M roadster S54
Location: Bedford

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Bi11 »

Nice :thumb:
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aceman
Joined: Sun 01 Jun, 2008 11:16
Posts: 1479

  M roadster S50
Location: Wakefield

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by aceman »

Very nice sounds like you have got yourself essentially a good ///M there that just needs a little TLC. You know where I am for the seat bushes and having done them before I am sure you will get them rattled off within the hour, let me know if you also need a badge refurb kit. :wink:
Aceman

Arctic Silver '98 Z3M

Previously;
Bright RED '99 Z3 2.8

Rocking seats ? You need seat bushes click HERE
bertiejaffa
Joined: Fri 26 Jul, 2013 09:28
Posts: 1733

  M roadster S50
Location: Manchester

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by bertiejaffa »

Welcome to the group. Looks in good shape from the pics. Boot weld will need doing asap I suggest, but the rest looks pretty mint.
Here come the girls.....
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Tilly
Joined: Wed 26 May, 2004 19:45
Posts: 439

  M roadster S50
Location: Sussex

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by Tilly »

Looks a good car. I am sure you will enjoy both working on it and driving it.
swamper
Joined: Thu 13 May, 2010 17:14
Posts: 1866

  M roadster S50
Location: Mossley

Re: M Roadster owner from tomorrow

Post by swamper »

thumbs up from me as well :thumb:
the badness makes me do it...!

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