Had a Z3 and now thinking about a Z4

[maurice the martian]

09 reg .onwards. deffo 59 reg.

[lowriderz3]

Have just bought a Z4 3.0 in Merlot Red <makes a change from silver> I am just about to put my Z3 2.8 with hardtop up for sale on Autotrader its been a good car for the last 2.75 year. Hope I can find a good home for it.

[Dino D]

We are thinking about combining both our cars (a Z3 3.0 and the OH's Mini) as I have a company car for daily use anyway and the other two cars do a very low mileage and I'm hardly using my Z3 anyway. However, one important criteria is that this car will be left at the train station some week days so we need a car with a metal folding roof. At what age did the Z4 start having this feature to give me some idea of what to search for on Autotrader.

Drive one first and see if you like it, might be too refined for a 'fun' second car.
Lovely things though.
Just remember replacement hoods are only 300 quid now for a Z so not too bad if some vandal rips it (compared what a new shape Z4 will cost)

[OldskoolRS]

Thanks Dino and Maurice, I knew I could count on a helpeful reply on here.

That will help me set the search on Autotrader to do my research. I did find an 09 plate one last night that was just under £12k, so maybe by the time I've sold the Z3 and hard top (separately) this summer and if we wait until autumn/early winter to buy the Z4 we could be closer to our £10k budget (or I'll have a little more put by for the difference). Doesn't seem like we could get a Z4 any older/cheaper like the SLKs we've been looking at which are more like 07 plate with the 3 litre engine for £10k right now.

It doesn't matter if it's 'too refined' as a second car as it will really be replacing the OH's Mini, just happens I'll put whatever I get for the Z3 towards it. I agree though that the OH needs to drive one first to make sure she will be happy with one. I'm barely using my Z3, so just having access to something with a removable top would be enough from my POV. The OH does not want anything with a fabric roof for year round use and to be left parked at a train station, so it doesn't really matter how cheap the Z3 soft top is as we won't be buying a Z4 with a soft top.

[lightning]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look at a silver 2005 3.0 today on offer at £10,000 at a local dealer.

For that you should get a 3.0si around 34 brake horse more

That was five years ago lol
Z4 prices have got a lot lower since then, as is normal with modern cars. Sure the Z4 is "better" (my brother has a Z4 3.0) but there's more to it than that.
The Z3 is more special, the Z4 is the same as any modern BMW. It's a 3 series that somebody has stamped on.....no bad thing, but it's not for me.

On paper Land Rover Defenders are terrible in every way compared to a car, but they are everywhere now, l think it's the same thing.
But they are not for everybody, no way!
My brother had a Z3 2.8 (l bought it from him in 2008) and he loves his Z4. I love my Z3 and would not swap with him. Neither of us are wrong.

A quick car update....

Both Land Rovers are still here.
The Z3 is still here.
The Polo is sold.

[MpowerRob]

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look at a silver 2005 3.0 today on offer at £10,000 at a local dealer.

For that you should get a 3.0si around 34 brake horse more

That was five years ago lol
Z4 prices have got a lot lower since then, as is normal with modern cars. Sure the Z4 is "better" (my brother has a Z4 3.0) but there's more to it than that.
The Z3 is more special, the Z4 is the same as any modern BMW. It's a 3 series that somebody has stamped on.....no bad thing, but it's not for me.

On paper Land Rover Defenders are terrible in every way compared to a car, but they are everywhere now, l think it's the same thing.
But they are not for everybody, no way!
My brother had a Z3 2.8 (l bought it from him in 2008) and he loves his Z4. I love my Z3 and would not swap with him. Neither of us are wrong.

A quick car update....

Both Land Rovers are still here.
The Z3 is still here.
The Polo is sold.

Couldn't agree more, I toyed with the idea of a z4 before I got my current z3 as you can get them for the same price now pretty much, but the z3 is just abit more special sort of retro cool were the z4 is still a quite modern Bmw and abit cheesy still, I like them both and may buy a z4 one day but there's just something about the z3.

[lightning]

I am going to be honest and say l want another Ferrari.

Having owned one, there is just something about them. It's more than the figures, my Z3 3.0 is just as fast and better made. I cannot afford to buy one but in two years one of my pensions matures.
I can take a pension of £90 per month, taxable (lol) or a lump sum which would be enough to buy a 348. As l am over ten years from retirement age l cannot see the point in taking the monthly payout.

After all, l can always sell the Fezza if l run out of money in the future and it will have appreciated in value, unlike my pension.
Let's see if l still feel the same in two years!

[lightning]

I have changed my mind after only three months! (From posting the above)

I don't want a car sat in my garage that's worth £30,000+ and hardly gets any use. If you buy a Ferrari and use it, as l did, the costs mount up and cancel out any money made from the value going up. When l think back, l hardly used the Ferrari because l was worried about things going wrong with it!

The guy who bought it from me, drove it home about 250 miles and on the way the clutch developed a fault and a wheel bearing became noisy.
He paid out over £2,000 straightaway and then it needed an exhaust at £1700.
Plus a cam belt service at £1500.
So it cost him £5,000 within two months.

I am not that well off, to pay out that kind of money. Also prices have gone up a lot, when l bought my Mondial you could get one for under £10,000 and the best were under £20,000. Now that has doubled.

I like cars and l love my Z3 3.0 M Sport. It's fast and drives very well. It has no rust and won't deteriorate if it gets wet from time to time.
It's not worth a fortune so l can justify having it sat in the garage through the winter, but it's old enough to get in to most classic car shows as an exhibit.
Plus l can do the servicing and other jobs, l think it's the last BMW that you can maintain at home.

[bertiejaffa]

You could always just put a ferrari badge on the Z3 and have the best of both worlds...?

...after all, with the increasing number of 1.9 M Sport Zeds out there who would ever know

[pingu]

Alternatively...













I wouldn't badge it as a Ferrari, but this could be instead of my next respray.

[bertiejaffa]

I really like the look of that !!

I was seriously considering the cobra kit for my 2.0l

[lightning]

I've still got my Z3 3.0.

I think it's the longest l have ever kept a car. I did put it on the market earlier this year to buy a Lancia Fulvia.
But after looking into it l decided not to bother. I've become quite attached to my Z3.

[lightning]

Wow this old thread of mine!

Vehicle update!
The Z3 is sadly long gone, l sold it to a forum member and bought a bike, a KTM Duke.
Both Land Rovers have gone, the continuous maintenance was too much in the end.
The KTM has gone as well.
My wife has had a 2020 Suzuki Jimny for 4 years and it's a great little 4x4 like an old Defender but without the constant maintenance.

I've got one of the new Defenders. l am currently looking at another old Defender as a second vehicle.

[Robert T]

Holy thread resurrection! Good to hear from you, lightning.

Still got mine. Had it 25 years now. Still got the Sprite. Have gained an Up! Not planning on changing any of them any time soon.

Cheers R.

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[lightning]

l love that Frogeye!

We had an Up GTi for a couple of years, superb little car and great fun to drive. But my wife wanted something "higher up" after nearly being stranded in a flood, so we swapped it for the Jimny.