Questions about 1998 Z3 2.8

[Pfz1111]

I am currently looking at a 1998 Z3, 2.8, auto. It is a Florida one-owner vehicle with a complete carfax thru 4/2019. The vehicle appearance is excellent --- both inside and outside. It has brand new top. There is no corrosion anywhere on the car ---- even hinges everywhere look new. It has original books and tool kit.

The mileage is 125,000 and the price is $4800. Is this considered high mileage for this type of car? Does the price seem reasonable? Are maintenence costs expensive for this car? Are there any problems one should look for?

I know very little about the z3. Now, if this were a mecedes, I would know what to zero in on ----- I currently own a 1994 sl500 (r129) ---- and if one doesn't know what to look for on this vehicle, one could easily spend more "fixing" the car than what one paid for it. Would a 1998 z3 fall into this category ?

Any comments would be helpful ..... thnks

[rasmuw]

I bought an M Roadster a few years ago from an owner in Florida. The car had spent its whole life in Florida and Alabama. I loved the lack of rust. I didn't like the condition of the brittle interior plastic, but owners everywhere complain about the poor quality plastic.

At the top of the Z3 page is a sticky for pre-purchase advice. One thing it doesn't completely address is the condition of the cooling system. Many of the cooling parts are plastic and are subject to failure--the ends of the radiator, the expansion tank, and pipes to the heating system. I've seen recommendations to change them every 60K miles.

If you aren't able to do your own work, repairs can be very expensive. If you are a decent wrench, these cars can be maintained for a reasonable amount of money for parts. You also wouldn't need someone else to do a pre-purchase inspection.

[eric1ono]

Welcome to the forum. My 2 cents, based on your description, that sounds like a reasonable deal. I currently have 2 '98 Z3's (both with the 4 cyl. 1.9l). I also have a 2000 528 wagon with a 2.8l engine in it so I'll give you my feedback from 2 perspectives.
1) '98 Z3: as mentioned above, the plastics quality is a bit lacking, but the car is a blast to drive and is pretty straightforward as far as maintenance goes. This generation of BMWs is modern enough to not feel out of place in modern traffic, but prior to greater electronic complexity which adds to potential maintenance costs.

As far as things to be concerned about, I would agree with the prior post again and say the cooling system is the primary culprit. That said, my experience has been to do a bit of preventative maintenance, and I have never been left stranded in either my Z3 or 5 series.

2) '00 528: the straight 6 in my car is a slightly updated version of the one that is in the 2.8l in the Z3 you are looking at. That said, I have over 260k miles on it and she's still going strong.

For me, one of the best things about this generation of BMWs is the great community with an endless supply of DIY writeup or videos. Also, there are multiple parts suppliers who can supply all price levels of parts; from OEM BMW, to the exact same part without a BMW stamp on it, down to inexpensive but possibly lesser quality. Whatever works for your budget. So if you cam wrench yourself these cars are not overly expensive to maintain, but taking it to a mechanic could get pricey, that depends on the size of your fun money account.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Eric

[///MRoadyJPL]

Two years ago I bought a M Roadster with 193k miles on it and have been smiling ever since! I do my own wrenching and working my way through the list. Finishing the passenger seat bushing replacement today. Another thing to check is the rear subframe issues.

[Kram71]

Hard to find any nice appearance running cars of any year make or model under $3000 now so a Z3 for $4800 is pretty nice.