New to forum, questions about 99 Z3 Coupe

[bkirk]

I have lusted for this car since I first saw it in the showroom in 1999 when I was buying my 528i. At the time a family car was the need, now a sporty car is a desire. I have always kept my eye out for a Z3 coupe and now I think I may have found one. I am going to look at it tomorrow. It has 44k miles and appears to be spotless, but of course I will confirm that with my own eyes and pictures can distort the truth. Here are my main questions:

1) Assuming 44k miles is accurate, what are the next major maintenance items that would need to be performed, that can't be done in my own garage? I do a lot of work on my vehicles and have taken on some modestly involved tasks, which means I am open to anything that I can't totally screw up.

It should be noted, that the CarFax on this Z says that in Feb of 2018, it had an oil change, front rotors and pads replaced, rear shocks replaced, and valve cover gasket. In August of 2019, the automatic transmission was serviced, which I suspect means flushed and re-filled.

Any major service coming up on timing chain, or other expensive "must perform in a shop" items, etc?

2) The seller is asking what seems to be a top price of $16,500. According to Haggerty, a 99 Z3 with 2.8 il6, automatic, coupe in excellent condition is $16.2k. Anywhere else I look KBB.com, etc, the value comes in a lot less. I generally trust Haggerty, but was curious as to the groups thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you all might have.

Bob

[Randy Forbes]

I have lusted for this car since I first saw it in the showroom in 1999 when I was buying my 528i. At the time a family car was the need, now a sporty car is a desire. I have always kept my eye out for a Z3 coupe and now I think I may have found one. I am going to look at it tomorrow. It has 44k miles and appears to be spotless, but of course I will confirm that with my own eyes and pictures can distort the truth. Here are my main questions:

1) Assuming 44k miles is accurate, what are the next major maintenance items that would need to be performed, that can't be done in my own garage? I do a lot of work on my vehicles and have taken on some modestly involved tasks, which means I am open to anything that I can't totally screw up.

It should be noted, that the CarFax on this Z says that in Feb of 2018, it had an oil change, front rotors and pads replaced, rear shocks replaced, and valve cover gasket. In August of 2019, the automatic transmission was serviced, which I suspect means flushed and re-filled.

Any major service coming up on timing chain, or other expensive "must perform in a shop" items, etc?

2) The seller is asking what seems to be a top price of $16,500. According to Haggerty, a 99 Z3 with 2.8 il6, automatic, coupe in excellent condition is $16.2k. Anywhere else I look KBB.com, etc, the value comes in a lot less. I generally trust Haggerty, but was curious as to the groups thoughts?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you all might have.

Bob

At this point, while a low mileage of 44k is desirable, you have to look at maintenance of a twenty to twenty-one year old vehicle. Rubber and plastic items being the biggest concern, and the hoses can tend to break down on the insides while the exterior still looks fine.

The "book values" for these cars never really seem to be on target, but Haggerty's assessment seems plausible. Obviously, the car sounds like it was babied, and the seller deserves to be compensated for that. The alternative to a low-mile / high dollar car would be one for half the cost, but triple of quadruple the mileage. Which would you rather have (rhetorical, pretty sure we'd both want the lo-mi one).

I don't know your capabilities, but I doubt much routine maintenance requirements would come up that can't be done by the average, mechanically inclined enthusiast

[bkirk]

At this point, while a low mileage of 44k is desirable, you have to look at maintenance of a twenty to twenty-one year old vehicle. Rubber and plastic items being the biggest concern, and the hoses can tend to break down on the insides while the exterior still looks fine.

The "book values" for these cars never really seem to be on target, but Haggerty's assessment seems plausible. Obviously, the car sounds like it was babied, and the seller deserves to be compensated for that. The alternative to a low-mile / high dollar car would be one for half the cost, but triple of quadruple the mileage. Which would you rather have (rhetorical, pretty sure we'd both want the lo-mi one).

I don't know your capabilities, but I doubt much routine maintenance requirements would come up that can't be done by the average, mechanically inclined enthusiast

Thanks Randy, that's kind of what I was thinking. I've just got done refreshing a 2003 Jeep Wrangler and the first things I did were to replace all the belts, hoses, valve cover gasket, etc. I then started the process of replacing all the rubber bushings in the suspension, which resulted in replacing all the body mounts, shocks, coils, sway bars, track bars, control arms, and steering kit. It was a bigger task than I first imagined, but a lot of fun (oh and money too). That Jeep is headed for sale next week and I am looking at this Z3 as my task replacement vehicle.

I've assumed belts, hoses, plugs, coils, and maybe a weatherstrip here or there. I just want to avoid an engine tear down as that is likely not something I'd want to do in the garage. I've printed off the FAQ's on pre-purchase inspection and have added it to my list of items to review. I've warned the seller that I have automotive-OCD and my review may take a while.

Thanks

Bob

[1988Tiara]

I bought the same car, except mines 5 speed manual. After a quick 10,000 miles not much has happened. Definitely get good tires. Easy to work on!