2001 Z3 3.0 M Roadster "Tribute" - Build Thread

[Corellian Corve]

I considered that, but these were Blue, and I'm going to Silver, and I just felt that it would be very obvious and if there was even a slight miss in the color it would be very obvious. Had they been Black, or just a different Silver, I wouldn't have bothered. So I took the gamble on disassembly.

[s8ilver]

That makes sense. I went from Cosmos to Jet Black. Seller assured me the mirrors were non-metallic, but I think there was ONE Jet black M car so of course I was skeptical. Surely enough, they were metallic, but I was prepared with paint and clear. I painted a gurney flap at the same time, so got good use out of the 2k clear that has a short life after activation.

[Corellian Corve]

Hey headlights are back on! Still need to play with fit, but like I said before - I'm pleased!

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There are few things I dislike working with more than butyl tape, and getting the old crap out of the doors and getting the old rubber pads off was a royal PITA. However - it allowed me to clean and lube the tracks, door handles and lock mechanism (and of course replace the mirrors). The other good thing was the installation of the M door panels which will be a nice match to the seats (I'm stuck with the old drivers seat until some electrical pins come in)

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OH HI THERE! This is a story of 'it pays to hit people up on Facebook Marketplace!' - this listing for a Z3 Tonneau Cover had been up for several months, but I pinged the seller and they were still not sold (apparently another buyer had claimed them but was taking a really, really long time to complete the deal). Not only did I get a nice Tonneau cover (nothing broken or ripped!) but I also got a luggage rack (anyone want it?) AND she threw in a car cover. Not bad for $125!

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Although I can't run the deep-dish rear wheels, I would like to match the fender-to-rim clearance so I took a measurement between the two cars. The M roadster has 1" exactly of clearance between the edge of the fender and the rim (I'm not using the tire). The Z3 using M wheels has 1.5" of clearance between the fender and rim. So a 13mm spacer is going to get ordered to get the matching fender clearance.

At this point we are pretty near done with the major stuff. I'm getting a detail next week, and then I'll make a call on getting the whole car painted. I still need to do all the mechanical work on the engine (not that interesting) and swap out the driver's seat. Other than that, this project is pretty close to done.

I *may* have a very cool surprise coming this weekend but the deal is still in the works; so we shall see.

[CoconutPete]

Looking good!

[Corellian Corve]

OPEN HEART SURGERY

Well yesterday I began pulling the front of the engine apart to clean everything off, replace the cooling system, and do the CCV. I absolutely LOVE working on this car. Typically, cars that came from the factory with only I6 motors are pretty space constrained, but the design of this car and the clamshell give PLENTY of room and this was the easiest CCV and cleanup on any BMW.

Pulling the Radiator off - not too bad, but plenty of grease and grime
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Everything removed - valve cover, CCV, Oil Filter Housing, Cooling system. This will get nearly all the oil leaks solved (this car wasn't much of a leaker, but clearly had accumulated grime over the years). There is a MOUNTAIN of room to work in here, surprisingly!

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With only 114K miles, this car has clearly been well maintained. Turns out the CCV system had already been done (which was... frustrating since it's a lot of work) but I did give me a chance to clean out the throttle body and the ICV (both of which were also in pretty good shape)

Note the complete absence of any silicone on the valve cover surface at the timing cover or cam dips? Well... whoever did the valve cover job last put the silicon between the valve cover gasket and the valve cover, NOT the head. So there was gasket maker in the right *location* just on the wrong *surface* which is why there was still a leak despite having a recent valve cover job.

Regardless, look how clean this head is...

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And some work underneath the car. This was all coated in grime, and now you can even see the color of the frame horns at the bottom! I'm pleased with how well this is all cleaning up!

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Later this afternoon, assembly will continue...

[Vintage42]

... And some work underneath the car. This was all coated in grime, and now you can even see the color of the frame horns at the bottom! I'm pleased with how well this is all cleaning up!...

How are you doing that super cleaning underneath?

[Corellian Corve]

A couple different things, sort of in 3 stages. Brakleen on the very, very grimy stuff but only on metal parts or way up high in areas I won't be able to reach. Then, I use some parts cleaner solvent from NAPA in a small bucket with brushes and old microfiber towels. I then have an old detailing trick (for both top and bottom of the car) which is Purple Power Degreaser mixed about 4:1 in a Solo Sprayer, then I use cheap Harbor Freight paint brushes to agitate and get in the cracks/crevices, then rinse with water in a garden sprayer.

Then I just dry everything off with the microfiber towel. When I rinse the towel, I use a little Purple Power to rinse it off which gives a slight degreasing ability as I'm drying parts off.

What you see in the pictures isn't really a thorough detail for me, just sort of cleaning things up as I'm going or waiting for something to get out of the parts washer. But I'm pleased with it.

[Corellian Corve]

And tonight the project was thwarted by... PARTS! First, my VANOS oil feed line is leaking pretty badly (first time I've seen that, actually), the overflow tank I ordered had a cracked mounting tab, and the idler pulley bearings are incorrect for the application - despite using the part number listed on REALOEM.

Let's start with the bearings as a cautionary tale. My car has the older style "mechanical" tensioner vs. the later hydraulic style. According to REALOEM (which shows the correct tensioner) the PN# is 11281748131, so I ordered up 2.

However - when I took the pulleys off the tensioners mine are completely different. No PN# on RealOEM showed this style. However, a search on RockAuto just browsing through parts has a picture of a Dayco 89133 which is listed for the car and looks correct. I was able to cross-reference the INA number on the pulley back to this Dayco number. So for anyone with a Z3 3.0, before you order a bearing, check to see what style you have.

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So it was a short working evening. I love pulling a nice clean part out of the parts washer, as well as cleaning up the throttle body and installing a new gasket

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Housing bracket along with alternator went back on, and I was able to button-up the engine compartment topside, while I await the VANOS oil line, correct tensioner pulleys, and while everything is apart I'm going to do the upper plenum boot, as well as the power steering reservoir and hoses for good measure (in addition to radiator and all the hoses, etc.)

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The car's pretty much going to sit this way for the next week while parts arrive, and I'm going to take the wife and kid to our cabin for my wife's birthday. So probably 2 weeks before meaningful progress is made...

[Corellian Corve]

BACK TO WORK!

After a week on vacation I came home to what looked like a warehouse full of parts (some for the Tribute, others for a few new projects coming my way) but I was excited to get back to work on the Z3. First step was getting the car running again, so last night I installed the idler bearings, vanos oil line, replaced the power steering pump reservoir and hoses, coolant hoses, tank, new belts and bled the system. Put on the fuel filter too since I knew the car wouldn't have fuel pressure. I was nervous because I took off a LOT of stuff this time all at once so I was afraid I missed something and would be troubleshooting all night.

Fortunately, I had smoke tested the CCV system before I reinstalled everything which is where I have the most problems. Oh and I did the fan-delete with the 1.9 temp sensor.

The BMW Gods blessed me because she fired RIGHT up. Nice to have a clean, all-new, leak-free BMW engine compartment!

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While the cooling system was bleeding, I got to do a couple fun projects. This is mostly the "money wasting" part of the project.

M roadster door sills. Dunno why but I like seeing the M logo when I open the door.

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Early M rearview mirror. This was a total vanity purchase since there was nothing wrong with my mirror, but I do like the oval look of the M mirrors and I discovered BMW made a non auto-dip version. So there went $200 bucks.

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Wheel spacers This is kind of hard to see. Although I can't get the exact same look as the M roadster using a set of Front wheels, I did want the offset stance if possible. I measured the space between the lip of the rim and the edge of the fender on both the M and the Z - the Z is 1.5 inches inside the fender and the M is 1 inch. So I ordered up some 13mm spacers from ECS to push the wheels out the exact amount. It's hard to tell in the pictures but now when you look at the whole car, it's got a similar offset look to the M cars which I like.

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[s8ilver]

That's a great feeling. I remember after doing my manifold swap thinking to myself: I just disconnected and reconnected so much crap, there's no way it'll fire. And if it does, how many codes and vacuum leaks will I have? Alas, fired right up with no codes.

If you had a 1" difference, why didn't you order 25mm wheel spacers?

[Corellian Corve]

If you had a 1" difference, why didn't you order 25mm wheel spacers?

Because I can't math. It's 1.5in for Z, 1in for M. So spacers are right, my claims where wrong (adjusted above).

Oh guess what else arrived? I may not have time to get to this this weekend, as I want to take some sound readings before/after and test for drone.

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[Corellian Corve]

A brief and welcome day of Sunshine this weekend. I just had the M roadster detailed and ceramic coated, and of course the M tribute isn't done yet but I thought I'd grab a picture of them side-by-side. I really like how the car has turned out so far, and while it's not showing up in the pictures the spacer has added a little offset to the rear wheel which I really like. From the front, you basically couldn't tell. Trunk and lights, of course, are much different and I wish I'd stuck an emblem on for the photos...

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Tonight I should be able to post results on the Magnaflow exhaust. I was able to take db readings of the old setup, and got the Magnaflow installed so I need to take new readings and shoot a video. Hope that can go up tonight!

[BimmerBreaker]

Z3's, E53, E36, E63, E39's according to the signature... certainly a wonderful taste in cars

[Corellian Corve]

Thank you!! There's an e24, an e31, and an e38 in the mix, too.

[Mr Bingley]

Thank you!! There's an e24, an e31, and an e38 in the mix, too.

Is that a list of cars you currently own or have owned over time in your sig?

[Corellian Corve]

Is that a list of cars you currently own or have owned over time in your sig?

All currently own. Probably needs an update actually - I just got an e63 650i and I haven't added the 2nd 2001 Z3...

[BimmerBreaker]

Thank you!! There's an e24, an e31, and an e38 in the mix, too.

F, marry, kill, in that order

I'd ask your favorite of the bunch but I think the truth with those older bimmers is so many people own so many at once because they all do truly offer unique driving experiences from one another. Each offers a unique feel for different circumstances. One wouldn't take the Z3 on a roadtrip or the E38 out to carve canyons

What I do want to know, because I haven't had seat time behind the wheel of one is... how does the E63 stack up to the rest? I love that engine in my E53 and can only imagine it's a hoot in something a bit lighter. I think that generation of 6 series was unfairly lambasted by enthusiasts for it's looks, but honestly in retrospect, I don't even think they look that bad... other manufacturers musn't have thought so either, seeing as how pretty much every car designed afterwards copied some aspects of it's design...

[Mr Bingley]

All currently own. Probably needs an update actually - I just got an e63 650i and I haven't added the 2nd 2001 Z3...

That's pretty good--you've got me beat (now that I sold the Viper)--I'm down to six + two motorcycles (R60/2 and R75/5). I think I might need another car.

[Corellian Corve]

That's pretty good--you've got me beat (now that I sold the Viper)--I'm down to six + two motorcycles (R60/2 and R75/5). I think I might need another car.

This is just the BMW's

I'm fortunate to have purchased some land and built a shop many years ago (before prices went crazy) to store all the toys.

[Corellian Corve]

F, marry, kill, in that order

I'd ask your favorite of the bunch but I think the truth with those older bimmers is so many people own so many at once because they all do truly offer unique driving experiences from one another. Each offers a unique feel for different circumstances. One wouldn't take the Z3 on a roadtrip or the E38 out to carve canyons

What I do want to know, because I haven't had seat time behind the wheel of one is... how does the E63 stack up to the rest? I love that engine in my E53 and can only imagine it's a hoot in something a bit lighter. I think that generation of 6 series was unfairly lambasted by enthusiasts for it's looks, but honestly in retrospect, I don't even think they look that bad... other manufacturers mustn't have thought so either, seeing as how pretty much every car designed afterwards copied some aspects of it's design...

Oh man I could do a whole thing about this. You are 100% right - I've tried to get cars that are different enough from each other to have different driving experiences.

For me, the e39 is the "index" point since that might be one of the best all-around cars ever made. Driving feel, size, weight, handling and balance are all nearly perfect in that car. So I compare everything else to that. It can do whatever you want; daily driver, spirited run, long-distance cruiser. I absolutely *love* the e39.

The e38 is simply a more luxurious, comfortable and quiet version of the e39. You lose a little speed and nimbleness, but you make up for it in comfort and quiet in the ride. But it's not a huge step down from the e39 in that it doesn't drive like a big car. Also, the e38 comfort seats may be the best seats ever made in a car - that upper mid-back motor makes a huge difference.

The e24 is purely a style thing. It's an old BMW so it's like comparing a vintage mustang to a new one. If you like old BMW's and you like the style, it's a great car.

The e31 may have been my favorite of the bunch (I'll get to my new favorite in a second). I am a huge sucker for big coupes, and the e31 has so many things I like about it. I call it the BMW Corvette since it kind of reminds me of what you would get if GM turned the Corvette into a GT (which I supposed they did with the XLR). It's quieter than the e39, faster than the e38, handles great, acceleration is good (I put the 850i differential in mine which makes a big difference). Since it's a driver-focused cockpit like a sports car it encourages a more sporty drive.

I quite like the e36 (328i with a manual) but getting the Z3, I find that car redundant now. I haven't owned many 3-series cars, and the problem is that they are, in my mind, a downgrade from an e39. If you want a sedan with a manual, I can see you have more choices with an e36. But the Z3 gives me everything I love about the e36 in a lighter, faster, and more fun overall package. So I would take an e39 530i and a z3 inline car over an e36. I need to see how an e46 feels relative to all above.

z3 of course - may be my favorite "driver" car next to my Ferrari 360. If I had a choice on which car to drive, the M roadster or the 360, it might be a tough choice. The 360 is a near perfect car IMO, and the z3 is a close second.

This brings me to the modern era. I recently got an e60 530i M-sport given my love of the inlines and the e39. The car has grown on me, and largely replaced my e38 in terms of long-term driving. The e60 loses a lot of what I love about the earlier cars - steering is lighter, materials don't seem to be as nice - it's more like a "car" then the sort of special experience of the older generations. My car has the comfort seats (similar to the e38) which are the best around, but there are some coviences I like; the Logic7 sound system is a big upgrade and it's quieter than the e39. The car is faster (6 for 6), although maintenance is a big downgrade. So the e60 feels more like my old e38 than the e39.

Now finally to your question about the e63. I may be in the honeymoon stage because I've only had this car for a few weeks, but what I would say is GO GET ONE RIGHT NOW. I'm seriously in love with this car. Seriously. Take everything I love about all the cars above, put it in one car, and that's the e63. First, I was afraid I was just getting a 2-door e60 but that's absolutely not the case. I love big coupes as stated above, and the e63 is absolutely the spiritual successor to the e31. It's got a more sports-car feel than the e60. It's lighter than the e60 (It's only 500lbs more than the Z3!!). The interior materials are nicer than the e60 (subtle, kind of like the difference between the M roadster interior and the regular Z3 where it looks the same but has more leather wrapping). The sound system is unbelievable (Logic7) and better than the e60. It's the quietest car I've ever been in (quieter than the e38). The seats are a little softer, but more bolstered, than the comfort seats in the e60 and would be the 2nd best seats in any of the cars. Handling is great - it's a light car, so better than the e31, e38, e60. Also, the cars are fully loaded; Heads-up, winter package (heated seats, heated wheel), etc. My only real complaints with the e63 is that the steering is still a little too light for my taste (e39 still perfection), and the car is SO quiet that - and I'm not kidding - you'll accidentally get to 100mph without even knowing. There is virtually no exhaust sound or any sort of drama when you hit the pedal. So despite it being a low 5-second car to 60, you don't feel it at all. It is HARD to not go fast in this car.

Agree too on the looks. I think they look great. The F12 is probably better looking, but I wouldn't touch that generation of car as a DIY person. They make an F-style bumper which really helps the front end of the car. The rear end, like the 750li and the e60, have aged well. I think it looks like a baby Aston Martin and of course, say what you will about the latest BMW styling. I think they have aged great.

I cannot believe how much I'm in love with the e63. It's light-years better than I was expecting. The big down-side of course is the N62 and the known problems. Most of the big issues (oil leaks) and the coolant pipe can be dealt with by a home mechanic. But if you get one with the bad valve seals, you're in for a bad time. One of my X5's has the problem and I hate it. Fortunately, this car does not seem to have the problem (yet).

Does that help?

[BimmerBreaker]

Not sure I have seen a subjective opinion I have agreed with more in a long time... I've owned almost all those models myself at one point or another and have to agree on just about all counts. I got into BMW through the E36 and then got into an E39 M5. Loved the engine and the car, but the steering box feel left a lot to be desired for me. Sold it for an M roadster shortly afterwards and I think I was bit a spoiled there, as still to this day, I think that is not just one of the best driving BMW's, but best driving cars of all time... have always had at least one Z3 in the garage since then. Own an E39 wagon now and stock for stock, I think that or the E53 4.8is is one of the best daily drivers BMW made... really wish we got the E39 530d wagons here

I do believe that on that model of 6 series, the weight of your steering feel - and the curve of it's weight, as it changes with different speeds - is programmable in NCS expert. It is on E39's and E53's anyways. I'd be surprised if it is not something you can change on the E63. And M6 bumpers would sort out the "ugly" factor but boy, that stuff ain't cheap...

Here is an example of the E39 curves (and some information on that):



It can be hard finding enthusiast-oriented information for the E63 and E60 as it seemed like these cars went through a period where honestly nobody wanted them and parts are expensive for them so enthusiasts tend to ignore them (that period being when they were new up until pretty much today). If you haven't dabbled with NCS Expert yet... I have a feeling you are about to You can also do other things like disable the annoying start-up message on the Nav screen if you have the stock navigation screen in your E53 or E39 - so you don't have to press "Accept" every time you get in... if you have bi-xenons on that E53, you can also enable your inner halogens to come on with your high beams, for even more lumens... (I love this feature for night driving). City/daytime running lights, single door/all doors with unlock from key, roll up windows from key (US normally only lets you roll them down)... tons of stuff you can do...

[Corellian Corve]

I do believe that on that model of 6 series, the weight of your steering feel - and the curve of it's weight, as it changes with different speeds - is programmable in NCS expert. It is on E39's and E53's anyways. I'd be surprised if it is not something you can change on the E63. And M6 bumpers would sort out the "ugly" factor but boy, that stuff ain't cheap...

If you haven't dabbled with NCS Expert yet... I have a feeling you are about to

So I have like 3 different version of NCS expert on various old laptops, and for some reason they never work. It's nearly impossible for me to find the "right" install of that software, sometimes the language is in german, sometimes english but then the SW version is wrong. I cannot get a solid version of NCS to save my life. ONCE I was able to get it to code my e39 ABS module and I was the happiest guy ever.

If you know of a place to get a "correct" version of NCS, please let me know. Apparently I need ISTA-D as well but I can't find that anywhere either.

Hell, I need to code the AUX into my e63 so I can install a Avin unit, and I'm terrified to try.

On changing the steering curves - I *think* that requires you to have Active Steering which my car doesn't have. In fact, I avoid that since if you research Active Steering issues it's even more problematic than steering angle sensors. So I have avoided Active Steering in both my e60 and e63.

- - - Updated - - -

Not sure I have seen a subjective opinion I have agreed with more in a long time... I've owned almost all those models myself at one point or another and have to agree on just about all counts. I got into BMW through the E36 and then got into an E39 M5. Loved the engine and the car, but the steering box feel left a lot to be desired for me. Sold it for an M roadster shortly afterwards and I think I was bit a spoiled there, as still to this day, I think that is not just one of the best driving BMW's, but best driving cars of all time... have always had at least one Z3 in the garage since then. Own an E39 wagon now and stock for stock, I think that or the E53 4.8is is one of the best daily drivers BMW made... really wish we got the E39

It's nice to find someone that shares a similar opinion!! You really have to drive/live with these different cars to know what you're getting into

Funny, we agree on the E53 as well. I have both a 4.4 and a 3.0 sport. Frankly, the M54 is probably one of the best engines ever made from reliability, power, and easy to work on. I had so many problems with the 4.4 it really turned me off of the N52 for a long time. I ended up getting a 3.0 sport model, which was loaded like the V8 but came with the 3.0 and TBH, I think that car is awesome. It hauls the family around just fine and I have no issues with the power.

Now like you said - imagine that 4.8 in a car that's 500lbs more than a z3, quieter than an e38 and has the comfort of a modern car? That's the 650i.

[s8ilver]

The e38 is simply a more luxurious, comfortable and quiet version of the e39. You lose a little speed and nimbleness, but you make up for it in comfort and quiet in the ride. But it's not a huge step down from the e39 in that it doesn't drive like a big car. Also, the e38 comfort seats may be the best seats ever made in a car - that upper mid-back motor makes a huge difference.

Your rationale for the E38 was my same thinking behind my old D2 S8. BIG car with incredibly comfortable seats (lumbar motor was key!), 360hp, AWD, and a better build quality than any BMW I've ever sat in (heck, it was better than the next two generations of the S8). I could set the cruise at 100 in the rain and it would just stick. It was built to compete with the E39 M5, but drove more like an M3 (the entire body & suspension is aluminum...4k lb soaking wet) with the room and luxury of a 7. Many complained of the electronically assisted power steering, but didn't realize all you had to do was yank the power steering relay and it was a perfectly weighted hydraulic system again.

Miss that car...
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-audi-s8/
... but not as much as I missed rowing my own.

[Corellian Corve]

Your rationale for the E38 was my same thinking behind my old D2 S8. BIG car with incredibly comfortable seats (lumbar motor was key!), 360hp, AWD, and a better build quality than any BMW I've ever sat in (heck, it was better than the next two generations of the S8). I could set the cruise at 100 in the rain and it would just stick. It was built to compete with the E39 M5, but drove more like an M3 (the entire body & suspension is aluminum...4k lb soaking wet) with the room and luxury of a 7. Many complained of the electronically assisted power steering, but didn't realize all you had to do was yank the power steering relay and it was a perfectly weighted hydraulic system again.

Miss that car...
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-audi-s8/
... but not as much as I missed rowing my own.

I have never owned an Audi. Had just about every other brand, but for some reason have avoided VW/Audi. I don't have firsthand experience but they don't seem very DIY friendly when something goes wrong (seems like engine out for every problem) and I don't think they have the long-term parts support like you get from BMW, Porsche or Mercedes. Again, this is all based on "internet research" but I've never played with them first-hand.

[s8ilver]

I have never owned an Audi. Had just about every other brand, but for some reason have avoided VW/Audi. I don't have firsthand experience but they don't seem very DIY friendly when something goes wrong (seems like engine out for every problem) and I don't think they have the long-term parts support like you get from BMW, Porsche or Mercedes. Again, this is all based on "internet research" but I've never played with them first-hand.

For the newer ones with 139 computers, I'd agree. However, that thinking was why it was such a deal at the time. I paid 16k for a 7 year old car that was 79k MSRP and it saw a shop exactly twice for an alignment and an output flange seal that I didn't feel like buying tools for. Everything else was DIY (found a great forum like this one). Audi of America borrowed it for display in Aspen when they launched the D4. They gave me $2k as a thank you, so that car cost me $500 net over 8 years of ownership (outside of regular maintenance I'd do on any car of course).

Then I found the supercharged M (on this forum), and the rest is history.

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You'd think AoA could've taken a good photo, but alas they gave me mostly blur...

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