Yet another new Z3 owner

[cpallenjr]

I recently bought a Z3 from Florida sight unseen via Autotrader and had it shipped up here to Iowa. It's a '96 with the 1.9l 4 cyl and 5 spd trans. Pretty basic Alpine White with black Oregon Leather. Build date July 10, 1996. It has a limited slip differential but with it's current 10 y/o summer tires it is no match for the snow and ice we currently have on the streets here in the midwest. It has about 75K miles on it and in addition to it being bone stock, it has zero rust and no dents or dings. I have only been able to find a few rock chips on the hood. The interior and top is also in great shape. There are some plastic bits and rubber gaskets that will need replacing but this will be a fair weather car so I am first addressing the well documented maintenance and repair issues (such as the cooling system). Shocks and struts have already been replaced and the suspension bushings seem fine I can't really detect any free play or slop anywhere.

I intend to keep it mostly stock and enjoy it as originally designed. It has a cassette player and cd changer which will be replaced with an after market head unit with blue tooth and USB input. Probably going with the VDO TR7412UB-OR (https://vdo-webshop.nl/en/radio-s/16...backlight.html).. Also have to address the rear window molding - hopefully without buying a new top.

Here's a few pictures...

2021-02-09T104805.220685.jpg 2021-02-15T175429.848260.jpg before bath.jpg after bath.jpg

[delvec]

Looks Nice! You will find a wealth of information and guidance on this Forum..Enjoy the ride!

[cpallenjr]

Thanks!

[CoconutPete]

Welcome! At this age you will never find a shortage of stuff to do on these cars while still keeping them relatively "stock".

[gfish]

Nice car. Congrats on the new ride! These cars are so much fun to drive.

Regarding the road rash, try Dr. Color Chip. It's a unique system. They instruct you to glob it on. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then wipe off the excess with a special solution. It works best on small rock chips/road rash.

Where are you in Iowa? We live in Lawrence, KS.

[Z3nki]

Very nice, and from florida! 👍

[2002Z3]

Nice little ride. Something to think about concerning the radio. You can get a cassette adapter for around $20 (or less) that will allow you use its phone jack in your headphone jack of a portable CD player, or phone. I expect your speakers will probably have been blown by now though. I'm not aware of the '96 speaker type, but if they have foam edges they are likely falling apart. My '02 had one bad kick panel and bass speaker blown.

And yes, get rid of those old tires asap. Keep it away from the road salt too. As you say, you are going for a fair weather approach to the car.

And I think "gfish" has a good idea with the Dr. Color Chip. I've wanted to order some for a while and keep forgetting about it.

Best of luck and hope your weather gets nice enough to drive the car a lot soon.

[SchumiF399]

Also have to address the rear window molding - hopefully without buying a new top.

You can replace the window by itself. I did it to mine in less than an hour, it is held in place with a zipper.

[cpallenjr]

Thanks for the tip on Dr. Color Chip! With respect to the rear window that piping looks to be part of the top not the window. The window is ok-ish. A little scratched up, but clear.

[Vintage42]

... With respect to the rear window that piping looks to be part of the top not the window. The window is ok-ish. A little scratched up, but clear.

The piping is a black plastic channel that is sewn to the plastic of the window. It is a trim whose function is to hold the edge of the canvas top that is slipped into it.

[Corellian Corve]

Very cool! +1 on the VDO/Continental unit. I put them in all my cars. Great choice. Be sure to get the harness adapter of Amazon.

[gfish]

Another bit of advice. The seat belt guides on Z3s are notorious for breaking. There's a simple and effective solution for repairing your guide, assuming both sides are still attached to the seat. And if your guides are in good shape, this solution will prevent future failure. It's a velcro devise that insures that your seat belt guide stays in alignment. They've raised their price from $12 to $16. But it's well worth the investment. And it takes less than five minutes to install. Here's a link...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-Z3-R...8AAMXQtslRYr5v

[Hoyt Clagwell]

There was a recent thread where someone used a length of large heat-shrink tubing to accomplish the same thing. In my opinion, it had a cleaner, almost stock look. I have also done a similar fix using black "gaffer's tape". It also work well and had a fairly unnoticeable look. The principle is the same for all. It's just a matter of preference.

[SchumiF399]

Another bit of advice. The seat belt guides on Z3s are notorious for breaking. There's a simple and effective solution for repairing your guide, assuming both sides are still attached to the seat. And if your guides are in good shape, this solution will prevent future failure. It's a velcro devise that insures that your seat belt guide stays in alignment. They've raised their price from $12 to $16. But it's well worth the investment. And it takes less than five minutes to install. Here's a link...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-Z3-R...8AAMXQtslRYr5v

I ordered these https://www.etsy.com/listing/7112777...t-guide-repair. Same concept except they are acrylic. Hopefully they hold it well too.

[BladeRunner919]

There was a recent thread where someone used a length of large heat-shrink tubing to accomplish the same thing. In my opinion, it had a cleaner, almost stock look. I have also done a similar fix using black "gaffer's tape". It also work well and had a fairly unnoticeable look. The principle is the same for all. It's just a matter of preference.

I've used the heatshrink method - it works brilliantly, is practically invisible and very cheap.

[gfish]

All good solutions. The key is to protect your seat belt guides before​ they break.

[Vintage42]

... There's a simple and effective solution for repairing your guide, assuming both sides are still attached to the seat. And if your guides are in good shape, this solution will prevent future failure. It's a velcro devise that insures that your seat belt guide stays in alignment...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Z3-Z3-R...8AAMXQtslRYr5v

I bought the velcro in 2012 while my guides were intact. The velcro is so easy to remove and put back, to allow the belt to slip out of the guides when needed.

There was a recent thread where someone used a length of large heat-shrink tubing to accomplish the same thing. In my opinion, it had a cleaner, almost stock look. I have also done a similar fix using black "gaffer's tape". It also work well and had a fairly unnoticeable look. The principle is the same for all. It's just a matter of preference.

Also a matter of convenience. If you ever have to take the seat belt off the seat, or remove the seat, it is more convenient to remove and put back the velcro, compared to cutting, re-buying and re-applying the heat shrink tubes.

[cpallenjr]

I was looking at a black box that plugs into the CD Changer interface to provide USB and BT connectivity.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bluetooth-M...o/121543181090
Otherwise still like the Continental solution
https://www.continental-automotive.c...-USB-Bluetooth
Also thanks for the details on the welt and window. I'll probably replace the window - top seems to be in good shape otherwise.
Thanks all for your suggestions on the seat belt guides. Mine are all intact so I will look at the options. I probably have some heat shrink that will work.

Courtney in Iowa