Noobs! Introduce Yourselves!

[kent crane]

Kent, if the shifter knob is too loose when you put it back on, take it back off and wrap a small piece of paper around the shaft and put the knob back on. This will tighten it up quite nicely.

Marty

Thanks Marty

[Gravy Sandwich]

Hello there, my name is Joshua. I'm the happy new owner of a black 1998 Z3 Roadster with the 1.9 liter, 4 cylinder engine and a manual transmission. This is really my first "nice" car, even though it's quite old. I finally decided at age 27 that I was done with my old 200k+ miles Corolla. Even though it's older, the Z3 only has 77k miles on it and it feels like quite a tremendous step up for me. I'm excited to tinker with it and wade my way into the waters.

Right now, I'm planning to replace the stock water pump with a new one that has the metal impeller. That's really the only work I have planned in the next couple of weeks beyond an oil change; once I've sold that old beater of a Corolla and filed my taxes for the year, I'm planning to do a complete replacement of the cooling system and then poke around for other fun things to work on. Might invest in the Z3 service manual, if I can find one that doesn't cost an arm and half a kidney. Seems like there are a lot of good resources online and here that make it almost moot.

Nice to meet you all!

[JKuhn]

Welcome. Just a quick heads-up, since I almost lost my Z because of a broken thermostat. Luckily my radiator exploded (so I immediately pulled off the road), but be warned that the temp gauge in a BMW does NOT climb linearly (a radiator shop told me they're all like that). I'm told it's smoothed to the point where the needle sits in the middle from around 90 Celcius all the way up to 115 (if I remember right). In case you're not familiar with Celcius, the boiling point is 100C. As I understand the needle climbs a bit at 115, and then at 120 it shoots into the red (which I'm told is already too late). So if you see it going higher than normal, take it VERY seriously.

That aside, I trust you'll enjoy the car. It's not called the Ultimate Driving Machine for nothing.

[Gravy Sandwich]

So if you see it going higher than normal, take it VERY seriously.

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't noticed any temp issues yet, even on a two hour drive up the I17. I figure this is all preventative stuff; $45 for a new water pump and peace of mind is a pretty good investment in my book.

[JKuhn]

It's just a warning in case something happens. My thermostat came apart while I was driving, causing it to block the coolant flow.

[eribbs]

Hi All, my name is Erick. I picked up a 1999 Z3 2.8 about a month ago (on a cold rainy day, no less) with around 35.5k miles. It's one of the British Traditional editions with dark green paint and champagne leather. Generally the car seems to be in good shape.. though there is a worn tear in the leather on the drivers side bolster that I am planning on repairing. The piping around the rear window is also coming off, so I may end up replacing the window to fix that at some point. I am also thinking about getting some new 17" rims, as this edition came with the 16" cross spokes, which aren't my favorite. I gave it a some new oil, spark plugs and air filter after I got it, and it seems to be running well. I'm sure I will be on here a lot more as I find more things to tinker with!

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[ntinkle]

Looks very nice, Erick. I missed that one - I was looking at low mileage cars during that time. In Texas, even.

The one I bought had 26k miles, and I'm finding a few items coming up from lack of use, but not many at all, so far - about 1k miles in the last three weeks. It will be a fair weather car, but trying to get some miles on it to shake lose anything hiding. The only nagging thing I've got right now is it doesn't always recognize when you've removed the ignition key - have to "pop" it back to get it to recognize, at times.

Good luck!

[RAKraus]

Good afternoon everyone! My name is Russ. Proud owner of a Steel Gray ‘02 M Coupe. Love the car. The second one I have owned. The first was a ‘99 that I reluctantly sold back in 2010. Picked up my current car from Pennsylvania back in 2013. I drove it back home with my pops back to California... awesome road trip! Very lucky to have it. I almost sold it to buy an Ariel Atom, but I decided i can’t sell this car in order to buy another. Time to start saving and have BOTH!

[Ezjuarez]

I've been a bimmer lover my entire life, enjoying the goods & dealing with the bads that come with these awesome cars. Last week I came upon a 1998 M Roadster with decently low miles (76k miles). Single owner vehicle, unmolested. Interior is a 9.5, with exterior being about a 9. I will post pictures later.

[truthclaim]

Hi, my name is Craig and I live in No. CA. I bought my 1999 Z3 2.3 Roadster convertible last summer and am trying to develop a strategy for going through all systems. It runs great, handles well, and is all around a great little car. It is a blast to drive and something I wish I had done years ago. Any thoughts for where to begin would be great. TIA for your insight! Glad to be here!

[NWI.Ken]

Hello All. Came across this thread after a mod moved my question here this morning. My name is Ken and currently live in northwest Indiana. Hence the username.... I am originally from the Pittsburgh area and spent 15 years in the mountains of PA, miss those roads and lifestyle. I actually almost bought a Z3 a couple years ago but picked up an older HD Ultra instead. About a month ago, I picked up a 98 Z3 with about 139k on the clock, 2.8 5-speed. Violet Red with a newer black top and sport interior. There are new covers coming for the seats from lseat.com and new seatbelt guides, bushings, and the seat tilt mod. The car appears to mostly always been a driver from the condition of the paint. Under hood is clean though. Plans are to clean it up, new badges all around, check out and update anything mechanically along with the updated seats then DRIVE IT!!!

[Andy Woods]

Hello Everybody,

My name is Andy, recently retired (18 mo). Spent the first year of retirement travelling the east coast on a 40' trawler. For various reasons we didn't love that lifestyle so settled in central Florida and I started looking for some kind of a convertible roadster. Decided on a 2001 Z3 which I purchased a few weeks ago. I had been lurking on this forum since last December when I first started looking for a vehicle. I just want to thank everybody who contributes to this forum, there is a wealth of information here and your input has been very valuable to me. I have studied the cooling system issues and the fan delete situation with great interest and will proceed with both of those based on what I have been reading here. I'm sure I will have some questions and will post them when I do.

[roadsir]

Noob here! My name is Mike and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in San Jose.

First BMW.

I was rear ended, and my Dodge Dart Multiair Turbo daily commuter was totalled with $2000 left to pay on it. Got 11K from insurance (totalled..) which left 9K to put down on another.......wait just a minute. I don't need another payment. What do I need? Rear wheel drive, horsepower and a stick. That was my start. Short story long, I found a 2000 M Roadster with 70K on the clock and documentation - the last owner only drove it 20,000 miles in the last 11 years. I drove it to the neighborhood Autowerks and had a PPI done. Solid. The technician said if I didn't buy it he would. Snagged it for 9K on the dot. It's a sign.

Of course, it's not perfect - some minor paint work, some rubber on the suspension, some trim items. Oil pan 'small leak'. Transmission plug needs a new washer...small leak.

But that's really it. Tires and brakes are at 50%.

I expect to replace missing trim, do the cosmetic work, try and get a factory radio back in it...restoration. I'll also do the prudent mechanical items, as well as preventive maintenance etc. Keep this rocket in orbit.

It's not my first rodeo, but it is my first BMW rodeo. This car is really fun to drive and it puts a smile on the passengers face too!

Thanks for providing the community, I look forward to participating!

[prince1320]

Whats up people, my names Prince im from compton. Going to get a 2000 z3 soon. came across this forum through google search, saw how much info there is along with other cars and signed up. thank you for all the info and everything shared and to everyone who contributed. will post pics and more info once i have the car, have a great day allmy smol boi z3.jpg

update heres of my 2000 z3 2.8 liter 5 speed

[paitocruz]

Hello everyone. I've been on the forum for several years but have been a quiet lurker. Recently got back into the M game by picking up an M roadster. Did plenty of research and no doubt used this site and it's members' advice/experience before making a decision. I ended up with a 2000 M roadster. 2 previous owners and 124,000 on the clock. Overall great shape with some minor things to work on. PPI was done and it checked out well.

Thanks everyone for the posts/insight and look forward to joining the conversations.

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Rafael

[Spidmang]

Hi everyone!

Long time E30 enthusiast, and own a shop specializing in them. I've always loved the Z3M Coupe and have always dreamed of owning one. I got my chance when an S54 titanium silver Coupe popped up in Phoenix, AZ for an AMAZING deal. Pulled the trigger and drove 1,400 miles back to Seattle, WA.


Current projects are:
-Randy Forbes Dual Ear reinforcement
-420getrag 6speed conversion
-hunting for an aftermarket exhaust

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[et98]

Hi Everyone,
Eric here in Annapolis, MD...first off, thanks to everyone that posts here with all of the great knowledge that you share! I really enjoy the positive forum communities like these...no politics or other issues, just car people discussing their toys! My wife and I "inherited" my father-in-law's 98 1.9 roadster with 65k on the clock (he's still around, just decided to give us the car!)...great overall shape and was just used as a fun car for him. In fact, my mother-in-law and I picked it out for him as a birthday/christmas gift when he turned 55 (his b-day is December 23rd). He just picked up a new Audi Q3 and decided that he didn't need the second car anymore and asked me to help him sell it. My wife drove it for a week when my parents came up to visit and needed her car for the week to get around and she loved it, so he decided to gift it to us. Unfortunately, it was stored outside all of it's life and has a bit of clear coat issues on the hood and front bumper, but can easily be re-done. Also had lots of tree goo in all of the cracks around the fenders, lights, and any crevice that would hold it. After a few hours of detail work, I showed him the car...he was shocked! Fortunately, I have a garage where the car will live for the rest of it's days in our possession.

A bit of history...I'm a long time forum user for other cars, fishing, etc., and know that I'll get lots of great info here, and eventually be able to chime in with some of my own. I've spent a lot of time over on VWVortex after having a heavily modified Golf MkIV back in the early 2000's, and more recently with my son's 91 GTI and my 83 Rabbit GTI that I converted to a period correct Callaway turbo on CIS (beastly little car!). On Vortex, I've contributed to many threads and have several of my own and have 1700+ posts. I've also owned a '52 Pontiac, '69 Austin America, and vintage vespas to name a few, so I'm certainly no stranger to working on my own stuff! My younger son now has a stage 1 modified 2007 Audi A4 quattro (sold the GTI for a college commuter), and my older son has a '93 Bronco (his first car that he will never sell) that we work on together often.

I must say that after my quest for bigger (6" lifted bronco), and faster (turbo Rabbit, crazy 7 port dual webber carb'd Austin, and insane 60+mph 130cc vintage vespas), that I've finally calmed down a bit and am looking to keep a nice clean totally stock Z3! Fortunately for me, since this one just has the 1.9 (5 speed fortunately) in it, I won't be tempted by crazy coil over suspensions, superchargers, turbos, etc...I'll just enjoy reading and seeing everyone else's projects while I tool away on mine. My daily is a Ford Explorer Sport with the 3.5 eco boost twin turbo, so that keeps my need for boost under control! Plans for the Z3 include a full coolant system update (small leak in lower hose now, so good time to do it), refreshed suspension (probably going KYB), and some fresh tires (10 year old one's on there now look new but dry rotted). I've also picked up a few bits such as a replacement lid for the console box between the roll bar hoops, seat repair bushings (and front spacers to lean back a bit), and MSC service items. Also in the works will probably be a stereo upgrade too (even my wife commented on the sorry OEM system!), grease the window regulators, and fix the leak into the cabin from the doors. I've already replaced the emblems, polished the headlights, replaced a few seals here and there, and replaced all of the 3rd brake light parts to fix the trunk leak.

So thanks everyone for a great forum...looking forward to lots of helpful info!

[nahvkolaj]

Been lurking here for a few months. Picked up a 2001 3.0i Roadster in December in Atlanta Blue (this color is much prettier in person...I was skeptical). The knowledge I found here made me pretty confident in my purchase, so thank you all!

It's got ~129k on it now. I've done some maintenance like new intake boots, oil filter bracket seal, new seals back by the trunk, glove box fix, and I have the hard-to-reach coolant lines waiting to go in now.

Before I bought it, it had new spark plugs, belts, intake control solenoid, and it came with a new-looking not-stock rad, main coolant lines, and reservoir.

[Jawse36]

Long time forum member and M owner. Love my E36 but just picked up a silver ‘99 M Coupe from the first owner with 71k miles. Drove it back from Northern VA to Charlotte after installing a fresh set of Pilot Super Sports... IMG_0921.JPG


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bowmore]

Hi, Carl from Sweden here.

Bought my first Z3 a few months ago. Previous owner was an old lady who wasn't driving any more. She is 80 years old and bought it brand new back in -96.

It's the 1.8 with hardtop and Montrealblue metallic. And of course, because it's sold in Sweden it got cleaning for the headlights, electrical engine heater and extra set of winter tyres. Studded!!! ;-)

It also have some rust problems, witch I just started to repair. She used it all year around.
The milage is about 75k miles (120k km)

//Carl

[megatrack]

I am AJ. Just bought a 2004 325i wagon. Runs perfect with 71k miles
All the cooling system was redone by previous owner . I am in Phoenix Arizona.
I am glad to be part of this forum.

[TheRhino22]

Hey everybody, this is Austin from Virginia. I have always had a fascination with BMWs since a child. Had a E36 1994 325is during high school that never gave me any trouble [besides headliner and powered windows]. Got it up to 230,000 miles and powertrain was still running strong before I was more or less forced to sell it due to aesthetic condition. One of my jobs during high school was a valet at a large hotel in the area. The Z3 soon became one of my favorite cars, which has remained to this day. Well I have finally acquired a Z3 of my own! It's a 1998 2.8 with about 104,000 and nearly no rust or cosmetic issues, besides some minor scrapes on the right rear bumper. I could not be more ecstatic every time I see the car in my driveway. However, there seem to be quite a few problems with the car and I was wondering if ya'll have experienced the same or if I have a lemon on my hands.

1. I replaced the valve cover gasket the second day of owning. This was a known problem when I bought the car. Seems that the change went well.
2. When the driver's window goes up to the max extent there is a loud almost banging sound coming from the door. To prevent this, I have stopped sending the window to its max range.
3. The driver's seat does the slide thing. I'm about to order the plastic 20$ bushing things and install
4. The transmission definitely has the ''5th gear lean.'' It hasn't been popping out of gear, and I can find 3rd decently well. The clutch was recently changed out. I was wondering does not fixing this issue cause any more damage to the transmission? Because I can live with it for the time being [also don't feel like dropping the transmission anytime soon]
5. Felt like the front driver's side caliper locked up for 2 minutes but then went away. Was wondering do ya'll recommend getting a refurbished caliper, fixing the caliper myself, or changing out the brake line? I've read that the problem can sometimes just be the brake line and have nothing to do with the caliper.
6. Condensation in the trunk. Is this usually due to the third brake light/reflector rubber going bad?
7. I checked all under the car and the trunk for any weld imperfections or cracks. It seems that the differential support has not yet failed. However, I've read so many horror stories online that I've started to freak myself out and am having a difficult time just enjoying the car without worrying about it. Does this actually happen a lot, or do people just talk more that it has happened to?

I purchased the car as a supplement to my previous daily, a 2006 Chevy Cobalt LT *facepalm* that my wife drove in high school. Being that the car is 20 years old, I plan on things breaking for sure. I'd like to drive it as much as possible. The inline 6 seems to be a strong, long-lasting engine. Does anyone have any advice on other potential issues or common faults that I should expect? Thanks everyone! Hopefully will have more pictures soon. Just cleaned/waxed it today.

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[Noyac40]

Hi there! I just bought a 2001 Z3 in Sienna red with 67K miles and will take delivery on Sunday. I didn't find this car, it found me.... when a friend decided to move out of state and needed it to go to a good home quickly, I was the first call. Since I already have an 88 E30 convertible and a Land Rover Defender 110 (and a daily driver Suburban), really didn't need it. That said, I started staring at the pics and really like this car and have had many BMW's over the years including a 1976 3.0SI and a few 90's 525's, etc. My kid will be driving next year and this will be a great intro to BMW's - of course I will be having some fun with it until then. For now, it will need a new top so I will be looking to see how I can get that done without breaking the bank. Anyway, I will post pics when I get it - can't wait!
Scott

[///MRoadyJPL]

Hi, my name is Joe and I live just North of Annapolis. I purchased my 1998 M Roady about a year ago. I wasn’t looking for an M as most were out of my price range but one evening one popped up on Craigslist and the rest is history. It’s imolarot II with the two tone red/black interior. PO had installed Bilstiens up front, Koni’s in the rear, and new non OEM headlights. It’s got 198k miles but P.O. took good care if it. Only a couple of popped welds in the trunk and the differential mount is not cracked. It’s got the classic seat bushing and glove box issues I’ll fix but when it was warm it’s too much fun to drive and it turned too cold in the garage to work on it. It’s the most fun car I have owned ( had a 70 Camaro in high school I modded, a 90 300z, and a 02 WRX).
I have been lurking around this forum and others for the past year and a half looking for info on the Z3. I enjoyed this forum the best which is why I decided to join it.

[Noyac40]

Update, The car was delivered yesterday and I already see two issues, first is the convertible top does not go down (had to do manually). Can someone tell me what to check other than fuse 46? Are there relays that could go bad, and where are they? also, what replacement radios are recommended? Thanks!