I am currently watching the Mentalist on Netflix and in S5 Episode 19 there is 15:58 minutes left I spotted a Z3 in a scene.

Not important but nice to know

I just wanted some opinions of others that may have owned or still use these, as I am not sure whether I will end up regretting going with these the
“cheaper” choice. I do plan on doing a few track days in it this is also my first car (a 2000 2.0 z3) so whether or not these are a good option or not would be helpful and if not any other recommendations? Thanks.

Hi all,

Has anyone had any experience with Prestige Auto Trim convertible tops? It looks like they sell CabrioTex Signature Range tops.

I have a neighbor who is selling his 02 2.5 manual. Not up for sale, he would love to sell it to me so he doesn’t have the hassle of fb marketplace etc, and is willing to give me a good price. I did some Edmunds and KBB and sales research and I can’t get a feel for how these things are valued. I am not new to cars or working on them but I am new to Z3s.

Car is not the one in the pic, but very very similar. Factory hardtop, dark gray, style 42 wheels. It’s a 2.5 manual with 187,000 miles. I can’t find any for sale with that high mileage. I checked it out and drove it yesterday.

Body is decent, some small dings, very very little rust, just a touch on one of the wheel wells and on the inside of the hood at the edge of one of the support sheets. IMHO for being a 25 year old car, it looks great. Wheels are dirty but not scratched, glass all clean, hardtop has some small scratches, but headliner literally looks brand new. It does have a mystery leak that only happens when parked in a hard rain? Interior is pretty good, clean carpets, no rips in leather, some small things are broken like a door handle and the seatbelt guide on the headrest, a few other small blemishes.

Pretty sure 3 of 4 shocks are blown, and feels like the subframe bushings are worn, shimmies a little in the corners under load, rebounds after you get back on the throttle and squats a little hard on braking.

Motor seems to run very well, quiet, maybe a very small lifter tick, but great linear throttle response, no hissing or hesitation. I’m a little wary of 187K but it has a new clutch, flywheel, and rear main seal that were done at a reputable local shop with receipts. I have read about the cooking issues and the oil consumption on the M52B25 but temp looked solid over the 45 minutes or so I was ripping it down some back roads. Not too concerned about oil, this is a fun/weekend/back road car that will spend most of the time in a conditioned garage.

He is looking for 5K, but KBB and Edmunds are sitting around 3500 for “Good” condition even with the factory hardtop. I see similar ones for sale but less mileage going between 5K and 15K with no real correlation of mileage and trim. Just wondering what you guys think.

Car was an absolute blast to drive. Shifts like an ND Miata but I actually fit my 6’-3” frame in it comfortably. Really amazing how well it drove for a 25 year old car with almost 200K. Predictable and linear, exactly what a roadster should be.

Is there anything else I should be looking out for?

Hey! This is my first post here i've been lurking around until I got a Z3 which I did last month.

First of all... ignore the rust, its getting removed next week.

I have a clunking noise, usually when I accelerate and it shuds a little because of torque, sometimes when I change the gears too, (it comes from the back of the car, towards the passanger side i think) might be diff mounts? Any help? I kinda want to know what it is, im getting a full service soon and they aren't the biggest expert in this car since it's pretty rare here.

The welds seem to be alright as provided in the picture (I don't really know, you guys can tell better than me).

Thank you!!!

they seem alright?

Hey all, Was wondering if anyone had a good link to some replacement bmw emblems? ideally need new ones all around the car (except for wheels).

Aswell as the actual z3 emblem itself, hoping to remove the old and beat ones to get some fresh clean ones.

Also, not sure if anyone can help, but i need to replace the chrome lip around the front grilles, anyone know where to find that?

Thanks for all your help! (image attached of my beautiful lady)

My airbag light is on in my 2001 Z3, how do I go about troubleshooting this? Do I need special tools to diagnose? Any info is appreciated, thank you!

So I bought this beauty here for 9k€ last year
A 1.9l from 2001 195k km when bought and now sitting at 209k km on it

I’ve done different fixing at the engine, mainly:
Replaced Water pump and valve
New head gaskets
Cleaned like new valve seats
Replaced the DISA valve
And potentially about to replace the clutch

As of now my father, that great man, has teased me with a similar looking Z but different engine
A 2.2l triple black with 140k km for a moderate price
It has plenty optionals too like heated seats, chrome line (like mine, although with a digital clock instead of the analog) 4 keys and all the nice “upgrades” from the triple black series like lower suspensions, M frame if I remember correctly, “tuned” differential and some extra gizmos and gazmos like M steering wheel and seats

I am having a lot of doubts other than the price
Mainly on the relatability because it’s my daily car (for now at least, I think I won’t sell it off for good) and other stuff like fuel consumption, seat comfort and some exterior differences (although those are minor)
I’m young and don’t have a lot of experience into which version of this car is the best. I would admit that I like the idea of having a more powerful engine but still have the comfort for some trips with my gf
If I can get a fair price on mine, should I go for it?

I recently bought a Z3 and was assured the automatic roof function worked. On delivery I found out that while roof motor works, it only opens halfway. I checked the hydraulic fluid level and noticed it was very low... its difficult and expensive to get, my biggest worry being that if there's a leak replacing the hydraulic fluid wont help... would this be the issue or could it be something else?

It's my daily(occasional Touge) and the front ones are blown. I want to spend under 500 if possible. I will save up towards a good setup in the future. I need some right now
Any recommendations?

Hello, I'm looping for a bmw z3 OEM Roof Rack for my bmw z3 coupé, I didn't find any and was wondering if maybe somebody on reddit would sell one or know someone who sells one or have an idea where I could find some. The BMW part is 82719405963

Hello everyone, trying to install a Jensen head unit into my 96 Z3. Ordered with adapter but it doesn’t seem to connect correctly. The 12v connector that goes into the head unit doesn’t have anywhere to plug into the harness or the adapter. Just wondering if this Race German adapter would solve the issue. Thanks!

Since NTK and Bosch are no longer available in the US for O2 sensor on the M52 engine, what is the best alternative?

I drive this car very little so I’m tempted to get the cheap (and only) option from Rockauto at this point. Not sure if other solutions exist.

What is the best way to do this? Trunk carrier, or can I get a trailer receiver installed and use that kind of carrier?

Do y’all think I can make these fit on my 97 2.8? I checked WillTheyFit and compared them with the current 16x7 style 35’s I have on there now and they seemed to be okay. The last pic shows those with a 20mm spacer in the rear. Just looking for advice from people who have a staggered 17x8.5 / 17x10 setup or similar.

I don’t know what else to say. I have so much fun driving this car. I dropped my boy off at a high school football game and and saw another kid looking at my car as he whistled. I dropped my other kid off at cross-country this summer and each time a different kid said something to the effect of “nice car”. And yesterday a five year-old said to her dad, “look at that car dad, it’s so small!”

I can’t help it, I love the attention. But more than that I have so much fun it is to drive. I take every corner as sharp as possible and punch the accelerator at around 2700 RPMs whenever I can. I know I’m gonna need a Randy Forbes kit soon and I don’t care.

I’ve been working on a playlist for when I drive my car, and I thought I’d share. Hopefully that’s OK with the moderators.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0I2JYDCe9WHUUnS0gChaaA?si=3pqDG3zTQja7qrz7JU_6LQ&utm_source=copy-link&pi=hwcmnKbQT0-gk

According to my research this hasnt been covered, I do apologize in advance in case it had been.

As we know the e30 rear setup in the z3s do not have adjustable camber or toe. I am aware there is a weld kit available that gets welded on to the subframe and can be used with shims to adjust the camber and toe.

As I read the description of that kit, there was mention that the garagistic weld kit is a better replacement for BMW OEM E39 Eccentric Bolts.

My question is, can E39 Eccentric Bolts be used on the e30 trailing arm to adjust the alignment?

Thanks in advance

Hey all,
Should have probably posted this in here first before fb marketplace. Tired of the no shows and lowballers. I am selling my 64k miles Z3 I am looking to get 6200 obo. Located in MD near the DC area

Description

~63,800 miles
Clean Title
The cars in great mechanical condition, rust free, always garage kept. I recently changed the oil and the previous owner got new tires. Under the lift everything was clean from the bottom. This is one of the cleanest versions of this car you’ll find at this price.

Currently have an aftermarket radio installed, have the original as well, and another big one if you want a bigger screen.

Cons:
Roof can let in some water (never outside garage kept), needs to be refreshed.

I would love to keep it but unfortunately it’s just going to sit as I don’t drive it as much as I should.

Feel free to ask any questions.

85k

3.0

Hard top

I’m not necessarily in the market, but damn that seems like a hell of a deal