New to the forum, Z3 2.5i

Hi,

I'm new to the forum, and introduced myself briefly over in the new members welcome area:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?p=7122526

but, I thought I'd take a moment to say Hi over here as well, where the Z experts hang out, and see what you guys think about this car (as I haven't actually bought it yet)

I put a deposit down on this car last week, and I'm supposed to take delivery of it tomorrow night:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1154995...eat=directlink

I wanted a 3.0i, but I just didn't find any in the local area that I liked. It's a 2002 2.5i, and the car is absolutely MINT with 28,200 miles on it, clean car fax, and a single owner who kept it for retirement but is giving it up now. Seems reasonable to get the 2.5 instead of the 3.0 to get a car that is in this condition. It has the Sports package. I've got a small list of things I'd like to do to it (stone guards, armrest, etc), but I'll effectively leave it as-is.

Anyway, I love the color of this car, and it's almost like a brand new car aside from the fact that it is 10 years old. Drives and runs great. Curious to know what you guys think.

Thanks,
Mathias

I think you're going to be pretty happy with your choice.

Welcome to the forum, and I hope that you have either a late arriving, or very short winter, so you can get in a few miles before packing her away!

Beautiful car! Unusual to see those estoril blue and black seats in a 2.5. And the M Roadster wheels look great.
Drive it and enjoy the Fall colors!

Thanks guys! Glad you like it. Yeah, I thought the seats were really neat too. No pics of the soft top there, but it is absolutely mint too. I couldn't find a single blemish on this car.

Regarding the winter, I'm in Minnesota, and here's where you guys could possibly get a little upset with my plans here. It DOES snow here, and they DO salt the roads here. However, it doesn't snow a whole lot, and often most of the winter the roads are snow/ice/salt free, and it is just cold. I actually bought this car SPECIFICALLY FOR the winter (hang in with me here...). I ride a goldwing most of the summer, and it's sad to put it away, so I wanted something fun for the colder season. Knowing this car would be a terrible choice for snow and ice conditions, my 2 stall garage will contain the Z3, and parked next it is my 2011 Subaru Outback (can't think of a better car for commuting in the snow). So, this is going to be sort of like my winter-motorcycle if you will. If the roads are dry, free of snow and ice (as they often are in the winter here), and there is no precipitation in the forecase for the day, I'll drive this to work. Otherwise I take the Subaru. Pretty much the same routine I do with the motorcycle (I won't drive in the rain or on wet roads, or if it's too cold).

The nice thing, is that this car will also be a TON of fun when the warm weather comes back!

I also plan to always keep it garaged, and to even avoid driving it in the rain. Since it's not my primary car, it's nice to always have the option, and to divide the mileage between vehicles. Hopefully this strategy will keep this well-preserved Z3 in pristine condition for years to come.

Thanks again,
Mathias

Originally Posted by mathias999us

...
and the car is absolutely MINT with 28,200 miles on it, clean car fax, and a single owner who kept it for retirement but is giving it up now.
...

Originally Posted by mathias999us

...
I actually bought this car SPECIFICALLY FOR the winter
...

Well bought. With 10 year old used cars, condition is everything.

Glad the car is going to someone who will drive it. But there is lesson here. Keeping the miles off a car, saving the car for retirement, results in the next owner having a mint winter car.

Better to enjoy your car today.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome!

Looks like a beautiful car however I am concerned about the rims. They look to be stock front and rear rims from an M roadster. If those are the rear rims the offset will cause a fender rub. If they put 2 front sets on then you will be fine. Now about using a Z3 in the winter, go for it. With 4 snow tires they do a really great job in the right hands. Obviously you need to know how to drive in the snow. A good investment for the winter use is a hardtop. I use mine in the winter in central PA and it's holding up well in spite of the salt brine they use on our roads. Keep it sprayed off to mininize the effects. Welcome to the Z family.

Thanks everyone - seems like a great community here.

Regarding the rims, I neglected to mention that the car comes with the rims seen in the pictures, and also the 4 stock rims that presumably came with it. This will probably work out well for getting a set of winter tires on it. I've seen a hardtop locally on craigslist for $1K, but it's red, and it's missing the back window. Probably more of a project than I'm looking for.

Interesting point on the M rims. I didn't notice any rubbing during the test drive, and since it was only my wife and I in the car, I drove it pretty hard for a couple of miles. That doesn't mean that it's not happening. Given that it comes with the original rims as well, I guess ultimately this will be a non-issue for me. But, I like the M rims - is there a solution to this?

Thanks,
Mathias

I drove my 99 through twelve (12) Ohio winters; dedicated snowtires and a hardtop and I was good to go. The factory corrsosion protection is well up to the task, so long as the car hasn't been bottomed out (speed bumps, etc.) and scraped the protective coating off. Make that one of your points to inspect, and if you find any nicks in the undercoating, there are plenty of really good 3M products at the local auto parts store to reseal those areas.

Another thing I'd do, was each spring I'd jack the car up and powerwash the underside to the best of my ability. Other than the aluminum castings and cad-plated fasteners looking a bit fuzzy, you'd never know the life it lived...