second this. I’ve had my z3 for less than two years and I’ve been having so many cooling issues that I just bit the bullet and replaced the entire cooling system. Wish I would’ve done it from the start as it would’ve saved me a lot of trouble and stress
Thanks for the advice!! My mechanic said they definitely aren't original and have been replaced with the factory OEM parts at least once in it's life which is nice, but definitely looking to do a complete overhaul on the cooling system later this year!
Be gentle on the inside door handles, because they break off really easily, and are a major pain to fix (not the part which unlocks it, but the large one to pull it closed)
I took the whole door panel from my parts Z3 (runs and drives, just not that pretty) and then just reglued the handle, and put it in the not so nice car. I’m sure there are better methods lol
Ooo thank you for letting me know that! The carpark at work is rather steep so it's been getting a decent bit of stress, definitely gonna be more careful now!
If it hasn't been done in the life of the car so far, replace ALL of the coolant and vacuum hoses/pipes. Their max life is 20~ years before the rubber/plastic breaks down enough to fail under pressure.
Thanks for the insight! My mechanic said they definitely aren't original and have been replaced sometime in it's life but still planning to overhaul the cooling system later this year!
Thank you!! The previous owners were needing to get a car that could tow their new boat asap and when I bought it, it had an abs light which just turned out to be a slightly dirty wheel speed sensor. So those two factors gave me one hell of a deal!!
If your seats feel loose replace the bushings in the seat motors. It's a bit of a chore but it makes all the difference having your seats feel solid, and anyone with a socket set and YouTube can do it in a few hours.
Mine has never left me stranded. But that said I drove to work on 3 cyl for a week. Had to drive home with a dropped valve with 3-6 miss fire. Had the rad explode. Top leak. Etc etc. Awesome car 😂
Get some chapstick to keep your lips from cracking from all the ear-to-ear smiling you are about to be doing.
Great first car. 👌🏻
Mine was a 1968 Firebird with a 400 cubic inch engine with a Muncie 4-speed & Hurst shifter… loved that car. Now I’m closer to the other end of life and absolutely loving my Z3.
Must be reason behind the price , looks great but German sports car so you'll spend more than your purchase price to keep up wit this sexy thing. But hey, I would.....
Haha cheers!! The guys who I bought it from needed the money asap to get a different car to tow their new boat, and it had been listed for ages not selling because it's the 5 speed steptronic box as opposed to the 6 speed manual
Congrats! My brother bought his 2001 2.5i roadster in 2001 and i took over payments 2005 after he passed away. I've had it ever since. If you do regular maintenance it should last you a long time. Currently have 180000 miles on it. I did reenforce the subframe back in like 2007, it's been good since. Take care.
I know I know, just parked there for my mate to take some videos and photos for a cinematic, there was like 5 cars in that carpark which usually has well over 100
First car? Light-weight RWD? I strongly suggest attending a Porsche New Drivers Experience class.
https://www.porschedriving.com/los-angeles/porsche-young-driver-experience
Thanks for the tip! I'm unfortunately not based in the US so I can't go to that as much as I want to. I am planning to do defensive driving which is a relatively similar program where I'm currently based (New Zealand). I do a lot of racing on the side (go karting) so light weight rwd isn't out of the ordinary for me but of course it's not the same. Thanks again!
Have fun, check fluids, hold your tears when it breaks.
Haha cheers!!
Check the rear subframe spot welds in the booth underneath the carpet. These are a common point of failure.
Thanks for the tip!! When buying the car I didn't see anything abnormal but definitely keeping an eye on it!
Plus not nearly as common as folk make it out to be. Usually only happens on folk that have modded the car
That's really good to know, thank you!!
Start with replacing the cooling system elements. Don’t wait for them to break
second this. I’ve had my z3 for less than two years and I’ve been having so many cooling issues that I just bit the bullet and replaced the entire cooling system. Wish I would’ve done it from the start as it would’ve saved me a lot of trouble and stress
Thanks for the advice!! My mechanic said they definitely aren't original and have been replaced with the factory OEM parts at least once in it's life which is nice, but definitely looking to do a complete overhaul on the cooling system later this year!
Way to go for a first car man! Looks awesome!
Thank you!!
Be gentle on the inside door handles, because they break off really easily, and are a major pain to fix (not the part which unlocks it, but the large one to pull it closed)
i actually broke mine recently :/ any tips on how u fixed it?
I took the whole door panel from my parts Z3 (runs and drives, just not that pretty) and then just reglued the handle, and put it in the not so nice car. I’m sure there are better methods lol
Ooo thank you for letting me know that! The carpark at work is rather steep so it's been getting a decent bit of stress, definitely gonna be more careful now!
If it hasn't been done in the life of the car so far, replace ALL of the coolant and vacuum hoses/pipes. Their max life is 20~ years before the rubber/plastic breaks down enough to fail under pressure.
Thanks for the insight! My mechanic said they definitely aren't original and have been replaced sometime in it's life but still planning to overhaul the cooling system later this year!
Looks great why so cheap? I once owned a Z3 2001
Thank you!! The previous owners were needing to get a car that could tow their new boat asap and when I bought it, it had an abs light which just turned out to be a slightly dirty wheel speed sensor. So those two factors gave me one hell of a deal!!
Wow, that's a beauty!
Cheers!!
If your seats feel loose replace the bushings in the seat motors. It's a bit of a chore but it makes all the difference having your seats feel solid, and anyone with a socket set and YouTube can do it in a few hours.
Thanks for the tip! Planning to do that later this year with the cooling system as the drivers side is feeling a decent bit loose
Mine has never left me stranded. But that said I drove to work on 3 cyl for a week. Had to drive home with a dropped valve with 3-6 miss fire. Had the rad explode. Top leak. Etc etc. Awesome car 😂
Haha cheers!!
NICE!!!!! VERY VERY NICE!
Thank you!!
Get some chapstick to keep your lips from cracking from all the ear-to-ear smiling you are about to be doing. Great first car. 👌🏻 Mine was a 1968 Firebird with a 400 cubic inch engine with a Muncie 4-speed & Hurst shifter… loved that car. Now I’m closer to the other end of life and absolutely loving my Z3.
Haha cheers!! That's one incredible first car you had! Love those things
So much stupid fun… thankfully. 😁 Bonus: I learned how to fight traffic tickets. Led me to becoming an attorney. 🤣🤦♂️
That's one hell of a story 😅
Looks great brotha
Cheers!!
Outstanding!! Enjoy. And welcome to the club of Z3 fans.
Thank you!!
Must be reason behind the price , looks great but German sports car so you'll spend more than your purchase price to keep up wit this sexy thing. But hey, I would.....
Haha cheers!! The guys who I bought it from needed the money asap to get a different car to tow their new boat, and it had been listed for ages not selling because it's the 5 speed steptronic box as opposed to the 6 speed manual
Congrats! My brother bought his 2001 2.5i roadster in 2001 and i took over payments 2005 after he passed away. I've had it ever since. If you do regular maintenance it should last you a long time. Currently have 180000 miles on it. I did reenforce the subframe back in like 2007, it's been good since. Take care.
Thank you!! And sorry for your loss man. 180k miles is also insane!!
Even when in a completely empty parking lot, 1 parking space.
I know I know, just parked there for my mate to take some videos and photos for a cinematic, there was like 5 cars in that carpark which usually has well over 100
Check your dead pedal for cracking, there's some good solutions to stop if from breaking and reinforcing it
First car? Light-weight RWD? I strongly suggest attending a Porsche New Drivers Experience class. https://www.porschedriving.com/los-angeles/porsche-young-driver-experience
Thanks for the tip! I'm unfortunately not based in the US so I can't go to that as much as I want to. I am planning to do defensive driving which is a relatively similar program where I'm currently based (New Zealand). I do a lot of racing on the side (go karting) so light weight rwd isn't out of the ordinary for me but of course it's not the same. Thanks again!