Can I have your opinions please!

[Roundozo]

Hello everyone!

So, I’ve made an offer on a car I haven’t yet seen. Don’t worry, I will see it before parting with any money but I just wanted your opinions on her.

Here she is – http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-BMW-Z4-3 ... 58b526ae00

Personally I’m not a fan of the wheels but these can be changed (advance warning to anyone out there who would be interested in the wheels, if I buy the car then they’re for sale or swap).

Apart from that the car looks to be in good condition and low mileage for what I’ve offered. I won’t disclose that information until the car is on my drive but if I do get it then I’ll be very happy (btw the owner has accepted my offer so all good unless the car is a lemon). I presume it will be coming up to inspection 2 or should this have already been done?

Are there any issues with the early coupes I need to know about (I’ve read through the buyers guide etc) but just wanted to know if any of you have any other experiences.

All thoughts and comments welcome.

Thanks.

[ranski]

nice looking coupe, but room for negotiation as its quite a low spec car what with halogens, no sat nav

[KERMIT1970]

Looks like a decent example. Not far off the mark,does it have fsh ? What about warranty ?

[Roundozo]

Not sure about warranty but for what I’ve offered and he’s accepted, I doubt he’ll offer any. I suspect he’s had this in as a PX without realising how long it can take to move them on. Either that or it’s a lemon. I will be speaking to the seller tonight on the phone (so far negotiations have been done via email).

I don’t mind not having a Sat Nav as they’re pretty outdated these days so I can just use my phone until I install something fun. Being “low spec”, will this have the aux port? It has the steering wheel controls and parking sensors etc. Will this also have heated seats? I can’t tell buy the pictures.

If anyone can use the reg to check stuff its - ST56 ONV

[KERMIT1970]

Your right sat nav is crap. Aux easy to fit if you don't have one. Fitted in all after 2007 I think. xenons would be all I would really want & multi function wheel. Don't need heated seats in a coupe.

[Roundozo]

I think its got a multi function wheel. How bad are the halogens then? I couldn't tell by the pictures, does this link help - http://www.gumtree.com/p/bmw/bmw-z4-3.0 ... 1079734929

[Roundozo]

also what service intervals are they supposed to have? according to the seller its only had two services and about to enter inspection 2. surely at 65k it should have had more than two services?

[TDJ]

This car came up in my searches when I was looking a month or so back. It was on Autotrader and Gumtree. Started at something like £11,250, which I considered way too much for what it is and ignored it, then it dropped to I think £10,500, then I think £9,695, all in the space of about a week, then all of a sudden £5,695 on Autotrader, whilst still £9,695 on Gumtree. I e-mailed the seller via Autotrader to ask what the crack was. I had a.. let's say 'strange' response from someone named Samantha, not really asking my question, but telling me the car was in fact in Innsbruck, not Barnstaple as per the advert, which was her old residence. It soon after disappeared from Autotrader and Gumtree, then reappeared in the ad above on eBay. It may be that someone nicked the information and was posing as the owner in an attempt to fleece people and that it's a perfectly genuine seller and car, but nevertheless thought you should be aware.

Being a new owner myself I'd take my opinion on the SH with a pinch of salt and listen to others' advice on here when it comes, but personally, based on my own research and reading old threads on here, at that age and mileage (similar to what I ended up buying) I'd consider FSH to be at least oil, inspection one, oil again, plus brake fluid changes every two years and no longer than two years between oil changes irrespective of mileage.

[Roundozo]

Thanks for the information TDJ. Ive spoken with the seller and he seems quite honest. Its due inspection 2 and he said the pads could do with being changed. I'll be speaking with him tonight again so I will try and get as much information as possible.

[bluestreak56]

Id potentially be interested in a wheel swap..

Looks a nice car. Bit too much black for me but looks a good spec.

[Roundozo]

He said this in his email reply to me and ive checked his linkedin profile and all seems legit. I have removed the wbac quote but what do you think?

"The car had its first service with BMW and its second with an indy. The reason I am letting it go for that price is that it is due its Inspection 2 service, and brake pads https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/##service-options. This comes to £560. 

I am moving to Abu Dhabi on the 11th October and that is the reason that I have not had this work completed. We buy any car have said that they will have the car for £***** in its condition but I thought that I would advertise it first. 

It is in excellent condition inside and out and is a perfect runner. As for the cold start, I have only just replaced the electric water pump (£800) that has the thermostat inside it to control the starting temperature. 

All of the tyres are run flat and the rear tyres have only recently been replaced. There is no AUX port in the car as they never installed them until 2008 (information from BMW). All of the work has been carried out by BMW since I have had the car and I have the receipts. It also has the M-Sport multi-function steering wheel. 

I thought that I would give you all of the details first before you made the decision to make the long drive. I know that this may seem like a negative email, however, the car is in great condition and runs/drives like a dream. If I was not moving abroad then I would be getting the work completed and keeping it."

[TDJ]

Well it certainly doesn't sound like the same person who responded to me, so I'm guessing, as suspected, that that was someone who had nicked the details from the genuine ad. If he's moving abroad in a couple weeks though, what's his connection with the dealership? Is he selling it as a dealer or private sale? Obviously affects the value. I would ask for a picture of the service history documents to see precisely what it's had done and when, but two services in 65k and eight years is not sufficient.

[DPG]

Should have 4 stamps in the book at that age.

[Roundozo]

So just spoken to the owner and it would appear its missed one oil service. Sounds like a good buy so im off to see it this weekend. Fingers crossed people!

[T2FFN]

No advice on the car but...

Man do I miss that area of the country. Was based in Chivenor for a couple years, a world away from the flat and grey scenes of Hull. Just did some street view reminiscing and noticed its changed a little since I was there but brings back great memories. I'm tempted to take a (long) drive down there sometime for a long weekend now