Wanted - Roadster mk1 or coupe 3.0

[CraigP]

As in the title,
Am having a bit of a car dilemma at the moment, sold my Brera 3.2 last year bought a clio 200 which is fab for day to day stuff but looking for a weekend fun car. Always liked coupes and 2 seaters and have run through every one over the past week or two to narrow my choice down and decided on a Z4 as I love the styling and looks and am a BMW virgin so to speak and always like to try something new.

I've not decided yet on a 3.0 Coupe or Roadster, am open to either though I notice the coupes are considerably more for the same year, more sought after I guess ?

So to summarise, I am looking for a well looked after and serviced mk1 Roadster 3.0 or Coupe 3.0 with no more than 50k now revised to 70k max miles on the clock. Live In West Yorkshire, happy to travel to view etc though a nearby one one would be a bonus !

I'd much rather buy through a forum than Autotrader or ebay , have a decent budget of 5-11kish and am ready to buy, so if your thinking of selling let me know

[firebobby]

Welcome to the forum, the early z's (E85/E86) are the best looking they do pop up on here quite often too.
What was the Brera like, I think Alfa make some fantastic looking cars, quite fancy a GTV 3.0

[LewisB]

So to summarise, I am looking for a well looked after and serviced mk1 Roadster 3.0 or Coupe 3.0 with no more than 50k miles on the clock. Live In West Yorshire, happy to travel to view etc though a nearby one one would be a bonus !

I'd much rather buy through a forum than Autotrader or ebay , have a decent budget of 5-11k and am ready to buy, so if your thinking of selling let me know

Good luck with the search, both are good choices. You may find it difficult to find a well serviced Coupe with under 50,000 miles on the clock for under £11k. There are some low mileage examples out there though so patience could be the key

[Mr Tidy]

Welcome to the forum OP.

I agree with what has been said already in that you will probably struggle to find a Coupe with the mileage you want that is in your budget, unless you don't mind an auto or an SE (but I wouldn't recommend the latter - SE seats have no place in a car like this).

And if you do go want a Coupe you will probably have to travel - the UK only got just over 2,000 of them and of course they are all 3.0 litre models if you don't include the M, which is probably double your budget! That my be why Coupe prices are a bit firmer.

I would recommend some research to narrow down what you really want - when you say MKI I'm guessing you mean E85 or E86 rather than the later E89 with the folding metal roof that replaced them both.

But Roadsters (E85s) came out in 2003, then in 2006 there was a facelift just before the Coupe (E86) went on sale along and the facelift models use a later generation of engine.

Have a search of the E85/E86 general and E85/E86 problems sub-headings on the Forum main page - then try the classifieds on here as you just may find what you want! And I'd always prefer to buy from an enthusiast as that generally means the car has been looked after properly.

If you have any specific questions, just ask - someone will always be able to help you out!

And lastly good luck with your search - the sooner you find one the sooner you can post some photos (we like photos on here).

[CraigP]

Thanks for all the info the Brera was fab, was my favourite car yet, it looked great, loads of lazy power and a lovely exhaust burble and a sophisticated 4wd as well. I only sold it as it was getting old, and the sub frames were rusting, so bought a Peugeot RCZ type R which was the worst car i've ever bought, too hard suspension and too much power through the front wheels, it squirmed when ever you put your foot down even in the dry.

I have been reading up at the weekend on all the versions etc, read quite a few old road tests etc. I seem to be ebbing towards the coupe as it looks so unique, though the Roadsters pre 2009 all look great. Tho they seem to command a 3-4k margin over the equivalent roadster. I saw a black coupe on autotrader for 9.5k last week with 50k miles on but was too early for me. Maybe I need to up the miles upto 70k, saw this one around 8.5k. Theres a lot around 11k-12k though with 50k miles on.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 000&page=1

Whats the difference in spec between an se and an si and sport, some are advertised as coupe 3.0 si se , is their any pages on the forum giving the different specs and models history etc ?

[Mr Tidy]

[quote=CraigP post_id=1438023 time=1498517049 user_id=25383

Whats the difference in spec between an se and an si and sport, some are advertised as coupe 3.0 si se , is their any pages on the forum giving the different specs and models history etc ?
[/quote]

OK I hope this helps a bit!

All 3 litre facelifts are 3.0Si models, which means all Coupes are 3.0Sis seeing as the Coupe only came out after the facelift!

According to BMW the Sport gets different wheels, an anthracite headlining, 3-spoke M steering wheel, M Sport seats and M Sport suspension (IIRC 10mm lower and obviously a bit stiffer) over and above what an SE gets.

But the link you have posted seems to be for an SE with M Sport seats (which were a cost option) and non-standard wheels so it may be a great buy if you don't mind a lot of black!

So far as options are concerned, bear in mind Z4s were pretty basic as standard even compared to other BMW products of the era.

Xenon headlights (which the one in your link doesn't seem to have, but are so much better), rear parking sensors, cruise control, heated seats, folding mirrors, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, were all options so if you have some essential requirements in that list look out for them! But some are easier to retro-fit than others! Search the E85/E86 pages of the forum for general info./problems/ How To guides.

Anyway this being Z4 Forum a photo is required - this is my current Coupe:-

[CraigP]

Thanks Mr Tidy for the info usually there's a sticky post on the different models etc but I could nt find one., however your info is useful and I am learning fast, all I need now is for a member to sell me their beloved car

[sw4nny]

Hi and welcome,have you test drove either yet? It may help in making your decision,if you want a chat about the roadster and a spin out in one ,more than happy to oblige.
Sorry mines not for sale and does not fit your requirements anyway 130k miles.
However I am only up the road in Barnsley.
It may help you and give you a few pointers on how they are to live with in the real world
Good luck with your search.

[CraigP]

Thanks, not test driven either yet, but as its a weekend car only, it can be the e85/e86 (am learning !) On one had am quite tempted by the Roadster as its a fair bot cheaper and still looks great, on the other hand the coupe looks even better and its rarity (I'm that shallow !)

I quite like researching my potential purchases through to the nth degree so thanks for your offer of extra info may well take you up on it if I get stuck. Ive exhausted Autotrader and Pistonheads have to wait till Thursday for new ones to appear though I did find these two, slightly over my budget but gives me an idea of lower milage ones?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... New&page=1
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 7ax&page=3

[mrjmt]

I'm only in York, my 3.0 mk1 roadster is for sale in the classifieds viewtopic.php?f=41&t=97962&sid=f25597fe ... 313905c08d

Higher mileage than you stated but still worth considering, also comes with a hard top so you get the best of both worlds!

[CraigP]

Thanks a great car but at 115k way over my preferred mileage of 50-70k

[Mr Tidy]

Thanks, not test driven either yet, but as its a weekend car only, it can be the e85/e86 (am learning !) On one had am quite tempted by the Roadster as its a fair bot cheaper and still looks great, on the other hand the coupe looks even better and its rarity (I'm that shallow !)

I quite like researching my potential purchases through to the nth degree so thanks for your offer of extra info may well take you up on it if I get stuck. Ive exhausted Autotrader and Pistonheads have to wait till Thursday for new ones to appear though I did find these two, slightly over my budget but gives me an idea of lower milage ones?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... New&page=1
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 7ax&page=3

Not shallow at all - I only wanted a Coupe for the shape, with the "double-bubble" in the roof. Great looking car IMHO!

Of the two you have posted links to, the first one (which is cheaper anyway) looks like it has a much better spec with parking sensors, heated seats, Sat Nav, Xenon headlights, Cruise Control and Multi-Function Steering Wheel, upgraded stereo, plus a ZHP gear-knob and upgraded wheels. And the bonus of a well-written advert from someone who seems like a genuine enthusiast!

I'd offer to take you out in my E86, but I doubt you are in Berkshire very often! And luckily mine is over your mileage limit! Mind you if you don't plan to do loads of miles I would be a little flexible on mileage as there aren't too many Coupes to choose from! Another member was selling an E86 with over 200K on it a while back, so they can cope with some miles!

Good luck anyway.

[CraigP]

Thanks for the Info Mr Tidy, very useful, I may keep your busy on Thursday with the new adverts though !!

[Mr Tidy]

Thanks for the Info Mr Tidy, very useful, I may keep your busy on Thursday with the new adverts though !!

No problem - looking back I wish I had done more research before I bought my first one, but luckily it all worked out fine!

I hope yours does too.

[gerryp]

Thanks for the Info Mr Tidy, very useful, I may keep your busy on Thursday with the new adverts though !!

I don't think that still applies.
That was only when the magazine was issued which no longer exists.