Z3

[digcot 65]

Morning I have just about  finished restoring a Mercedes SLK but I have been looking at Z3s for a while I am no longer a young person,but I need something to keep me occupied in the garage.Is there a site to look for this model in the club Len

[Greydog]

Morning Len

Welcome to the Forum

I know what you mean about keeping busy in the garage, what's the old saying "if you don't use it you'll loose it"

There is a whole Z section and our worthy leader is a Z3 owner so Enjoy

Dave

[Bimmer Owners Club]

Morning Len....welcome to the Club

I have owned my Z3 for about 10 years and been a completely loyal servant for all this time, never even broken down once!

Can highly recommend the Z3 of any size engine or body style. 
Grab one now before the prices really shoot up

Also, virtually every job is an easy one with plenty of access throughout the vehicle.

What year is the SLK by the way?

[digcot 65]

Hello the Merc is a 2000 SLK 230 Ive restored about 30 cars over the years as a hobby,when I finished one I sold it to finance a new project.However due to my age and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2 years ago I decided to buy one last car to restore and keep,but now Ive nearly finished spraying it .I fancy a Z3 .I fancied one while looking for another project,but missed out on one and the Merc appeared The owner was moving back with her parents and her father said,the neighbours were complaining about the car being parked in the cul de sac causing problems He hadnt a clue about cars and there were several jobs needing doing Lovely car to drive,but I get as much pleasure out of restoring,as driving them  Photo was on owners drive when I viewed the car  .Len

[Bimmer Owners Club]

That's a fine looking SLK and fancied one myself years ago but believe they only ever came with an automatic transmission which I wasn't keen on.

The Z3 in my opinion is an all-rounder as it is based on the 3 series chassis and everything is built for reliability back then along with a basic level of comfort

Unfortunately, the Z3 is not a true sports car in as much as it is overweight and too soft on the suspension. However, it is an excellent tourer and I have taken my through Europe on marathon trips and it is effortless to drive along with returning a respectable MPG if driven respectfully

Go for it, dive in and experience one!  Incidentally most of the body panel just unbolt so much easier to work on and parts are cheap and plentiful.

I put on some Pepperpot alloy wheels which are ultra-lightweight and give the car the classic look that I have been trying to achieve, also it runs on higher profile tyres which provide more comfort for my old bones but compromises the handling somewhat 🙂

P.S.   I am considering selling mine soon or completely restoring it, not sure yet

[digcot 65]

The Merc.looked fine from a distance but there were rust scabs on several of the panels The roof needed push to open a common fault .I removed the headlining,and adjusted the cables now OK  There is a "curtain "in the boot,which has to be pulled back and locked itno place so you can`t put luggage it thats too high The spring on the "curtain "had broken so the switch where it locks in,was filled with blue tack Thats the limit of the previous owners mechanical knowledge All this has now been rectified Now finishing spraying but held up by the weather Len

[Bimmer Owners Club]

Well there's certainly incentive to get it finished now to make way for a Z3 🙂

 

[digcot 65]

We went on holiday and the day after returning I tested positive for Covid which really knocked me off my  feet Then a few days later my wife tested Pos so it was about a fortnight before I could have my nest cancer treatment,which also slowed me down when I finally went into the garage I hadnt  shut the boot fully and the battery dI charges it and  the car wouldnt turn over the roof wouldnt open and the hazards were going all the time I ordered a new battery and after  fitting it finally plucked up enough courage to try again and everything worked Someone on the Merc forum said when  to replace of refit a a battery fit the pos lead on and the quickly snap the neg pead on aqs if there are sparks it can upset the modules Leave the car for a few days fit a fully charged battery and it usually clears ,which it did .But  Im not  happy with a car that is so temperemental  also it is so electrically complicated So when finished I will look for a Z3 Len

[Bimmer Owners Club]

Sorry to hear about your health situation, been there myself 😞

Fortunately, the electrical gremlins are somewhat limited on the Z3 but easy to fix the odd one or two that raise their head over time (usually water ingress which causes the most issues)

When it comes to connecting the battery the advice you were given is correct and same apples to the Z3 which is in the boot so nicely located away from the engine bay heat

[digcot 65]

I see on a lot of Z3 advert,that the electric hood doesn`t work Is it a big or expensive repair,or is it just best to use it manually Len

[Bimmer Owners Club]

I've not experienced that issue but have disconnected my power hood because I had no control how it folds the rear screen when you put it down so I prefer to lower it and tuck the rear screen in as it goes down