1996 BMW Z3

Convertible

1.9L 1895CC l4 GAS DOHC Naturally Aspirated

Manual

4USCH7327TLB65300

Clear

GAS

I bought this BMW Z3 in 2001 used. It only had 35,000 on it. It ran great and was/is a fun car. I got hit with the mod bug having followed fellow roadster and general BMW fanatics on the old days of roadfly.com I bought some hamann HM3s, a breyton rear spoiler and a Downing Atlanta Supercharger kit all by the time 2003 had rolled around. The Supercharger gives it some nice kick. The Supercharger cost around $3,200. The Hamanns were $3000 for the set and the breyton rear spoiler was somewhere between $800-$1200 After paint job. I had used the car as a daily driver until 2008 when I purchased a 325ci. The 325ci has been my daily driver since. I had put the Z3 in storage. I recently pulled it out and took it to the mechanic and have just spent literally a few bucks shy of $2000 to make sure its in good condition. New fuel pump, new radiator, new tubes throughout. Mainly the things that get wear and tear sitting in storage. The battery is still good though the startup seems to be a bit weak if you let it sit more then a week. It always seems to run rough until the temp meter goes above the blue marker. Then it runs smooth. The clutch is not as grabby as I would like it to be. This is just a critique of Z3s in general. There are people who modify the clutch pedal distance so you don't have to push it so far. I didn't do this mod. The only issue is that I am not sure I will use the car that much in the coming years so I am selling it. The Z3 is a fun coast highway cruiser and general small car that you really feel the ride in. Yet I have run this car through the paces. Its in good condition but the seats are torn. The rear plastic window (the 3rd I've installed) is cracked again. I just had two new keys cut for it since the old one was literally crushed in a move. $4500 and its yours unless someone bids higher. NO reserve. Buy it now for $7K because I think that is the upper limit of its value if you parted it out. Some have advised me they may buy the car just for the supercharger. I am just trying to get the car to a nice owner at low cost and make back the $2k I just put into it. I am pricing the car low because I want to move the car and because the new owner has to consider the general TLC it will need to be in top shape and the fact that its a pain to smog in L.A. because the DASC puts the limit very close to CA standards. Its CA legal. Has the CA legal sticker and everything but..CA standards have become a little tighter since I installed it back in 2002 and it seems I always have to make sure I do the oil change and new spark plugs right before a smogging. Any other state will probably pass much easier. It has 97,921 miles on it so far. Yet the Supercharger adds an extra element of care that a buyer should be aware of. A real BMW fanatic will know how to care for this car and with a little work have a great ride. It's never been a pain to own. It has always run. The things that bother me about it are the fact that there is a pulley that makes a squeaking sound for about 5 minutes after starting. After the engine warms up this goes away. I have oiled the pulleys with the belt off and made it go away for a few months but it always seems to come back. My mechanic would oil up the pulleys and they would be silent for six odd months and then they would start squeaking again. He says its the CA air drying it out. The seatbelt winder that pulls the seatbelts tight when off seems to be weak. I mean, you step on the brake and the seat belts grab you and hold. Its just the part where they need to retract back in the seat seems weaker then it should be. The rear window is my least favorite aspect. I am on the 3rd one and I really try to care for them but pulling it out of storage and folding it down cracked it. I suppose I needed to treat it with something first. Overall, because I am not very picky about the car being perfect I have enjoyed it for over 10 years. Maybe it would be better given to a true fanatic who will care for it better than I have the last few years. The car has various paint dings and rim scrapes. I totally loved this car and was not your average garage queen about it. The lower left smog light is cracked but I have a brand new one to replace it that is included with the sale. I also have a box with the stock intake parts you will need if you want to return the car to OEM.