1997 BMW 3-Series

Z3 Convertible

6 Cylinder 2.8 Liter

Manual

4USCJ3320VLC03787

Gasoline

Power Windows

1997 BMW Z3 ConvertibleSilver body, black soft top with black leather interior. I originally purchased this car used from a dealer in August 2003 and used it regularly until 2008 when I bought a different car and used the Z3 as a weekend cruiser. The car runs great, is seriously fun to drive and has no known mechanical issues. It has passed NJ inspection as inspected by the state, not an independent garage, and is good through 09/2011. The car is clean but could use a good detailing and waxing which I will have done if the car sells for over 6k. In addition to the options listed above, this car comes with a factory installed 6 CD change (in the trunk), heated driver and passenger seats and soft top tonneau cover. I understand that the buyer of this vehicle may purchase it sight unseen, so I am listing a full disclosure of issues below. Almost any Z3 on the market is aged due to the fact that the car is no longer being manufactured and anyone who tells you they have never had an issue is probably not being honest. Like any car brand and model on the market, the Z3 has inherent issues that just about any Z3 owner I know has gone through (denoted by an * below). None are significant and for the do-it-yourself'er, all are easily diagnosed as there is a wealth of information on the web at forum sites like bimmerforums.com and roadfly.com. Some Z3's see all of these problems, few see none, I have seen a few. Due to the length of time I have owned this car, I believe I have already seen any of the inherent problems that the car will see so you can concentrate on just driving the car. The following maintenance, replacements and upgrades were performed around and since the 90k mile mark and includes oil change, cleaned K&N air filter, headlight bulbs, engine flush, thermostat and housing*, radiator fan, two pre-catalytic converter oxygen sensors*, replaced passenger seat adjustment urethane isolator pad with Delrin bushings (service bulletin 52 02 03)*, rear window, Sachs Performance suspension kit (front and rear shock/springs replacement)*, rear strut tower braces*, driver and passenger side window regulators*, new rims and tires, muffler exhaust tips, front brakes, front brake calipers* and front brake discs. I have some new spare parts that I will either list under separate listings or sell to the winner of this auction. The items include Mintex front brake pads, F.A.G. front wheel bearing hubs, a gear shifter boot and a Mann fuel filter. The car has the following known deficiencies/issues:- front hood - keyed scratch through the paint (12" from the driver side windshield sprayer), ding from road debris (about 6" from the passenger side windshield sprayer). (see photo 19)- front nose/bumper - paint chips from rocks, lower bumper scrape from parking space block (this car is about 1-2" lower than factory), passenger side bumper cover has a scrape and needs be realigned along with replacement of the corner reflector due to a driver backing into the car in a parking lot. (see photo 21)- driver side mirror - the paint around the mirror stem bubbled like a teenage boy with an acne problem. (see photo 20)- driver and passenger side A-pillars - the exterior black film is peeling; I believe this is just a cosmetic issue and does not lend to any sort of water leaking into the car. (see photo 22)- passenger side, area where the rear quarter panel meets the lower runner trim - ding from I don't know what. (see photo 4)- BMW emblems - the clear coat has begun pealing off which if I was to keep the car I would peal off the clear coat and rub off the white and blue paint leaving a totally silver emblem. (see photo 2 & 4)- the central locking system has an issue where the key fob does not lock the doors, it only unlocks it. To lock all doors and trunk at once, you have to press down the driver side lock or use the key in the driver side door (passenger side does not lock all doors/trunk to prevent accidental lockout).- the toolkit is missing the tow hook. (see photo 18)- the airbag light in the dashboard is lit. this light lit after I unplugged the passenger seat wiring during the replacement of the isolator pad without disconnecting the battery. This light can be turned off by the dealer or someone with the SRS light scan/reset tool. I assure all bidders that the airbags have never deployed since I purchased this vehicle. Past issues:- The car was rear-ended while stopped at a traffic light. The bumper breakaways and bumper cover were replaced.- Front windshield had a crack and was replaced with BMW glass. Pickup / Delivery:I am flexible on the pickup or delivery methods. The car is kept and can be picked up in Hazlet, NJ (viewing by appointment only because I don't live where the car is kept). If pickup in northern NJ or Manhattan suits you better, I can move it there for you to pickup. I will ship the car and help you arrange for pickup using your carrier. Finally, depending on where you live, I may be enticed to drive the car to you.