1999 BMW M Roadster & Coupe

M SERIES Convertible

INLINE 3.2 L 6 CYL

Manual

WBSCK9335XLC87938

Clear

Gasoline

Up for auction is a nice, low-mileage unmolested 1999 BMW M Roadster. If you are unfamiliar with these cars, they are the M version of the Z3 Roadster, which was built from 1995 to 2002 in BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Z3M is often referred to as the M Roadster or M Coupe and can be differentiated from the regular Z3. The differences include a more aerodynamic front bumper (with no fog lights), a rear bumper designed to fit quad exhausts, temperature and oil gauges (in the centre console), a M sports steering wheel and gear lever, M seats and 17” M wheels (with no spare tire!). The mirrors are also designed to be more aerodynamic as well. The "gills" on Z3M models are different as well, with a chrome strip running through it. Z3M models did not receive cosmetic changes from the mid-model facelift, but the engine changed from a S50 to a S54 BMW engine and featured bigger brakes.This 1999 model is an early (1997-2000) version with the S50 engine, which puts out about 240 HP (as opposed to the later 315 HP models, which are rarer). It produces more than enough power for its size (in my opinion, anyway) and the S50 engine has a proven track record of reliability. I bought this car from my friends, Mason and Jeff, and they had bought it new off the showroom floor in September 1998 (as a 1999 model). I believe the build date was 09/1998 as well. It had only 7,000 miles on it at the time they sold it to me. They were BMW enthusiasts and had an E36 cabriolet, an E36 M3, and previously, an E30 Cabrio. They decided to buy a Mercedes and they sold this car to me (along with their E36 Cabriolet). I ended up buying another cabrio for my condo in Florida, as well as an X5, so I had four BMWs at one time - which explains why after 16 years, there is only about 56,000 miles on the clock. We didn't drive it too much either! We drove it mostly around town and on a few trips. I did have it on the track once at Watkins Glen for the BMW "Oktoberfest" meeting, but that was just a few parade laps, not any serious racing. Very little work has been done to this car and it has been very reliable for us. I have resisted the urge to "mod" it or "hot rod" it as it really doesn't need anything to make it a better car. The suspension is stock and original. The engine is stock and original. The transmission is stock and original. There have been some minor repairs along the way: 1. The convertible top was replaced under warranty, just before I bought it. The reason why was that the top corners of the rear window tend to pull out of the top. The dealer tried to glue these but they pulled out. So a new top was installed. The corners pulled out again a few years ago, but they were again glued and this time it worked. If you are in the market for any Z3, be sure to check the upper window corners of the rear plastic top window. By the way, the rear window is clear and relatively scratch free (for being 12 years old). UPDATE: I added some unflattering flash photos of the top. But they do show it is in good shape. The zippers you see in the photo are the wind screen, which attaches to the roll bar and zips down if not needed. I will try to take some better photos tomorrow. 2. The original rims were road rashed - this is common with the M Roadster, as the original Continentals barely covered the rims. I replaced these with a refinished set from eBay and they have no gouges or rashes. The tires were replaced with slightly larger Bridgstones, which provide a less punishing ride a slightly higher ride height. They also protect the rims - hence no gouging. 3. The A/C Condensor (in front of the radiator) was replaced when a leak formed (from a rock chip?). The A/C works as good now as it ever did, which is to say it is 1990's BMW air conditioning and not American Car air conditioning. As Jay Leno said, the Germans never really got A/C right, but GM did. It was recently recharged and is blowing cold. 4. The seatbelt buckle on the driver's side was replaced. The seat belt switch in the buckle broke setting off the SRS light. Sometimes on these cars (and the E36 from which it is based) the SRS light will go off is the connectors under the seat are jostled. I have wired-tied these in place and have not had any problems with them since. However, an SRS scan and reset tool, as well as an OBD-II scan and reset tool are also provided. As noted above, the vehicle is in very good condition. There were some small door dings on the passenger door where the original owner dinged the car with her E36 (fortunately the M Roadster had its car cover on, which is also included in the sale). The paintless dent repair guy just left this morning, and he took out these dings, as well as a couple on the hood and it looks perfect. There are a few paint chips on the nose, which is to be expected after 16 years and 56,000 miles. See photos. I used a bra on the hood for much of the time. That is also included in the sale. There are also two small slightly etched spots in the paint (see photos) from bird droppings. About the size of a quarter. A 1/2" scratch near the fuel filler door. That's about it. Normal wear and tear for a 56,000 mile car. It has always been garage kept since new. The front airdam winglets do have a hard life and have been scratched in the past. I have sanded and painted these (touchup paint included) and they look pretty good. See pictures for more details. The front side marker (amber) on the passenger side has a small crack, I just noticed. I just ordered a new one from Bavarian Autosport and that should be installed before the auction ends. The interior is in good shape, with only minor wear on the driver's side seat bolster. The original battery was replaced under warranty. I put in a new one in 2010 and again last week. So the battery is fresh. I also have flushed the coolant about every 20K miles (at 16,000 and 38,000 miles) with BMW coolant and distilled water. Ditto for the brakes, using ATE Super Blue, and yes, including the clutch slave cylinder. The transmission and differential fluids are original. Your turn! I will update the listing as the auction progresses with more pictures and details. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. ANY question, that is, other than "Will you end the auction early?" Thank you. Normal 0 OIL CHANGE HISTORY TO DATE DATE PLACE OIL MILEAGE 10/21/99 BMW Clayton 5W50 BMW (Castrol Synthetic) 3,102 02/08/01 BMW Clayton 5W50 BMW (Castrol Synthetic) 5,144 04/25/02 BMW Clayton 5W50 BMW (Castrol Synthetic) 6,985 01/05/03 HOME 5W40 LubroMoly (VollSynthase) 10,047 03/22/04 HOME 5W40 LubroMoly (VollSynthase) 13,441 04/15/05 HOME 5W40 LubroMoly (VollSynthase) 16,651 04/15/07 HOME 5W40 LubroMoly (VollSynthase) 20,442 10/10/08 HOME 5W40 LubroMoly (VollSynthase) 23,531 07/01/10 HOME 5W30 Mobil One 29,948 05/05/12 HOME 5W30 Valvoline Synthetic 38,038 10/10/13 HOME Mobil 1 5W40 45,999 11/01/14 HOME Mobil 1 10W30 53,527 ACCESSORIES Included in the sale are:Service ManualComplete Service RecordsOBD-II Scan and Reset ToolSRS Scan and Reset ToolCar Cover (indoor dust cover only! This car has always been garage kept!)Hood Bra - great conditionBumper Bra - OK conditionTouchup paint (spray and stick)Oil FilterWind screen (mesh type, attaches to the roll bars - keeps the wind down)iPod interface - allows original tape deck (!!) to play songs from an iPodTonneau Cover (stock) PRICE What is a used M Roadster worth? Some dealers here on eBay seem to think more than a brand-new Z4! Others are more realistic. Kelly Blue Book (KBB) gives a range of $12,000 to $15,000. NADA guides varies from $8500 to $14,250. Edmunds is pretty pessimistic, with a range of $7500 to $9200. I think the answer lies somewhere in-between. An auction is one way to find out. Very few of these cars were made (out of about 400,000 Z3 Roadsters, only a few thousand were M Models) and very few come up for sale. I am starting the auction at $5,000 and see where it goes from there. For less than the price of a Chevy Sonic, you can drive a real head-turner of a car. Not a car for shy people! So, Why are You Selling It? Good Question. We hardly drove it in the 12 years we've owned it. And even after I have sold my other BMWs, it still doesn't get driven much. I am getting older and live on an island where the speed limit is 35 mph. Most people here drive golf carts. Driving this car on the island is like walking a tiger on a leash. It just wants to... go. Fast. It is a young person's car. Time for a younger person to own it!* * * Thanks for looking and good luck bidding! On Oct-31-15 at 08:55:45 PDT, seller added the following information: UPDATE: Thanks for the questions and interest. Happy bidding. Some notes form the service records: 1. The service records include the original sales documents ($44,000 new) and dealer brochures and even a 1999 copy of Car & Driver which inspired the original owner to buy it. 2. I also have receipts for most everything I bought for it (from BavAuto and other sources). I do not have oil change receipts, as I did all my own oil changes (7.8 liters!) at home. Sorry. I do have some receipts for oil and oil filters, though. 3. The car also has an alarm system installed. This was a dealer installed option. I bough the OEM BMW system (not aftermarket) and it includes two remote control key fobs. There are two sets of keys and an emergency key as well. 4. The car came with a cassette deck. I added a CD-changer and then removed it to add an iPod interface which is in the glove box. You really can't hear the radio in this car, unless it is parked. 5. The wind screen ("Windschutz") attaches to the rear roll bars and is an OEM BMW part. 6. The original owner had a hard tonneau cover on the car which I sold on ebay (it was heavy and hard to take on and off). It left some very, very fine scratches behind the top. Not noticeable to most folks. I'll try to upload a picture. 7. The original owner installed a K&N air filter. I used this for a while and then removed and sold it and re-installed the original filter. Not as loud. 8. If you read the vehicle history, you will see it failed emissions once in Aurora NY. This was my fault, as I hit "reset" on the OBD II reader before I took it in, which erases all the OBD II monitoring data, causing it to fail on "lack of logged data". As you can see, 100 miles later, it passed. We do not have emissions or safety inspection here in Georgia, but as far as I know, everything is working properly (no codes, no CEL). 9. The backup light switch was replaced in 2008. 10. The tires are Bridgestone Potenza Sport RE760, which is a good roadgoing tire (as opposed to racing) with a high treadwear rating (40K) for a sport tire. Front is 235/45 R17, rear are 265/40R17. They were installed (with the refinished rims) in 2009 at about 27,000 miles. I got a deal on these tires at the silent auction at the Amelia Island Concours d'elegance. They should be good for at least another 10,000 miles or more. I will try to post more pix of treadwear. We don't do burnouts! 11. The seats in Z3's tend to "rock" due to failure of a rubber bushings in the electric seat adjustment mechanism. These were replaced with aftermarket harder plastic bushings in 2012 and the seats no longer rock. If you are in the market for a Z3 or M Roadster, be sure to check you don't have a "rocking chair"! 12. The bottom "air duct" (a piece that goes under the air dam) was replaced a few years back. A common problem with these cars and the E36 (ask me how I know - I replace this on all three cars). According to one source, only 3,557 LHD S50 M Roadsters were made from 1997 to 2000 for Europe, and 8,938 for the US market. On Nov-01-15 at 07:30:29 PST, seller added the following information: UPDATE: Two potential bidders ask about the rear axle mounts and trunk welds. If you are not familiar with this supposed "controversy" I'll fill you in. Out of about 398,000 Z3 Roadsters made, a handful of them have had problems with cracking of differential mounts and supposed weld failures in the trunck where a crossmember holding the rear axle mounts is located. I have looked at pictures of these supposed "failures" online and have to call bullshit on this one. The supposed "weld failures" are not weld failures at all - the welds actually held, but the sheet metal surrounding them tore out. Google it and you will see what I mean. In those cars, the welds are intact, but the metal surrounding them is broken. Someone beat on a car pretty seriously to do this. You have to put an awful lot of stress on a car to do this, and I suspect that the folks who had this problem were doing burnouts, drag racing, autocrossing, or drifting. These are not things a BMW is designed to do. It is designed to HANDLE curves and hug the road, not to impress teenagers with smoky noise. As one wag put it, "Drag racing a BMW is like taking a whore fishing. It still is a lot of fun, but not what you paid her for!" If you want to drag-race or enter a drifting competition, buy an old Mustang, seriously. If you want to autocross, get an old Porsche 914. If you want to race in BMWCCA events, buy an old M3 coupe - they won't let your race a ragtop, in many clubs. However, if you want a grand touring roadster, buy a Z3. And not surprisingly, BMW has refused to fix the so-called "defective" cars, as they are not "defective" but were abused by their owners. Frankly, I think in some of these cases, people bottomed out the car on a crowned road or hit an object while horsing around and the lower part of the differential hit the ground which then tore everything asunder. In one set of pix I found on one site, half the differential oil cooler fins are sheared off. However, to assuage any fears, I took some more pictures and they are online at this Picasa Web album: MROADSTERPICTURES From the inside of the trunk, you can see there is no tearing of any spot welds: There are more pictures in the web album with more closeup views. And no, I am not going to scrape away the body caulk to take other pictures. Going underneath the car is a little harder, as I don't own ramps any more. The other problem is, the huge mufflers on this car (which take up the space where the spare tire normally goes in a regular Z3) sort of blocks the view, not to mention the massive sway bars: There are other pictures in the web album. I will try to take more, but it is crowded down there! Stress cracks are caused by fatigue, and fatigue is caused when you cycle a piece of metal (whether it is an airliner body or a coathanger) again and again. Since this is a low mileage car and not beaten on, it hasn't been stressed. I did not see any cracks or signs of weld failure. But then again, this car has only 56,000 miles on it, has never been autocrossed, raced, drifted, or otherwise abused. It is adult owned (and by adult, I don't mean 25, but 45-55) and driven. I've only had the traction control off once - and that was enough to convince me to leave it on (with the big tires, the roadster will want to swap ends, particularly if you lift off the throttle. Automatic Stability Control prevents this). The car has never seen snow or road salt, and frankly, not even that much rain until recently. And it has never been in even the smallest of accidents. Like I said, I think it is a bullshit issue, spread by people selling aftermarket bushings and other "fixes" to a problem that exists in a handful of cars that were beaten on by their owners or in wrecks. People like to spread FUD - Fear Uncertainty and Doubt - as it sells products. How many "stress bars" does the aftermarket sell based on this nonsense? A lot. But what do I know? I'm just a guy who went to General Motors Institute to study automotive engineering and worked in a metallurgical lab. I don't know nothin' about no cars, welds, or stress fractures. However, I will try to take more and better pictures in the next few days to assuage the FUD. Thanks for looking and happy bidding! On Nov-04-15 at 08:19:36 PST, seller added the following information: Someone asked for more interior pictures, which I have uploaded to my Picasweb page: https://picasaweb.google.com/102124127884609762265/MROADSTERPICTURES Someone else said they could not view the album. I may have mistakenly made it "private". Please try it again, it should work. The interior is in good shape, as you might expect of a 56,000 mile car. There is slight wear on the seat bolster on the driver's side (as shown). And the center armrest/console has a little wear from suntanned arms. Slight wear on the shift knob as shown. Otherwise in pretty good condition with no rips or tears in the upholstery. As noted, the "rocking seat" problem which besets Z3's has been fixed with the aftermarket plastic shims (replacing the rubber originals). There is a set of aftermarket floor mats the original owner installed (see photos). They are in fair to good condition. They did protect the carpet which is in good shape. There are two sets of keys, plus a valet key, and two remote key fobs. The alarm system does provide remote keyless entry. Others have asked if I would end the auction early or what the "buy it now" price was. No to both questions. The auction ends on Monday, and the "buy it now" price then will be the highest bidder. Someone may get a very good deal on this car! I want it sold, not perpetually for sale. Thanks for looking! Good Luck! On Nov-04-15 at 08:38:43 PST, seller added the following information: It goes without saying.... NEVER BEEN SMOKED IN, NO PETS! On Nov-07-15 at 09:53:50 PST, seller added the following information: Someone pointed out a typographical error I made in the listing. The engine is the S52, not the S50, the latter of which was a euro-only engine. I did correctly note that this the 240 HP model, not the 315. The M Roadsters came with three different engines, as I understand it. The euro models got a 321 HP S50 engine from 1997-2000. In the US, the 240 HP S52 engine was used (as I noted in the listing, this is the 240 HP model). As I noted above, I always found this more than adequate, and the engine has a proven track record of reliability. In the later models (2001-2002), the S54 engine was used, which put out 315 HP in the USA. Far fewer of those models were made, and as a result, they are rarer and command much higher prices than the 1998-2000 models (and of course, are two years newer). I think also the newer cars have things like headliners in the tops, but don't quote me on that. Why BMW chose a different engine for the US market is a good question. At the time, BMW was still smarting from its problems with the 5-series V-8s, which tended to lose compression due to an interaction between the aluminum blocks and the high-sulfur fuels here in the States (at the time). The problem did not occur with cast-iron block engines. Of course, we no longer have high-sulfur fuels in the States, so the issue is moot. But being cast iron, I think this engine is a little more "bulletproof" than the fussier S54. But then again, there is a 75 HP delta. Then again, maybe that's why the later model cars are selling for $5,000 to $10,000 more. From Wikipedia: S52 (North American Market) The S52 is a higher performance version of the M52 which was developed for the North American E36 M3. The S52 was a lower cost alternative to the S50B32 engine used for the E36 M3 produced for the rest of the world, which was based on the S50B30 rather than the M52. Differences between the M52 and S52 engines The North American-spec powerplant, known as the S52, is based closely on the US production M52 engine. Like that motor, the S52 is a six-cylinder with an iron block, The same aluminum head as the M52, with two-stage VANOS variable valve timing on the intake strokes. Unique to the S52 is a bore of 86.4 mm (3.4 in) and stroke of 89.6 mm (3.5 in) for a total displacement of 3,152 cc. The engine is rated at 240 hp (179 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 236 lb·ft (320 N·m) of torque at 3,800 rpm.[10] In addition to the larger displacement, the S52 utilizes the following special M components:[citation needed] Piston RingsRevised valve springsLighter, hollow camshafts with more lift and durationFree-flowing exhaust system Applications: 1996-1999 E36 M3 (Canada and USA only)1998-2000 E36/7/8 M Roadster/M Coupe (Canada and USA only)On Nov-07-15 at 12:06:49 PST, seller added the following information: There are some additional pictures in the photo album at: MROADSTERPICTURES 1. Photo of the dust cover. There is a small hole in the dust cover (shown). This cover is good to use if you are going on vacation and don't want the car to get dusty. It is NOT a weather cover. Cars should be parked inside anyway. Outdoor covers, I have found (even weathertech) really don't work well. 2. Photos of tires. Hard to take as my camera won't focus on a shiny penny. In the rears, you can't see the top of Lincoln's head, but maybe his forehead. In the front, sort of his eyes and nose. Like I said, I think they are good for another 10,000 miles. 3. Front brake pads: They have a lot of meat on them, for 56,000 miles. I try to anticipate stops and downshift, so I get good mileage on brakes. It helps that I live on an island with a 35 mph speed limit. I don't think it will need brakes for some time. 4. New marker lamp: This arrived yesterday and I installed it today. Maybe it is a trivial thing, but the old one was cracked. Now, let me try to talk you out of buying this car. Older BMWs will require maintenance and care. If you are handy with tools and have a garage, this will be a fun car for you. If you live in an apartment building and park it outside, it will go downhill quickly. If you take it to the dealer, you will go bankrupt. Even an oil change, at dealer prices, is steep. 7.8 quarts of synthetic. If you are not handy with tools, at least find a good, honest independent BMW mechanic (they are out there, you do have to look). Of the five BMWs I have owned, this one has given me the least of troubles. But then again, the engine is a proven design, and by 1999, BMW had any minor bugs worked out of it. So far, mostly just regular maintenance with just a few issues like the backup light switch, air conditioning condensor, and the seatbelt buckle. That's about it. In the next few years, depending on your driving habits and how much you drive, you can expect to put a new set of tires on this car, and being a staggered low-profile set, tires are not cheap. Well, you can buy cheap tires, but you'll get what you pay for. And depending on your driving habits, eventually you will have to replace the brakes. A dealer will try to tell you to buy new rotors and pads. Frankly, I think (and a lot of others agree) that this is overkill, if the rotors are still above minimum thickness and are not warped. Turning rotors is just machining away good metal, so avoid mechanics that suggest this with every brake job - that's my take, anyway. A set of pads, installed yourself, on the other hand, could be cheap. But there is a lot of meat left on the existing pads - see the pictures. We did not beat on this car. Mostly we took it on long trips, drove around the finger lakes, and so forth. Also, the brake fluid and coolant should be flushed in the next year or so. As a free added bonus, I will give you my BMW pressurized brake bleeder AND some ATE Super Blue brake fluid. A great way to while away an afternoon. Now granted, some other manufacturers (such as KIA) claim that brake fluid flushes are no longer necessary. I guess it depends on how long you decide to keep the car and your own personal philosophies. As for the radiator, I would suggest BMW brand blue coolant and distilled water, which is what I have always used. But be sure to bleed the system properly if you do, as you can warp a head by leaving an air bubble in the engine. It is all detailed in the service manual, which is included. Again, other manufacturers say that engine coolant is "lifetime". Your choice. So, other than regular maintenance, I do not see any major issues with this car, down the road. There are some issues I saw with my other BMWs, such as oxygen sensors, which are slated to be replaced at the 100,000 mile mark. However, they do age over time, and I had to replace them early in my X5 and one E36. I strongly suggest buying OEM style plug-and-play sensors rather than trying to use "generic" sensors and splicing wiring. The cheap Chinese generic sensors rarely work right. Again, the car comes with both OBD-II and SRS code readers which plug into the BMW diagnostic port (BMW today uses the standard OBD-II port, which this car also has for emissions testing purposes). I checked both code readers today and there are no codes showing or CEL or SRS lights lit. Note that the front portion of the plastic cover over the intake on the engine (see photos) has a small stain on it - this is common with all M Roadsters I have seen. The hood insulation rubs against this part. I thought about replacing it once, but this mark appeared after only 7,000 miles of motoring, so if I replaced it, I would have to replace it again and again. See Pictures. That's about it. If you look online on Autotrader, you'll see quite a few (about 30) of these cars for sale. Some are reasonably priced. Most are from dealers who want in the high teens. Some even are asking $25,000 or more, which is close to what I paid for this car ten years ago. I guess they are hoping that some chump will come along. Note also that the later model (2001-2002) cars with the 315 HP engine are far more scarce and prices reflect this. The 2001-2002 M Roadster coupe (with its love-it-or-hate-it looks) was quite rare and if you find a nice one, is quite expensive. According to this site: http://www.mroadsterbuyersguide.com/production less than 1,000 M Roadsters were made in Imolarot (red) with the black and Imolarot interior, according to that site. Frankly, if you could fix the rock chips and scratched on the air dam, this car would be a 10/10. Good luck bidding and thanks for looking!