robyntan

I guess that's becuase you can buy SKIRTS for cars too? WHO came up with the feminine terminology??

Will post a pic once I get them and put them on. Am hoping they look as good as I THINK they will!

Gotta love heat shrink! Used in on my escrima sticks too!! If this was going to be a permanent fix I would stitch something over it, so that it looks like the repair on Roadster Solutions. This is the link to see that: http://www.roadstersolutions.com/page39.html All I am doing with the heat shrink is stabilizing the seat belt guide so that it doesn't flop around damaging the leather. And it HOLDS the seat belt in there. It looks a cheapo repair because it IS, and as I said, I'll do something prettier with it later. To be honest, I would put something on a new seat belt guide as well to STOP this breakage from happening in the first place. Prevention is cheaper than repair! Next job on seats is the bushings, then the electrics, and then I'll look at the seat belt guide...

New one from BMW ChCh: $83.28 I have actually bought the part, just have other things that need fixing ahead of this. Can anyone here post pics of how to install it? Info on the internet seems to indicate it is a tricky job? Who can show me how to unfasten the seat back? Pics please!!!

To be honest they are not actually leather, they just look like leather. Have a look at this link: http://www.roadstersolutions.com/page1.html It will be the bottom pic, but in black.

My seat belt guide was broken, but this fix seems to be holding it nice and secure.

I'll post back here once we have installed the new seat bushings. Oh, and just for interest..the drivers seat has the broken seat belt guide, so I took a hint from another site and put a length of black heat shrink tubing (3 cm width) on the guide and then put the hair dryer on it. The tubing holds the seat belt guide nice and secure. One day I may install a replacement seat belt guide...but for now it's not a priority. This is a fix, however, that I would recommend for ALL Z3 seats! There is a nice holding on Roadster Solutions that could also be used, but if someone doesn't want to pay the price, then black heat shrink tubing is a way to stop that seat belt guiding breaking in the first place.

You think maybe I should have hung out for an M Roadster??? Seriously, though, I use the M becuase I have a cousin who is Robyn G Speed, and she works as a naturopath in Tauranga, so to save us being confused with each other (which HAS happened) I use the M. M for Mother M for Maniac behind the wheel M for must have M for mmmmm a Z3

Sorry to create confusion, but have changed my log on name from my married name to my OWN name. Robyn Speed is the name I was born with, and the one I identify with more. Tan is my married name, and, for those who know others with the same surname, it's Chinese, and I don't want people to think I'm someone I'm not. Robyn M Speed is also the name I write under as a freelance writer.

We've ordered the bushings from Roadster Solutions in USA (cheaper) and are looking forward to installing them. I'm lucky my son is such a DIY guy, and it is so much more fun to work on the car WITH someone. Quite a mother-son bonding time!!! We also ordered a lexan windshield, because they are the nicest I have seen, plus two door protector strips....and just for the OVER THE TOP touch, I insisted on the black leather covers for the external mirrors!!! I think they kind of make a statement: "Car obsessed nutter!" I have got way past that "I don't want to break anything" stage, and am pretty much ready for anything, although I know you have to do thorough research and have all the steps in the process identified. I'm not a BMW snob or anything....the Z3 is just the most beautiful modern car I have ever seen....can't quite believe I now own one!

Kiwi, you are oh so right!

Base mechanisms seem to be all fine.

Yes, I am talking about the seat bushings. If you click on this link you will see what I mean http://www.roadstersolutions.com/page39.html

You just have SO much more control of the actual driving process with a manual, and you are FAR more likely be slip in to what I call Zen Driving, where you are the car operate as one. Getting to know how a car responds in all weathers and conditions, knowing how much brake or power to put on and when ... it just makes the driving such a joy. My husband says "a car is just a way of getting from A to B", but my theory is "a car is a way to have FUN getting from A to B!!"

You can get replacement seat bushings from BMW NZ and also from Roadster Solutions (on line -- USA). The ones that BMW made with the cars disintegrate over time and are a fairly common problem. We had the seat out on Saturday and had a look at the bushings, and have ordered the parts. It will save quite a lot of money to do the job ourselves. You Tube have videos of the entire process, and the seat bushings we have ordered come with full instructions.

Hi everyone We have spoken to two auto electricians about the electrics in the seats of my 1998 1.9 ltr Z3. One said that it might not be just the switch, and may be the brushes in the motors. Has anyone here heard of that before? I will likely book it in next week to have it checked as I don't want to pay for new switches and then find out is is the motors that are the problem. It seems that the seat electrics are an extremely common fault...but I would have thought someone would have figured out WHY and created a FIX. Anyway, just looking for your insights and knowledge!

She's a beauty all right. And such a joy to drive. She even SOUNDS like a real car!

Damn right she's manual drive!!!! Two and a half months of searching for it, and I was prepared to wait as long as it took to find the right car. I am LOVIN the hand on repairs on the car. Next job my son and I plan to work on together is the replacement of the seat bushings. Passengers one's are shot, but figured we might as well replace both at the same time. Husband (businessman) did not want me to buy the car, and thought the family sedan was sufficient....now he is asking when i will let him drive my Z3!!!

I'm sure your wife would love it!!!

Hi everyone I posted in the general discussion thread about the value of the car and you were all really helpful. Thanks to your advise and guidance I believe I got the car at a good price, knowing (and negotiating upon) all the problems with the car. I picked up the car Friday morning last week and by early afternoon it had four new tyres and a wheel alignment, followed by a good wash at home. Saturday my son (20 year old Andrew) and I removed the headlights so I could use a plastic cut and polish product on the headlights to get rid of that fogged up look. I followed that work on both headlights with a complete leather clean and conditioning. Headlights look GREAT now. Andrew, in turn had a good look at the electrics, and we removed the passengers seat so he could get a good look. By days end he had the electrics working on BOTH seats. Sadly they failed in one direction each the next evening -- but all his efforts have given the auto electrician we spoke to some good insight into where the problems likely lie. The air con unit does not work (and has not done so for probably a year and a half -- it was like that when the previous owner bought it and she saw no reason to have it fixed). We have found a great guy to have a look at that for us. Soft top needs some patches on the inside to tend to wear and tear areas, but in order to put new stitching in the soft top would have to come OUT of the car. Does anyone here know if that is easy or difficult? I need to take care of the soft top...but am thinking in a couple of years or more I may look to replacing the soft top with one off a wrecked Z3, one with a good back window. Am having an alarm installed next week. A bit dearer than I hoped it would be, but a necessary cost I think. Anyway, my name is Robyn, I am 46, married, mother of two (20 yrs old and 17 yrs old -- they told me to buy the Z3!!!!). I am also enjoying doing some of the work on the car, as I think that is the best way to get to know the vehicle. I have always loved cars, and would have been content to carry on driving the old Honda Accord LXI, but a VW hit it and wrote it off so I have to replace the car. Since I have access to the family big car and my husband has a company car, there was no need for me to be practical and sensible. The only issue was the family car is automatic and I love to drive a manual. It was always a toss up between an MB BGT or a BMW Z3 ...and the Z3 won out. I love this car, and I aim to keep it for a long long time -- which is why I am doing all the work on it to get it to where I want it. Here's a pic of Zee.

Hi everyone MAJOR UPDATE!!! I bought me a Z3!!!! It's the one I mentioned at the start of this thread! I am happy with the price, and all going well will have the car tomorrow (Thursday) or Friday. I will be posting a picture. Some issues I need to fix, (all part of the negotiations on the price), such as : 4 new tyres. The electric switches on the seats have died (the motors are working, but the switches aren't, (not sure if we should look at replacing the entire seat with one from a wrecked Z3?) And the air con is not working (Thank you Si Vis Pacem for telling me to have this checked) as there is no belt on it, so that will need repairing. Will need to install an alarm. Soft top needs some reinforcing where there is some wear each time it is put up and down. All in all .... she is beautiful, and I am STOKED!!!! I am looking forward to a beautiful relationship. Pics to follow.....but in the meanwhile, I really appreciate your help, guidance, and comments.

Hi Ron I have been in contact with a car importer and not a single Z3 available from Japan (where he is based) was a right hand drive manual. They were all automatic/steptronic, or if it was a manual it was a left hand drive. I know the 1.9 is not a great deal of power, but I am content with a smaller engine. It actually handles the Port Hills rather well! I am only interested in a manual drive Z3. I'm not after masses of power in a car (I'll get too many speeding tickets!), and the car I am currently driving (husband's Honda V6 3 ltr) is just too powerful for me. I want something smaller. Appreciate your help and advice though. Regards Robyn

Thanks, Ken. Much appreciated. I think many sellers must look at the trademe listing prices and come to their own value from that, not realising that some of these cars have been listed and relisted and relisted over and over because they have not sold. They just keen on reappearing. Some do sell, yes, but many just keep doing the rounds. By the way...your wife has a lovely car! Regards Robyn

Ooops, my error, I meant to say it had the genuine BMW SOFT TOP. I am looking at putting a hard top on though, if I buy the car, (and have found one I can probably get for $1100 -- and then there will be the cost of installation, including the rear installation kit.... so all up will cost me about $3000, but in the long run....I think it is worth having given that a brand new hard top from BMW costs $10,000). Yes, door on cubby hole opens nicely. This car has been owned by the current person for one year, and prior to that there were a couple of car yards, but the first owner had it for 9 years, and it looks as if it has always been well looked after. No dents, no scratches, no funny sounds from the engine. YOUR Z3 looks amazing! When did you buy it? Regards Robyn WITHOUT the hard top, what would be your guidance as to the value of the car I am looking at?

Hi Ken Thanks for that. Much appreciated. The #1 you listed on trademe? I did a search and that one was built in Feb 1997, so is older than the one I am looking at -- though in good condition. The car I am looking at is: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-247359947.htm I test drove it last week. I have also test driven: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/C...n-247506972.htm That one had too many mechanical issues (the worse being a potentially slipping clutch -- at a repair cost of $1400 -- and that too had worn seat bushings). The one I am looking at (the first one) is nice. It's got the smaller steering wheel and chrome bits and pieces and mechanically she drives like a dream. I only want a manual...am not interested in automatic. Seller is aware electrics on seats need to be fixed and is happy to fix them, and is negotiable on price, and also prepared to negotiate price in relation to who pays for repairs. Body work is in great condition. Soft top has one wear patch on inside that needs a patch placed over it so it does not cut through. Rear window in good condition. Has the genuine BMW hard top. Rolls bars....a bit of a task, but may get these parts of a wreck and put these in myself with some help (have researched it and though it's a lengthy job, it is doable, and the car has the holes already drilled, jut didn't have the roll bars installed). The car has been really well looked after and is only 2 owner, NZ new. Has been nothing on Turners for 2 months (have been looking since beginning of August). Regards Robyn