48yr male seeks other males for........

[1990's Mechanic 0]

.....good day to all you German lovers out thr in NZ land!

I have many questions about my soon to be new German ride. Ill be picking up my 97 z3 in a month for a long term do-up hobby project (boy racer german mode!) and str8 off the bat would like a hardtop for it. Are you all laughing at me right now, or is this a possible feat of magic?

A little about myself and my propppposed build......Im close to death at 48 yrs of age with possibly only 30yrs to live with the pills that ive aquired recently from a man in Ukrain.

From ages 15 to 30yrs in the automotive industry(light) Trade cert car mechanic. 30 to now working in construction.

Ive built many hobby cars over the years and is now time for another one of my 2yr builds and being my first Euro build im gonna need lots of advice from all you VW lovers wink wink.

Edited September 12, 2023 by 1990's Mechanic

[Eagle 1524]

Welcome.  Is it manual or auto? 

Whilst Z3's arent the most popular model they quite reliable with the 1.9 engine (only one fatal weakness). Being quite a basic car and using E30 rear suspension setup they don't cost very much to refresh compared to the newer stuff. 

Feel free to start a project thread when you get it as there's lots of info that can be given if you really want it.

[1990's Mechanic 0]

TY, yes auto. Im keen to keep it auto and would like to do upgrades to this engine but not sure if any turbo or SC kits are avail incl a possible shift kit for this trany. Yes ill def start a build thread when i have the car and untill then ill be doing alot of study on opttions. Not sure about all the wiring loom work that has to be carried out when swapping to th 6's, but if its not too bad it may be an option however i do like to see what i can get out of a 1.9l with doing internals and bolt on upgrades

[Eagle 1524]

The auto is a old GM 4L30-E originally a 3 speed, heavy and do rob a bit of power but no real flaws when maintained. Not sure how on what they can handle and aftermarket support, would assume its very minimal.

S42.net on facebook would give you an idea of what achievable on the 1.9. These engines aren't that cheap to get power out of. ITB\airbox + ecu remap appear to be the best value for money if staying N\A, but otherwise there are a few SC kits available it seems. 6 cylinder swap is certainly the easiest and cheapest, bit more nose heavy depending on the engine, not as reliable and harder to work on but decent output for the $.

[1990's Mechanic 0]

Thanks! Are all the 6's reasonably easy to source here in nz? If so do you know who im best contacting for prices? Also do you know if its jus a simple case of bolt off bolt on? Also could you point me to a thread that tells me what other models is the z3 chassis is compatble with for the option of simple swap bolt on upgrades. Im not really wanting to do anything that requires major engineering/welding/structual mods to make things work. cheers

[Eagle 1524]

Yeah they are fairly plentiful. M50 2.5, M52 2.8 and M54 3.0L engines range from approx $800-$2000. All M4X and M5X engines share the same bellhousing so all gearboxes, flywheel\clutch, starter motor etc can be interchanged\bolted up.

Driveshafts usually have to match the specific vehicle type and transmission used, auto and manual have different length front sections. Transmissions are Getrag 220\250 used in ~1.8L-2.5L cars or stronger ZF 320 box used in 2.8L-M3 cars, both use their own cross member, shifter linkages and driveshaft. Diff output flanges can be swapped out to match axles.

The Z3 uses a E36 front and E30\318ti rear setup. A lot can be mixed and matched. Dont know of any specific threads myself but Google and http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/Z3/ using part numbers will help you cross reference so you can see what interchanges with what.

IMO if you going to a 6 cylinder then its probably way less hassle and cheaper in the long run to buy a 2.8 or 3.0L (especially if you keeping the auto), they arent that expensive and you get the everything along with stronger drivetrain, correct diff, brakes etc etc. 

[1990's Mechanic 0]

Great! Thanks heaps for that. Id much rather go for a 6 then do up the 4 if its the cheaper option in the long run, its more about spending my time on the build in a way that i do all the labour rather then others. Its a lobour of love thing for me. Having that satisfaction. Ill oretty much strip it fully and do as many upgrades as i can by myself apart from any ecu or tune stuff

[Eagle 1524]

Prices have gone up quite a bit over the years due to E36's becoming more popular and all the parts along with it. If you SC the 4 then it makes a bit more sense to start with that and add whats needed. If you got a complete wreck for cheap enough you could better off , but bigger engined Z3s arent a dime a dozen. Always a gamble buying used parts like engines and transmissions so id rather start with a working car i know is a good base.    

[NZ00Z3 186]

You are getting some great advice from @Eagle.   

Better to buy a cheap 2.0L 6 cylinder (M52TU20) powered Z3 and swap in a 2.8L (M52TU28).  Bolt for bolt swap and an easy DME (ECU) update for the larger engine.  Just a Diff ratio change may be needed.

Feel free to send me a PM to swap phone numbers and we can chat.  I've down to 2 Z3's and have done lots of work on them.

[1990's Mechanic 0]

Thanks alot for all the info. Its def fun going over all the options untill i find a combo im happy with. Its a 2yr build so def no major hurry, and plenty of youtube vids and forums to read through. Im picking up a very cheap 97 z3 that im using for a basic base so i can enjoy 110 weeknds of upgrades. i usually put about 50k(aprox $500pw) into my cruizy 2yr builds.

[overly__under__engineered 3]

Original write up said you had been a mechanic. Then, you posted you wanted to turbo a std engine with a std n/a automatic? So, how were you going to increase the oil pump flow and install piston oil squirters in the block? Drill out the block webbing abd install Mitsubishi EVO oil squirters? Or were you not really a mechanic?

[1990's Mechanic 0]

1 hour ago, overly__under__engineered said:

Original write up said you had been a mechanic. Then, you posted you wanted to turbo a std engine with a std n/a automatic? So, how were you going to increase the oil pump flow and install piston oil squirters in the block? Drill out the block webbing abd install Mitsubishi EVO oil squirters? Or were you not really a mechanic?

Hi, changing my mind is all part of the learning process on an unfamilia car brand. Mechanics are still learning things on different cars everyday. Even top mechanics cant know everything about every make and model or performance upgrades without looking them up as they go. Thanks for your input and avice tho

Edited September 11, 2023 by 1990's Mechanic