New - Need help with z4 purchase!

[valentino501]

Hi everyone! Before I start I want to give a little background about myself because this is my first post. I am a senior in highschool and am 17 years old. The car I have now is a 2006 subaru legacy 5 speed manual (with a lot of miles). I pay for the insurance which is quite costly and maintenance. My parents currently both own BMW's. One having a 2005 330xi and the other a 2008 x5 3.0si. I have been reading bimmerpost for about 2 years now and finally decided to become a member because I am in the market for a z4 3.0i. I have loved the z4 ever since I started looking at cars and have been saving up money for the past two years. I found the perfect z4 for me and after pratically begging my dad he finally gave me the "okay." The main reason was that I got an insurance quote that was only about 20 dollars a month more for the z4 compared to what I am paying now for the Subaru and he just bought himself a 355 spider...

Now, the z4 is a 2004 3.0i with manual transmission, sport and premium package with 80,000 miles on it. The problem is that we live about 4 hours from the owner and I do not think my dad wants to go back and forth.

The question is what should I look for when I go to look at it. Things that are not obvious about the car that I should look out for before buying it. You guys know the most about z4's and also because I love bimmerpost and zpost so I am trusting you guys to help me out and also if you know any for sale near PA I would also like to know.

Thank you for reading and thank you for helping out in advance. Looking forward to becoming a z4 owner like you guys!

[gas-can]

Hi Valentino,

I'm also looking to buy my first z4 right now, so I don't have many hints specific to this car, but here are some general guidelines when purchasing any car (I used to work in a garage when I was in HS and went with my boss when he purchased cars from the auctions and these are some of the things he taught me)

First specific to the z4:

*I believe that 2003-2005? was when the sticky steering issue was most prevalent so that's something to keep in mind. I'm not sure if there is a way to verify if the car you are looking at is affected by this unless the day is really hot, but a search on the forum should give you some thoughts on this.
*The roof motor appears to have drainage issues before the 2006 revision change. Supposedly debris (leaves, etc.) would block the drainage holes and would bath the motor in water, which would cause it to fail prematurely. Replacement is apparently difficult and the motor may be quite expensive (esp if you just spent all your money on buying the car!). You may want to check the operation of the roof to see if it seems sluggish/odd, and also check the drain holes to see if there are thing stuck in there...

Regarding any car:

*Get a carfax- these don't have everything in them, but the cost is worth it to ensure that there were no major issues with the car in the past (flooding, salvage, etc.). It also gives you an idea of any collisions that the car may have been involved with, along with some service history. Also, not sure what the fine print is, but if you register with carfax and buy a car that they state is clean, and later on down the road you realize was salvaged/etc., they will compensate you a certain amount of money.
* If you can, start the car when it's still cold- several issues like leaky, old valve stem seals, ailing starters, etc. show up when the car is cold. When the engine warms up, these problems disappear b/c the heat causes the seals to expand and the oil to get thinner. So, start the car when its cold, and check that it starts without hesitation and that the exhaust is not smoky. (A book can be filled on this topic, but the basic ideas are: blue smoke- oil being burned , excessive white smoke- coolant entering cylinders [usually head gasket issues]- black smoke- fuel mix wrong (unburned fuel exiting cylinders and cooking your catalytic converter - will probably fail emissions and can be costly to fix [o2 sensors and cats are expensive]) ). A certain amount of blue smoke is not unnatural in older cars, but it should factor in to your final purchase price.
*Check to make sure that ALL the dash lights turn on when the car is turned on- you would be surprised what some people do to hide things [removing bulbs to hide airbag lights, putting burned in bulbs if they are especially paranoid and dishonest, etc.]. These lights turn on initially to help reduce this kind of skullduggery.
*Not sure if the z4 has this, but check the odometer for the dot. This is a feature to indicate of mileage tampering. This is not fool proof and can be defeated, but it serves as a quick check...
* Check to make sure that all the things in the car work- lights, heated seats, ac/hvac in all positions, windows, power locks, etc.
*Check under carpets for any weird water marks, etc. Also compare the paint between the inside of the trunk and the body to see if you can see any discrepancies.
*When driving, check for any weird noises/vibrations. The steering should be straight and not drifting to sides (lack thereof may mean anything from deflated tires to alignment issues). Brakes should be nice and firm and not spongy (air/contaminats in system to dying master cylinder). Clutch should be nice and smooth and without any jerkiness- might be a good idea to ask if clutch was ever replaced- these should last a long time depending on the driver, but 100k appears to be average length for proper operation. Any slippage/grinding noise could indicate anything from a worn clutch to dying synchros

*If you can, take it for a nice long drive on different terrain (hills, flat roads, etc.). Check that all the gauges are reading what they should and that the engine is smooth at all rpms.
*Check the tires for dates and tread life- the penny test would be the easiest method.

I highly recommend taking a friend (or better yet, blackmailing your dad so that he would come too) when you go to buy this. A mechanic friend would be excellent for this, b/c there are certain things that only experience can help catch. Also, it goes without saying that if you have any uncertainty, just walk a way. These cars are everywhere so getting attached to one particular car that is flaky may cause you to have way too many headaches down the road.

Good luck with the purchase!! and sorry for writing a book

gas-can

[KLH]

See if you can make arrangements with the present owner/dealer for a PPI before you go.

[valentino501]

Thanks guys. I greatly appreciate the help!

[Huz-Z]

Hey Valentino!!

Welcome and good luck with the purchase. I hope you end up with a great car.

Back when I was 17, we all drove our parents' Fords and Chevs. One guy's dad had an Olds 98, but he was a dick LOL! Anyway, we typically pushed these cars pretty hard some times, but we were all fortunate it enough to make it past our teen years unscathed for the most part.

So, just remember that even though your ultimate Z4 may not be an M, or even if it is, its still a powerful sports car at any trim level. You can pretty quickly get to some very fast speeds. Please enjoy, but please be safe! We're looking forward to lots of good news from you in the future.

End of lecture. Now post some pics for us when you get the car. I'm envious! If I had a Z4 at 17 I would have been elated beyond words!!!

Some ideas:

See if you can get a paint gauge from www.eshine.ca or similar vendor. You can use it to check paint thickness to see if the car has ever been painted, and may have been in a collision.

The roof should open and close smoothly and not bang hard when closing.

Make sure that the windows drop about 1/8 inch when you open the doors, and snug back up when you close them again.

Make sure that the roof is closing snugly. Listen for wind noise with the top up.

After the test drive look in the mirror to see if you are smiling!

[valentino501]

Originally Posted by Huz-Z

Hey Valentino!!

Welcome and good luck with the purchase. I hope you end up with a great car.

Back when I was 17, we all drove our parents' Fords and Chevs. One guy's dad had an Olds 98, but he was a dick LOL! Anyway, we typically pushed these cars pretty hard some times, but we were all fortunate it enough to make it past our teen years unscathed for the most part.

So, just remember that even though your ultimate Z4 may not be an M, or even if it is, its still a powerful sports car at any trim level. You can pretty quickly get to some very fast speeds. Please enjoy, but please be safe! We're looking forward to lots of good news from you in the future.

End of lecture. Now post some pics for us when you get the car. I'm envious! If I had a Z4 at 17 I would have been elated beyond words!!!

Some ideas:

See if you can get a paint gauge from www.eshine.ca or similar vendor. You can use it to check paint thickness to see if the car has ever been painted, and may have been in a collision.

The roof should open and close smoothly and not bang hard when closing.

Make sure that the windows drop about 1/8 inch when you open the doors, and snug back up when you close them again.

Make sure that the roof is closing snugly. Listen for wind noise with the top up.

After the test drive look in the mirror to see if you are smiling!

Thank you very much! I will definitely take into account what you have shared with me. I know what you mean though, they are sports car even the 2.5i is fast but I am weird in the respect that I have been working an insane amount for my age with the sole purpose of saving up for the car. So yeah I will be careful and will be proud to be a member of the z4 community!

Your car looks great by the way!

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by valentino501

Thank you very much! I will definitely take into account what you have shared with me. I know what you mean though, they are sports car even the 2.5i is fast but I am weird in the respect that I have been working an insane amount for my age with the sole purpose of saving up for the car. So yeah I will be careful and will be proud to be a member of the z4 community!

Your car looks great by the way!

thanks!!!

And post some pics as soon as you can! Seeing pictures of someone's new Z4 is almost as much fun as when I got mine!

Cheers and good hunting!

[mlawfl11]

Valentino, I purchased my M Coupe from an out of town dealer and had it shipped to me. Before purchasing, at a minimum, you need to: 1) run a carfax report on the vehicle to confirm there have been no accidents, title issues, etc. and 2) hire a reputable local german car shop to perform a pre-purchase inspection on the vehicle. The inspection may cost $100-$150 but its a lot cheaper than purchasing someone else's problem car.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by mlawfl11

Valentino, I purchased my M Coupe from an out of town dealer and had it shipped to me. Before purchasing, at a minimum, you need to: 1) run a carfax report on the vehicle to confirm there have been no accidents, title issues, etc. and 2) hire a reputable local german car shop to perform a pre-purchase inspection on the vehicle. The inspection may cost $100-$150 but its a lot cheaper than purchasing someone else's problem car.

This is the best money you'll ever spend on the car. Multiply the spend by a factor of 10-30, or even more, and you'll have the real value of this investment. Major issues are not cheap to fix, and making sure you end up with a good, solid car without preexisting issues is priceless.