New to board! Looking at 08 Z4MC in Tx

JT///M5 · 07-31-2009, 01:59 PM

Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. New to the Z4 but not new to BMWs. This will be my 2nd M Coupe (the first was a 99 Z3MC) and I've been very particular about the color combo and condition.

I've been looking for an 07-8 Alpine over Imola with Nav. So far I've come across 2 in the past 2 months of looking. One was in PA at a Rover dealership that eventually got wholesaled to a 3rd party dealership. A bit too far for me so I passed plus they jacked up the price like 3k at the 3rd party dealer. The current one I'm looking at is in Texas. Seems like the guy selling it basically bought it for his wife and they did not maintain it at all.

As a matter of fact, running the vin through carfax and dealer maint records show that the car never came back to the dealer for any service. I don't even know if the break in oils were changed. I brought this to the sellers attn and he quickly brought it in to a local bmw dealer to get serviced. I said it was free, why didn't it get anything done? The owner claims that the dealership was too far and he instead used a local inde to do the changes. He claims to have that service record but nothing has come my way to show proof that 10W60 was used or even done period. I'm kinda leary about putting down the cash to get the car now since they have seem to neglected the car. He says he doesn't like foreign cars but his wife likes them. You know women, they just drive them, they don't take care of them. Just like my wife! LOL.

Anyhow, I just wanted to see what y'all think about this car. Its very nice as far as interior and outside. Looks clean but looks are decieving if there is a S54 that wasn't broken in or taken care of right, under the hood. The owner sent me copies of the service done today at Classic BMW of Plano and it showed 11,500 miles and RED oil change indicator bars. Also the tires were all at 24 PSI. I'm worried that the oil was burned and there maybe premature engine wear. I was hoping to keep this car for a long time but this doesn't bode well for me. What do you guys think?

Is anyone local to Plano or Denton and can take a look for me?

TIA!

JT

JT///M5 · 07-31-2009, 02:03 PM

BTW, here is the link to the car:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

jragan · 07-31-2009, 03:03 PM

Some things I notice:

Most wives don't put stickers on their cars.
The battery cover is missing its screws and there is something odd attached to it.
Denton is only 30-45 minutes from the nearest dealer.

JT///M5 · 07-31-2009, 07:25 PM

I didn't notice that sticker on the rear glass. I thought it was a reflection or something. Still can't make it out but good eye. Yeah, Denton is only 40 mins from Classic BMW. And yeah, I noticed that the battery cover was missing the plastic tabs that hold it in place.

Luckily I found a 2 Z4M owners in the vicinity who will be checking out the car for me tomorrow. I'm going to wait to see what they report and go from there.

AWM3 · 07-31-2009, 11:08 PM

The battery cover screws are really lame and I can't really blame anyone for losing them. Mine seem to barely stay in place. It looks like they are using a bungee cord to hold the cover down, which is pretty strange.

Your best possible case would be that they have had no service done before the recent visit to the dealer. Someone who neglects their car isn't going to pay $100 for an oil change with special oil, nor will they get the trans oil and diff oil changed with the correct products.

The factory fill oil is not break in oil, it is the same Castrol 10W60 specified for normal oil changes. It will go 12000 miles without being changed although that is stretching things a bit, and the filter should have caught any metal fragments from the break-in of the new engine. While it would have been preferable to have the 1200 mile service done, it's not absolutely essential and there are lots of other high performance brands including Porsche that don't have such a service.

The transmission and differential are a similar story. As long as the service has now been done, it's not the end of the world.

My biggest concern would be that someone who neglects the mechanical service will have neglected the car in other ways as well - using the cheapest gasoline, not keeping the car garaged, not keeping the leather treated, burning the clutch, letting other people drive the car, who knows what else. The guy should have bought his wife a Ford Expedition instead of a M car. A lot of cosmetic damage and abuse can occur even in just one year. That's the part that I would worry about the most. Fortunately, if you can get an eyes on inspection by a local forum member, you should be able to get an opinion on the overall condition of the car.

Good luck with your purchase.

FASTTOYS · 08-01-2009, 05:01 AM

I live in Denton so if you need me to look at the car let me know. I am very picky and have owned many M cars 99M coupe 2000 M roadster E36 M & E46 M smg and Z3 2.3. I go to all the local car shows and events and have never sean this car. White M coup with red int very nice.

BMW Classic could cert the car $$

Good luck with purchase.

Classic Bmw
http://www.classicbmw.com/candc

07-31-2009, 01:59 PM	#1
JT///M5 New Member 0 Rep 15 Posts Drives: '11 328i MSport LMB Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	New to board! Looking at 08 Z4MC in Tx Hey everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. New to the Z4 but not new to BMWs. This will be my 2nd M Coupe (the first was a 99 Z3MC) and I've been very particular about the color combo and condition. I've been looking for an 07-8 Alpine over Imola with Nav. So far I've come across 2 in the past 2 months of looking. One was in PA at a Rover dealership that eventually got wholesaled to a 3rd party dealership. A bit too far for me so I passed plus they jacked up the price like 3k at the 3rd party dealer. The current one I'm looking at is in Texas. Seems like the guy selling it basically bought it for his wife and they did not maintain it at all. As a matter of fact, running the vin through carfax and dealer maint records show that the car never came back to the dealer for any service. I don't even know if the break in oils were changed. I brought this to the sellers attn and he quickly brought it in to a local bmw dealer to get serviced. I said it was free, why didn't it get anything done? The owner claims that the dealership was too far and he instead used a local inde to do the changes. He claims to have that service record but nothing has come my way to show proof that 10W60 was used or even done period. I'm kinda leary about putting down the cash to get the car now since they have seem to neglected the car. He says he doesn't like foreign cars but his wife likes them. You know women, they just drive them, they don't take care of them. Just like my wife! LOL. Anyhow, I just wanted to see what y'all think about this car. Its very nice as far as interior and outside. Looks clean but looks are decieving if there is a S54 that wasn't broken in or taken care of right, under the hood. The owner sent me copies of the service done today at Classic BMW of Plano and it showed 11,500 miles and RED oil change indicator bars. Also the tires were all at 24 PSI. I'm worried that the oil was burned and there maybe premature engine wear. I was hoping to keep this car for a long time but this doesn't bode well for me. What do you guys think? Is anyone local to Plano or Denton and can take a look for me? TIA! JT
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07-31-2009, 02:03 PM	#2
JT///M5 New Member 0 Rep 15 Posts Drives: '11 328i MSport LMB Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	BTW, here is the link to the car: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
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07-31-2009, 03:03 PM	#3
jragan Imola Lover 26 Rep 749 Posts Drives: 2007 Imola Red M Coupe Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas iTrader: (0)	Some things I notice: Most wives don't put stickers on their cars. The battery cover is missing its screws and there is something odd attached to it. Denton is only 30-45 minutes from the nearest dealer. __________________ His: RIP-"Ruby" *E86 ///M Coupe: Pics Track Pics Short Vids Long Vids Hers: 997-1 C4S*: Pics
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07-31-2009, 07:25 PM	#4
JT///M5 New Member 0 Rep 15 Posts Drives: '11 328i MSport LMB Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	I didn't notice that sticker on the rear glass. I thought it was a reflection or something. Still can't make it out but good eye. Yeah, Denton is only 40 mins from Classic BMW. And yeah, I noticed that the battery cover was missing the plastic tabs that hold it in place. Luckily I found a 2 Z4M owners in the vicinity who will be checking out the car for me tomorrow. I'm going to wait to see what they report and go from there.
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07-31-2009, 11:08 PM	#5
AWM3 BMW Fan 11 Rep 553 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3, Alpine White Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Georgia, USA iTrader: (0)	The battery cover screws are really lame and I can't really blame anyone for losing them. Mine seem to barely stay in place. It looks like they are using a bungee cord to hold the cover down, which is pretty strange. Your best possible case would be that they have had no service done before the recent visit to the dealer. Someone who neglects their car isn't going to pay $100 for an oil change with special oil, nor will they get the trans oil and diff oil changed with the correct products. The factory fill oil is not break in oil, it is the same Castrol 10W60 specified for normal oil changes. It will go 12000 miles without being changed although that is stretching things a bit, and the filter should have caught any metal fragments from the break-in of the new engine. While it would have been preferable to have the 1200 mile service done, it's not absolutely essential and there are lots of other high performance brands including Porsche that don't have such a service. The transmission and differential are a similar story. As long as the service has now been done, it's not the end of the world. My biggest concern would be that someone who neglects the mechanical service will have neglected the car in other ways as well - using the cheapest gasoline, not keeping the car garaged, not keeping the leather treated, burning the clutch, letting other people drive the car, who knows what else. The guy should have bought his wife a Ford Expedition instead of a M car. A lot of cosmetic damage and abuse can occur even in just one year. That's the part that I would worry about the most. Fortunately, if you can get an eyes on inspection by a local forum member, you should be able to get an opinion on the overall condition of the car. Good luck with your purchase.
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08-01-2009, 05:01 AM	#6
FASTTOYS Second Lieutenant 52 Rep 291 Posts Drives: Audi R8, X3M, XC60 R-Line Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: USA TEXAS iTrader: (1)	Classic BMW I live in Denton so if you need me to look at the car let me know. I am very picky and have owned many M cars 99M coupe 2000 M roadster E36 M & E46 M smg and Z3 2.3. I go to all the local car shows and events and have never sean this car. White M coup with red int very nice. BMW Classic could cert the car $$ Good luck with purchase. Classic Bmw http://www.classicbmw.com/candc
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