Opinions on this High Mileage Z4 M Roadster?

[SloMo]

Guys i sold my z4 on the east coast and moved to SF. I've been looking for an 05 3.0L Sport or 06 + SI and came across this.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5016803291.html

Its a very reasonably priced but RIDICULOUSLY high mileage z4 M with 195,000 miles!

Wanted to get you guys thoughts on if it's worth it? It looks to be in very good shape but would you touch an M Roadster with that many miles on it?

[Vanne]

hell, that's the highest milage M ive seen..
Id say go check it out, condition is everything.. Its cheap, so what your saving you could spend on a new set of rtabs/fcabs /struts and springs, box and engine mounts, and wheel bearing front/rear.
if your handy with a spanner, id go for it. (at least have a good look anyways

hell yeah id touch it, mine has probably the most miles on the forum, but ive re-done pretty much the whole bottom. Car drives as new.

yeah id add a few grand in there for parts, but even then its still cheap. Probably not worth buying if your looking to sell it soon, but if your gonna hang on to it??

cheers, go and have a look see/drive.. and make sure you check the engine out pretty good.. take your mobile code reader and plug it in the OBD2 port see whats what..

[chickdr]

I would love to know if he has done the rod bearings(and how many times if he has) and what other items have needed replacing over that period of time. With it being almost exclusively highway from what he described, the wear pattern is different than most.

[trevor]

I bought mine with 170k miles and now it has about 200k and still running strong. Ask about service history (WITH RECEIPTS) to see how its been taking care of. Mine wasn't all too well, it used regular gas, original engine and I doubt it was fully synthetic.

I did oil changes for 2-3k miles for the first 15k miles which cleaned the engine really well and it sounds smooth and run smooth. Also makes little to no noise now and is in great condition.

Also don't pay more than 9-10k tops (assuming synthetic), mine was 05 with 170k miles and I paid $8,900 ($2300 more than KBB).

[Huz-Z]

Hmmm. Didn't a member here replace his Z4M's motor (after some rare catastrophic failure) for about $5k or $6K a couple of year's ago? If that is right, and if the engine in this car died, you could probably replace the engine and still have an M for around $20k.

Let me know if you don't buy this car.

[Vanne]

Trev, is yours an M? M's pretty different to the other Zeds mate? though your tips about the oil change are spot on mate.

Lol Huz, you looking to swap cars mate? come on man, your next one would surely be a coupe? , you know you wanna :P

[Pheonix]

It worth check it out. Personally, i would spend more time looking for something with less mileage. You probably end up spend decent amount of money on maintenance and the car probably worth even less once you add another 30-50k miles on it.
Have you check out this one since you are in the bay area?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/5023764390.html

[SloMo]

Originally Posted by Pheonix

It worth check it out. Personally, i would spend more time looking for something with less mileage. You probably end up spend decent amount of money on maintenance and the car probably worth even less once you add another 30-50k miles on it.
Have you check out this one since you are in the bay area?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/cto/5023764390.html

I did look at that. Honestly i was actually looking for the non-M ones since i'm looking to spend <$15k. It only sparked my interest because it fell in that range, but given the risk of spending another 6-8k in maintenance, i might stay clear of it. Only way i would buy it is for 9-10 K as advised and then maybe risk spending 4-6K if it needs anything major.

I Appreciate all the good advice on this everyone! I'll keep you'll posted once i hear back from the seller.

[NickyC]

This is an extremely cool thread for a guy who is hoping to have his Z4M until the wheels falls off (which apparently, they never do!).

At that price, why not take a shot? I'd be interested to see the driver's side seat as the seller conveniently cropped that out, but otherwise the car looks amazing from the outside for so many miles!

[KevinC]

Nice car. Hell, at that price, you could afford to buy another S54 or complete drivetrain out of a wreck eventually, and drive that thing for a LONG time.

[SloMo]

really appreciate all your input. I'm in conversation with the seller. In case i decide to move forward with it, are there any knowledgable members here, preferably with some experience with high mileage M's, within reach of Dana Point, CA who would be willing to inspect the car/test is for me? (I'm located in SF so it isn't a quick drive over for me to look at it).

[Reborn_]

I'll check it out for you. I'm knowledgeable about cars and bikes in general, but not so much in particular with these cars (I just bought my own M coupe 3 months ago). But if you want a general inspection and anything in particular, I'm quite close.

[Vanne]

With Trevor recommending 9-10K tops, I think he thinks its a non M, mate, its a good price, but you will no doubt need to fix stuff up.. keep that in mind as you go look at it. It may even be worth paying for a PPI.. as one of the other guys mention, its going to be even worth less (though not sure if there is much diff in a car that has 200K or 250k miles).. so if your doing this looking to offload the car in say 1 or 2 years, id steer well clear mate.. only, only do this if your looking to keep the car for a while..

[Reborn_]

Originally Posted by Vanne

With Trevor recommending 9-10K tops, I think he thinks its a non M, mate, its a good price, but you will no doubt need to fix stuff up.. keep that in mind as you go look at it. It may even be worth paying for a PPI.. as one of the other guys mention, its going to be even worth less (though not sure if there is much diff in a car that has 200K or 250k miles).. so if your doing this looking to offload the car in say 1 or 2 years, id steer well clear mate.. only, only do this if your looking to keep the car for a while..

Agreed

[seank]

Originally Posted by SloMo

Guys i sold my z4 on the east coast and moved to SF. I've been looking for an 05 3.0L Sport or 06 + SI and came across this.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5016803291.html

Its a very reasonably priced but RIDICULOUSLY high mileage z4 M with 195,000 miles!

Wanted to get you guys thoughts on if it's worth it? It looks to be in very good shape but would you touch an M Roadster with that many miles on it?

After owning many many bmw M's and still do, i would not recommend a high mileage M, unless you have money for repairs. I doubt that every bushing has been replaced twice and at 200k, most are needing or close to needing a top end rebuild. Just my 2 cents from someone who has owned high mileage M's.

[SloMo]

Originally Posted by seank

After owning many many bmw M's and still do, i would not recommend a high mileage M, unless you have money for repairs. I doubt that every bushing has been replaced twice and at 200k, most are needing or close to needing a top end rebuild. Just my 2 cents from someone who has owned high mileage M's.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to take it, I'm going to pass on this one for now. If anyone wants to pursue this lead ease feel free to contact the seller. If anyone buys it do keep us posted! I'm curious to see how far this thing runs.

[SloMo]

Originally Posted by Reborn_

I'll check it out for you. I'm knowledgeable about cars and bikes in general, but not so much in particular with these cars (I just bought my own M coupe 3 months ago). But if you want a general inspection and anything in particular, I'm quite close.

Thanks a lot for the offer! For now, I've decided not to go forward.