2006 Z4MR at the dealership....

[BlackSapphireZ]

saw a silver Z4 M at local dealership...

I stop by and look, it doesn't appear to be in the greatest condition...with front lip scratched, kinda been sitting there a while(after checking one month) so I ask for the key to see the mileage...ONLY 33k! and Fancy RED interior that I LOVEEEEE

GREAT so i take it out for a spin...great feeling getting back into a Z

After the test drive, i look around to find the following
-cheap front tire... stock RR tire with good tread
-scratched steering wheel spokes and center console
-HORRIBLE wood trim
-trunk seem very suspicious...rubber over slam bumper thing had like a over spray/buffing stuff as if it had been re done? feels like its been rear ended???

$25,900...

so question for M owners..does drivers seatbelt have a stopper so it doesn't fall to the floor? the passenger side had it but driverside seatbelt fell to the floor which seemed little odd as well...

what do you all think? make an offer for like $20~22k? or walk away?

[Silververtu]

If you are suspicious, walk away

[GammaZeta]

You can always make an offer.

No car is going to be perfect, even with 33,000 miles on it. Mine has 18,000 and it has imperfections. Going 75 MPH on any road, any time of the year, your'e going to get imperfections.

There is going to be scratches, especially on the steering wheel and anywhere in the cabin that has usage.

My seatbelt always folds as well, not a big deal.

If there were no accidents, I think $24k would be a good price. I don't think a dealer would take 22K for that mileage, unless it had an accident.

[BlackSapphireZ]

funny thing is the carfax is clean...

if the owner is rich, then they can just pay cash and not report it to insurance company though

[gtMc]

Originally Posted by BlackSapphireZ

funny thing is the carfax is clean...

if the owner is rich, then they can just pay cash and not report it to insurance company though

correct, carfax means very little. can you do an indy PPI as its already at a dealer? have a VIN?

[BlackSapphireZ]

5umbt93506le89081

[dekaliber]

There is a button thing on the seat belt that acts as a stopper for the clip. On my Z4 it fell off and they installed a new one (poorly) under warranty. The my M it's cracked so part of it is missing, but it's stayed on. A little annoying. No idea how these things just break for no reason.

[BlackSapphireZ]

Oh ok..so it CAN break

the third brake light also had stress marks along the long straight edges(not the tips though) signaling a rear impact had occured?

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

[ZStig]

Third brakr light cracks all the time. Sometimes if u just look at it

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by BlackSapphireZ

Oh ok..so it CAN break

the third brake light also had stress marks along the long straight edges(not the tips though) signaling a rear impact had occured?

hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Fracturing of the third brake light is a known issue and it often occurs unrelated to a collision. I actually had one replaced under warranty.

[thekurgan]

I always consider the condition of the interior and exterior of the car, as it relates to how the person took care of the engine, transmission, etc. I would walk away from this one, it was owned by someone who didn't realize how special the E85/86 are.

[GammaZeta]

Originally Posted by thekurgan

I always consider the condition of the interior and exterior of the car, as it relates to how the person took care of the engine, transmission, etc. I would walk away from this one, it was owned by someone who didn't realize how special the E85/86 are.

I think you have to determine if it was ABUSED or was just normal wear and tear.

I take exceptional care of my car, but I scratched the interior in a small place by accident last month. Also, the steering wheel is going to have scratches and wear marks.

It's another thing if the dash board is cracking, etc.

[BlackSapphireZ]

imma put CF fabric on there like I did with my previous Z... well worth it

DAMN IT i wanna buy it but don't want all the maintenance hassle...valve adjustment for example...

[BlackSapphireZ]

I forgot to mention...tire pressure warning light was on "RED"

meaning????

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by GammaZeta

I think you have to determine if it was ABUSED or was just normal wear and tear.

I take exceptional care of my car, but I scratched the interior in a small place by accident last month. Also, the steering wheel is going to have scratches and wear marks.

It's another thing if the dash board is cracking, etc.

Possibly, some minor wear, expected for a near 7 year old car, but mix-matched tires?

[mshanno1]

Originally Posted by BlackSapphireZ

DAMN IT i wanna buy it but don't want all the maintenance hassle...valve adjustment for example...

Then don't buy it

[Huz-Z]

Originally Posted by BlackSapphireZ

imma put CF fabric on there like I did with my previous Z... well worth it

DAMN IT i wanna buy it but don't want all the maintenance hassle...valve adjustment for example...

But even if the car was in PRISTINE condition, you would have to do that at some point with an M. Ad I don't think the cost of a valve job or M brakes would deter me from an M if I really wanted one.

[beta]

I'm looking forward to the valve adjustment

[BlackSapphireZ]

i know ... i used to love doing stuff but now that i'm busier... no more

i've done vano seal, diff, trans, oil, LCAB, amonst many other maintenances...

[G80indy]

a perfect car has a price.

what did the oil fill look like?
grime?
underhood tells a big part of the story

[GammaZeta]

I used to have mixed front and rears on my Z3M. One rear developed a bubble over winter storage and I decided to try the Sumitoros. They were nice, but then shortly after my fronts needed replacing and I tried the Hankook V12's which were different from the Sumis. Both were pretty nice but different in their own ways.

Not everyone who buys M cars are enthusiasts. Some are just house wives with husbands with deep pockets that go to the BMW dealership and get the most expensive.

There is one in my town like that, a wife just upgraded her E46 M3 to the E92 M3 because "she liked the way it shifted".

I looked at the car, it was in great shape, but you could tell a woman owned it due to the scratches from finger nails (driver seat belt holder, visor, steering wheel).

Since it was really maintained, I would have bought it if I wanted an E46 M over a Z4 M, despite some extra wear and tear on a low mileage car.

My current Z4M, I could tell the previous owner's wife was a passenger a lot because when I removed the passenger side visor, I saw some nail marks where a right handed person would bring the mirror down.

[ZStig]

Its not just the valve adjustment thats expensive ($600). Gas mileage is around 16mpg if you drive it hard, brakes cost about $1k to overhaul, oil changes are around $110, tires are ~$1200. I wouldn't buy one on a tight budget