Greetings. Wanted to start a journal for my new to me Z4M as I have with all my other M cars. It's always a great way to see look back and see how far the car has come. Before finding this Roadie, I was looking to get an F80 M3, then an M2, then a 981 Cayman S, then back to an F80 with ZCP, and then an S2000. Eventually, I decided I definitely wanted a proper sports car. I've followed many journals on here and really love the Z4M Coupe. However, the more I thought about it (also with the help of forum members and their advice), I realized that the Roadster was what I needed in my life. Adding a top down driving experience would be amazing, as I don't live too far from the beaches in Charleston, or the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC. Adding an Mcoupe to 2 M3 coupes just doesn't make much sense.
I found this car online on Autotrader while I was off during the Christmas holidays, even though I wasn't planning on getting one until probably next year. I tend to do really stupid things when my mind is not occupied
The car was at BMW dealership in Cleveland, Ohio. It's an October 2006 build (so an 07 car), 2 owners, no accidents. Fortunately, the car was about 20 mins from a good buddy of mine that was also home for the holidays. I asked him to go check it out, as he's also a car guy like I am. In the back of my mind, I was hoping he'd call me back and tell me that the car is a rust bucket and to run away. Instead, he told me the car was really well taken care of and the dealership had it parked inside next an Audi V10 R8. Here are some low res pics that was on Autotrader:
Long story short, I decided to pull the trigger on it, without even doing a PPI, which I know is usually an unwise idea. However, I really loved the white/red combo, and was able to get the car for an absolute steal. Flew out to Cleveland the next week and drove the car 600 miles home:
As far as pure driving experiences go, this is easily one of my favorite BMW's I've ever driven, and I have no idea what conditions the suspension, steering and brakes are in. The car just feels so raw, and is one of the stiffest rides I've ever been in. Steering is super direct, and all the controls are heavy. It just feels completely different than my E36 and E92 M3, not to mention the car really gets crazy attention, even though it's 10 years old.
The reason I was able to get it for such a cheap price was because the car obviously needs things. I don't mind this as I want to mod/maintain/repair the car anyway, so mileage wasn't a huge concern for me.
Immediate goals:
- Full inspection II. All fluids and filters
- Send oil sample to Blackstone
- Drive up to MD to get an S54 guru to do the valve adjustments and bulletproof the VANOS.
- Figure out vibration coming from the back of the car. Is it just wheels were badly balanced/bent, or in need of bushings (probably needs it anyway)
- Change belts
- Figure out airbag light
- Polish headlights and do a full detail on the car
Medium/Long term goals:
- Beefy 18" wheels with Michelin PSS
- KW V3 coilovers
- Remus mufflers (car is too quiet for my taste)
- Rebuild and refinish calipers. They look like they've been at the bottom of the ocean.
- All new bushings
- Cooling system overhaul
Distant goals:
- Paint on the bumpers don't match the car that great, so that might be an excuse to get Euro bumpers
- Some custom wrapped Imola Red leather pieces
- As long as Blackstone reports look OK for now, then I'll do rod bearings eventually
At this moment, I'm really not interested in any power mods (still have a tuned NA S65). Just want to focus on maintenance and repairs first.
Thanks for reading! Will have more pics for the journal when I have the car on jackstands tomorrow.