It isn't as much that these older BMW's are so maintenance heavy, it's that they are so badly neglected. Yes, BMW parts can be expensive, but if you keep up maintenance per schedule, the costs tend to spread out over the years. This car is just another example of people selling it before or when it needed some expensive parts to be replaced and then the next owner(s) simply drove it without performing maintenance, leading to everything being worn out by the time the Wizard bought it.
Very true sir, been on the receiving end of both situations, well maintained car and sold before it blew up car. The well maintained car I kept for 200.000 miles and only replaced the suspension and brakes + whatever "expired" due to milage like fluids, belts etc. The next owner kept it for another 100.000 and never spent a penny on it. Bought it back for pennies from him as a donor car for some parts that were hard to find like seats, trims, etc. as the rest of the car was not worth fixing at that point due to neglect.
The Z3 is a reliable car for being over 20 yrs old. Today we are seeing brand new American cars getting engine replacements within 40k miles. Very big difference in quality despite what the haters want you to believe. I've put more money into my husband's 2015 Yukon in repairs than my Z3 for example.
The old Coleman lantern mantles used to contain Thorium which is somewhat radioactive. In 1990 they replaced the Thorium with Yttrium which is minimally radioactive. This reduced the light output by 20% so the older mantles are somewhat sought after.
Any update on the BMW that was left without contact details or notes on problems? Having a BMW with the M54 six made the Grimes run down on things to keep an eye on of great interest to me and, while the combination of age, plastic and electronic components can make a trip to the mechanic daunting, the pre-Bangle 6 cylinder BMWs have a way of rewarding the experience when you get them back on the road.
"Wow that's shocking dear" and then he proceeds to continue to talk without hesitation lol. His wife is a trooper. They are a match made in heaven haha. :):)
I don't get why he always slates German cars. Would 25 year old American car not need new shocks, bushes, hoses, etc? These parts are made of rubber, they will disintigrate at the same speed on all cars.
Any car would, I agree ridiculous comments. He spent as much as the car was worth because the car was dirt cheap. Those are totally the wrong tyres, guys clueless
Actually I've seen a number of the earlier BMW's he didn't mind working on: I've seen an E24 6-series (1977 to 1989) as well as a beautiful black little E21 3-series (1977 to 1983) that were the lucky recipients of the Car Wizard's magic touch.
Because he is american not german. Same in germany and Europe, people like german but critisize american made. What you do not know and do not feel attachments to is much easier to critizise, than something you might either have nostalgia or nationalistic tendencies for. If one dear brand has all sorts of issues it is easy to just find excuses, while if something foreign has issues it is easier to call it what it is, junk.
@@BlueFlowerPowrone of my best best friends brother in law works for ford, he was ordered to design them to be pieces of shit and calls them that. I’m aware of a few other of these sort of things but in short no one I know who works for an American car company I’ll buy or drive American. What does that tell you.
BMWs that were built 20 years ago are pretty stout. But now BMW has decided to go overboard with plastic all over the engine bay. That plastic dries out and when you have to replace it the cost is as much as a metal part.
as a German speaking, these old BMWs are very reliable if you do preventitive maintance. Most parts are cheap here and if you take care of your car, its value rises quickly
Exactly what I said. Pretty easy to pick out the BMW enthusiasts who understand these vs. the trolls and haters simply regurgitating the same phony garbage being circulated on the Internet. Those that KNOW, just KNOW. There's quite a number of very popular TH-camrs who understand these cars much better than the trolls I see here, including Jonny the Car Ninja and Sreten at M539 Restorations. Sreten in particular has built a remarkably large and loyal TH-cam following for his willingness to take on restoring a number of BMWs from the 80's through late models. Remarkably, he even took on a very difficult and challenging restoration of an E60 M5, replacing the notorious camshaft bearings on that car before they failed, which would have turned that E60 M5 into a very large and very expensive paperweight were it not for his timely intervention.
@@houseofnoDang the cam bearings are also notorious on E60 M5s? I thought it was just the rod bearings, & a bakers dozen of other expensive issues, as reported by multiple BMW mechanics.
I don't see how they're reliable if you have to replace half the car. I would say a Toyota is reliable since they don't need any of this work doing in the first place.
That is a cool and lovely little scooter for the Mrs. Nice Job. New Coleman mantles use Yttrium not nearly as radioactive compared to the old-style mantles that used Thorium. Coleman used Uranium glass in the glass lamp shade in the old-style gasoline lamps (used indoors). The trade name was Kremelite or Kremax. Due to uranium military usage in WWII, the Kremelite glass was no longer available from the late 1930s. The glass glowed in the dark and when exposed to a black UV light. The mantles emit alpha particles - not really that harmful - just don't breath in the smoke created when you burn in new mantles.
The hazard with the old mantles when they were used with a flame (in the active mantle), they transitioned into a hard metal oxide matrix. If these mantles were disturbed, (crushed by hand, etc.) they turned into a fine dust, which could be ingested or inhaled, which stays with you forever.
Great Selection Mrs. Wizard. I have a 2001 and love it! I bought mine for $5,000 and then also spent $5,000 to get everything checked and fixed. Car Wizard was spot on with cost!
I know all about Uranium glass! It is also called "vaseline glass". I don't have any pieces, but they are less than about 2% Diuranate, and while they will fluoresce under a black light, they pose no real radiation threat. There are plates and dishes from the 1960's called Fiestaware that use diuranate, and they need special care, since they have a bit of tiny radioactivity.... GREAT video!
I used to not get his purchases of vehicles he doesn't recommend for his customers/viewers, but I think I get it now. He's a total car geek who likes the unusual and can (hands-on and financially) repair, enjoy and indulge his interests. He'll indulge an impulse until he's content with it, then sell it and grab another. Confession: I kinda envy him for that.
@@NVRAMboi Agreed. His recommendations are also for most people, whereas he's in the position to get parts at cost, and either not pay shop labour or only the labour of his employees.
I ended up replacing almost everything in the engine bay of my mini Cooper S except for the engine block itself, and it still gave me gremlins. These cars are perfect when they are new, but as they age single parts replacement no longer results in reliability, because by virtue of their design individual parts are meant to work within the same level of precision with which they were put together from the factory (The German way). They are nice and fun to drive though if you're willing to put up with their temper tantrums :D
After all of the mechanical fixes you performed, when do you think the paint will receive a detail deserving of the respect you have given the mechanical issues?
Anybody who knows Sreten from his videos truly understands these cars. The man's ability to turn BMW junk into BMW gems is well deserved and so is his success on TH-cam. His TH-cam channel is truly a DIY must-see.
A few years back I was looking for a convertible. I was looking at a BMW Z3 and went to some BMW forums and realized they are money pits. The first owner gets to about 60,000 miles and they fall apart and everything is expensive. I bought a 2003 Ford Thunderbird. That was also a money pit but I bought the Ford Premium Care and luckily it only cost me $100.00 per incident and there were a lot of incidents. I still have the T-Bird but glad I did not get the BMW Z3.
I have an 05 Ram 1500 140K stories to tell, owned since 07, and an 02 Durango with only on 71K. All need cars need maintenance. Hoses, control arms, W/pumps, batteries, belts, O2 sensors, tranny service,, head gaskets, manifold gaskets, etc. No car is bullet proof. The most dependable car I ever owned was my 01 Porsche 996 twin turbo. 13 years ownership, other than standard maintenance, brakes, oil, I only had to replace coolant reservoir, they tend to crack from compartment heat, and shifter cable. Car was drop dead - call the cops solid. I'm dishing out $9K for a 2000 Z3 2.5L with 79K miles tomorrow morning. It's in great shape, (I hope) the only leak a low pressure power steering line. It's amazing what they're going for today... Your videos are making it easier to sleep at night,,thank you for posting
I sold my near perfect 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster years ago with 25k miles on it. The only car I regret selling. Despite the mentioned maintenance costs, enjoy yours.
Guys let’s say you bought z3 for 7 k spend mor 5k the bring the car really good shape still cheap for you have nice convertible to cruise on weekends !!!! Stop cray
All of the uranium glass I have seen is much more green than that. Not all old green glass is uranium glass. Best to use a black light to really check it.
Nice refresh Dave. I recently bought a non-running '98 1.9L Z3 with 135,000 miles on it and look forward to discovering the real cost, but fortunately for me I got it for AU$2500 plus AU$695 shipping from interstate. Considering they're north of AU$10k in good condition there's ample wiggle room for this to still be a bargain buy. Mine is Anthracite metallic with black leather and is a 5-speed manual. Oh, and the sunroof is perfect. 🙂
No surprise, but these are super simple cars to work on if you do the work yourself. And they are super reliable if you take care of the couple of trouble issues inherent to any and all cars. Oh, NEVER MIND - scratch all of this because if I let the secret out I won’t be able to buy these on the cheap and fix them myself on the cheap.
I see your rear window still has the crease. Please use the blanket provided with the vehicle to keep the crease from getting worse. I had 239,000 miles on mind and the rear window was still clear with no crease when I sold it.
I did not know the Z3 could have all these issues, but people still love it since it was in the James Bond film GOLDENEYE, though the Ferrari F355 actually has even worse issues and tend to just fall apart all over the place. The Bond people picked the Z3 over the Aston Martin DB7, when the DB7 was having immediate issues. Thanks for another great video!
Yo all I've driven for 15 years is BMW I've owned 9 different BMW models I currently own a E-46 M3 and a '06 🆉🅷🅿 both are convertibles I have seen and done Soo much with BMW models and E-46 Models are my favorite ones though I'm trying to sort out my M3 at the moment so I have some emergency services done before I can drive it before I get some things replaced I'm really looking for to getting my M3 all done this Z3 looks really clean glad you can get this back in Ultimate condition Wizard 💯
I bet that Rolls Royce clock is worth more than that BMW. Someone out there has the car that clock goes to, sans a working clock, and is just itching to throw heaps of $$$ at the problem. 😏
I recently bought one a 97 for $1600. It was it in the garage parked for many years. It still runs and drives but I’m in the process of doing the cooling system. I’ve already done the front suspension. I’ve still gotta do the bushings in the rear, I’ve installed drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic brake pads and of course it needs tires from sitting
That's not a Christmas tree, its an antique automotive bud vase that was mounted in the interior. They fit into brackets which held them upright. They were a popular aftermarket item during the early days of cars and came lots of different colors and designs.
My girlfriend of 20 years has been going to the cancer center for the last year since she got out of Cleveland Clinic after a month and half in January and I’m sure that thing would be off the charts there. There signs in the bathrooms about washing really well after going to the bathroom and making sure the toilet is flushed and wiped off. I know it’s not appropriate but I’m assuming if someone was to take that into the bathroom it would being going off the charts.
Hey wizard! As old bmw like these can be plagued with cooling issues, the Achilles heal for these motors are the plastic thermostat housings. Many people who refresh the coolant will replace them with metal housings, which are plentiful and available. Since you did replace it, I wouldn't worry so much, but it is a good reliability mod. Another good mod would be to replace the rear subframe bushings with polyurethane. It won't cause NVH, but it will ensure that the diff mount won't shear off at the spot welds.
The mantles are coated were coated with thorium nitrate. Sometime in the 90s the thorium was replaced with yttrium but they are not as bright when used.
There are many people that collect Uranium glass castings. You can make a few bucks auctioning them off. BTW - they also glow in the dark under UV lighting. As for the BMW - I like the tall sidewalls; they give a better ride over rough road conditions and are less likely to rupture on damaged surfaces. As for people saying that they hurt handling - that's a myth. Proof? Formula One cars pull 3 to 4g on the track. They do NOT run low profile tires. Low profiles are for looks - nothing more.
We used those Coleman lanterns when I was a Boy Scout in the late 1950s - early 1960s. The lanterns hissed. I was always afraid that they would blow up.
I've replaced all the things he mentions under the hood on my car aswell. He doesn't mention the fan clutch, the actual plastic fan and the intake rubber boot. But those should be replaced too.
The salt and pepper shakers might be Waterford Crystal. You should check them out as it was with other Rolls-Royce goodies. As for the radioactive things.... check out a banana: Bananas are radioactive due to the radioactive isotope of Potassium it contains...
I restored my Z3 to perfect condition did all the work myself. #1 PARTS FOR THE Z3 ARE SUPER CHEAP #2 Z3's ARE SUPER CHEAP TO BUY. So, for the price of a 2008 M5 Control arm you can buy 4 complete OEM suspension KITS for the Z3 so don't whine about it busting your wallet, its cheap to buy, repair and own. #4 Firs front half of a Z3 comes out of an 90's 3 series BMW, #5 Rear half comes out of an 80's 3 series. Older technology but very good technology and simple, simple, simple, EASY to work on.
I've been rehabbing various BMWs as part of my car hobby. A friend has a mint Z3 that's fantastic. I ran into a Z3 at a repo auction that was obviously someone's project car. Even though I do all my own work, the parts cost to replace everything that was broken or missing was more that what the finished car would be worth. I'll still get one if I can grab one in better condition.
I'd suggest sticking with name brand USB chargers, as a lot of those cheap ones don't provide the best quality power (though this is more of an issue with AC chargers which need to convert to DC). These days, it's usually better to get ones with USB-C outputs for the sake of support of rapid charge standards such as Power Delivery. I've had an Anker PowerDrive Speed+ for years now and it continues to work great with every device I throw at it.
My little brother collected a bunch of the old Fiestaware dishes that were also radioactive. They used Radon in the enamel that they coated the clay dishes in for color. It made for a lovely shade of orange that you will never see on any other type of ceramic (they only used the Radon in the orange color). They are mostly not dangerous and it is non-ionizing radiation. They ARE extremely dangerous if you actually eat food off of them, because the paint flakes would be very bad to ingest. p.s. I still think Wiiizard would have been better of with a Miata NB or NC, because Miata is always the answer.
I'm not a beamer fan by any stretch...but that thing is sweet! Also, you could try some AT-205 in the transmission and see if that small leak goes away. It worked to stop a very small leak at the axle seal of rear diff in my 2006 Matrix 4WD. I just removed filler plug and transfer AT-205 to spray bottle, and sprayed some in. I would suggest adding about 1/2 of what they recommend for such a small leak and go from there.
Those thorium-rich mantles are exactly as radioactive as I expect them to be! I used them for a while, but the noisy nature of the Coleman lamps led me to switch to battery-operated lamps.
I bought a Z3 M sane year. It was a very sexy looking car, but I hated getting in and out of it. To me, it's an ergonomic nightmare with poor peddle placement and horrible visibility outward. The Z3 looks great in your driveway but falls far short in driveabilty. I was forced by a divorce to sell it. But the joke was on my ex. I actually hated the car and felt no remorse in parting with it. I almost immediately replaced it with a 2004 Mini Cooper S, which is wildly fun to drive and far exceeded expectations.
This seems to be a common point of feedback from many BMW owners especially those who bought a used high mileage unit. Seems somewhere between 60-80k things start coming apart and costing $$$.
So am I correct to think BMW build expensive cars that are low quality? I was told by a local mechanic to only lease them and turn them in under warranty miles. Seems to me the high dollar should equal high quality.
Not sure I'd attribute the expense of refreshing this car to its German origin. Its just an old car issue. Every rubber part on a car has a defined life span as rubber reacts with oxygen and other things in the air and degrades with time. There is no way around it. Seals, bushings, and hangers all need replacing over time. For something that old I'd say its totally normal. An old Supra or RX7 will have the same issues.
I wonder if anyone has invented plastic windows for convertible tops that don't scratch/haze easily? Every top with that type of window looks so bad after just a few years.
I've used a Coleman propane lantern with those mantles fairly recently. The warmth plus light was nice to have in a yurt with no electricity or stove on a chilly night.
It isn't as much that these older BMW's are so maintenance heavy, it's that they are so badly neglected.
Yes, BMW parts can be expensive, but if you keep up maintenance per schedule, the costs tend to spread out over the years. This car is just another example of people selling it before or when it needed some expensive parts to be replaced and then the next owner(s) simply drove it without performing maintenance, leading to everything being worn out by the time the Wizard bought it.
As a BMW owner you nailed it.
Don’t forget to keep the cost way low FCP euro is life time warranty on genuine bmw parts including fluids.
Very true sir, been on the receiving end of both situations, well maintained car and sold before it blew up car. The well maintained car I kept for 200.000 miles and only replaced the suspension and brakes + whatever "expired" due to milage like fluids, belts etc. The next owner kept it for another 100.000 and never spent a penny on it. Bought it back for pennies from him as a donor car for some parts that were hard to find like seats, trims, etc. as the rest of the car was not worth fixing at that point due to neglect.
And yet, Acura or Lexus doesn’t have this issue.
The Z3 is a reliable car for being over 20 yrs old. Today we are seeing brand new American cars getting engine replacements within 40k miles. Very big difference in quality despite what the haters want you to believe. I've put more money into my husband's 2015 Yukon in repairs than my Z3 for example.
Only you wizard would have a Geiger counter in your toolbox 😂😂
The old Coleman lantern mantles used to contain Thorium which is somewhat radioactive. In 1990 they replaced the Thorium with Yttrium which is minimally radioactive. This reduced the light output by 20% so the older mantles are somewhat sought after.
Interesting. 👍
I thought in usa they only made useless flashlights.
Man, we had so many of those Colemans in the Boy Scouts mid-eighties! Maybe thats what brought on all the early hairloss...
@wilsonlaidlaw: Thanks for that. I learn stuff here.
@@felicetanka And automotive clocks.
'BUSTED My Wallet!' And now you know what BMW REALLY stands for.
Bring More Wrenches
N52 is the lords work
🤑 B.M.W, are laughing 😂 all the way to the bank, because they know stupid people will keep buying, and fixing their vehicles !!.
“Barely Mechanically Worthy”
👌👌👌
Any update on the BMW that was left without contact details or notes on problems? Having a BMW with the M54 six made the Grimes run down on things to keep an eye on of great interest to me and, while the combination of age, plastic and electronic components can make a trip to the mechanic daunting, the pre-Bangle 6 cylinder BMWs have a way of rewarding the experience when you get them back on the road.
"Wow that's shocking dear" and then he proceeds to continue to talk without hesitation lol. His wife is a trooper. They are a match made in heaven haha. :):)
I don't get why he always slates German cars. Would 25 year old American car not need new shocks, bushes, hoses, etc? These parts are made of rubber, they will disintigrate at the same speed on all cars.
Any car would, I agree ridiculous comments.
He spent as much as the car was worth because the car was dirt cheap.
Those are totally the wrong tyres, guys clueless
Miata that age wouldn’t be any different or cheaper
Actually I've seen a number of the earlier BMW's he didn't mind working on: I've seen an E24 6-series (1977 to 1989) as well as a beautiful black little E21 3-series (1977 to 1983) that were the lucky recipients of the Car Wizard's magic touch.
Because he is american not german. Same in germany and Europe, people like german but critisize american made. What you do not know and do not feel attachments to is much easier to critizise, than something you might either have nostalgia or nationalistic tendencies for. If one dear brand has all sorts of issues it is easy to just find excuses, while if something foreign has issues it is easier to call it what it is, junk.
@@BlueFlowerPowrone of my best best friends brother in law works for ford, he was ordered to design them to be pieces of shit and calls them that. I’m aware of a few other of these sort of things but in short no one I know who works for an American car company I’ll buy or drive American. What does that tell you.
BMWs that were built 20 years ago are pretty stout. But now BMW has decided to go overboard with plastic all over the engine bay. That plastic dries out and when you have to replace it the cost is as much as a metal part.
3:02 the sound of someone who is no longer surprised by the odd things you own
such enthusiasm 😂
as a German speaking, these old BMWs are very reliable if you do preventitive maintance. Most parts are cheap here and if you take care of your car, its value rises quickly
Bullshit...BMW's require no more maintenance than other cars.....replacing lots of parts is not "preventive maintenance"==it is called REPAIRS.
Exactly what I said. Pretty easy to pick out the BMW enthusiasts who understand these vs. the trolls and haters simply regurgitating the same phony garbage being circulated on the Internet. Those that KNOW, just KNOW. There's quite a number of very popular TH-camrs who understand these cars much better than the trolls I see here, including Jonny the Car Ninja and Sreten at M539 Restorations. Sreten in particular has built a remarkably large and loyal TH-cam following for his willingness to take on restoring a number of BMWs from the 80's through late models. Remarkably, he even took on a very difficult and challenging restoration of an E60 M5, replacing the notorious camshaft bearings on that car before they failed, which would have turned that E60 M5 into a very large and very expensive paperweight were it not for his timely intervention.
@@houseofno STILL MONEY PITS...period
@@houseofnoDang the cam bearings are also notorious on E60 M5s? I thought it was just the rod bearings, & a bakers dozen of other expensive issues, as reported by multiple BMW mechanics.
I don't see how they're reliable if you have to replace half the car. I would say a Toyota is reliable since they don't need any of this work doing in the first place.
This is all normal deferred maintenance for a BMW with 100K on the clock. This is a solid car. But wait - no sagging glovebox?
That is a cool and lovely little scooter for the Mrs. Nice Job. New Coleman mantles use Yttrium not nearly as radioactive compared to the old-style mantles that used Thorium. Coleman used Uranium glass in the glass lamp shade in the old-style gasoline lamps (used indoors). The trade name was Kremelite or Kremax. Due to uranium military usage in WWII, the Kremelite glass was no longer available from the late 1930s. The glass glowed in the dark and when exposed to a black UV light. The mantles emit alpha particles - not really that harmful - just don't breath in the smoke created when you burn in new mantles.
The hazard with the old mantles when they were used with a flame (in the active mantle), they transitioned into a hard metal oxide matrix. If these mantles were disturbed, (crushed by hand, etc.) they turned into a fine dust, which could be ingested or inhaled, which stays with you forever.
Great Selection Mrs. Wizard. I have a 2001 and love it! I bought mine for $5,000 and then also spent $5,000 to get everything checked and fixed. Car Wizard was spot on with cost!
I know all about Uranium glass! It is also called "vaseline glass". I don't have any pieces, but they are less than about 2% Diuranate, and while they will fluoresce under a black light, they pose no real radiation threat. There are plates and dishes from the 1960's called Fiestaware that use diuranate, and they need special care, since they have a bit of tiny radioactivity....
GREAT video!
I love how the wizard thinks spending all that money will prevent the car from breaking down three months from now
I used to not get his purchases of vehicles he doesn't recommend for his customers/viewers, but I think I get it now. He's a total car geek who likes the unusual and can (hands-on and financially) repair, enjoy and indulge his interests. He'll indulge an impulse until he's content with it, then sell it and grab another. Confession: I kinda envy him for that.
@@NVRAMboi Agreed. His recommendations are also for most people, whereas he's in the position to get parts at cost, and either not pay shop labour or only the labour of his employees.
I ended up replacing almost everything in the engine bay of my mini Cooper S except for the engine block itself, and it still gave me gremlins. These cars are perfect when they are new, but as they age single parts replacement no longer results in reliability, because by virtue of their design individual parts are meant to work within the same level of precision with which they were put together from the factory (The German way). They are nice and fun to drive though if you're willing to put up with their temper tantrums :D
@romanaldaine6210 was yours an R53?
The M52's actually a very reliable engine. I'd want the manual version but each to their own.
Add some bracing to it, honestly it transforms them from soggy to tight as a drum, beautiful cars a design classic in my opinion
After all of the mechanical fixes you performed, when do you think the paint will receive a detail deserving of the respect you have given the mechanical issues?
I’m digging the new and frequent BMW videos, Wizard - I know it’s not usual but certainly unique!
Streten from M539 would not even call it half sorted. Parts arent that expensive. The labor to do it is. Easy car to work on
Anybody who knows Sreten from his videos truly understands these cars. The man's ability to turn BMW junk into BMW gems is well deserved and so is his success on TH-cam. His TH-cam channel is truly a DIY must-see.
It's the old adage; "If you can't afford a new one, you can't afford a used one". Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Wizard! Enjoy the car! ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
Lot of granite countertops would set off that Geiger counter too.. Take it to the market when you buy seafood! 😂😂
After watching Ms Wizards video on why she quit teaching I think she deserves to have fun and really enjoy life. Cool Z3
A few years back I was looking for a convertible. I was looking at a BMW Z3 and went to some BMW forums and realized they are money pits. The first owner gets to about 60,000 miles and they fall apart and everything is expensive. I bought a 2003 Ford Thunderbird. That was also a money pit but I bought the Ford Premium Care and luckily it only cost me $100.00 per incident and there were a lot of incidents. I still have the T-Bird but glad I did not get the BMW Z3.
Glad you are able to count your Geigers. Most well-prepared tech I have seen. 😀👍
I have an 05 Ram 1500 140K stories to tell, owned since 07, and an 02 Durango with only on 71K.
All need cars need maintenance.
Hoses, control arms, W/pumps, batteries, belts, O2 sensors, tranny service,, head gaskets, manifold gaskets, etc.
No car is bullet proof.
The most dependable car I ever owned was my 01 Porsche 996 twin turbo.
13 years ownership, other than standard maintenance, brakes, oil, I only had to replace coolant reservoir, they tend to crack from compartment heat, and shifter cable.
Car was drop dead - call the cops solid.
I'm dishing out $9K for a 2000 Z3 2.5L with 79K miles tomorrow morning.
It's in great shape, (I hope) the only leak a low pressure power steering line.
It's amazing what they're going for today...
Your videos are making it easier to sleep at night,,thank you for posting
That Smiths clock for the rolls royce silver cloud depending on condition is worth anywhere from $300-$800 USD.
Nice Z3, these and the Z4s are the easiest BMWs to work on. Love em.
I sold my near perfect 1998 BMW Z3 M Roadster years ago with 25k miles on it. The only car I regret selling. Despite the mentioned maintenance costs, enjoy yours.
Guys let’s say you bought z3 for 7 k spend mor 5k the bring the car really good shape still cheap for you have nice convertible to cruise on weekends !!!! Stop cray
Needs a full detailing for sure! VanGo? Awesome car! Love the 90's Bimmers
All of the uranium glass I have seen is much more green than that. Not all old green glass is uranium glass. Best to use a black light to really check it.
Had a ex girlfriend who was into uranium glass. Was wild to sit in the collection with a black light in the dark.
Nice refresh Dave. I recently bought a non-running '98 1.9L Z3 with 135,000 miles on it and look forward to discovering the real cost, but fortunately for me I got it for AU$2500 plus AU$695 shipping from interstate. Considering they're north of AU$10k in good condition there's ample wiggle room for this to still be a bargain buy. Mine is Anthracite metallic with black leather and is a 5-speed manual. Oh, and the sunroof is perfect. 🙂
I had a BMW Z4 for 6 years. It was a fun car to drive but I never had a visit to the dealer's shop that cost me less than $1,000.
No surprise, but these are super simple cars to work on if you do the work yourself. And they are super reliable if you take care of the couple of trouble issues inherent to any and all cars. Oh, NEVER MIND - scratch all of this because if I let the secret out I won’t be able to buy these on the cheap and fix them myself on the cheap.
are they bud vaces for old cars in the1920 to hold flowers
I see your rear window still has the crease. Please use the blanket provided with the vehicle to keep the crease from getting worse. I had 239,000 miles on mind and the rear window was still clear with no crease when I sold it.
Cool Z3 but missing a pedal 😢
Z3s are amazing and i LOVE the Aubergine paint code BUT an automatic. Yuck. Swap time.
I did not know the Z3 could have all these issues, but people still love it since it was in the James Bond film GOLDENEYE, though the Ferrari F355 actually has even worse issues and tend to just fall apart all over the place. The Bond people picked the Z3 over the Aston Martin DB7, when the DB7 was having immediate issues. Thanks for another great video!
Did anyone else notice The Wizard's magic trick at 5:01 as he asks if we are prepared to be amazed? ☮
Thank you for the video. My wife and I just bought a 99 z3 2.8 with 115k kms. Your Z3 videos are very helpful.
Yo all I've driven for 15 years is BMW I've owned 9 different BMW models I currently own a E-46 M3 and a '06 🆉🅷🅿 both are convertibles I have seen and done Soo much with BMW models and E-46 Models are my favorite ones though I'm trying to sort out my M3 at the moment so I have some emergency services done before I can drive it before I get some things replaced I'm really looking for to getting my M3 all done this Z3 looks really clean glad you can get this back in Ultimate condition Wizard 💯
You can fix it Wizard!
I wish I had your skills so that I could take care of my lady's car like you do. 👍🏻
He don't do the work the man's full of shite
At least you can still find the parts. Many cars after ten years old have no parts available.
Just got quoted 3k for a new headlight on a e60. Adaptive headlights are spendy.
I bet that Rolls Royce clock is worth more than that BMW. Someone out there has the car that clock goes to, sans a working clock, and is just itching to throw heaps of $$$ at the problem. 😏
I recently bought one a 97 for $1600. It was it in the garage parked for many years. It still runs and drives but I’m in the process of doing the cooling system. I’ve already done the front suspension. I’ve still gotta do the bushings in the rear, I’ve installed drilled and slotted rotors and ceramic brake pads and of course it needs tires from sitting
Shine a UV light or laser pointer on the “Christmas tree”. 😊 Also try that with the lamp mantles.
"Wow that's shocking dear" I absolutely love the tone of voice that Mrs. Wizard used.
Did you change water pump and fan? I’ve heard the cooling system is a big failure point. Do you recommend replacement or wait till signs of failure?
That's not a Christmas tree, its an antique automotive bud vase that was mounted in the interior. They fit into brackets which held them upright. They were a popular aftermarket item during the early days of cars and came lots of different colors and designs.
Love Mrs. Wizzard's reaction to you having the geiger counter. LOL
My girlfriend of 20 years has been going to the cancer center for the last year since she got out of Cleveland Clinic after a month and half in January and I’m sure that thing would be off the charts there. There signs in the bathrooms about washing really well after going to the bathroom and making sure the toilet is flushed and wiped off. I know it’s not appropriate but I’m assuming if someone was to take that into the bathroom it would being going off the charts.
Hey wizard! As old bmw like these can be plagued with cooling issues, the Achilles heal for these motors are the plastic thermostat housings. Many people who refresh the coolant will replace them with metal housings, which are plentiful and available. Since you did replace it, I wouldn't worry so much, but it is a good reliability mod. Another good mod would be to replace the rear subframe bushings with polyurethane. It won't cause NVH, but it will ensure that the diff mount won't shear off at the spot welds.
david: Those metal thermostat housings are not well made.
A good mod would be replacing it with a Toyota.
@@JohnHoganN8 Never had problems with my BMW's.
@@stephencurry8552 And the lie detector test determined......that was a lie.
@@JohnHoganN8 Yup. Lexus > BMW
Owned this car myself for 10 years.. a 2000 z3 2.5ltr… it’s a money pit when something goes wrong and having to find parts
Do you suggest spring vs worm gear clamps?
That's a bud vase for masking the old car stink with flowers.
The mantles are coated were coated with thorium nitrate. Sometime in the 90s the thorium was replaced with yttrium but they are not as bright when used.
There are many people that collect Uranium glass castings. You can make a few bucks auctioning them off. BTW - they also glow in the dark under UV lighting.
As for the BMW - I like the tall sidewalls; they give a better ride over rough road conditions and are less likely to rupture on damaged surfaces. As for people saying that they hurt handling - that's a myth. Proof? Formula One cars pull 3 to 4g on the track. They do NOT run low profile tires. Low profiles are for looks - nothing more.
You are technically right but quality tall sidewall tyres aren't available anymore. Sadly, quality tyres are offered only on low profile sizes.
"It can add up so fast"
*laughs in Land Rover*
We used those Coleman lanterns when I was a Boy Scout in the late 1950s - early 1960s. The lanterns hissed. I was always afraid that they would blow up.
I've replaced all the things he mentions under the hood on my car aswell. He doesn't mention the fan clutch, the actual plastic fan and the intake rubber boot. But those should be replaced too.
The salt and pepper shakers might be Waterford Crystal. You should check them out as it was with other Rolls-Royce goodies.
As for the radioactive things.... check out a banana: Bananas are radioactive due to the radioactive isotope of Potassium it contains...
So Wizard how much did it cost to get fixed?
Anyone else first think the green Christmas tree was a butt plug? Asking for a friend....
The new intro is much better. It's nice and short too. 🎉
I restored my Z3 to perfect condition did all the work myself. #1 PARTS FOR THE Z3 ARE SUPER CHEAP #2 Z3's ARE SUPER CHEAP TO BUY. So, for the price of a 2008 M5 Control arm you can buy 4 complete OEM suspension KITS for the Z3 so don't whine about it busting your wallet, its cheap to buy, repair and own. #4 Firs front half of a Z3 comes out of an 90's 3 series BMW, #5 Rear half comes out of an 80's 3 series. Older technology but very good technology and simple, simple, simple, EASY to work on.
I bet those old glow in the dark wind up wristwatches would set that geiger counter off big time!
Not trying to get those Rolls Folks upset -
But Grey Poupon is really great with Spam!
Is it just me, or is the z3 missing a steering rack boot clamp on the outer side (passenger)?
I've been rehabbing various BMWs as part of my car hobby. A friend has a mint Z3 that's fantastic. I ran into a Z3 at a repo auction that was obviously someone's project car. Even though I do all my own work, the parts cost to replace everything that was broken or missing was more that what the finished car would be worth.
I'll still get one if I can grab one in better condition.
My girl has a 2010 535i w 184,000 miles… tips?
What's the nice-looking gray w/white top/convertible on the lift behind you? Have you done a Video about it?
Wizard, you should bought that red Mercedes 450 SL from Euro Asian Bob for Mrs Wizard!
I'd suggest sticking with name brand USB chargers, as a lot of those cheap ones don't provide the best quality power (though this is more of an issue with AC chargers which need to convert to DC). These days, it's usually better to get ones with USB-C outputs for the sake of support of rapid charge standards such as Power Delivery. I've had an Anker PowerDrive Speed+ for years now and it continues to work great with every device I throw at it.
Rolls Royce coffee cups... Do they leak constantly??
You should check the clock too!
My little brother collected a bunch of the old Fiestaware dishes that were also radioactive. They used Radon in the enamel that they coated the clay dishes in for color. It made for a lovely shade of orange that you will never see on any other type of ceramic (they only used the Radon in the orange color). They are mostly not dangerous and it is non-ionizing radiation. They ARE extremely dangerous if you actually eat food off of them, because the paint flakes would be very bad to ingest.
p.s. I still think Wiiizard would have been better of with a Miata NB or NC, because Miata is always the answer.
Love the tires ( height) actually may I ask what size they are? Thanks
I'm not a beamer fan by any stretch...but that thing is sweet! Also, you could try some AT-205 in the transmission and see if that small leak goes away. It worked to stop a very small leak at the axle seal of rear diff in my 2006 Matrix 4WD. I just removed filler plug and transfer AT-205 to spray bottle, and sprayed some in. I would suggest adding about 1/2 of what they recommend for such a small leak and go from there.
You might could make that cig lighter outlet a switched one. My versa has a switched outlet and saves me a lot of grief
“Half of what I replaced was unnecessary.” Well that’s helpful.
More “not required at this moment but are known for failure, and were replaced preventively”
I'm thankful that you produced this video - I've been taking a good look at some Z3s on marketplace and I think I'll stop looking now.
5:05 when you tested the mantel piece , the camera brightened 😮
Wiz - what''s that gray sedan on the lift behind Mrs.W's car in the video? I love the style of the rear end
I love coleman lanterns... Still use the pump up lantern and cook stove when i camp today.
Almost 1 million subs! Congratulations
Those thorium-rich mantles are exactly as radioactive as I expect them to be! I used them for a while, but the noisy nature of the Coleman lamps led me to switch to battery-operated lamps.
You forgot the vanos seals ...make a big difference in gas mileage and Acceleration
I bought a Z3 M sane year. It was a very sexy looking car, but I hated getting in and out of it. To me, it's an ergonomic nightmare with poor peddle placement and horrible visibility outward.
The Z3 looks great in your driveway but falls far short in driveabilty.
I was forced by a divorce to sell it. But the joke was on my ex. I actually hated the car and felt no remorse in parting with it.
I almost immediately replaced it with a 2004 Mini Cooper S, which is wildly fun to drive and far exceeded expectations.
This seems to be a common point of feedback from many BMW owners especially those who bought a used high mileage unit. Seems somewhere between 60-80k things start coming apart and costing $$$.
Trust BMW to be the only brand where the damn BADGES are a maintenence item 😂
Oh no, Alfa Romeo are as well.
6k on a 6k premium car is not bad. Total 1.2k equals to a monthly rent for my studio. 😒
So am I correct to think BMW build expensive cars that are low quality? I was told by a local mechanic to only lease them and turn them in under warranty miles. Seems to me the high dollar should equal high quality.
The 1995-1999 Nissan Gloria/Cedric parked next to the Silver Chevy Z04 is so beautiful.
Not sure I'd attribute the expense of refreshing this car to its German origin. Its just an old car issue. Every rubber part on a car has a defined life span as rubber reacts with oxygen and other things in the air and degrades with time. There is no way around it. Seals, bushings, and hangers all need replacing over time. For something that old I'd say its totally normal. An old Supra or RX7 will have the same issues.
I wonder if anyone has invented plastic windows for convertible tops that don't scratch/haze easily? Every top with that type of window looks so bad after just a few years.
I've used a Coleman propane lantern with those mantles fairly recently. The warmth plus light was nice to have in a yurt with no electricity or stove on a chilly night.
If you want to spend more money, take that car to that detailed Hoovie has used. They will make that paint glow
BMW Z3, cool, I'll watch it! You get distracted for a second, and suddenly there's a radioactive Christmas tree!