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    Hi everyone, what a great forum...

    Back in 2000 I bought a Z3 MC on the spur-of-the-moment when I took my car into a dealership for a service. I sold it 18 months later and regretted it ever since. I can't remember the number plate but it was a W reg Estoril blue car and was the demo car for Wellsway BMW in Bath before I bought it as the second owner. I wonder if anyone here has it?

    A week ago I had another spur-of-the-moment-moment and decided to buy another to replace my daily driver. It's a single owner car with 64k miles in Estoril blue and FBWMSH, completely original. Arrives Monday! Probably paid over the odds but the history seemed to be quite rare for an almost 20-year old car...

    I'll post some pics when it arrives

  • #2
    Congratulations Ben, and welcome to the madhouse
    Not actually in the least bit fat

    2000 S50 Titanium Silver / Black
    ACS Suspension, Exhaust & Type III Wheels
    Simota carbon air intake | Strong Strut Front Brace

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    • #3
      Thanks Tony

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      • #4
        Welcome to the forum

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        • #5
          Welcome Ben
          1998 ///M Coupe

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          • #6
            Didn't accept the car in the end

            I didn't buy it in the end. I had the start of bubbling on the rear arches and the engine was completely flat when you floored it in 5th from 50mph, it just had no urgency. May have been the plugs, but it had supposedly had a service so I wasn't comfortable. The dealer was very understanding and took it away without any issue whatsoever which was good of them and I appreciated their professionalism.

            So my quest continues.

            If anyone has the Bath Wellsway demo car (Estoril Blue W-reg) that I originally bought from them please do get in touch. I am hoping it's still out there somewhere :)

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            • #7
              No torque

              The other thing that was worrying was that my memory of my older Z3MC was that when the roads were wet you could easily get the rear to break traction but in the car I was going to buy today there wasn't enough from the engine to make the wheels break away on the wet roads.

              My thought is that the VANOS unit was suspect? I'd be interested to know if that fits with the thoughts of the experts here? The engine sounded fine, no oil smoke, just no torque

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              • #8
                Difficult to say without a code read but as you say, lack of torque would be a concern. Could be the vanos but could equally be something else.
                1998 ///M Coupe

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                • #9
                  Search continues

                  Thanks Ian, I'll continue to look for the right car

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                  • #10
                    S50 can sometimes feel a bit flat and sometimes really responsive ime. But if it was really flat it could be something. I had a faulty knock sensor a few years ago and that kept the timing held back on a safe map I suspect; top end power felt ok but there was no urgency or torque low down and midrange.

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                    • #11
                      Thank you, that sounds like it could be similar. I tired to get the rear wheels to break traction but couldn't, it was ok higher up in the rev range but poor at the low end. I tried from 50-70 in 5th and it felt really sluggish which is not normally the case, so it does sound similar to your experience perhaps with a faulty knock sensor. For a car that was supposed to be A1 that really rang alarm bells for me so I walked away. No point paying top price and then having a list of work to do on the car. If it had been priced appropriately I would have snapped it up and invested in bringing the car up to A1 condition.

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                      • #12
                        Welcome to the forum!

                        Good to hear the dealer acted properly regarding cancelling the deal but sad to hear of another disappointing offering from a supposedly prestige dealer - I may be wrong, but I guess it's the one at Parkway.

                        If so, the advert shows poor knowledge of the car or just a lack of diligence: multi-function steering wheel? Optional diff lock? Embossed leather? And don't look too closely or you'll see the painted brake pads and disc edges to match the freshly painted calipers (obviously couldn't be bothered to mask up the pads when they painted the calipers). It really bugs me that these dealers get away with selling a premium product at a premium price when they appear to care so little about the product and / or its preparation!

                        Anyway, combined with the poor running / lack of power and rust coming through on that one I think I need to increase the price of my 62k mile S50 should I get round to advertising it again...

                        Ben, it sounds like you've got your heart set on an Estoril car but you're welcome to come and have a look at my Titan Silver to see if it floats your boat. Either way, good luck with your search and hopefully welcome to the club soon!
                        S54 Black / Imola. S50 Titan / Black. And some bits from Stuttgart.

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                        • #13
                          Sometimes a battery disconnect can help

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by bencobb View Post
                            Thank you, that sounds like it could be similar. I tired to get the rear wheels to break traction but couldn't, it was ok higher up in the rev range but poor at the low end. I tried from 50-70 in 5th and it felt really sluggish which is not normally the case, so it does sound similar to your experience perhaps with a faulty knock sensor. For a car that was supposed to be A1 that really rang alarm bells for me so I walked away. No point paying top price and then having a list of work to do on the car. If it had been priced appropriately I would have snapped it up and invested in bringing the car up to A1 condition.
                            I don’t think my coupe would break traction in 5th at 50-70 mph on a dry road. I don’t even think my R8 with near 600bhp would spin the wheels at that speed in 5th gear.

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                            • #15
                              I don't think that's what he meant :) I think he meant breaking traction setting off in 1st. TBH you have to be very aggressive to break traction as they have an LSD, fairly wide tyres and only modest torque. Cold roads in winter can sometimes catch you out in 2nd gear though, I've had tyres spin up in a straight line but very rare.

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