Another F800GS delay?

Beemerdons said:

However, you really caught my attention with your knowledge of BMW cars and particularly the Z3 sports car. If you don't want to clog up the thread by replying here my personal e-mail is beemerdons@aol.com and I want to know about the Z3

I'm wild about 4 cylinder sports cars: Triumph Spitfire, MGB, Mini Cooper, TR4 and my greatest 4 cylinder sports car I've owned, my 1966 Volvo P1800S; 500K miles.

If you don't mind, I would like to pick your brain regarding the BMW Z3 1.9 liter four cylinder roadsters; any pros and cons that you can tell me about this model.

Any links or articles about the 4 cylinder BMW Z3 would sincerely appreciated. Don

Click to expand...

www.bmwcca.org
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1996-to-2002-bmw-z3.htm
http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/z3/review.html
http://www.z3bimmer.com/
http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/z3/
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=228
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=137


In fact, I think I've probably got a few older CCA mags around here that have articles on the Z3. If I find them I can hand them off to your family here...Then they can send it off to you in the next care package!


And follow this link.
http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/moto.cgi

Type in what your looking for.
This combines classified and auction listings from various sites...

It says its only for motorcycles but it works for cars as well...
such as this finding.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-...9511907QQsspagenameZRSSQ3aBQ3aSRCHQ3aUSQ3a101

One other thing to keep in mind about the 90s-early 00s...

Read this carefully...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=349393

This was a concern I had with my e36.

Wow, Kutcher: Thanks for all of the resources on the BMW Z3 Sports Car. Many thanks!

Kutcher, This's just great! Will have plenty of locations to find more Z3 info. THX! D

Beemerdons said:

I'm wild about 4 cylinder sports cars: Triumph Spitfire, MGB, Mini Cooper, TR4 and my greatest 4 cylinder sports car I've owned, my 1966 Volvo P1800S; 500K miles.

If you don't mind, I would like to pick your brain regarding the BMW Z3 1.9 liter four cylinder roadsters; any pros and cons that you can tell me about this model.

Click to expand...

Don, Sorry for the tardy reply, but I've been down with a cold/flu for a few days.

I see there have been plenty of posts regarding Z3 links, so I won't repeat. Thanks Kutcher. Although the Z3's have a few problems (the rear subframe issue being a primary one) you can easily check for them and correct them (the rear subframe appears to be a reinforcement issue, and I'm not really sure how many Z3's actually develop this. The one thing I would note is that I don't think the early Z3's (the first year or two, which includes the 1.9) were quite as refined as the later cars. Early audio systems were pretty poor. Rear-end styling change in 1999. I've had both, and not sure which I like better, but any trunk lid alignment problems are more noticeable on the early rear-end design.

However, the one comment I would make to you is about the engine. Although I also like 4-cylinder engines, the BMW inline 6 is a joy to behold . . . smooth and plenty of low-end torque. A four-cylinder will never provide the driving pleasure of the BMW inline 6 (especially with an exhaust system to let a little of the sound out - the early Z3 exhausts were too quiet, the later ones are much better). There are just not many inline 6's out there anymore as most carmakers have gone to V6's (including MB), and this engine really makes the Z3 a different car than the 1.9 four. If you want a four-cylinder two-seat convertible, I'd just buy a late-model Miata, and avoid any reliability issues. If you want to save some money, buy the smaller of the two 6's that were available for any specific year (and there are probably more of the smaller 6's out there to pick from). You may loose a little power, but the rest of 6 advantages will still be there. You can just pull the engine size emblem off the trunk lid and know one will know (unless they are really good about knowing which wheels went with which engine, and a few other minor trim differences).

F800GS delay?

Or did I get swithched to a car forum?

DADODIRT said:

F800GS delay?

Or did I get swithched to a car forum?

Click to expand...

Yah' sorry about that, just trying to help a fellow out upon request...

Besides, this whole "delay thing" was getting pretty boring anyway.

Its a known situation.
It really doesn't matter why.
Those that really want it will wait, and those that are ticked off will go else where.





Besides, I think that the last Bimmer, designed and engineered by engineers (rather than by accountants and stock holders) was the E30....Grab a E30 M3 4 banger....That'll show you the meaning of fun....

And if you really really want a rag top...
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...es?q=e30+m3&start=18&gbv=2&ndsp=18&hl=en&sa=N

At least next months mc mags should have a writeup on the 800GS.

tik tok tik tok

Tired of waiting, I thought I'd help with some redesign

With the delay of the F800GS to North America I had time to consider the paint schemes offered. I'm not usually one to mess with original paint but thought BMW's initial colour offerings were not quite right. In this gallery, the last two pics show what I feel is an improvement. Opinions?
http://gallery.mac.com/grantmaceachern#100107&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=40

Despite the homage to the bumblebee I thought the yellow/black to be a touch weak and the gray with black be a bit visually distracting (too many components highlighted). The reddish orange is a nod to the GSA and the dark gray/black blends the whole bike together with a much tougher appearance.

P.s.

Yes, it has been a long winter.