This winters project (Z3M coupe)

[Peet]

I've  been after a coupe as a project for a bit now (especially after driving the other one during the summer) and eventually picked one up today

It needs a bit of work and parts finding for it but mainly the engine and box (which i already have).

 It seems to of had a few changes over the years n does have a RX7 engine and box fitted (sort of) which i won't be staying as it looks out of place.

A few pics of how it stands at the moment







Hopefully i'll be able to get it in the garage next to my bro's coupe then i have something to look at to work out where all the bits of plastic / trim go inside.

Just a few more pics of the car and stuff that came with it









Hopefully this will keep me away from doing any more work / modifications to the E30 (its fine as it is and i'd only spoil it)

[jimbom30cab]

brilliant mate, love it, am sure you will enjoy that

[Kedge]

Should be a cool project and thank you for saving it. Was the previous owner turning it into a track car?

[lyricalnut02]

good luck with the project, looks good

[Peet]

Should be a cool project and thank you for saving it. Was the previous owner turning it into a track car?

Yeah think the previous owner to the one i bought it off was going use it as a track car but never got it finished.

[Simon13]

what d!ckhead takes out the S50?! for a wankel engine, i'm not feeling the benefits of the swap?!

[bss325i]

Poor car! Hopefully you can turn it back round and make it something nice again.

[e30topless]

nice buy Pete, was it cheap ? are you using the S50 from the tech 1 ?

[Peet]

what d!ckhead takes out the S50?! for a wankel engine, i'm not feeling the benefits of the swap?!

Nah i can't see the logic either, its baffled everyone. Could understand if it was a standard 1.9 z3 but not a M, seems a backwards step.

Poor car! Hopefully you can turn it back round and make it something nice again.

Yeah with a bit of time it'll be back to how it should be, well apart from being white and not silver (someone gave it a respray.

nice buy Pete, was it cheap ? are you using the S50 from the tech 1 ?

I thought it was a good price for what it is and couldn't be missed (think with buying the car the engine and the bits needed it'll still be a saving on buying one running and i have the fun of building it)

I am not sure yet i have another S50 but its missing a few parts so might use the one out of the E30 for now.

[Peet]

Bit more progress made today

Got it off the trailer and next to the garage to make it easier to work on and saves running extension leads all over to run the grinder.

Mi bro’s coupe tucked away in the garage



Then got on with finishing off removing the black rubbish off the boot floor to see how bad the floor is (its a common problem on all Z3's for the diff to put strain on the hanger and boot floor and cause it to split and bend, this had been repaired but looks to be a poor job)

Before



After, doesn’t look as bad now it’s clean





Next job was to remove the diff and get a look at the underside, this looks a bit worse but nothing that can’t be fixed





Tomorrow’s job is to cut out the box section and boot floor

The channel / box section is being cut out from just inside the anti roll bar mounts (these are coming off as well to allow some strengthening plates to be fitted).

The floor is being removed to the edge of the lip on the channel on the underside and the full width of the floor to the raised sections at each side.

[e30topless]

cool thread/build I hate Z3's but would really enjoy a Z3 coupe,

this should be good

[bss325i]

Perfect time to mod the boot floor to take an normal E36 twin mount diff back plate.

[appletree]

Can only guess the RX7 engine would be to lower the center of gravity and for better weight distribution. Bit extreme for Joe bloggs in the street to require for a trackday car.

[H35-IAN]

i like the look of that project the z3 m coupes are amazing and not seen one in white before i dont recall!! lol rx7 engine too small id say s54 with csl inlet manifold

[Peet]

Perfect time to mod the boot floor to take an normal E36 twin mount diff back plate.

Looked into a E36 diff mount but decided to stick with the Z3 one 

i like the look of that project the z3 m coupes are amazing and not seen one in white before i dont recall!! lol rx7 engine too small id say s54 with csl inlet manifold  

Going off the coupe forum there is only 1 orginal white coupe in the UK and this one thats been sprayed (it was orginally silver)

Well managed to get the boot floor /diff mount out today



The member looks like its a bit past it



But have managed to jack the rest of the floor back up and start to weld it back in place



Off to enquire about getting a new section made tomorrow. The plan is to replace the underside U- section then weld a new plate in for the floor and then weld another U- section on the top to tie the floor into the 2 side rails.

[mani]

cool project car

[e30topless]

id say s54 with csl inlet manifold

that was my thought !

would an M60 fit in there ?

[Peet]

id say s54 with csl inlet manifold

that was my thought !

would an M60 fit in there ?

the M60 does fit in with a bit of work, its just finding one with a gearbox for the right price that is the problem.

[Jhonno]

S62...?

[Peet]

Bit more progress made this evening, got the lower U-section (my bro formed it for me) cut and fitted, ready to start welding tomorrow.

[Dezzy]

This is defos a watcher!

Looking forward to watching this one unfold

[Peet]

Found a old pic of the car before it was pulled to bits by the previous owner



I didn't get any of the lights (think they had spent a bit on them)

[HairyScreech]

am i the only one liking the idea of the turbo washing machine drum then?

a nice 300-350hp turbo b13 set up could be quite nice in the z3m.

[Simon13]

i guess its super rare in alpina white 3 is it?

[Peet]

i guess its super rare in alpina white 3 is it?

Its a bit different, from data on the coupe forum there is 1 genuine white one in the uk and this one which has been re-sprayed was silver when it left BMW, there might be others but i've never seen one

[Touring_IOM]

I have never seen a BMW Z3 coupe before and I think I have fallen in love. I am deffently keeping a close eye on this!

[Peet]

I have never seen a BMW Z3 coupe before and I think I have fallen in love. I am deffently keeping a close eye on this!

They are a quality car Just so different from everday cars


Bit more progress made today, decided to start on the front end, RX7 lump is out



The dodgy engine mounts they had made  (not sure they would take much power)



Back on with welding the diff mount up later

[Peet]

Well today the lower section of the boot floor repair has been welded in, will give it a clean up tomorrow and measure up for the upper part, hopefully it'll be welded in, sealed and painted by next weekend



Then i can start the nice easy job of putting the trim back in haha

[Peet]

Bit more progress made on the coupe, started to put the trim back in





Last of the welding to the boot floor should hopefully be finished this weekend.

[paps78]

nice thread

[Peet]

Well bit more welding done (boot floor is all back together now) just need to make a new diff hanger and then all welding  is finished

[Peet]

Bit more work done today, managed to get all the trim back in, only missing 4 or 5 bits (not too bad given its been passed around in bits)





Going to put the diff back in tomorrow and then it can go back on its wheels and then its on with the engine.

[lugy]

I didn't realise these were in the reaches of the bodging community! Did it have an engine failure or was the PO just mad?

They're quite odd cars IMO, I'm quite liking them though.

I'll sell you an M62 4.4 for cheapness - V8 hatchback FTW!

[TouringTash]

How about this as an idea http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280767412639? ... 1423.l2649

I'm sure a zoner has dropped a few different lumps in a z3. Glen??

[adit]

good interesting thread.
do you have any pictures on the finished boot floor before the carpets were fitted?
what finish did you use?