My £600 z3

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Thought I'd start a progress thread about my new z3.

Just wanted a cheap second car and heard good things about z3's.

I life on the west Wales costs so miles from anywhere. Found 2 cheap cars, both around 1.5hrs away.

One was a pre facelift 1.9 auto. Full red leather interior and only 80,000. It was £1000.

The other was a facelift 2.0 manual. High miles but full mot. Had a horrible wrap on it and cloth interior. Was only £600.

Because I wanted a manual, and am prone to stupid choices, I went for the 2.0.

I looked just as horrible in real life as it did in the photos I'd seen.

The money was paid and I was the proud owner of a car 'powered by fairdust' according to one of many horrible sticker.

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

After the embarrassment of the drive home had worn the first job was to rip off the wrap.

My hopes of finding an immaculate paint job underneath were soon dashed.

All I found was rush spots and accident damage on the nose

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Rust was rubbed down to bear metal where possible and treated where small amount of pitting was left. Primed and protected.

Nose was rubbed back and filled.

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Accident damage

 

[t-tony]

Welcome to our world Richard.

Tony.

 

[ZTec]

Nice work Richard, we like seeing progress like this. What colour are you painting it, are you doing it yourself?

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Nice work Richard, we like seeing progress like this. What colour are you painting it, are you doing it yourself?

Easiest and cheapest option is Matt black full dip (liquid vinyl). Might add a colour at a later date once wheels and interior are sorted.

Below is my inspiration for exterior

 

[ZTec]

Easiest and cheapest option is Matt black full dip (liquid vinyl). Might add a colour at a later date once wheels and interior are sorted.

Below is my inspiration for exterior

Looking forward to seeing that.

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

The vinyl wrap did a lot of damage to the bonnet as it came off. So a lot of heavy sanding to get it smooth. Excuse the colour but just using it to help me see where needs more work

 

[Jack Ratt]

Are you going to wrap it yourself ? If you are, a "How To" thread would be interesting to see. Best of luck mate

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Are you going to wrap it yourself ? If you are, a "How To" thread would be interesting to see. Best of luck mate

Liquid wrap that you spray on. About 8 coats and it peels off better than vinyl wrap. Going for the matt black as apparently that's the hardest colour to mess up lol

 

[windym]

Hi, they all need something doing to them, try @spurs fan in a coupe for spares both body and mech.

Andy

 

[Richard Mancini-howells]

Hi, they all need something doing to them, try @spurs fan in a coupe for spares both body and mech.

Andy

Everybody has been very helpful so far

 

[Brian H]

Everybody has been very helpful so far

Yup, we’re like they here, looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Low Rider]

Welcome Richard

 

[Bazza]

From sunny Dorset

 

[Shelly]

Hi and welcome to ZroadSter

 

[gookah]

welcome on board.

You've got yourself a Rescue Zed
Nice to see it has been taken from that abusive home.
It will get a much better life now.

Interesting to know that pulling a wrap off destroys the paint underneath. Not what they tell you when they say its fully reversible.

 

[Bampz]

Hi Richard and from me also in West Wales and good luck resurrecting a poor Z and bringing back to life

 

[t-tony]

Removal of a wrap relies in general on the condition of the surface it was applied to, also that enough heat is used to break the bond.

Tony.