Let There Be (More) Light... a Little

A few weeks ago, we were invited to a fun outdoor party at Matt Sware's new house in Strasburg.  The party didn't start until 8:00 pm, and it was fully dark well before then. Mary Ellen and I went in the Coupe, so we could park next to Matt's 2000 M Coupe - same color! He saved me a special space next to his. We looked very mysterious parked together there in the dark. I tried to take a picture via flashlight, but that was an absolute fail.

For those of you who don't know, Strasburg is out in the country, and we took the country back roads to get there. Dark! Really dark. I guess we're spoiled, since both Mary Ellen's BMW 328 and my new VW GTI have xenon headlights, but it felt like we were making our way (in John Biemiller's evocative phrase) by shining a flashlight out the window. I resolved then and there to try to upgrade the lights.

Unsticking the Stuck, Part 1

Sometimes nuts, bolts and screws just get stuck, and no amount of effort will unstick them! I previously posted about a visit to Jack's Auto and Aero, to enlist Jack's help with stuck nuts on my exhaust system, and some serious seized brake lines. What I didn't tell in that post was that there was one more stuck bolt, and it is still stuck.

Stopping the Clutch

The BMW Z3 was built to a budget. All cars are, but the Z3 in particular has a bit of a "parts-bin special" reputation. In the early 90's, there were very few convertibles even being sold. But then Mazda hit a home run with the Miata, and BMW decided to test the waters with a brand new model - the Z3, introduced in 1996. To save development and parts costs, many Z3 parts were recycled from the BMW 3-series coupes and sedans, and the interior in particular was rather cheaply made.

It's obvious that the original spec for the Z3 included a stop behind the clutch pedal, to limit the pedal travel. Every Z3 convertible and coupe has a threaded hole in the floorboard, behind the clutch:

A Beginner Lathe Project for the Z3 Coupe

In my last post, I told of my new "mini machine shop" equipment, and of how I needed to make a big buy of tooling to complete it. Well, that didn't take long! After a few nights understanding the offerings on the Little Machine Shop website, I pulled the trigger and bought two "kits" of tooling, one for the mill and the other for the lathe. It was a pile of stuff:

Grant St. Update

I haven't been working on the Z3 Coupe much lately, because I've had another project that was consuming me.  The Grant St. Garage is now a machine shop!  Well, sort of...

Sign of the Times

I love my little Z3 Coupe, but I am the first to admit that it's a "ten footer." That is, it looks like a new car from ten feet away, but get close and you can see plenty of road rash, a windshield filled with stone chips, and a few faded spots.  You know, patina - folks are paying big money for that at auctions these days!

We're planning a road tour with the Nittany Bimmers chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, and I decided to make a little sign to put in the windshield when the car is parked. Kind of a preemptive strike against those who might think, "That's not exactly pristine." It will be laminated, so I can write the exact mileage on at the show.  You saw it here first!

A Work Light That Works!

I will admit to being a serial buyer of LED lighting - I think that the technology is amazing, and constantly getting better. Recently I picked up a new one. It's a pocket work light by Nebo called the "Larry" - I have no idea who Larry is! The good lighting of the interior photos of my door in my last post was courtesy of my Larry light. Here's a pic:

Diving into the Door, Part 2

In Part 1 of this saga, I detailed removing the door card and finding a crucial reset procedure so the window lift mechanism would work again.  Now, it was time to remove the window, replace the sliders and grease everything up.  There was one more web link that was really useful for that procedure:

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?709563-Replacing-sliders-and-greasing-front-door-tracks

Diving Into the Door, Part 1

The passenger side window on my Z3 Coupe was slow... REALLY slow.  Especially descending.  It was so tortuous that I would usually reach across the car and help it down.  So, off to the Internet I went, and found some disquieting info.  This is an incredibly common problem on BMW's of the E36 vintage, and there is a real danger of severe damage.  There's a post welded in the door, which functions as a pivot for the window mechanism.  Let things bind for too long, and that can snap off, and then you're in a world of hurt.  BMW says replace the door.  Internet pundits say you can weld it back, after total disassembly, but who wants to get into that mess?

A Visit to Jack's

In my last post, I mentioned that there were two (of six) brake lines that I was unable to remove.  I was fearful that if I put on too much pressure, the hard line would shear, and then I'd be stuck!  I decided to pay another visit to Jack Miller's shop in Bainbridge.  An independent BMW service facility, Jack's Auto and Aero has been involved from the beginning of this project.  In fact, there's a brief video of the shop in my very first post.

Turns out that this was a very wise decision!  Jack was astonished at how tight those two brake line connections were.

Shocking! Part II...

In Part I, I showed the start of this project to install new Bilstein shocks and Bavarian Autosport springs in the Z3 Coupe.  That ended with the rear done - now it's time for the front.  This is well-documented on the web, so I won't do the step-by-step procedure.

I will, however, post a picture of a technique that I read somewhere.  Everyone who saw it laughed at me, but it worked great.  See, after you remove the strut, you have to support the suspension and brake assembly so that it won't swing out and damage the brake lines or other components.  The idea is to insert one lug bolt, and tie a rope from there to the engine lift point at the front center of the block.  Worked great!

Shocking! Part I...

What a wonderfully utilitarian little car, this Z3 Coupe - look how nicely a full set of shocks and springs fits into the back!

New Tunes!

Happy Birthday to me!  Look what Mary Ellen gave me for my birthday - a new stereo for the Z3 Coupe.  I wonder how she knew exactly which one to buy?

Seat Time, Part 3

This is the tale of a lucky find, and also of the way that knowledge seeps away with time, causing once-common knowledge to disappear.  That has always been a big issue in auto restoration, but it will be huge in years to come, when folks are trying to restore electronic systems that were cutting-edge when made, but now obsolete.

I previously posted in Seat Time, Part 1 and Seat Time, Part 2 about my driver's seat, which was stuck in the highest position, putting my head against the roof of the car.  The problem was a broken gearbox in the seat pedestal, and that is not a service item.  I was able to manually adjust the seat to a reasonable position, but all the other faults of the seat remained: torn upholstery, and very hard foam and leather.

Airing the Spare (Original Post: Jan 4, 2013)

My very first BMW was also the only one that I've ever bought brand-new for myself - the new cars are usually reserved for Mary Ellen. It was in 1997 that I got my beautiful green Z3 2.8 Roadster. When the Z3 was first released in 1996, it came only with a 1.9 liter four-cylinder engine. In 1997 the 2.8 liter inline 6 was announced, and the magazines went nuts over it. I decided that would be just the ticket!

When I was shopping for the car, after doing much research in magazines and on the rudimentary web sites of the time, I showed up at Faulkner BMW with a rolling carry-on suitcase in one hand and a substantial computer case in the other.

Salesman Rob Howry met me at the door, and I introduced myself, pointed to the Z3 and said, "Would you mind opening the trunk?"  He did, and the bags fit, and I said, "Great!  Now we can talk!"

More on that Sticky Hood Latch (Original Post: Dec 20, 2012)

About a month ago, I filed this post about my efforts with my hood latch - its mechanism was stiff and "gritty", and it took a mighty pull to open the hood.  After removing, cleaning and lubricating the two latches, and replacing the Bowden cable between them, I was rewarded with a latch mechanism that was easier and smoother to use, but still required more force that I wanted to open the hood.

So, I recruited my friend John to put some judicious pressure on the hood while I was pulling the release in the car, to see if pushing or pulling on the hood would lessen the force required to release. Turned out that pushing was the right direction, which implied that one of the catches was too tight.

Wheels Down! Up... Down. (Original Post: Dec 12, 2012)

As I alleged in my last post, I did get all the engine parts back in place, and fired it up!  Everything seemed to be fine, so I set about completing the work to put the car on the ground.  It had been on my portable lift for over two months:

Working on my ABS, Part 3 (Original Post: Dec 3, 2012)

Some wise person once declared, "If you have something important to tell me, for heaven's sake, start at the end!" So.... It works!  It works!  It works!

"Rust Free" (Original Post: Nov 19, 2012)

You just have to smile when you see a project car advertised, "Rust Free."  There's no such thing, unless the car has just finished a Pebble-Beach-quality restoration!  Even on your modern daily drivers, it's not hard to find rust on exposed fasteners, frame rails, brake disks and the like.

But, we do expect that modern galvanized cars to have bodies without rust holes, at least for the first few years.  However, it's not hard to find rust holes in a 1999 model, so one of the reasons I was drawn to my 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe, even with 196,500 miles, was its straight, accident-free body.

Working on my ABS, Part 2 (Original post: Nov 11, 2012)

This is part 2 of (at least) 3. In part 1 I discussed the various issues that have had me dragging my feet about starting to replace the ABS controller, but it was time to put on my big boy pants and really take a chance to screw things up!  I didn't screw up (yet) but it's not fixed yet either - that's how I know there will be a part 3.

One Sticky Latch, or Two (Original Post: Nov 10, 2012)

Ever since I've owned my Z3 Coupe, the hood latch has been very difficult to open.  Indeed, the prior owner, Chris, had actually pulled so hard that the handle had broken loose - it still worked, but had a queasy looseness that seemed to say, "I'm gonna break someday and make you miserable."

Working on my ABS, Part 1 (Original post: Nov 10, 2012)

No, this isn't about my abdominal exercise program, it's about my anti-lock braking system!  Since I've owned the car, the ABS warning light has been on, as well as the traction control light (which is controlled by the ABS system, applying single brakes as needed for traction control).  Amazingly, in Pennsylvania you don't have to have working ABS to get a safety inspection sticker.  You have to have working fog lights if fitted, and a working windshield washer if fitted, but your ABS brakes can be AWOL, no problem!

Diagnosing the Patient (Original Post: Oct 21, 2012)

I bought my 1999 Z3 Coupe with my eyes open - obviously, a car with 196,000+ miles could have some serious mechanical problems.  The superb condition of the body, and largely, the interior, coupled with some obvious mechanical needs, made the car really desirable to me - one that I could work on without having to become a paint and body expert.

When evaluating the car before buying, I took heart from the fact that it ran smoothly and strongly, with no obvious smoke or bad noises.  I think that the high mileage was actually a plus for that - cars stay in good shape longer when they are regularly used, and it would have taken some highway mileage to reach that big total.

Spending Money (Original Post: Oct 16, 2012)

Just spent an hour and a half on the Bavarian Autosport website, gathering up parts for this phase of the project.  This is actually the culmination of hours and hours of research, first understanding the needed parts on the BMW online parts system (www.realoem.com www.PenskeParts.com) and then comparing prices on the web.  There were some cheaper prices on eBay, but they were usually Chinese pattern parts instead of the good German stuff.  I wound up with a mix of genuine BMW and parts from German suppliers.

Diving In (Original Post: Oct 16, 2012)

Now that the garage is up and running, I actually have found some time to work on the Z3 Coupe. For such a clean little car, it has a good bit of deferred maintenance and old-age problems that I'll be tackling as time and money permit.  The first big batch will turn it (I hope) into a reliable driver that I can trust to go on a long journey if I choose.
This first batch of repairs includes:

1. Full tune-up: filters, plugs, belts
2. Change all fluids: oil, trans and rear end gear oil, antifreeze, brake fluid
3. Rebuilt cooling system - go here for what happened as I waited to get that done...
4. Replace cam cover gasket, to cure a nasty oil leak
5. Replace ABS controller with a used one, to fix ABS and traction control warning lights

An Unexpected Shower (Original Post: July 8, 2012)

I haven't been posting lately, because I haven't been working on the Z3 Coupe.  As noted in my last post almost 3 months ago, all my "hobby time" has been spent on the Grant St. Garage, which will soon be the place where I can work on the Coupe.

However, I have been gently driving it about every two weeks, just to keep it somewhat limber.  You'll recall from an earlier post that the radiator was "spritzing" water occasionally, so I never drove it more than 5 miles from home, and in general took it pretty easy.

Today was one of those afternoons when I exercised the Coupe, and I made a big mistake: I took Mary Ellen with me. Of course, the car decided to fail with her in attendance!

Inspection Failure #4: Control Arm (Original Post: Feb 3, 2012)

Well, a comment poured into the mailbag last night, reminding me that I haven't updated in a while.The big news is that the Z3 did pass state inspection and the emissions inspection in late December!  The final failure to be repaired was a failed control arm in the front suspension.

Of course, for nearly every other car in the world, I would have said a failed ball joint, and just replaced that component.  But on BMWs of the Z3's vintage, the ball joint was permanently attached to the control arm, and the only way to fix it is to replace the entire arm.

Inspection Failure #3 - Tires (Original Post: Dec 23, 2011)

I suppose this should have been failure #1, since it was obvious I'd need tires before I bought the car.  However, it has taken this long to get this failure fixed, even though I bought the tires on Sep. 26, 2011, one day after I bought the car.

Seat Time, Part 2 (Original Post: Dec 1, 2011)

I suppose any good researcher has to report his failures as well as his successes, so....  You may have read my post about the mechanism that raises and lowers the drivers seat, or more to the point, did not do so.  I was able in that first experiment to manually adjust the seat so it was almost correct.  But... I wanted it to work!

Small problem: the gearbox (which would not turn but about three-quarters of a revolution) is not a service part.  That means you have to buy the assembly that it is part of, instead.  In this case, that assembly was the entire seat base for nearly $1000!

Seat Time, part 1 (Original Post: Nov 1, 2011)

This is my second car with this body style (the first being a 2001 M Coupe), and even though it is genuinely tiny with a tight passenger compartment, I was always comfortable in the previous M Coupe.  No so in this Z3 Coupe - my head was rubbing on the roof!  It didn't take long to figure out that the driver's seat was stuck in the highest position.  Pressing the button to lower it made motor noises, but no movement.  Drat.

Inspection Failure #2 - Windshield Washers (Original Post: Nov 23, 2011)

I certainly knew that you had to have good windshield wipers to get an inspection sticker, but I didn't know that windshield washers, if fitted, must be operational.  Of course, mine were dead - motor was shot.

On a regular Z3 Roadster, you can buy a Chinese washer pump from eBay for about 10 bucks, including shipping.  But, of course, the Coupe is different - it has a wiper and washer on the back window also, so the pump is unique, with two outlets and the ability to pump front or back, depending on the polarity of the voltage applied to the two contacts.  That is a BMW-only part, and it cost 72 bucks, even with my BMWCCA discount!  Holy moley!

Inspection Failure #1 - Fog Lights (Original Post: Nov 18, 2011)

When I spent the morning at Jack's Auto and Aero, we identified the list of things that would flunk my Z3 for state inspection.  The first thing surprised me - both my fog lights failed, for different reasons.  I assumed that since fog lights are optional, they would not be a failure, but if they are there, they have to work and meet the specifications.  My passenger light failed due to a broken lens, and the driver's side flunked because some prior owner had glued on a yellow lens - in PA, it must be clear.

Jack said that if I just removed them and left them off, then it would pass.  However, I found that inelegant.  I didn't want to drive around with unfinished holes in my bumper!

Uplifting! (Original Post: Nov 10, 2011)

Modern cars need a lift, no question about it.  When I started as a car guy 40 years ago, it was easy to roll the floor jack under the car, and lift from the crossmember in the front, and the differential housing in the back.  If you try that now, even if you can find those components under the aerodynamic underbellies, you're seriously likely to break something.

On TV, all those guys have beautiful two-post lifts that will lift the car so high you need a ladder to change the oil.  But in the real world, that won't work.  No clearance in the garage, no concrete pilings underneath, no money for a good one.  So, I've been haunting the site http://ezcarlift.com/ for a while, looking at this neat lift.  I was dragging my feet due to the cost, but I finally called and talked to the lift's inventor, Boytcho Manev.  The "t" is silent, so it's pronounced "BOY-cho".

Let There Be Light! (Original Post: Oct 2011)

Like many older cars, my Z3 had such foggy headlights that the light kind of just dribbled out.  Here's the "before" shot:

A New Toy (original post: Oct 2011)

Welcome to the second iteration of Emery's Z3 Coupe blog.  The first was on Posterous.com, which closed its doors in April, 2013.  I moved selected posts over here, cleaning them up and combining several as I went.  This is a diary for my work, and, I hope, a useful tool for those with similar cars.  This first post combines two from October, 2011.

Here it is, my latest project car: a 1999 BMW Z3 Coupe!  The car doesn't look much like a project - see?