Like Zorro, the seats of today’s Nice Price or No Dice BMWs have black masks. Let’s see if the price of this neat but not perfect roadster seems fair or feels like highway robbery.
When you think of goths, you picture those high school kids who always wear black, wear a lot of pale makeup, and really hate gym class. In fact, that group of iconoclastic outcasts takes its name from a group of Germanic tribes who in 5th AD century played a major role in the overthrow of the Roman Empire. From this group we also get Gothic architecture, which became the successor to the Romanesque styles in medieval Europe.
The 1994 Mercedes-Benz E 320 Cabriolet we considered on Tuesday offers Teutonic, timeless styling that still impresses today, a full three decades after it was conceived. It reflects the enduring power of German style and engineering. When its $15,499 price tag was taken into account, many of you thought it would be worth keeping it around for a while. This was evident in the 62% ‘Nice Price’ win for Benz.
No wrong answers?
Since we had so much fun with yesterday’s German convertible, let’s keep the party humming with another one, albeit from Mercedes’ perennial rival, BMW. While car people generally claim that Mazda’s Miata is the answer to any of today’s automotive queries 1999 BMW Z3 2.8 This in itself is the Bavarian carmaker’s answer to that wildly popular roadster.
Initially hitting the road in 1996, the small two-seater was the first mass-production car with a Z badge, the earlier Z1 having only been produced in small numbers and never sold in the U.S. BMW decided to not only sell the Z3 in the States, but also build them at the company’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant. Initially, like the Miata, offered only in four-cylinder form, the Z3 was eventually granted membership in the straight-six club, taking its role model up a notch. Later M versions would turn the wick even brighter, although despite the upgrades, the Z3’s chassis has struggled to keep up.
between
This Boston Green over tan and black leather edition sits between the Baby Bears, offering a 2.8-liter M52 straight six and a ZF-sourced five-speed manual as its drivetrain. In the Z3, that’s good for a factory-claimed 190 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. According to the seller, the car has seen regular maintenance over the years and recently enjoyed a full change of fluids in anticipation of reaching six figures on its odometer. Currently, it covers a distance of 94,000 miles. According to the seller, it is completely stock, with no modifications or monkey bars, although the aftermarket head unit is slightly different.
It also makes a great first impression in photographs. The metallic green paint matches wonderfully with the tan top and beautifully styled 42 alloy wheels. By the way, they are “new Z rated tires” as the seller says. The ad shows some scratches in the paint, as is appropriate for a car of this age that has been enjoyed, but nothing serious appears in the photos.
Breakdown
However, it is an older car and there are some places where it has waved the white flag. The convertible top mechanism has failed, the ad states, and now must be raised and lowered manually. The seller says it’s a lightweight top, so it won’t require extra days of working out at the gym.
Another obvious issue is the glove box door, which is falling off the latch side. This is an incredibly notorious problem on the Z3, to the extent that both replacement boxes and retrofit reinforcement kits are readily available to fix the problem once and for all.
This is the only glaring flaw in the cabin. The seats look black, but those are just aftermarket covers that protect the brown factory leather underneath. To show that it is in good condition, the advertisement features a scene of a passenger fight. The only other non-original item here is an aftermarket stereo. Perhaps compensating for this, the seller advises that the car will come with all of its original manuals and some service history, as well as a clean title.
with family
It was all apparently scavenged from his grandfather’s garage by the seller. Grandpa bought the car new and kept it in Southern California for most of the use, so the car is rust free.
It’s now available in Boise, Idaho, a reasonable distance from California, with a price of $7,500. According to the seller, extensive research was done regarding the appropriate range and condition of such cars before determining the price. However, you know what? They did not ask us our opinion. I am going to correct that mistake now.
What do you think of this clean Z3 at its $7,500 asking price? Given the presentation and description of the car, does it seem fair to you? Or does that price warrant the seller keeping it in the family?
You decide!
boise, idaho, CraigslistOr go here if the ad disappears.
Help me with good price or no dice. Contact me at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.
