Nigel G Wilcox

Diary

Click on Cover For Chapters

Another vehicle to the workshop, the Z3 2.2 straight six engine. An appreciating car and over the past six months alone prices have doubled for these vehicles - ridiculous, especially when one is saving to buy one. I was originally  going to save and buy a 3.0L, prices shot up, then it was the 2.8L, the same happened, however the mileage was around the 100K plus with a price tag of £5000 to £10,000 mark, too rich for my pocket.

After viewing the ads I spotted one; a 2.2 in Hastings with a dented  front end, however with only 58,000 miles on the clock, (low considering it's age and the markets in general) and it seemed to have good leather seats. On inspecting the photographs the vehicle didn't look too bad. (one never learns, photographs can be decieving).  With a rail ticket, costing a 'years salary',   I arranged for a viewing and test run for the following afternoon...

The Viewing and test run.

Each leg of the journey; I text my location, until my mobile battery conked out on arrival at the local railway station, no problem I thought, a phone kiosk....yes? No! Not working and no way to contact the seller. I had my GPS, No signal! After a twenty minute wait contemplating what to do next, low and behold a BMW Z3 rolled up, I was thinking it was my lucky day, he gave me a test drive to his house, where we continued to look over the car. It drove great, good gearbox, engine was sweet, the rest was seen through rose coloured spectacles as it was later; when they were taken off; seen as a dustbin. Well that's not too serious as the rubbish can be disposed of and the muck can be cleaned off.

A number of serious issues were noticeable:

On deciding to take on the project, money parted company, 21.06.18 believe it or not I paid out, £1,250, I even negotiated, he wouldn't budge, (Chris could have sold it in it's condition for much more, as prices were fetching £3-4000. I did ask him during a joke and a laugh, if he had sold me a lemon! He was silent, was it in the translation? One will see. 

So I was pleased and Chris seemed pleased with the sale - documents were filled in and exchanged - MOT was from February 2018. He had tax on it, this helped me for getting it back home and my full comp insurance allowed for third party cover, as it hadn't been registered at this point in time. Chris did suggest that he would place the details of the sale through to DVLA via the internet website as there were two logbooks for the same vehicle...I did wonder about that!  I kept one and he kept the other one with the filled in details - My logbook was more up-to-date, so superseded his copy and  I also had his signature. A bill of sale, (this is important too, always get one from the seller, to include:  date, description, price, seller, recipient and signed).

With the SatNav plugged in and destination home, especially the route through London, I was off.... Top of the road, the SatNav conked out. The cigarette lighter was not working, so not charging the GPS. So it was guess work for me for the remaining journey. (Geography is not my best subject).

With £30 of fuel,  my homeward journey commenced, water temperature was constant, hood was up, no radio, as it required a security number? (One hopes it has been written on the radio chassis) Another one for the list.

The journey back was good, for the car performed well. The only criticism was towards the taped up door mirror during the travel on the motorway, the mirror threatened to part company on countless occasions, too many to mention, I did stop once at a motorway station to try and undo  the Gaffa-tape and re-tape the mirror, not too successfully. While thinking about it, the seats were not comfortable either and I was constantly adjusting the seats to accommodate the small of my back, but that could just be me. (driver seat electrics worked well). The negative aspects did take some enjoyment out of the journey, with a weathered wind drenched arm and hand, through holding the mirror, and from preventing it from flying away. (mind you, the electrics were all attached to it and it would have most likely have damaged the Z3 door bodywork, than fly off onto oncoming traffic) and there was that feeling; I was geographically lost, and  with an absence of a time schedule!

I took the Dartford Tunnel route and Stanstead and probably did add a few more miles to my journey. (Later I received a summons for non payment of using the tunnel, I didn't see that one coming either!) I probably would have done better going towards Heathrow Airport, it was a little more familiar for me at least. Eventually, with signs to the Midlands after what seemed to be an eternity,  I was happy and relieved, to see something familiar, (not many signs to Birmingham considering it is our second city via this route) this was enough for me. Got back home around 8:45ish pm, after putting another 'tenners'  worth of fuel in the tank before garaging. Not bad really, £30 from Hastings with the already dreg in-the-red at the bottom of the tank to begin with. The Z3 did better than my E39, (2.2 v 1.098).

22.06.18  Very hot day, I waited until it was a little cooler later in the afternoon. With Bin bag and cleaning equipment, I was ready for the 'Big Clean'! And big explore.

Beforehand, I was looking on eBay and other sources for replacement parts - Silver bonnet £412, all other colours were around £50 - Murphy's Law, right!  Mirror, driver's side, £85-£185. Another option is to see if the bonnet can be repaired and the front part resprayed. Or buy a £50 bonnet, rub it down and get it fully resprayed? And for the mirror? One needs to have a more detailed look at it...early days...

Hours later (8pm), All the rubbish has gone and there was a lot of it. I decided to clean the engine compartment - First clean (I will do it a few more times to get to a higher standard).

I did state the Hazard warning lights were not working, I re-checked the switch by clicking  on the centre console, a couple of taps and it was now working, same with the interior light, however I did smash the bulb trying to get it out for inspection, having to replace it  with an LED bulb and is too worked, ok.  Boot light and the cigarette socket is playing up, the latter is down to a faulty element and one is now on order. (I had a spare lighter socket somewhere, couldn't find it when I needed it!).

The more I look at the car the more I see whats wrong with it, the bodywork...….mmmmm!  Definitely looks impressive from a distance, tomorrow is another day, (wrong Bond Movie) car interior especially where the soft top stores itself, seemed like a miniature  garden, with moss  growing there, I decided to think more  positive...

23.06.18 Another warm day with a slight breeze, ideal!
I started with brushing and vacuuming the boot area, most of the tools were missing from the tool tray, however I have managed to find some BMW part replacements I had collected over the years of driving BMWs and had stored in the garage. The tray was washed and polished and all parts rusting treated with rust treatment. I took out the battery and cleaned the compartment and the plastic bin tidy in the corner or better known as  'the makeshift 'sickbin'...(this one was missing the plug).

One can almost eat off it

The gizmo with the cord by the jack, was the release mechanism for the spare wheel under the boot compartment. One always thought it was the tool to unscrew the oil lid under the bonnet, however this was not the case!

The sparewheel was a new tyre,  one of those emergency 80mph only wheels. Better than nothing...

The next stage was the interior cab, the vacuum seem to keep sucking up long hair....I know it wasn't mine, as I don't have any and put it down to either the previous owner or the mechanics dog. The motor on the driver's seat that allowed the seat to go forward worked well, as to get at the back of the seat for cleaning, (I concentrated on the driver's side) whereby a good scrubbing brush sorted out years of dust and the plastic furniture was sprayed with some interior shine. This took away the tide marks and most of the other alien crud. There was need to do this a number of times.

I found the old spare cigarette lighter and was going to fit it, only to find; the terminals of different sizes and couldn't find a method in breaking down the centre console without damaging it, something to YouTube, tonight...

The radio only needed an Allan key to undo two small screws and the radio slipped out. No code number written on the chassis as is usually common. This is not a worry as this is going to be replaced with a third party multimedia player with GPS and is now on order.

It is surprising what one misses or overlooks when viewing  a car, the drivers seat worked fine and on later inspection I found there was no motor under the passenger seat, and another item added to the list, with it's absence this proved awkward when it came to cleaning behind the chair. Where there is a will, there is a way....as the old adage goes. (see workshop)

A quick look at the mirror - Possibly  superglue and a metal rod, a bolt and nut to support the body should do the trick on a temporary basis, I will try it. Eventually when the funds are right it may need to be replaced.

I have viewed a forum review of such a problem and will add it to the workshop when I have some time as it provides a cheaper solution and instruction on repair, the site is in it's early infancy and will be added later..  Updated: Workshop - Mirror Repair

The soft top roof had green patches of moss and something needed to be done. With water and a wire brush I worked on the roof for about an hour, using wire, nylon brushes and a rag. with the hot sun above helped to dry the fabric and this helped on the second brush over. A large mass of moss particals clumped together helping with their eradication... This will probably need to be done a few more times - but one needs to be careful not to wear the fabric too hard as this may become damaged.

This soft-top will need to be replaced in the not too distant future. Unfortunately these can be expensive.

The next job - for another  day as the portable vacuum cleaner's battery is flat and needs re-charging.

Looks like mice have been sleeping in this small bay behind the seats, must take a closer look?

After the First Clean!

At least the Wheel locking nut was still there.....

24.06.18   Another summer's day, and the boot carpet needs to be cleaned and scrubbed, it is a shame someone has let this car go to rack and ruin, but hey, some will treat their cars as objects and others will treat their cars as  celestial gods and a bright light will shine down.... strike that last part, getting weird down to dehydration and giddiness?

So, no mice in the back of the car, looked almost like tobacco and some form of grass, very difficult to clean off the carpet. Made  me a little light headed, strange that.... After a struggle, I decided to take the back window out as I had ordered a new rear window kit - this made it much easier to clean out and also caused more problems, given hindsight, (this was not a good idea at the time, as it would not go back).

Looking at the Back Window

-   As the advertisement goes …….

To

Go to Workshop for more details and installation process

Note: WAITING ARRIVAL of KIT
Now on Order

Click on photo for Workshop

25.06.18 Today I  received a call from Dan concerning a replacement bonnet for the Z3. Originally I was quoted £412 inc. delivery through BreakerLink car parts finder. I left it on hold for a day or two and messaged them back asking the colour - Titanium silver or Arctic silver. Today they contacted me.
Our discussion continued:  Me - It seemed expensive.....!
                                        Me - "Does it come with Kidney Grills?"  .......Dan - Grills, NO!
                                        Me - "BMW Emblems?"                        ........Dan - NO!
                                        Dan -  "But what we can do it for £450, includes the Kidney Grills",  Me - "Still expensive"

The compromise...…Dan - "We can spray your bonnet the colour you specify, Artic Silver, includes the Kidney grills and emblems and delivery all in £430".

Thinking process:  'ME'
A respray could estimate around £200-£300, paint, prep and post-spray, labour etc. Then there is delivery, a bonnet is no small object and needs to be carefully packed to prevent damage at least £70 as a rough estimate, the bonnet itself around £200-£300.  So logic tells me £430 is a reasonable price to what could be £670.

The bonnet is now on order and should reach me on the 29th June 2018. (let me just hope some of their reviews are just unfortunate mistakes? I only saw them after I ok'ed the purchase.  Always after the event...I will need to retract the sense of doom,  if everything is delivered on time and goes smoothly).
Company details: Go Echo Car Parts Ltd, Yard 3, Thoby Lane, Mountnessing, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0TB. Company No.11190233          

This is the old bonnet, looks like the dents could be knocked out, however the previous owners tried and damaged it further. Whatever impact caused the damage, it had also bent the main structure of the bonnet and this will also need to be fixed possibly using a jig to meet the correct contact parameters at the front and sides of the vehicle. Fortunately; the main infrastructure at the front end of the 'chassis is sound and only the bonnet bore the brunt of the impact, within the front crumple zone. As one can also see, there is no visible damage to the front bumper, however possible problems with the bumper brackets.

So, a new undamaged bonnet is I believe is justified in this case, I will also try and find some new brackets (rare & expensive)...

(Yes it does also require a new number plate for the front, also on the list - all in good time...)

not a Z3

not a Z3

26.06.18    A very hot day and is up in the 30s, too hot to be working on the car.....probably wait until the weekend now. The mirror is the next priority.

27.06.18    Today I have had a look at the Drivers door Mirror - check out the Workshop, (provides information and a possible solution for repair)

30.06.18    Sense of doom continues, the bonnet did not turn up. After a conversation with 'Dan' concerning an agreement of a bonnet respray, kidney grills and emblems and packing for delivery, he has failed to meet the deadline, and I am smelling a rat, also adding insult to  injury, Dan has  withdrawn the money from my bank account that was securing the purchase, this he obtained from my card information, without receipt and without my permission, especially before the arrangement of delivery, even though he had spoken to me after the event he didn't mention this transaction. I'm NOT a happy bunny. This is the problem, with this country today, there is too much corruption and it starts from the top. I am now waiting for Dan to contact me for an explanation, failing this, he will have a big shock when ex-servicemen turn up on his doorstep, it would be worth the trip just to see and get some satisfaction for a change....However it would not be the answer, he could be legitimate and if there is a slight time delay as he had explained, we should reluctantly,  give him the benefit of the doubt, we shall see....

Also today, I had completed the sewing of my back window to the old zip, tried to rezip it onto the soft top, unfortunately, the pull zipper is too big and is not allowing the zip to close, I will need to try and find a smaller pull. (Zip repair kit is now on order).

In the meantime, started to fit the radio, all wires connected with the fuse connectors inline, important feature for all third party electricals, the only thing to complete the job is to find the box of small bayonet fuses, I had a box somewhere..... ever get that feeling one is losing it? 

01.07.18   Soon be Christmas! Start of another month JULY. Ended up buying a small pack of bayonet fuses today from the local auto store.
As a true optimist I plod on....
So much for that! The radio blew all the fuses and itself, I know how it feels, checkout the workshop for further details - Radio.  So far, the list of jobs has not changed much. The  rear window, radio, utility lighter, bonnet (suppliers and service), angel eyes have all proved somewhat a problem and these are simple jobs, they have decided not to be straight forward and cooperate, this is the true picture of car maintenance and what you don't see behind the scenes in the media programmes DIY.

02.06.18 Reputation is all important for any company today, so I am very pleased that the company, Go Eco Car Parts Ltd, (Dan) is sorting out my z3 bonnet/hood, he has communicated by telephone, (approx. 10:45am - Dan) to say the bonnet/hood is in the spray booth, needs around 12hrs to set and it will be ready for packing and delivery, hopefully in the next couple of days... (the carrot and a glimpse of hope!)

03.07.18 Today, another hot one, not ideal working conditions. The new cigarette lighter, a dent puller previously ordered have arrived by post and another radio is now on order. Let us hope the new radio doesn't blow - These radios have fuses that are definitely too highly rated at 20amps, I will need to check the fuse ratings especially with the new radio and hopefully, by then  I would have finished the rewiring of the speakers....job pending on cooler weather. Check out the new radio specs. some differences to the previous one. The latest purchase was the original one I wanted, at the time they had sold out, today it seems they are back in stock....

06.07.18 Another morning and the sun shines bright, hot too!  Delivery of the speaker wire, so will have a go later today rewiring the speakers.
Dan from Go Eco Car Parts Ltd contacted me today, concerning the bonnet, only to suggest it will cost another £100 on top of the £430, because the Z3 bonnet was big. Really! I did suggest, he should have known the size of the Z3 bonnet when he made the deal? As this project goes, the price is what was quoted; I was not willing to pay anymore and I was ready to cancel the order with a full refund. Dan's reply was that the paint sprayers needed payment, he also suggested it was his error on his part, fair play, he was right on this occasion.... With that suggestion and knowing  this work had been negotiated and agreed,  I did state I was a man of my word and I expected him and the company he worked for to be the same!  I also suggested, (letting a cat out of the bag) the team putting this vehicle together were associated with the British Army and there was originally going to be publicity, (one suggests whatever is needed to hang on to one's hard earned purchases, he wasn't to know!)  - publicity! Well here it is on my website! Dan decided to go back to his management and call me back after about five minutes.

Five minutes later; Dan did get back to me and suggested, "since it was for a good cause", (not the point!) I interrupted! At this stage, (as I thought this could backfire) I stated an agreement was an agreement, any mistake the company or individual  made at the time, should bare the brunt, irrelevant to what possible cause, 'if any'. He continued to mention publicity? My reply, "Well that was up to the adjutant!" Putting all that aside, the delivery date should now take place between Monday and Tuesday, I will receive a call  on Monday for clarification, no doubt this week and weekend is  out, so this makes two deadlines now missed.

07.07.18   The  hot days continue, too hot to work, however I have loads to do, so will have to work through it. I am attempting to sort out the cigarrette lighter and the radio today. The wiring looked to be a nightmare under the glove compartment and this is what I have to face - See image below:

Cigarette lighter has been installed, everything worked before it went in, now it is in, nothing, even with a new filament...  I have done these type of jobs without problems in the past, but this car seems reluctant to cooperate. This will still need to be sorted out and I will eventually get around to it.

After hours threading wires through from the back to the front of the vehicle, for the speakers and radio, I have now completed the two rear and the two in-the front footwells, all labelled up too! On the passengers side there are circuits attached to the speaker and this could possibly cause a few problems, as I am not sure what  this board does. I have attached two more wires onto the speakers over the existing ones using solder. Inline fuses have also gone in, and the utility wires have also been connected.  I haven't wired the speakers in the door as this will be another job for another day. My main goal has been to get the radio and current wired-up speakers to work initially.

Ready to try the radio and I am stopped abruptly, no low rated fuses to insert into their holders, a need to visit the local auto shop. It is late, so not today.....

Previous owners DIY Loom

One would like to disconnect all these wires and connectors and throw them out, unfortunately one doesn't really want to mess with this 'hornets nest' - Out of sight out of mind for now, at least...
Note: all the wires have good connectors, no bare wires showing, if they were,  they would need to be isolated and insulated to prevent a possible fire risk. As there is no risk, they are returned to where they emerged, from under the glove compartment!

My other job today, consisted of sorting out the bonnet fixtures for the replacement bonnet next week, the side vent trims on each side with the BMW logo were popped out and detached, note also, they were held on by a screw on each side, dismantled and stored, the sound proof bonnet liner  was also taken off, (held in by about eight screw poppers and the windscreen washer jets and pipes were also detached, they were just clipped in. There is also an earthing strap on the passenger side that attaches from the chassis to the inside of the bonnet lid - this was held on with a standard 12mm nut. I have left the hinges and the dampers as they are; until the new bonnet arrives. This will give me a template for fitting the replacement bonnet and will remind me where everything goes.

09.07.18  A humid Monday,  I have wondered throughout the day, if I was going to get a telephone call from our man Dan? Concerning the Z3 bonnet/hood, and the delivery date. The time was 2:15pm and nothing. So, I thought a prompt reminder wouldn't go a miss, taken it on myself to contact him, (credit where it is due, he did answer his mobile). Dan clarified that he had sent the bonnet/hood via parcel courier and it went off first thing this morning and I should get it tomorrow, that is: Tuesday 10.07.18. I have got to the stage of 'believing when seeing', a philosophy I have adopted very early in my life, mainly to protect me and  to cope with disappointment.... My problem now is hoping I will be in to receive the package, as I am so busy for the next two days and plans can't be changed. One can go days without anything important and the day one needs to be in, all plans are in the air! Let's just hope I can 'juggle' well tomorrow. Early morning or later afternoon delivery will be order of the day?

10.07.18  Bad night or what? Cat owners will know what I'm talking about, I have a moggy and she just would not leave me alone, especially when they had been spooked by a tom cat and  one is trying to sleep. She started at 2am and carried on until I got up at 7:30am, I gave in, I was up on the hour, every hour. But I digress.

Back to the subject of deliveries, today the juggling act begins.....will it be delivered this morning? Later this afternoon? Or anytime today? Well the time is now 2:40pm, definitely not the morning.....afternoon, well sort of.

After having a conversation with one of my neighbours, prior to delivery and that I was going to be busy part of the day, I did suggest to her that I was waiting for an important delivery. I told two of my neighbours; and that I was also leaving a message for the driver, attached to the doors. For some strange reason, ok! With all their good intentions, the second neighbour, decided to intercept  a delivery van driver or just any van driver and told the driver to place the parcel in her flat? I did explain it was to be left in a communal and designated section outside in a security area of my apartment, especially if I was not available.  However, when she saw the driver she insisted they left the parcel in her flat, from what she told me. Obviously the driver would not deliver the parcel to my neighbour without written instruction and via their HQ, the main instructions were with my first neighbour. My second neighbour, stated after a few chosen words between her, a true Irish woman and the van driver, the van departed taking my delivery with them? From what I could gather. The driver didn't even try my door? My second neighbour suggested they will return; first thing tomorrow and try to re-deliver, not sure what to believe anymore? (the silly thing is, I was in my apartment at the time and I saw the van, this van I was sure I had seen before at the local residential home, dismissing it, thinking  I was looking out for a TNT courier van. Without the neighbour's intervention, I just don't know if I would have had my delivery now, possibly! One couldn't make this up). So one assumes  another failed deadline and new date of delivery, if at all this was the delivery: 11.07.18 am. One needs to ask, does anyone else have multiple days like this?
I did telephone Dan at the company, like always, he answered his mobile, I asked him for the courier and tracking number, he told me he would get back to me.... he didn't!

11.07.18  The weather is on the change now and it is more tolerable, temperature wise, so hopefully I can get down to sorting out the run-of-the-mill jobs that have turned into major frustrating dramas...another busy day for me, for mid afternoon,  the well meaning neighbour has been told to let the driver leave the parcel at the designated drop off point, that's if the driver ever turns up again or if they ever did in the first place? (my neighbour seems to patrol the lawns with her little dog muttering as she walks back and forth).

Well I have found another telephone number, of course it was answered by Dan, I now have a tracking number and a courier and it is a TNT van, he told me it had gone on the wrong van yesterday, a routing problem. I did suggest to Dan, The British Army do not play about and they refer non-receipt of good s to the County Sheriffs, (this will be the next step). Dan wasn't flummoxed by that and suggested, no problem! I should get the delivery today. He followed it up with, any problems get back to me...…... really!

So, no delivery, the time is now 18:30, this time I have decided to enter the Parcel Reference Number into the online parcel  delivery company site, just to see if it exists, it does and so does the reference number. The only way to communicate is by texting their online help. This site has  organisational system issues, no access, accountability or contact telephone numbers and this is a big problem with their systems of operation [Parcel2Go], They were trusted to make a delivery on the 10th failed, due to a routing problem so one assumes the tracking would be updated, nothing for the delivery on 11th  and now they have told me the 12th. They can't communicate with their drivers, so one can also assume there is no accountability; for the safety of goods and therefore; customers cannot contact this online 'service' to find out what is happening with their goods. I have just had nearly an hour of online 'help' texting to individuals like Nardia and Aiden, desk jockeys, powerless, given to what seems to be the standard poor script of excuses  and I am still non the wiser to my delivery date and times. They suggested sometime tomorrow, so is that another full day to be wasted? This is NOT a service! It has also caused me delays in meeting deadlines - time is money and some may argue, if I had a life;  it is now being wasted due to what seems to be, incompetence, mismanagement of operations. One can despair to know through examples like the two companies mentioned here, (personally, I would NOT recommend them) that this is what business in the UK has become, the customer is a means to an end for companies to profit without having to give a decent and trusted service, nothing more and nothing less...
So, I will have to wait in again, all day tomorrow 12.07.18 - there is not even an address to send my invoice for the time wasted, but they know that right! Where is the legislation to protect the consumer?  All this for a Z3 bonnet, makes it bitter, sweet if I ever receive the goods.!

12.07.18 Another day, the weather feels a little cooler and much bearable than the last couple of weeks, 11:15am and nothing so far...re-bonnet delivery. So, I have telephoned Dan, at Go Eco to chase the couriers up, let's see if he can do anything? This project has now had it's deadlines setback around two weeks; as the car is stored off site. There is also the lack of availability of people to cover or monitor delivery, as they are getting on with their lives and other jobs. Leaving me twiddling my thumbs whilst waiting to receive the goods and unable to work on the vehicle due to its location, pending parts. Another setback will be my main current E39 BMW is due an MOT Friday...unable to do prep. work on that.

It seems the courier TNT has contracted out to Parcel2Go. Parcel2Go had not bothered to rescan the item after the return to depot, their blunder, also placing the item on the wrong van. GoEco, TNT are not happy, Dan even emailed me pictures of the resprayed bonnet, just to try and give us reassurances, hopefully he can sort out their blunder this evening on the way home from his work. He suggested he would visit the local depot to try and sort the problem out:

click

click

See Workshop for larger images of Bonnet/Hood

15.07.18 There is no let-up in this heatwave and is another hot day, usually too hot to work in, however I have left some small jobs such as completing the installation of the radio etc.  to try and sort out the bonnet delivery problem. I really need to get some enthusiasm back into the project and will go up to the car storage location this afternoon. (1.00pm).

It has just gone 04:20pm new fuses and the radio is in and working well, speakers at the back of the chairs work well, footwell speakers are also working, personally, I don't rate the positioning of the footwell speakers  and it looks like I will have to wire up the door speakers too, placing in 4 tweeters in the doors, x2 in each. So this will be  8 speakers throughout the car, see if that will make a difference of bringing the sound to the front a little clearer, bearing in mind the Z3 is a convertible and there will be varied environmental noises to also contend with, when the ragtop is down. For the price of the radio and GPS etc, it is very good value and superior to the first system I blew. It looks to me that the first system may have been one of the cheap reproductions that are  flooding the market and the internet. One needs to be careful when purchasing. (see section on workshop-radio)

16.07.18  During the morning, I sourced some tweeters for the door and re-soldered the wires, ready to go and fit them into the doors. I just needed to check on any deliveries, I didn't want to miss it, even though it was most unlikely.

Checked the web, still no bonnet delivery, contacted Dan  at GoEco Car Parts this afternoon and he suggested it will be sometime today. I have been there and heard it before; so I checked the online delivery tracking for both couriers, Parcel2Go and TNT, same messages on their tracking system from the 10th July and no updates, the system they have is almost identical. Text again using their only contact method directly, again 'robots' using script, texting the same thing as on the 10th; up to the point of them telling me to contact my supplier; a definite run-a-round. So I contacted Dan, (GoEco) again; and he sounded irritated, (wonder why?) and he told me he would get back to them again and insisted he and, I presume his management, thought they had resolved this. I have heard that before too! So not banking on it anytime soon!

Meantime, on the TNT site there was a section for a redelivery option, (for those that missed their delivery for not being in), so I filled  in the online form, giving the account details and a message stating: This delivery has been overdue to wrong van consignment please check...   (can only leave a very short one line message).  The reply note suggests a confirmation of the re-delivery; Tuesday 17th July 2018. This may do the required rescan of the goods, a requirement needed to get the goods out and delivered, that no one has seemed to have done for the last 6 days. Can only wait and see if anything comes of it? I also sent TNT a complaint via another annex on the site called their 'customer service'; (funny if it wasn't so serious and annoying) again, all automated and a copy of the letter that GoEco received from me via email with my number on it. There is no way of contacting someone in real-time directly at TNT or Parcel2Go, not a very good way to conduct business. They may get back to me, but I will not hold my breath based on their record so far... It is now 04:55pm, I don't think there will be a delivery today and no follow-up call from Dan, unusual that! Right?....


17.07.18 Most of the day with Parcel2Go and TNT,  given the standard run-a-round, promises from employees, individuals that gave lip service, to appease the customer until they had finished their shift. They also didn't keep logs of their calls, as on calling back, there were no record of the conversation, (TNT).

18.07.18  GoEco, (Dan by another name; as he seems to be using an alias going by company records) called me by telephone and told me the delivery would be with me on the 19th! Thursday.
I decided to do some more work on the Z3 at it's location, since the delivery was not today. I wanted to place the tweeters into the doors, repair cigarette lighter, the latter; even though it was a new unit, as for some reason there was a problem with it, it just didn't work:

x1

x2

There are another x2 tweeters already in the doors that are not working. These will also need new wiring into the radio system

Refer to workshop for more details - (Radio)

19.07.18  Today, the delivery has still not arrived at 14:45 as was suggested by GoEco, (Dan by another name). I am not expecting it. I am coming to terms with the fact it is lost and the chances of recovery is nil. I even noticed a similar bonnet advertised on eBay for £270, knocked down to £243 in 'Titan Silver', based in Attleborough, Norfork however very much looking similar to the one I had purchased in Arctic Silver...coincidence?  It soon went backup to £270.

I am now gearing up to trying to secure a full refund, this whole  exercise has been a sham from the start to now and places a bitter taste in one's mouth. I have given GoEco until the 24th, this will be  the 21st day; an anniversary of the order and allows the legal statutory grace for delivery. I can't see any easy way forward and getting a refund will no doubt be like pulling teeth and will no doubt will require legal action, but we shall see.....

23.07.18 Today's weather is hot, hot hot....a true heatwave as hot as Majorca as it was suggested by local radio and I thought we had seen the back of this drought.... not much work done today. I decided to send a 'Legal' email, demanding a full refund, with a follow-up telephone call, by all accounts the couriers had lost GoEco's full deliveries for that particular day, (the day I ordered the bonnet and it was sent out via GoEco)  personally I can't see that scenerio; as each parcel is allocated to different areas and require different delivery vans, unless they were placed within one bin, ready for sorting and distribution, sounds to me like they have a large corruption problem internally, however that is not really my problem. I did suggest to Dan, that he should read my email,  (a near 2 days heads-up and grace to sorting out the refund before legal action). I may not be everything or anything in particular, however I do consider myself fair and a man of my word, without that what are we? Even though this company is questionable in a number of areas, I quite liked 'Dan' initially,  however this can wear thin especially if he doesn't observe British Business Protocols, (this use to mean something!) a rogue yes, unfortunately!  He will reap his comeuppance sooner than later if he continues on this track and it will not be too soon...

A change in topic to something a little more positive. I decided to purchase some small  additions during the week and they arrived today, namely an
aerial, mainly because I liked the design and thought it would enhance the Z3:

- Chrome Alloy Aluminium Bee Sting Car Mini Aerial/Antenna Mast Aerial (radio)

1. Door inner water barrier           2. Extra Tweeters inside the door    3. N/S Footwell Speaker    4. Electronics attached to
                                                                                                                                                      N/S Speaker

- Another purchase was for a BMW screwdriver for my tool tray in the boot, a good price.
- BMW Heyco Reversible Tool Kit Screwdriver  - When it arrived it looked near new,   
  similar ones are fetching between £2.95 to £14.96 in various state or condition.

also with difference sized thread x3

- The final items were some zip pullers, I am hoping that at least one of the 22 pullers will help me in fixing my replacement soft-top rear window into the
  soft top, failing that, will mean either a new soft-top at £675 or sewing in the zip that came with the kit. As we all know, money is tight! The thought of
  spending hours sewing in a zip by hand in the heat and on location - Laborious or what? (rear window)

24.07.18  Continual heatwave, I received an email today concerning my z3 bonnet/hood delivery via parcel2go to be delivered 3rd July 2019, really! Contacted both couriers, referred back to supplier. Contacted GoEco, an answer machine, not surprised, left them a message to remind them. They have until 4:30pm to administer and transfer for a full refund. (They are also aware of the email). Not impressed. No doubt arrangement to be made after this deadline, unless they come to their senses..... "stupid is what stupid does". New regulations and legislation is needed, they should be brought in for all Couriers for accountability as they are losing items and then suggesting the suppliers and customers should pay for their mistakes and incompetence....not good and not good practice.

The time is now 16:45, no telephone calls and no action towards a refund. It looks to be a case of bringing them to justice. Disappointing. Next Stop, tomorrow,  Citizens Advice, this is required to bring in Trading Standards and then the bank.

25.07.18   Citizens Advice suggested contacting the police and to writing out a Fraud Report, (www.actionfraud.police.uk) this information will also suggest  the Couriers involvement and has now been submitted. Looks like the Eco site is back up with a new design website front page and different telephone numbers - All I would say to people, especially those in Essex is to stay clear of these companies, they are scammers and do not follow British Business Protocols, this in itself is a disgrace. Since legal action is pending, I have wasted too much time on this issue within this publication, nothing more will be said on the issue until it is concluded.

27.07.18   I have now drawn up a list of jobs  and purchases to be made when funds allow, to be carried out on my Z3 - this includes:
               1 - replacement of front brake rotor discs   approx. £57
               2 - passenger side lower seat motor section (lower rail unit)  approx. £89
               3 - replacement bonnet  ?  approx. £250  (a cheaper option, possible respray?)
               4 - possibly a new soft top  ?   approx. £675  (if  I cannot get the existing window to zip up)
               5 - few patches around the car bodywork may require small paint touch-ups approx. £250


28th to 29.07.18 A break in the weather, mid afternoon the rain had broken the heat cycle and the following day it rained all day, one conciliation was that it was much cooler. I did venture out on the 28th, couldn't do much as the battery was flat and the garage was too dark to work in, (no electrics, lights etc. The general power pack was charged, however the special leads had been misplaced). The battery on the car needed charging, so this was taken back to base and placed on trickle charge over night. The work will continue when conditions are more favourable... and generally, when  the disappointments and setbacks had worked through and out of  my psyche...

30.07.18  A cloudy wet day today, so I decided to surf the web. I had been looking or sourcing the motors for the passenger seat, during my time cleaning the interior of the Z3; I had noticed one of the motors missing that allows the chair to move backward and forward. This of course caused a few problems with speaker access and the big clean at the back of the passenger chair. So today I decided  to remedy this problem.

22pcs Assorted Fix Zipper Repair Kit Zip Sliders Stops Replacements Rescue .

eBay £2.30 seller: bigworldlittlethings

eBay: £3.00 Seller: lewis-monk-99

I did see a base section of the passenger seat on eBay and the initial price was £89, since the seller was also stating offers, I made an offer of £75 and £80. To cut a long story short the seller had a near enough £10 delivery p&p and was delivering from Sussex, so this was a little off putting after the hassle with my previous couriers.

When swapping from various screens, I did click onto one of the images of the base section and noticed an identical base unit was for sale in the Birmingham region, (local to me) and easy to visit the individual or company if there were to be any problems with a sale...
(however, I will always use PayPal in my transactions from now on, as I trust their follow-ups and they will cover your losses for up to £500 as far as I am aware - this does give some sense of security from other methods of payment, if only I had  done that with the bonnet...).

I did send a message to the seller in Sussex, concerning p&p, for some reason it went to the Birmingham seller, (weird that!) The Birmingham seller did get back to me and suggested if I wanted to collect, he will reduce the price, (very good of him and good communication from the start), however I had decided to purchase the item at the asking price of £85 Seller: rkpz32014 free p&p. Full contact details were also available.

I had looked high and low for just the motors on their own, very much like 'rocking horse droppings, nowhere to be found. The base unit seemed a little expensive, but cheaper than Sussex; it is a necessity and would need to be replaced sooner rather than later, if only to bring this car back to life. The regular chair maintenance is common with the Z3. Some owners say it is down to the acceleration and stopping of the car based on the continual momentum forwards or backwards, concerning the driver and/or passenger breaking down the mechanics over a period of time, another problem is the seat can become twisted, not good if one is the driver. The problem is down to the driver or passenger twisting in the chair before getting out of the vehicle, again this weakens the rail components and eventually it gives in. The main problem is wear on the rails and forward/back screw thread mechanism, requiring a new set of  PVC bushes or cogs. A replacement base unit will also solve these problems as long as the one  received is  a good one.             Delivery pending within the next five days.

The fitting should be interesting as the chair in the Z3 will not travel backwards or forwards, however the front lockdown nuts can be accessed, the rear ones may prove more of a challenge (see Workshop for updates)…

01.08.18  The months are just flowing by, today I spent a good few hours, just cleaning the passenger side carpet, still smells a little musky due to some moisture that was trapped in one of the floor pans. This has now dried out, possible reasons for the moisture, the roof? Don't want to even think about that just yet..... or it could be my garage roof has a small leak and the soft top has been down?

02.08.18  Base unit for the passenger chair arrived first thing this morning, all greased up and ready to inspect and compare....

(see entry 17.11.18 a further tool update in diary below)

This is the replacement base unit. After a good ten minutes checking everything, there were some differences. Rather than replace the base unit, I decided on just installing the Forward/Back motor. On the old unit there were adjustment cables, and some subtle differences in the drive mechanisms on the replacement, all in all it means a considerable amount of time disconnecting and reattaching and some items were missing off the donor. The differences could also be down to the donor being from a 2003, possibly.

So. the decision was to use the motor off the donor. Back to the original chair/base unit. There was a bypass wire that needed to be repaired with  electrical spade connectors and once done, the seat was positioned back into the passenger side of the car. Ready for a positive conclusion, it worked, job done!

With some time on my hands, I thought about experimenting with my dented bonnet (check it out via Workshop 02.08.18)

03.08.18  Back over to the garage, to finish off the re-installation of the driver's chair after drying out and cleaning the carpet, this time fairly straight forward. (Workshop for latest).

I had ordered  a rocker switch with a voltmeter and usb connectors built in, a couple of weeks before and thought it would look very well at home in the spare space next to the electric roof switch mounted on the rear plastic trim and console.
This required fresh wiring  to be re-routed. I chose the cigarette/lighter terminals on the front console as this was constantly live without having to switch the ignition to first position and a shorter route to the battery terminal without having to drill holes through to the back. Access to the rear, or boot proved an obsticle especially with the trim and in this heat, I decided to take an easier option. A shorter wiring route, saving on resources and less time. Now the wiring is in, it is just waiting on the delivery and the connecting up.

12V Dual Port USB Charger Socket Car Boat Red LED Voltmeter Rocker Switch Panel
eBay £7.21 Seller: shengfire

click

Go to Workshop for more details and Bonnet/Hood installation process or click on picture

USB charger Description:

Use safely,have a good protection of Output circuit,overload,reverse polarity and multiple protection
Compatible: As a replacement or extra 12V DC Dual USB charger in cars, motor-homes, motor bikes and RV.
Compatible with popular mobile devices USB 2.0, any device including digital cameras, PDAs, mobile phones and USB accessories.

More safeguard's, allows for further accessories such as spare GPS, phone charging etc.

This also helps to checkup on power being used and battery condition. A useful addition to the Z3.

06.08.18   The heat wave continues, late afternoon I decided to take a few cleaning materials to clean off the carpet of grease a couple of grease spots, it came out quicker than I had thought it would, since that was a short duration, I had put off the rear window long enough. I had decided to use the zip from the kit and spent all of 'Mission Impossible' and the film afterwards to sew in the new zip to the vinyl this was done in an evening during the previous week. Today it was time to sew in the other half of the zip to the soft top, I  had just about got half way around and decided to call it a day. Previous days I had caught a little heat stroke and it paid it's toll. Today was  a sign of moderation.

08.08.18  I decided to finish off the window zip by sewing in the remainder, I wish I hadn't! It was a mess. It is back to the drawing board and I am still without a rear window... (see Workshop). It looks like I am going to have to earn some more money to replace the soft top and possibly the bonnet totalling around £1200? This is a setback, however I still believe the car is worth it.

Bonnet Transaction Conclusion -  Bonnet/Hood Drama - END   (Go Eco Car Parts Ltd, Couriers Parcel2Go and TNT)
10.08.18  Most of my time will be spent on filling the coffers to fund this project. After the problem with the bonnet, filing a report to the crime squad, obtaining a crime number, approaching Citizens Advice, to try and involve Trading Standards, approaching the Bank where the transaction took place, filling an online report for the bank to try and reverse the transaction by wire and then going back to the Breakeryard website, where the Supplier first advertised the bonnet, (a comparison site)… I was needless to say, at a point of despair and disillusionment. With one last gesture, I decided to write a short message to the 'Breakeryard' website, (with only a limited number of words in a text box, edited) stating the facts of my experience. They did get back to me, eventually and suggested the supplier was legit and it was the couriers fault. I replied and explained they had not received the full facts from the supplier and I went on to explain that I had asked for a full refund on the 24th July and they hadn't followed business protocol by returning my money; after waiting 21 days. (Again, using a limited word text box, as one can appreciate, this task took a long time to condense and some more time to  make some logical sense out of it, keeping in with the crucial points).

A couple of days later, the Supplier or 'Dan' telephoned me, he seemed more upset with his reputation with the Breakeryard than the police or even me. (Weird that!) Dan wanted me to contact the Breakeryard to say everything was ok. (I can only assume the Breakeryard had given him an ultimatum).  I would not give this endorsement; until I had seen the money back within my account. Dan also asked me for my banking details, account number, sort code and the card used for transaction. I was really hesitant, as trust had totally gone for him and his company! (especially if he was using an alias?) Why he had not already had  this information concerning the original transaction only made me even more suspicious!  Without this information, a refund could not take place, I knew that; so hesitantly I gave him the information with gritted teeth, knowing possible pending concequences. However, a few days later; the Bank contacted me via letter stating the refund would be deposited, 'temporarily' back into my account by the end of the week, (they had read the paperwork I had sent them, it seems...) and not to take payment from the supplier as they would be paying  double...!   I thought for a while, to let this new information sink in, I was so tempted, however I resisted the temptation, (the thought of turning their lives upside down as they had with me and causing them anxiety and chaos did appeal to me) but, it made me as bad as they. A few days later, the money was back within my account, even though 'temporary'! The bank were also investigating the transaction and 'Dan' had put in a claim to the Couriers. The term 'temporary' in the bank's  letter was one I had not come across before, one presumes, the Bank would pay me and claim the money from the supplier on the banks terms concluding investigation. If I was wrong, or negligent, then they would come back to me. Fortunately, they didn't.

The tip here is to document everything, every conversation, stating date and time of the interaction and the full details of the conversations during or immediately after the event. Easily said than done, the only reason for my accuracy was down to this publication and website, not many of us do that for a hobby. This type of event is happening everywhere and is becoming more common place now-a-days; as corruption is spreading like wildfire. One just needs to be very alert and careful, it is a shark infested cess pool out there...
My lesson is to normally 'Buy Locally', or drive to the location, if one has purchased and arranged collection that can take place on the same day, if the items are too big for delivery, speak to the supplier directly and see if they will negotiate a delivery cost via  the Royal Mail or another reputable courier, (if there is such a thing) get as much information as possible on the item and the legitimacy of the business and then record it. I normally use PayPal, (I use them, as with e.g. eBay transactions, there is usually some sort of online/paper trail they can check up on. This bonnet was the exception, (for some strange reason, I can only put down to age and possible dementia) due to my method of payment using a debit card. I do find PayPal hassle-free and good when items do go missing for one reason or another, as PayPal also  guarantees upto £500 per item transaction. One can use a credit card, as they too, have safeguards with a paper trail. Debit cards can be used, but can be more difficult when having to make a claim, as I had found out to my cost. So this should be taken into account when purchasing via the internet.

With Hindsight, reflection, call it what you like, the Bonnet/Hood would have been the wrong colour; as I later discovered.... so, possibly something may have been working in my favour, personally I couldn't see it, but I am always willing to look for the positive.....

The objectives now are   1. Refill the financial coffers (bank) - Just taken on a seasonal job to do this - up to October 2018
                                       2. New Soft top (finding supplier/fitter, one close to my location - they all seem to be around the coastal areas, for some reason?)
                                       3. Replacement Bonnet (again, finding one close to my location at the right price, possible delivery)
                                       4. New Front Brake Rotors (purchase eBay)
                                       5. Possibly a new front Brake Sensor (purchase eBay)
                                       6. Possibly a home D.I.Y, i.e.  service of plugs, oil, filters, belts  (parts, eBay)

Update: 18.08.18
(Delivery still pending)

Update:(Received and now fitted)

Items Purchased for this Project, So Far...

Note: On purchase, there is an opportunity to write instructions to supplier and courier concerning delivery date of availability and or contacts available on your behalf. This is important, especially if you are not available for the receiving of your item(s). Leaving with 'trusted' neighbours, (have an option of at least two neighbours) giving full addresses, house/flat number and  recipients name(s) and where-a-bouts of where the item is to be left and secured. (If flat, ground floor secured communial area for a large item such as a bonnet). Also inform the neighbours and let them know,. This act is only courtesy - they may not be available and alternative arrangements will need to be made.
This information will be added to your PayPal invoice/receipt of purchase and is on record.
This saves the courier having to take the item away, only to return at a later date and time. (either way, there is a risk the item may go missing,  get damaged on the van or at their warehouse or they may not wish to deliver based on the size of the object).

In my case, I have informed PayPal and two neighbours and they are aware of the pending delivery and instructions.

Bmw Z3 Bonnet in titan Silver - very good condition- Grills / vents, Badges

(See Workshop - Bonnet Ref: 08.09.18)

Useful Information on Buyers Rights

12.09.18 - Does one ever get the feeling they are not meant to have something? The new delivery date is now the 20th September 2018, as the bonnet is arriving on a pallet and cannot be unloaded at a domestic address without the purchaser being present to receive the goods. There is also a problem with loading and unloading, as a forklift may need to be used for the pallet and therefore unsuitable to the type of premises being delivered to.  The seasonal work to build up the coffers, has also   caused conflict with the delivery date, based on shift patterns. So a little wait longer it seems...

19.09.18 - At least the rotors for the front brakes have arrived and they are of good quality.

20.09.18 - The new replacement exhaust pipe chrome ends have arrived today, the earlier ones ordered, just did not look right, even though they did fit. The length was visually unappealing, however the new ones should be more appealing. 20 minutes later, the post-woman discovered another package at the bottom of her bag, and returned to deliver it, (nice of her)  the 20 x Alloy Wheel Bolts Nuts from the list, hopefully, when the weather changes from persistent rain, I may be able to fit the new ensemblies.

Well, it is also the day, the long awaited day for one to emerge from the light at the end of the tunnel, even on a wet day, yes, it is raining.....the question is, will it happen? Will the replacement bonnet be delivered? I contacted the supplier this morning and they told me,  'it's a go for today'..... (am I a cynic or realist, perhaps both, let's just see...)?

The bonnet/hood has arrived 20.09.18 late afternoon on a pallet the size of Birmingham, o.k. a slight exaggeration, lets say Solihull instead.. I will be breaking it down up until Christmas! Not knocking it, it has protected the bonnet/hood very well and has been professionally packed without question, big truck delivered it too with a young kid of twelve driving it and he could handle it with precision. I must be getting old....  I am even tearing up!
After the event, as it was a blur... I am not sure, however I believe the delivery came direct from Bartrums, if so, an excellent service and obviously better than the conventional couriers, remember, no accountability! So called 'service'. You've guessed, I don't like conventional couriers...

I was right! The bonnet/hood is an excellent match to the rest of the paint work, so the guy Chris, the Polish Gentleman Mechanic I had got the car off; had his colour coding wrong, not Arctic Silver, but Titan Silver, unless of course some of the panels are a mismatch. Colour coding today is difficult as the shades are so close together, and errors can be made easily. Possibly another reason the touch-up paint didn't really look right when attending the fine scratches....
Now that I know with this knowledge, I can also rectify the odd bit of paintwork.

Today, the weather is windy and awful, so I will be having a closer look and assembling the bonnet/hood in the correct position; when the conditions settle down. At the moment, I have rested the bonnet/hood on the engine compartment, just unattached. One big worry off my mind.  (Photos see Gallery)

21.09.18  This afternoon there is a slight break in the weather and I have gone straight up to the garage, first to try and dispose of some of the wood from the pallet and to re-attach the replacement bonnet/hood. I must point out, this is really a two-man job, however it can be done individually if ends must; and no-one else is available. However, there is a risk of scratching the door pillars if doing this job on your own, so be warned....
I found the bonnet/hood needs to be almost 45 degrees from the line of the lower body panels and the hinge 45 to 60 degrees, as to get one bolt in, for each bolt, the job does become a little easier.  Check your Bonnet/hood struts, sometimes, if old they will detach from the end connectors. If this is the case, new or replacements are recommended.  Note: there are two round nipples on both sides of the vehicle for the struts to attach to. These are vertical and stepped and are for height, forward/back adjustment for levelling the bonnet/hood. I would suggest using the lower ones, as these should align the bonnet/hood closer onto the lower panel lines and prevents a wide gap between the panels, well! In most cases... a case of trial and error. Also note: by detaching the circlip of the strut end attached to the bonnet/hood that inserts onto the bonnet screw thread, leave this connection last; this should make it easier to connect to the lower nipples on either side of the vehicle. See Workshop - Bonnet for Photos)

I ended up ordering two replacement gas struts, my originals detached from the ends of the strut. I am sure this also contributed to the gap between bonnet/hood and the lower panels, we shall see when the replacements arrive and when they are refitted. (they look either reconditioned or they are new, a bonus for the price?)
The struts from a E36 should fit the Z3. [OEM: 51231960852] Like always, check first! eBay: £10.50 free p&p pair Supplier: globebestdeal Update: Does NOT fit

My bonnet/hood is on, (the new/new reordered struts will be attached after they have been delivered) side vent darts, and kidney grills came within the price. This bonnet/hood is long awaited, so looking from my eyes it does look good, brilliant, wonderful!

I also had the opportunity to attach my replacement/replacement chrome exhaust tips, these were a better fit and looked better than the one's I had ordered previously. At some point I would like to make them a little more secure, however, they are a tight fit, for now at least.

As with all seasonal jobs, very long hours, little reward, the knocks and pain of manual work on a deadline, requiring energy of a 18 year old, little time and with shift work, very unsociable. As much as one needs the money to work on this project, the thought of the end of season is now; so very appealing!
"Does one work to live, or Live to Work!", I have quoted that so many times, personally, I Work to live! Especially when I see fat cats get richer and people like me get poorer in this age of Corruption....but I digress!

24.09.18 - Decided to take it easy today, (a day off) I had a go at 'T cutting' and sussed out what else needed to be done. A small repair in the O/S driver's seat is partially completed. It required a little more sponge to fill out the small gashed hole. The leather glue, didn't seems to want to glue anything and I ended up using superglue to bring the leather together over some gauze that came in the kit. I also went back to the leather filler compound that I purchased earlier to level off the repair. Once dry, I will buff up and hopefully the repair will suffice.

The Z3 polished up quite well, I will try and have a go with the front Brake Rotors and check the brake pad sensor. If there is enough time, Underseal underneath the car to protect the metal if the weather is agreeable tomorrow...

25.09.18 Still a little tired and waited until the afternoon before starting a task I had been putting off for a while, mainly undersealing the car. With the rear wheels off, the first task was to wire brush the drums on the back wheel. By painting the hub part, with hamerite black paint, this will prevent them from rusting and looking unsightly. I then commenced with the undersealing from the rear to the front.  The base seemed very solid, however the iron work, i.e wishbones, cross members, coil springs, rear shocks, dust plates looked a little worst for wear concerning the traces of rust coming through.

I was going to take photographs of each stage, unfortunately I had forgotten the SD card for my camera, and decided I would show the finished results as and when. As the hours ticked by, (5 hours) I had near enough completed the task. As the rear wheels were off, I had also decided to replace the old wheel nuts with the new galvanised ones I had recently purchased. This just left the checking of the brake pads at the rear and the brake pad sensor. They seemed good.

This seat will need a repair, using the kit purchased recently. I have already stuffed some more sponge into the hole and the hole needs to be closed up by using gauze behind the two sides of the leather. The glue should help with this, leaving it to dry and then using the black cream to  fill any imperfections. Well, that is the idea... (See workshop, seat base unit)

Other than for the scratches in the paint work, there were other reasons for the replacement boot/trunk lid, the boot interior light was not working, and this may be down to the plunger being broken. I noticed through eBay that these plungers are not cheap and vary in price between £10 - £15 each, and that is used. The third stop light was red on the original and this one had a white face reflector for the red LEDs. (I'm between two minds on this at the moment to which one I want). The price is excellent too. (A gut instinct, it is Titan Silver, this colour seems to be more common - I am hoping!) The blow-up photos of this replacement, shows the paintwork to be floorless, but we shall see if or when it arrives..... I don't have much confidence in couriers anymore, especially if Parcel2Go are involved and I believe they are using a subsidiary courier company, Hermes. ("I will try not to tar them with the same brush", for now at least!)

04.10.18  Late afternoon, I had the trolley jack under the front of the car, o/s wheel off, brake caliper off, brake pads out, ready to replace the brake plate or rotor. The hex screws; wouldn't cooperate in releasing the plate from the hub, as they had rusted in. I had used all of my WD40 and tried everything else I had in the cupboards, ended up giving the caliper a good scrub with a wire brush and decided after a good long inspection, to purchase a pair of new front calipers. The plunger cylinder on the caliper was looking worse for wear and seated in rust and I doubted the plunger was that much use or even effective for it's purpose, this may have been what was causing a yellow inspection light to come on the dash. To be on the safe side, a new pair of calipers were put on order and a set of replacement rotor hex screws for the front Rotors. As the initial job was a no-go and the  wheel was off, I continued to underseal the areas previously missed concerning the iron work, so the main job or objective was postponed for now and previously unfinished jobs completed.  (see purchased listings above).

08.10.18  Low and behold, the Boot/Trunk lid arrived and dropped off at one of my neighbours. On unpacking, (this took at least half-an-hour, very well packed!). When fully unwrapped, it looked good, paintwork was reasonable, the only criticism was the points at the back of the boot were slightly bent and part of the drop down frontage,  (where the 3.0i badge is situated). Another slight bend on the lower corner. This will require, possibly mole grips/vise with two pieces of wood to protect the paint and a patient attempt to straighten... I have also taken out the lock, ready for me to transfer over. As this one did not come with a key, unfortunately, however I was aware of this when I bought it. (So Hermes the Courier did pull through!)

10.10.18 This morning I received the Slick50 Package that included Engine Oil, Manual Gearbox Treatment and Fuel System Injector Cleaner, I normally get these direct from the manufacturers, as I have used theses products for decades. I thought the price was good via eBay, however on delivery I was sent the 500ml engine oil instead of the 750ml, this was from autospares_direct. The 750ml is for the larger engine cars, such as my 2.2, up to around the 3.0L. This was rather disappointing. Some may say this is petty, however there is a large difference in the price and there is the principle of correct marketing. I have dropped them a note through eBay, (it will be interesting to see some feedback).
Some may argue about the effectiveness of these type of products, over the years I have noticed tremendous differences in gearbox and engine performance after applying this solution and it allows for smooth running and gearchanges, but, that is my opinion; based on before, after and over a period of a short time, your opinion may be different... and one may prefer other products.

13.10.18 My current problem now is finding time, I am very much hoping my Seasonal job will come to an end very soon as it is now dragging on and seems to be continuing beyond what was suggested initially. I have accumulated a number of minor injuries on the way and I would like to leave this environment, leaving it for those much younger than me. It is a "young man's game". There are a number of jobs to do and to re-cap: Fitting of Disc Rotors, brake calipers, bleeding brake system, replacement bonnet suspension, replacement boot lid, and to organise the new soft top fitting, (traveling up to Stockport). There is also a little nearside body work required before the project initially concludes.

Two more deliveries, the reverse camera number plate cradle, (a spur of the moment purchase) and the bonnet/hood suspension struts, hopefully the latter will be the correct ones for the Z3....  (update: Unfortunately, these were also wrong)!

A quick bulletin! An evening update, the seasonal job is coming to a close next week, I have asked for clarification and was told my security pass is not being renewed as they are only valid monthly and the validation was up today. This means I cannot do my job fully, and therefore I was required to do alternative work up until the end of the month or if I wished, I was free to go at anytime as long as it is by the end of the month. It seemed, they were eager to streamline staffing at this point in time, as work levels were dropping. As a courtesy, I suggested working a weeks notice and it was accepted and  I was also offered an invitation to return next season, this I have left open.... however, I doubt I will be returning to the 40 hour shift work and 10.5  and 12.5 hour shift patterns. So this news is very welcome and will now allow me to spend more time sorting out the Z3. The seasonal job had met my objectives concerning the funding of my project....
The Soft Top fitting can't be done until early November 2018, as currently their workload is high, so this will allow me to catch up on domestics and outstanding commitments for the time being, this suits me.

15.10.18 After a period of research and talking to a number of Soft Top installers I ended up going for the one in Stockport, (just under Manchester on the map) 'The Soft Top Shop, (http://www.thesofttopshop.com/) approximately 99.8 miles from my location and will take 1 hour and 50 minutes to get there. These people were friendly, reviews positive and were more willing to carry out the job than some of the others, (The others I had spoken to had an apathy, an attitude, as if they just didn't want the business, so their loss!) the product looked good with an approximate fitting time of around 4.5 hours. This fitting will take place on the 6th November 2018, commencing at 9.00am. Definitely an early start in the morning to travel the M6. The Soft Top will be from the Twilfast material and will come with relief pockets with a bonded window, eliminating the leaks that was the norm, especially with the original zip that was used by BMW.  I am very much looking forward to this installation. I just hope it doesn't rain on the day, as I am travelling to Stockport, with the window at the back shaped like a window, but just a hole. it is going to be droughty and allowing for all the elements, I may place a plastic bag over it with gaffer tape,  as a temporary measure... until I get there, at least!  The trip back should be a little more comfortable and hopefully more enjoyable...

Advert:
BMW Z3 Boot Lid 2000 year car  - eBay: £25.00 p&p £25.00 Economy Delivery, Supplier: casamolino

For Sale BMW Z3 Boot lid off a 2000 year car , complete with badges lock and central locking unit, no wiring, prefer collection but will quote for postage if reqd , this is the last piece of bodywork i have for sale so reduced to clear .

BMW Z3
Maintenance Project On A Shoestring

After drying, requires a good buff-up, not bad for an amateur....

The job left remaining, is to replace the front brake rotors, check the pad wear sensor and to finish off any outstanding undersealing where necessary, and to secure the chrome exhaust tips; this will be for another day...  (Photo's to follow).

01.10.18 Looking at the photographs, one cannot see the scratches as clear as one looking directly at the car concerning the Boot/Trunk. I did have a slight accident with a propped up bike at the back of the garage, the air was blue for a time..... I contemplated over it for a number of weeks looking at adverts on eBay at Boots/Trunk lids for sale. I had given it some thought, after looking at the rediculus prices of £125 I would make do with what I had already got and perhaps touch it up with paint. However, I did see one for £25, reduced from something like £89+, (I can't remember the original price at this time) and it was complete! Ok! I did have to negotiate with the seller to send it via courier at an extra cost of £25, (total £50) getting him to re-advertise it with the courier costs to include the PayPal cover. Still better than having to pay the £125 for an incomplete examples that were listed. It would require some tinkering with the lock/button, (no key) and the transfer of my 2.2i Badge for my model.

Stock photo

13.07.18  Dan to his word this time, contacted me this morning and suggested that TNT are now investigating the reason why the part has not been delivered. We are all waiting to see what happens next...….

14.07.18  I am online today again, with Mika at Parcel2Go, just to see if they have done anything, running through their script (10:17am), no nothing.
An official letter of complaint has now gone out, as all patience has now run out. A letter has gone to the supplier; giving them until the 24th July 2018; after that date the soft stuff hits the fan, so-to-speak.

One bright note-  at least I do still have some wheels, my E39 managed to get it's MOT Certificate, phew! It also needs to be sold now....

stock photo

stock image

Other noticeable things, the Hazards were not working and were cutting out, however the left and right indicators were working ok? Courtesy light above the  front rear mirror was not working, could be the bulb, fuse or a poor grounding....one hopes nothing too serious.

Beginning of the Bonnet/Hood Drama!

New Order of a Bonnet/Hood

Has moved … See Purchases

30.09.18  The weather today was reasonably warm, dry and an opportunity to do some more work on the Z3. The new number plates have arrived and they have now been fitted onto the vehicle, front and back. These replaced the cracked and weathered plate at the front and the plate with 'Cheswick' at the rear...

These plates came with an option of being street legal or not, I obviously chose the Street Legal' for obvious reasons for day-to-day travelling, accompanied with a kit comprising of screws, caps and backing tape; this at an additional cost. Once the plates were central to the vehicle and attachment plate , they were stuck down with the tape, holes were then drilled evenly on an imaginary central line. I did the same for the rear plate, however this did require a different approach, shorter and wider screws were required and  had to be sourced. This was down to a small problem with drilling the holes, there was much resistance and this was most likely down to the reinforced metal plates attaching the bumper unit for the crash integrity, required for the moulded bumper unit. I only had a small underpowered drill for the job onsite and therefore made use of what was available. Eventually I had done the job satisfactory enough and the plates did look good, so another job was considered done and crossed off the list! (see Gallery)

08.09.18  Today, I have worked out the cashflow and it seems I can go ahead with the purchase of the long awaited Z3 bonnet, purchased via eBay from candccarparts: Initial price was £235. (A reduction from £275).  With an email and kind words, C and C Car Parts were kind enough to offer delivery of the bonnet via courier for an extra £130. This seems to be around the going rate, this included going via Bartrums, the freight distribution and pallet people, before being, passed on to, one assumes a reliable courier, shipped out to Parcel Force.  Costs have been seen to be as much as £175 for delivery, so C and C are reasonable in today's prices. I am just hoping now I don't have the same problem as before, with couriers damaging or losing the item. (accountability is not in a courier's vocabulary).

Paragon

1. Big dent in the front of the bonnet, infrastructure or framework was good
2. Front driver's side mirror had gaffer tape around it...
3. A split in the rear window of the soft top, (again with gaffer tape holding it together)

This was not the end of the world and could be fixed with a little TLC and some money over time. The Z3 did have a new battery and two new rear tyres, and new rear discs, though rusty, most likely salvaged. Chris did say the front ones had also been replaced and had some life, personally; I did think they needed changing. The brake pads and shoes had also been replaced with new ones and seems to work ok with the odd squeak here and there, this I could live with temporarily.

Z3

The Diary of the BMW Z3

(Update: Stock speaker amplifier)

1

1

(See Purchases)

My Diary Of An
BMW Z3

Z3 2002 Engine 2.2
5 Speed Manual

Nigel G Wilcox

Paragon

click

An early start 9:50am Super off peak to 14:06pm arrival. Not a bad journey except for the London underground, there were around six train changes. At least the Underground was all in the local and enclosed vicinity to each other, just to paint a bright picture, weather was good too.

The seller Chris; was originally from Poland and living here for 18 years as a garage mechanic/fitter, originally bought the car for himself to do up as a project, a really nice guy, but like many, just not having the time to follow personal pursuits over work, so little restoration had been done. It later seemed to me that the Z3 may have been used as a possible donor car, as a number of parts were missing, it was only a thought, as I vauguely remember a suggestion that there was more than one Z3 being used; or was that my imagination?

Note: WAITING ARRIVAL of Bonnet

Click on photo for Workshop

17.10.18 The weather has improved from cloudy overcast and spells of rain to the sun shining through, remaining cool. Ideal weather to do some more work on the car, the list is mounting: Brakes, discs, boot replacement, slick50 treatments, bonnet suspension or number plate rear camera fitting....? I would like to complete this list before my journey to stockport in an ideal world.OK!  I started to strip down the boot/trunk lid, unfortunately it was also held in by four star screw/bolts that were badly worn and I was unable to undo them without having to drill them out. (This I could do at a later date). Rather than do that I decided to keep the original lid, however change the third stop light to the clear white with red LEDs. The broken plunger was also replaced.

This time, I have safeguarded myself, (hopefully) by asking the supplier to include the costs of courier delivery price within the eBay advert via PayPal. This they have done without hesitation and the full cost now reads from £235 to £365.00 on eBay -  in total. (Delivery cost quoted was £130).  Delivery is estimated to be on the  13th September 2018.

Considering how long it took me to clean under the passenger chair, I was on a run and decided to take out the driver's chair to get to clean the carpet and see what livestock was using my car for their home. I was also curious to see if this side had moisture within the carpet. (see Workshop 02.08.18)

at:  eBay  £3.91 free p&p el-zorparts

at:  eBay  £3.91 free p&p el-zorparts

OK!  I started to strip down the boot/trunk lid, unfortunately it was also held in by four star screw/bolts that were badly worn and I was unable to undo them without having to drill them out. (This I could do at a later date). Rather than do that I decided to keep the original lid, however change the third stop light to the clear white with red LEDs. The broken plunger was also replaced. I also took the opportunity to touch up some of the paintwork with the Titan touch-up paint and it was a large improvement considering I was initially informed the colour was Arctic Silver. (the latter information of course was incorrect).

So far I have had two attempts to get the bonnet struts right and so far I have been wrong both times, even though each company I had approached suggested their struts would fit the Z3 - They don't! Be WARNED!

When looking for struts for the bonnet/hood do note the length of the flat metal at the top of the strut as illustrated in Image A.

When looking for struts for the bonnet/hood do note the length of the flat metal at the top of the strut as illustrated in Image A.

O/S Boot/Trunk Plunger

INCORRECT
B = both ends flat with a hole in each end
C = One end is short and has a drilled hole, the
       lower end has a cup shaped end


A = Just note the length of the metal at the top, with drilled hole. This one is CORRECT!

A = CORRECT!
BMW Z3

I have decided to leave the struts for now and just use the original ones I have, they do the job and this small game between the customer and the supplier can become expensive if you don't get it right... However, those that sell these items also have a responsibility to know their products to help their customers and should identify the parts as being varied or different in their manufacturing and not just look out for quick opportunist profit! But that seems to be the way of the world today unfortunately, and all at the buyers expense..... Make sure you do your research and obtain the right part number, even if it means going to your BMW dealership to get it, remember you don't have to purchase it from BMW if you don't want to...Perhaps I should have taken that note out of my own book....;)

I will get off my soapbox for now,  so, what positive jobs did I do today? The Slick50 treatments for the Gearbox, this was fairly straight forward and required me to undo the nut on the side of the gearbox. This required a 13mm spanner/wrench tool, (too tight a space for a socket). Normally when the nut is undone, there is a requirement to prevent the access oil spilling out, to allow the new oil to be added some of the old oil may need to be taken out via the use of a pump or equivalent, one normally comes with the kit. In my case, no overflow. (this could be down to which side the car is jacked up on. As in my case, it was the side of the access hole in the grearbox, preventing the spill). Once the treatment has been inserted into the gearbox the process is near enough complete, this just leaves the gearbox nut to be reinserted and tightened up. (Some gearbox nuts require a small round metal gasket, this particular model doesn't need one, or the previous service left it off, I did check for leaks;)). This oil treatment, should help by allowing smoother gear changes (Note: Always use axle stands when working under cars).
What was now left was the fuel treatment, again straight forward and only required the content of the treatment bottle to be poured into the fuel tank. (ideally the tank should only have the minimum amount of fuel, the treatment is added and the tank refilled with petrol/gas, this should help clean the vital fuel lines; condition rubbers, gaskets, piston rings, faces and cylinders.
The engine treatment, also part of this particular kit was added a couple of days before, however, as already mentioned; I did receive  a 500ml bottle that was supplied in error. A 2.0L to 3.0L  normally takes a 750ml bottle of treatment. This shortfall will be addressed if and when required after at least a hundred miles. Even with a shortfall the treatment should still be effective based on my previous experience and history using this product.

22.10.18  A good start of the day, sunny, cool in the shade and ideal for working on the car. Another attempt at removing the O/S rotor, mainly removing the star retaining nut that holds the plate on. Heat, penetrating oil and a lump hammer and still a no go. This will only leave an attempt of drilling the nut out. But not today!...
Instead I decided to wire up the extra two USB switches onto the centre console, switch board level either side of the clock. I initially wired it up to the Cigarette lighter, however when it was all connected up, the switches were illuminated by LEDs, like 'Christmas trees' and were constantly on. Another rethink was in order and it was obvious the USBs only needed to be live when the car was moving and off when the ignition key was out. Another attempt will be made, re-routing the wiring onto the radio circuit as to address this slight problem. Another day with very little done.... two paces forward and two back....when doing DIY maintenance, there are many days like this...."Slowly,Slowly, Catch the Monkey"!

27.10.18  Cold, Cold, Cold! From one extreme to another, I was planning to correct my USB switches, by rewiring them, this will need to be done in the next few days before the trip to Stockport for the new soft top, so job pending.... In the meantime I am also looking for quotes to  insure the vehicle as well as tax it, as it is  currently 'Sorned' for the purpose of renovation. My old trusted E39 will be past over to my son in early November and he seems to have great plans for it, new leather interior and a possible body wrap. Should be interesting.

28.10.18 Sunshine and cold today, great opportunity to correct the wiring for the USB switches, the biggest problem was getting the radio back out, at least the security works.... The job today was to place the live wiring of the USB onto the ignition side, rather than have a live constant. Remember there are two live connections appertaining to the radio, one is constant live, the other is ignition live.
After reconsolidating the lives to the USBs, (bringing them all together), they were re-connected to the radio positive ignition live, the negative went back to the negative on the lighter within the console however; any ground point would do, (if one can find one locally). The system worked, the USBs and LEDs went off when the ignition key was turned off, job done!

As the radio was out, I had also decided to replace the bulb on the  module for the fan switches, for heater and blower unit etc. behind the centre console and below the radio aperture. This unit can be disconnected by taking off the control knobs and then pushing towards the back of the console. There are two bulbs, both with in moulded holders on the front of the unit or face. The one on the left is a complete unit that plugs into a clip on the facia,  it was this one I needed to replace. Note: this bulb is a complete module and the bulb cannot be taken out independently of the holder... (who thought that one up at BMW?). One needs to buy the whole customized bulb module from BMW. (Being Sunday, that was not happening today). The replacing of the radio will have to wait until I can complete the bulb task.

With a Cupped End on the Bottom

A

As the radio was out, I had also decided to replace the bulb on the  module for the fan switches, for heater and blower unit etc. behind the centre console and below the radio aperture. This unit can be disconnected by taking off the control knobs and then pushing towards the back of the console. There are two bulbs, both with in moulded holders on the front of the unit or face. The one on the left is a complete unit that plugs into a clip on the facia,  it was this one I needed to replace. Note: this bulb is a complete module and the bulb cannot be taken out independently of the holder... (who thought that one up at BMW?). One needs to buy the whole customized bulb module from BMW. (Being Sunday, that was not happening today). The replacing of the radio will have to wait until I can complete the bulb task.

Time is not a luxury for me and Yes! I did pay it, with gritted teeth and it was hours later I put my head into gear after the purchase; the BMW desk jockey didn't respond to my odd comments concerning the price, he had probably heard them all before... After speaking to the guy at the BMW desk about the blower, he suggested that if the fan is only working on 4th setting, it is down to a resistor at the back of the switch on the far right of the backplate. (Update: see Workshop for the TRUE location) This is held in by 2 screws. The cost to replace this resistor behind the switch; is again - HIGH!  £62 for a small resistor that initially just plugs in. However; if it is not that and it proves to be the,  (FSU) or hedgehog', or fuse 57, (as it has numerous names, not sure if the Z3 has an FSU?) the cost will be within the region of just over £100 +/- (BMW prices). I have seen these hedghogs much cheaper on eBay for better and more realistic prices, around the £12 +  and some of them, in fact  do work...;), like the one on my E39...
It is best to try and get a full rear switch panel initially, from the breakers yard at a much more sensible price and go from there...this I have done, well the search at least, nothing yet; however due to the trip to stockport, I will need to have everything back together as time is running out, if I find one, I will fit it another time. The heating system and vents work  on setting 4, so I am not in dire.... (update: 31.10.18, one quote £55, so far).

31.10.18  Bright, on the cool side today, I have my extortionate priced bulb from BMW, fitted, works and this just leaves putting back the pieces, switches, radio and give the car a general tidy up, before the trip to Stockport. I have also let the engine run for a good 15-20 minutes and it does sound better since the Slick 50 treatment...

Slightly changing the subject and adding a more positive spin, I have fed the new wiring of the recently purchased number plate cradle from the radio to the rear. (reversing camera, not fitted yet). The wires are routed via the centre console towards the rear of the car. I am hoping when the old soft top has been taken off, in the workshop, there will be an aperture or a gap of sorts for the wires to pass through to the boot/trunk, 'Killing two birds with one stone, so-to-speak', we shall see...it is either that or having to drill through or mess around with the plastics of the interior to which I just don't have the inclination to do at this point in time...

Another important task today is to sort out my car tax and insurance, the tax will most likely start at the beginning of November, the insurance can be negotiated, in my case to the 4th November start. It is always wise to allow some extra days for possible delays in getting it in place. As in my case, I am still having  to use my E39 due to important prior appointments and the insurance ran  out at the middle of October, so problems there, as to cancel a new policy can prove expensive over the 14 day cool off period.

UPDATE:
Note: BMW have quoted, wait for it!
£10.70 for the bulb/holder on the left...Obviously there are ways around having to pay such a ridiculous amount for a bulb, try using one off a spare cigarette lighter or ashtray bulb and holder and splice into the existing wires that connect to the holder on the plate, or at least something like it...

01.11.18  The insurance companies are another example of British rip-offs, with cancellation fees and having to purchase extras, that really should be part-and -parcel of the insurance in the first place, most drivers will already know this, but it does place a bitter taste in one's mouth...and amounts to the adage of Rip-off-Britain, to my dismay...this temps me to get on my soapbox, but I will spare you that...
The Z3 should now be insured, taxed, via the internet, (tax has gone up by £100 for the Z3 in comparison to the E39 - a licence for the government to print money) and the MOT is valid until February 2019. The E39 cannot be released to my son yet,  until the Z3 soft top has been replaced, mainly down to weather proofing and gaining at least the minimal security, i.e. getting a back window in place, at least.

02.11.18  I have just got a confirmation note from Soft Top Shop that the fitting is a go for the 6th...can't wait....

03.11.18  Scrolling down the eBay columns I noticed a centre console in auction at a price one could not really pass on, near complete, the only problem was the buyer would have to collect. On learning the location, within the West Midlands and a stone throw from where I live, an offer I could not refuse. I threw in an offer of £50.00, 20 minutes later I receive a counter offer of £60 from the seller, near enough with a take it or leave it, I took it....based on the following reasons:

OK! What was going through my mind?         Cost per item

Back panel heater dials and resistor ……………...£55 - £89
Analogue/Digital Clock with Chrome Trim………...£27 - £28
Window Switches...………………@13.29 x2 ……£27
Hazard Warning Switch …………………………….£12-£70
Cigarette Lighter ……………………………………..£10 - £20
ASC Switch  …………………………………………£15
Gear Gaiter …………………………………………..£15 -
Hand Brake Gaiter...…………………………………£20  Both £80
Soft Top Rear Switch Panel...………………………£15-£25
Bare Console Unit …………………………………...£99.98
Switch Blanking Cap...……......….@£11.94 x3... .£35.82
Front Heater Control Panel with Chrome Trim ……£15

                                              £345.98 min estimated value
£60 a Bargain!

These items were re-searched and individually priced via the internet...

Another thought of added bling, Added WRC Pedal protectors, from my previous BM E39 to match the gear knob and handbrake cylinder, these were in a box at the back of the garage, may as well, use them....

The accelerator may need a rethink? :)

Another reason for the purchase, there is some wear on my current console, where the window switches have been depressed over time and the black matt paint has been slightly worn away, there is also marks where I had a few problems removing the radio, as I had mentioned earlier, (28.10.18). Hopefully, I will be able to use the good and remove the bad and get a full working heater fan and better looking, in appearance console, generally. Looking at the second hand prices, I could also sell the original unit and possibly recoup the cost. We shall see...

04.11.18  Insurance comes live today, the weather is wet, I may have to seal up my back window on my soft top for my trip... I don't think I have managed to complete all or partially, my job objectives as previously set out in my diary entries, only increase them. Once the soft top is on, at least the Z3 will be useable....and these outstanding jobs can be done without the urgency. I may even take another trip to my son's place and spend a day getting these jobs done. Two minds are better than one, and more hands make light work, kill two birds with one stone plus any more one can think of....

06.11.18  A 5 o'clock start, no rain and the GPS System is working well, once I had familiarised with it. I arrived at Stockport around 8:30am, and was surprised on how the M6 was busy for the early morning start out. The roads have changed dramatically in a space of a couple of years. 
Paul Williams, the Soft Top Shop owner and fitter arrived soon after me, a shuffle of cars and he started near enough immediately. (See Workshop for more details).
I eventually arrived home around 3:30 pm, better than I expected as I estimated a return around 5:30pm, not a bad turn-a-round.

The next task is to get an estimate for the body work on the N/S door and rear wing corner, (see gallery) from a local professional Body repairers.

08.11.18  A busy morning amongst the bacon sandwiches, my old E39 Beamer parted company from me today, over to my son with the resource of parts, from my garage, one era ends and another one begins.

I decided to meet up with CB Car Body Repairs in  Hampton-in-Arden, I have known  Charlie and his son Jamie for years on and off and they were the ones coincidently, I had the centre Console off, (as mentioned above, I only realised when I got there to pick the item up). This time I went down to get a quote for the repair of the body damage on the near side (passenger side).

Result!

After a detailed thorough inspection we discussed what needed to be done, debating the hot and cold treatment or pins to pop the dent and so on, justifying how much work would be involved.  The door seemed to be the biggest problem; as the problem was not just localised to one section of the door but most of it, even though it was difficult to see without being there real-time, I could  see the problem and we were both 'singing off the same hymn sheet'. The price Charlie was thinking was around the £450 mark. Even though, he aloud me to throw in a figure into the ball park. This was a fair price, even though it took a good five minutes to make a decision...

The small dents in the door are also evident near the door handle and goes parallel across towards the mirror, very much like a crease line. Also where  the colour slightly changes below the door handle, the other small rib dents are visible as one can appreciate, the extent of the damage is not too clear within this image...

Charlie suggested next week! That kind of blew me sideways a little, as it was sooner than anticipated. After careful deliberation and checking my diary, (after I had got home) I rang him back to suggest Tuesday 13th November 2018, 9am. (See the full story on Workshop) as there was more to it than that.....

stock photo

Stock photo

Another method requires looped metal pins to be spot welded onto the damaged area.  Individual or groups of pins can then be pulled in turn or within a selected number of pins, pulling out the dent.

This 'could' be one method of repair, requiring excessive preparation,  rub down,  filling, more rubdown, base colour, top coats. To point out that this is only a stock image, perhaps and hopefully a better quality image of the job to that of  this image in my case?

I am very close to draining my coffers, it is fortunate that the major jobs are near completion and I am close to realising the joys of this car with it's new lease of life...

Another update! The insurance company did send me a letter claiming for payments for insurance on my E39, (It was almost a threat. I no longer had the car in my name, or had possession of it). After a heated conversation with the insurance company, they eventually suggested; they had sent me the letter in error, (after a good 10 minutes of inhouse debate whilst I was placed on hold - but I knew that...) for the E39, even though they were previously informed as both vehicles had been registered with the same company, the cancellation of cover for the E39. A case of the Right hand not knowing what the Left hand was doing...or slight of hand based on greed, potentially?  I wonder if they would have suggested the mistake if I hadn't contacted them? Makes me wonder how many other people could fall for this kind of behaviour ?.... 'Water under the bridge', back to one car insurance for the Z3, at least this potential worry was out of the way, there was no real need for it!  'The joys of motoring in the UK....

So far there have been two landmark days: The bonnet, the soft top and the third will be the sorting out of the N/S body work to bring this little gem into the mainstream, the dream is still alive..... I keep having to remind myself at times, today is a good day!

13.11.18   Another early morning, 13 has always been a lucky number for me despite it's reputation, today 7:10 am the Z3 is ready to be dropped off to the bodyshop  for restoration at 9:00 am. Pick up day is set for Thursday 15th. I did manage to get my lift back home and  they also offered  a lift for collecting it; when the jobs was done, this I really appreciated.

To save on labour costs, a red door off a recycled Z3 was purchased by me from Charlie and one presumes it will be rubbed down and resprayed Titan Silver, once dry the door furniture will be replaced and wiring re-connected, as and when the back wing panel has also been rectified. Pins could be attached to pull out the dent in the rear panel. This method was suggested as Charlie had assessed the wing as being double skinned, (personally if didn't think it was?) and this could prove difficult, especially if one is using the hot gun method with basic tapping techniques to try and eradicate the dent. The pin method will most likely be adopted to pull the dent  and then it will need the required  grind, rub down, may require some filler, a rub down, base paint and respray...

15.11.18  I am just waiting for a telephone call from the body shop repair, to say the Z3 is ready and someone will be over to pick me up..., yes! There is apprehension down to certain expectations, there is also the cost, (chicken feed to some, but not me, taking into account what has already been spent so far).

A call from CB, not today for the collecting of me for my car, can't find anyone that can give me a lift, so tomorrow is the order of the day, 10:30am  it seems.

16.11.18 An earlier pickup, just gone 9.30 am, arrived at CB a quick inspection of the work on the side panels, looked to be a reasonable job, replacement sprayed door, looks good, door mirror, (not off the original door, slightly cloudy, some red paint visible from the donor. Not quite sure why they didn't just swap the mirror over from the original door), a little in question, however the door fits and operates well.  To be fair Charlie did suggest I could take the old door with me if I wanted it. Unfortunately the size of the Z3 didn't allow it, so he has put it to one side, incase I needed it for parts, I may take him up on the offer. The rear wing dent has gone and the appearance is good, slight question concerning the finish on the sill below the dent, some abrasion from a rubdown, it can be overlooked, if not looking specifically, however with a good half an hour and elbow grease this had been rectified. The bumper, again is questionable,  I was told it had been looked at... and most likely it had, however the appearance seemed of little difference. (photos to follow) This will need to be addressed at a later date.

After being invoiced, I paid the cash and eventually parted company.  After a closer inspection when I arrived home, I did feel a little disappointed and was left with an impression that the job may have been a little rushed, most likely down to their very heavy workload, but that was not really the point. (See Workshop)

After some additional work and elbow grease the Z3 was presentable.

The addition of Stone Guards, also helped to set it off.

Result!

Moving on, I have purchased some black trim restorer, this should bring the cockpit furniture up to a showroom finish and I may try it on the engine compartment. There are the front rotors and brake calipers that still need to be fitted, not mentioning the centre console replacement and the rear boot replacement. These are not vital at present and will be addressed when the weather improves. 'There is now what once was far away, a glowing light at the end of the tunnel'.

17.11.18  This afternoon, I decided to give the Z3 Cockpit a good clean with the Jet Black Simonex colour restorer, like the leather cream, one wonders if they work, however I persevered. In the end I managed to find some 'Cabin Shine' spray that I had misplaced awhile back, it transformed the interior. So much so, I decided to have another go with the engine compartment using all the compounds at my disposal, including T'cut. There was a motive behind this, my new Strut Brace had arrived, (17.11.18)  it required a little alteration on the O/s end bracket, mainly where the earth nut is situated on the suspension o/s hub.

Result!

BMW E36 3 Series Front Strut Bar Carbon fibre M tec Sport M3 AC Evo Style Z3 RED - Also SECOND GOOD ENGINE CLEAN

This Strut Brace is made of T6061 aircraft grade billet aluminum with carbon fibre effect surface designed to Reduce Chassis Flex to improve steering response and stability. The End Brackets, (Tower Mounts) are made in Premium Steel for added strength and powder coated RED to eliminate possible corrosion.

A nice addition to the Z3.

There was also the magnetic stone guards, they had also arrived within the past number of days, (15.11.18)  and they needed to be attached to the rear wings. There was one snag, that was on the n/s, where the dent had been repaired, since there was filler, the magnet on the top portion did not attach. A slight oversight on my part. However, some two sided tape on the top section sorted this out. The Z3 is now taking shape nicely.

The tray in the boot/trunk; with a good clean and the tools from a BMW Mini, (They seem to fit the Z3, when checked) I had also received on  05.11.18, I managed to restock my tool tray, even had a few extras.

Updated from diary entry dated: 23.06.18

2018 WiFi Hidden 1080P FHD Lens Car DVR Dash Cam Rear Camera Video Recorder CHF

Also fitted, mainly to cover the front of the road, rather than the rear. This seems to be a requirement when it comes to driving on British roads today, especially with insurance scams on the increase.

18.11.18  After reading some of the earlier diary entries I had noticed after the unfortunate events with the bonnet, the first time around, I had not provided an image of the replacement bonnet within this diary. I am not sure why, but I can guess it may have been down to my experience and trauma, now I have recovered, twitch!  I will correct this oversight.

Result!

Quite a productive day!

2018 comes to a close....Continue to 2019

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These do appear in the Gallery and other sections of the Z3 publication

This Z3 has come along way since June of this year, (2018) and is near completion, however I must get these front brake plates, (rotors) and brake calipers fitted. There is no real urgency at the moment, as Chris, (the person I purchased the vehicle off) had done a reasonable job on the mechanics side. He had also done a reasonable job with the braking system with perhaps a small minor exception concerning the handbrake, (there is a light sensor illumination appearing on the Instrument cluster indicating an error - Canadian amber symbol). This will need to be investigated at some point in time, as there may be a problem with one or both of the self adjusters for the rear handbrake shoes, however, all of the brakes seem to function ok, with the possible handbrake adjuster restriction or it can be down to an over tightness of the handbrake cables, as it remains on two and three clicks; perhaps a little tighter than some would feel comfortable with? Where as over time, the clicks normally increase as the shoes wear and this does not seem to be  happening. (It maybe adjusting correctly, however one can get the sense there is something not quite right).   Slight adjustments, worn shoes, handbrake mechanism or it may be down to just a faulty sensor. I will need to look at this, preferably when the weather conditions are a little more favourable.

18.12.18 The Christmas Month is here and changes in weather is as big in comparison with the heatwave a couple of months ago, of what seems like only yesterday, today it is windy, raining and cold, not ideal weather for working on the Z3, but it is better than having six foot of snow. Several deliveries have arrived and these have been placed on the shelf for now, a good quality car polish, soft top proofer, flexible direction indicator bars to fill above and in the open space on the front bumper and today the mirror indicator arrows, they are ready to be fitted and used, again I am a creature of habit, I am waiting for the warmer weather.... Until then I will wish you a Merry Christmas 2018 and Happy New year 2019!

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<<<2018>>>

Signing Off This Year

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