Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1

    New Member Maryland

    Afternoon folks,

    My name is Shiva, friends call me Shiv. I live in a city 30 miles North of Baltimore, MD called Bel Air. Been here for a few years, moved around throughout MD and DC. I'm a father to 4 kids and a husband. By profession I am a clinical engineer. I recently left my job in the O/R to work as an Adjuster for an insurance company. Big change in scope of work, needed the flexibility in schedule with the two younger kids.

    I've browsed around the forums for a little over a month now. Glad I stumbled upon this forum, I have learned quite a bit in the short time and see the fellowship in the posts.

    At the beginning of this year I decided I was going to do something for myself. Most Father's here can attest, it becomes about the wife and the kids first. In my new field I searched for different classes and styles of vehicles to purchase. Wasn't until April when I rented a '16 328i that I realized I wanted a BMW. The overall experience was unparalleled, I found myself realizing there are vehicles made for more than "point a to point b", a foreign concept to my utilitarian view on motor vehicles.

    In my field i asked around for opinions, was directed to the e39 530i. One look at sterling greu and I was mesmerized. After some time researching I went back to the 3 series and stumbled upon the ZHP. It was a "head over heels" moment for me.

    I'm currently in the market for a 03-06 MT ZHP, preferably in grey with low miles. Don't have any experience with owning a BMW nor have driven one. I'm here to learn as much as I can about ownership, repairs, mods and becoming active in the community. I think the hobby will be a healthy outlet and experience. A good change to dealing with life and a balance with family and work.

    Thank you all for your time. I look forward to learning from you all and growing within the community.

    -Shiv

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Austin TX
    Posts
    7,606
    Welcome, Shiv. There are good ZHPs out there that satisfy your criteria. Be prepare to travel if you would like to buy one rather soon. I got lucky with mine, it was a local transaction and the seller was a member here. GL with your search.
    Last edited by fredo; 07-16-2017 at 10:42 AM. Reason: Typo
    2005 IR / black / 6MT
    157,000 miles

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    22841
    Posts
    9,921
    Welcome.

    I'm not affiliated with this sale but this is a nice example.


    2003 silver grey, black leather, 6spd with 145k. Has maintenance records which is key.

    Location is Georgia

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

    His - 2004 Imola Red / Alcantara 330i | 6MT | ZHP |

    Her's - 2005 Black Sapphire Metallic / Black Leather 330i | 6MT | ZHP |

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    10,243
    Welcome! You'll find this to be a very friendly forum with a good set of folks and lots of useful material.

    A few helpful suggestions in your search:
    • ZHPs came in three flavors: sedan, coupe, and convertible. Sedans (330i badge) were available for model years 2003-2005. 2003 cars did not have automatic headlights, and I think they didn't come with automatic windshield wipers either. The Premium Package was not available for 2003 cars either, which included electric lumbar support for the front seats, automatic dimming rearview mirror, and BMW assist (their version of AllStar that I am pretty sure is outdated at this point). Coupes and convertibles (330Ci badge for both) were available for model years 2004-2006. All models came with alcantara steering wheels, parking brake boots, and shift boots, but in late 2005 BMW switched to leather for those components.
    • Do not be afraid of higher mileage (>100k miles), so long as the car has been maintained (maintenance records are a huge plus). I purchased my 2005 330Ci (coupe) 6MT with 49k miles 2+ years ago and paid a premium price for it. The downside was that the previous owners had followed BMW's notoriously skimpy maintenance schedule. There isn't anything wrong with that, but it meant that for everything to be up to scratch maintenance-wise, I had to do most of the maintenance I would have done on a car with double the mileage. Furthermore, I did a lot of maintenance not because of the mileage but because of the age. Plastic heat cycles and becomes brittle and rubber dries out over time. Replacing those components are important for 11+ year old cars.
    • Be patient and find the car that fits all the options you want, but when you find it, be prepared to move. ZHPs go quickly nowadays.
    • On a similar note, some features can be retrofitted if your car doesn't have them, so don't be too stuck on getting the perfect car. My car didn't come with the Premium Package but I wanted the autodim rearview mirror. For $150 in parts and about 30 minutes of work, I installed an autodim mirror from an E9x with added features of HomeLink (garage door opener) and a compass. You can take that to another extreme: many people replace their entire interiors for their preferred color or upgraded front seats from an M3.
    • Many members here live all over the U.S., so you might be able to get one of us to look at a car you if it's out of state.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    VA/DC
    Posts
    14,445
    Welcome. We have 1-2 members that live in your neck of the woods.

    I'm down in NOVA.

    I like that car. Saw it on FB.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by fredo View Post
    Welcome, Shiv. There are good ZHPs out there that satisfy your criteria. Be prepare to travel if you would like to buy one rather soon. I got lucky with mine, it was a local transaction and the seller was a member here. GL with your search.
    Thanks for your reply, Fredo. I have noticed traveling is required and am willing. I'm optimistic to find a local and/or a member sale.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Vas View Post
    Welcome.

    I'm not affiliated with this sale but this is a nice example.


    2003 silver grey, black leather, 6spd with 145k. Has maintenance records which is key.

    Location is Georgia

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
    Thank you, Vas. I will look into it. Found some good examples in the classifieds on the forum, seems as though the ads I saw were missing a feature I wanted, the color or transmission etc..
    I'll keep my eyes peeled.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by BMWCurves View Post
    Welcome! You'll find this to be a very friendly forum with a good set of folks and lots of useful material.

    A few helpful suggestions in your search:
    • ZHPs came in three flavors: sedan, coupe, and convertible. Sedans (330i badge) were available for model years 2003-2005. 2003 cars did not have automatic headlights, and I think they didn't come with automatic windshield wipers either. The Premium Package was not available for 2003 cars either, which included electric lumbar support for the front seats, automatic dimming rearview mirror, and BMW assist (their version of AllStar that I am pretty sure is outdated at this point). Coupes and convertibles (330Ci badge for both) were available for model years 2004-2006. All models came with alcantara steering wheels, parking brake boots, and shift boots, but in late 2005 BMW switched to leather for those components.
    • Do not be afraid of higher mileage (>100k miles), so long as the car has been maintained (maintenance records are a huge plus). I purchased my 2005 330Ci (coupe) 6MT with 49k miles 2+ years ago and paid a premium price for it. The downside was that the previous owners had followed BMW's notoriously skimpy maintenance schedule. There isn't anything wrong with that, but it meant that for everything to be up to scratch maintenance-wise, I had to do most of the maintenance I would have done on a car with double the mileage. Furthermore, I did a lot of maintenance not because of the mileage but because of the age. Plastic heat cycles and becomes brittle and rubber dries out over time. Replacing those components are important for 11+ year old cars.
    • Be patient and find the car that fits all the options you want, but when you find it, be prepared to move. ZHPs go quickly nowadays.
    • On a similar note, some features can be retrofitted if your car doesn't have them, so don't be too stuck on getting the perfect car. My car didn't come with the Premium Package but I wanted the autodim rearview mirror. For $150 in parts and about 30 minutes of work, I installed an autodim mirror from an E9x with added features of HomeLink (garage door opener) and a compass. You can take that to another extreme: many people replace their entire interiors for their preferred color or upgraded front seats from an M3.
    • Many members here live all over the U.S., so you might be able to get one of us to look at a car you if it's out of state.
    Awesome post, BMWCurves!

    I've considered a few of your comments.

    I think I'd like a coupe as a first option. However with a large family it may be more practical for a sedan.

    I find myself getting hung up on mileage, looking for under 100k but will take your suggestion into consideration moving forward.

    Thanks for your time, bud.

    -Shiv

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by ELCID86 View Post
    Welcome. We have 1-2 members that live in your neck of the woods.

    I'm down in NOVA.

    I like that car. Saw it on FB.
    Thank you, ELCID86. I'll browse the member only section to see the locals. Would love the opportunity to go over info in person and see their zhps and projects.

    Best,

    Shiv

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    18,064
    Welcome!

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

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