Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1

    Zhp w/195k miles a good buy?

    Hey ZHP family,

    There is a ZHP 6spd coupe about an hour away, selling for $12k but talked him down to about $7k. Even $7k seems high for a car w that high of mileage. It does look extremely clean though and very well taken care of. Am waiting for the maintenance history, most has been done by Bmw as he claims.

    My question to anyone who will respond is, what should I look out for with a car that has this many miles? And would it be a money pit even if it was maintained properly?

    Any advice would be great.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    My first advice suggestion is to leverage your abilities and get a job where you can earn the big bucks via negotiations. Wow! Talking the seller down from $12K to $7K (a 42% reduction) says you are ready for the business world Big Leagues!

    Same advice as has been given in many previous threads:
    Suspension refreshed? What was replaced? At what miles/last done?
    Cooling system refreshed, including water pump? At what miles/last done?
    Brakes (rotors and pads)? At what miles/last done?
    Original clutch?
    Fuel pump replaced? At what miles?
    Tire tread depth?
    Oil pan and oil filter gasket replaced? At what miles/last done?

    195K miles is nudging up to the second time many of the above items should have been replaced and some may be at the 3X mark (coolant system, suspension bushings).
    2004 CiC 6MT Silver Gray (A08) Black Interior 1 of 51 Made
    Intravee - Navigation - Back-up Sensors - Cold Weather Package - Home Link Mirror
    Winter Hardtop, too - A Sweet Ride

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    SF Bay, CA
    Posts
    1,266
    Aside from the regular stuff like bushings, cooling system, and any other leaks (oil, power steering, which are bound to be leaking if the owner didn't replace gaskets/PS steering hoses and reservoir) things that immediately come to mind are:

    - shifter bushings, how wobbly is the shifter? Mine had a ton of play when I got it at 188k miles

    - is there a known date the clutch was replaced? But the clutches on our cars are quite stout, I'm at about 220k miles on the original and it's still going strong

    - wheel bearings: apparently mine are original too and still going strong, but something to note

    - RACP: had a crack and had to get that reinforced. E46 facelift did get extra spot welds but the root cause of cracking is still there. Higher chance of that with a higher mileage car

    Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk
    2004 BMW 330CI ZHP (well, technically ZAM)


  4. #4
    This one? Looks like they dropped it from 12 to 8.
    If it was highway driven and adult owned (granted they know how to drive stick), I’d say the clutch is ok.

    As others above have noted; cooling system, vcg, ofgh, oil pan gasket, etc.

    I’d rather buy a clean well maintained car with higher miles, than a ragged out lower mileage car.
    Condition is everything. Mechanics are easier to fix than body work. It looks like it has solid bones.
    The motors are good for 300k+.

    GL with whatever you decide.

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...6894693872921/
    Last edited by TrKy3; 10-27-2021 at 07:00 AM.
    2003 330i ZHP; Imola/Alcantara 6 speed, 2002 330xi ZSP; Blue gray/Black 5 speed

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by TrKy3 View Post
    This one? Looks like they dropped it from 12 to 8.
    If it was highway driven and adult owned (granted they know how to drive stick), I’d say the clutch is ok.

    As others above have noted; cooling system, vcg, ofgh, oil pan gasket, etc.

    I’d rather buy a clean well maintained car with higher miles, than a ragged out lower mileage car.
    Condition is everything. Mechanics are easier to fix than body work. It looks like it has solid bones.
    The motors are good for 300k+.

    GL with whatever you decide.

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...6894693872921/
    Yeah, they said it needs the oil pan gasket replaced, there is a leak. So might just let this one go. I also really want the alcantara so I’ll just wait and hopefully one comes up. In no rush really.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    133
    Quote Originally Posted by jcollins03 View Post
    Yeah, they said it needs the oil pan gasket replaced, there is a leak. So might just let this one go. I also really want the alcantara so I’ll just wait and hopefully one comes up. In no rush really.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    You will be very luck to find ANY ZHP without an oil pan leak for 2x the $7k price.

    If you are looking for a driver, I would jump all over that car for $7k, assuming records pan out...

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Pilot05 View Post
    You will be very luck to find ANY ZHP without an oil pan leak for 2x the $7k price.

    If you are looking for a driver, I would jump all over that car for $7k, assuming records pan out...
    Thanks for the advice! 200k just seems so high, but I’ll get it checked out and take it for a drive. If it feels nice I’ll snag it and ride it until the wheels fall off


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Agree with Pilot, a lot of these cars sweat before they actually start leaking oil from the pan, but figure a grand or so for that repair.

    For $7K, it looks like a solid deal. Most sub $10-12K ZHP's in the current market are going to need a fair bit of work, this one seems to be well sorted.
    2003 330i ZHP; Imola/Alcantara 6 speed, 2002 330xi ZSP; Blue gray/Black 5 speed

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Austin TX
    Posts
    7,606
    +1. While you are there (oil pan gasket replacement) you may consider other parts. Engine mounts and steering couple come to my mind.
    2005 IR / black / 6MT
    157,000 miles

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by fredo View Post
    +1. While you are there (oil pan gasket replacement) you may consider other parts. Engine mounts and steering couple come to my mind.
    Is that because they are related? Or the oil pan gasket job allows easier access for the steering, engine mount work so it’s recommended to do them together, similar to replacing the thermostat you should replace the water pump?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Low on power: Vanos good, DISA good
    By ziazhp in forum Mechanical | Troubleshooting
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 06-30-2019, 07:50 PM
  2. FS 2004 ZHP sedan Imola/black leather 6MT 176K miles needs a good home
    By Bishop in forum BMW 330 ZHPs For Sale (vehicles only)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 07-28-2018, 01:04 PM
  3. 2004 BMW 330i ZHP Sedan 6MT w/ 195k miles (Wickenburg, AZ) - $7,250
    By BMWCurves in forum BMW 330 ZHPs For Sale (vehicles only)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-23-2016, 05:01 PM
  4. FS: Style 135s. Good from far, far from good. But straight
    By Newguy99 in forum ZHP-Related Parts & Accessories (no vehicle sales)
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-21-2015, 10:54 AM
  5. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-07-2012, 04:33 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •