WTB: Black over black Alacantara 6M slicktop ZHP sedan

[HiFiGuy]

Ideally we want a black four door ZHP sedan with black cloth seats and a 6-speed manual transmission, 2005 model year preferably, but 2003-2004 is worth a look, and with cold weather package, or at least heated front seats. Higher mileage (100k miles +) is okay as long as the car is very well taken care of, but lower is great. Attention to detail when it comes to maintenance is key.

Sunroof not a deal-breaker, but our current ZHP sedan doesn't have a sunroof, and we kind of like it that way.

I would consider an automatic, because I have a spare ZHP 6-speed manual transmission, and could do a swap if the rest of the car is good enough to warrant the effort.

Unmodified is preferable, but tastefully modded is okay too. No forced induction, as much fun as it might be short-term. On the other hand, a nice set of ARC-8 wheels, square setup, with some Michelin Pilot Super Sports :D , would be a plus, as long as the clean factory 135 wheels are also in the mix.

[danewilson77]

Good luck in your find my friend. We'll keep an eye out.

S7 Edge, out

[BMWCurves]

Good luck with your search! I wish there were some stats on slicktops but unfortunately for you, I don't think there really were that many produced.

[Vas]

That does sound like a great combo. Slicktop might be difficult to find though.

Do you have a preference for Jet Black or Black Sapphire Metallic?

[HiFiGuy]

No, really either black would be fine, I think. My wife drove her old car, currently my son's 2003 ZHP slicktop IR/NB 6MT, while her M3 is in the shop, and told me she was reminded again how much she loves that car. It's her favorite she's had, and she wants another one. So, in a different conversation a good while back with my son, we were talking hypotheticals, and I asked him if he were to pick a car from thin air with no constraints, what would he want it to be? He said he would ideally love just what he has now, four door ZHP sedan with a 6MT, no sunroof, but he'd prefer black interior and exterior. So that's why we're here now! :) Mama get's her favorite car back, and son gets his dream car. Meanwhile, I am wheeling my E30 track machine on weekends. Everyone's happy.

I reached out to D1ESEL by PM and in his FS thread about his dark blue/tan ZHP sedan, BTW, but haven't heard back. That car might be close enough, and I personally like a couple of the mods, like the front calipers/rotors and the intake, that a compromise on color could be reached. Blue was a second choice in our theoretical conversation, and it's a dark blue, so it just might work.

[Vas]

What about mystic blue?
And black leather?

[HiFiGuy]

Well, my wife decided she might not be able to live without a convertible, so we are now apparently looking for a nice ZHP convertible with a 6MT and heated seats. Probably the only exterior color we don't want is Titanium Silver, nor do we want black leather on the inside. Alcantara is fine. Other than that, most options will be considered. Until I am instructed otherwise. :D

[HiFiGuy]

Okay, now back to our original desire for a black/black 6MT sedan. Either black is good, but would slightly prefer Jet Black. Slicktop preferred, not required. Alcantara seats preferred, but black leather okay. Heated seats a big plus. Any idea on prices for such a beast? If it's in good shape and low mileage, what's the worst case? If 100k miles? If <50k miles? Can't remember if I've already asked, but if AT > MT swap is easy and straightforward, I have a spare ZHP 6MT sitting in my garage. If so, I would consider an AT car, and swap it. Otherwise, strictly 6MT.

Side note: I had a guy offer me a clean 2006 E46 M3 convertible in Silvergrau with gray interior, 6MT, 75k miles, for about $14k. I know the guy, and he's meticulous with his maintenance. Car's garage kept, and mechanically looks flawless, paint isn't perfect, but glossy and largely very nice, nothing a quick correction couldn't fix up. The driver's seat has wear on the bolster (natch), and there are a couple of small aged interior leather panels, like the door rest and center arm rest. Brand-new tires. Is that a good/great deal?

[Sreten]

I've sent you a PM.

[BMWCurves]

ZHP prices are all over the place, it really depends on the car and the seller. You could find one with 100k and it could be $7k to $13k, or more. I think the hardest feature you're going to find is the slick top. The vast majority of ZHPs have moon roofs, so I wouldn't get my hopes up for that.

If you want a rough idea of what the market price has been for Mafia members at different mileages, you can check out this mileage vs. price chart below. It's not necessarily accurate (doesn't account for manual vs. automatic, sedan vs. coupe, etc) but should give you a ballpark figure:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FUWpdcPerF3UNTwj5AQoMDn-1MTfdhRaylJr7lGTmtw/pubchart?oid=289040793&format=interactive

You can see the full data sheet here that has more info: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FUWpdcPerF3UNTwj5AQoMDn-1MTfdhRaylJr7lGTmtw/edit?usp=sharing

I don't know how hard a 6MT swap is. Other members can chime in, but I don't think it's overly difficult, but is involved.

[ClimRox]

I've got a slick top for sale here, however it is an AT, so you would need to follow through with your swap if a 6MT is a must. You're right BMWCurves, from what I have seen slick tops are few and far between. I wonder if that was a specific option a buyer had to request?

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?19229-2004-BMW-330i-ZHP-AT-Schwartz-Schwartz-Slicktop-87k-(Knoxville-TN-)-10-500

[HiFiGuy]

Thank you ClimRox and Sreten for the PMs. I certainly will consider your cars, though they are both AT, so I will need to verify that I can do a AT > 6MT swap relatively easily. Driving a slush-box is a definite no-go. :biggrin Every car we own is, and has been since we've been married (26+ years), a manual except my Land Cruiser, which just isn't available in this country with a manual box. Can't turn back now! :thumbup

[hcbeck2689]

Side note: I had a guy offer me a clean 2006 E46 M3 convertible in Silvergrau with gray interior, 6MT, 75k miles, for about $14k. I know the guy, and he's meticulous with his maintenance. Car's garage kept, and mechanically looks flawless, paint isn't perfect, but glossy and largely very nice, nothing a quick correction couldn't fix up. The driver's seat has wear on the bolster (natch), and there are a couple of small aged interior leather panels, like the door rest and center arm rest. Brand-new tires. Is that a good/great deal?

That sounds like a really good deal to me. Really good.



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[HiFiGuy]

Me too, but I wasn't sure. It might sound crazy, but I'd actually rather have a ZHP sedan. However, if this deal is too good to pass up, I might get it and drive it for a while as I look for our ultimate ZHP sedan.

[HiFiGuy]

ClimRox,
The "slicktop option", or sunroof delete, is really just not checking a box on the options list, I think. It was about $1000 option to have the glass moon roof. You could also opt (or not) for the rear sun shade ($400), and navigation ($1800), among other things. One such option is automatic transmission. The AT was about $2000+, IIRC. Shame they didn't do like Honda with the S2000 and make the ZHP available in 6MT only, but that's just my personal opinion. If you wanted an AT, then you could get a 330i with the Sport Package. It would still be a nice car, just not as focused as the ZHP. But hey, it's just 10 HP and some fancy bumpers, right?

[jakksfor20]

Thank you ClimRox and Sreten for the PMs. I certainly will consider your cars, though they are both AT, so I will need to verify that I can do a AT > 6MT swap relatively easily. Driving a slush-box is a definite no-go. :biggrin Every car we own is, and has been since we've been married (26+ years), a manual except my Land Cruiser, which just isn't available in this country with a manual box. Can't turn back now! :thumbup

Total swap parts cost is about $2200-2500. Add in labor and you are looking at $4k. We bought our car as a A/T. Swapped it to M/T about 3 years later. Knew we were keeping the car, so it was an "investment".

[HiFiGuy]

@jakksfor20
First, when you say "total", are you including the tranny? I already have that.

I see you are near ATL. Where did you get the work done? I have some friends in ATL that I am thinking of using if I go that route.

[jakksfor20]

@jakksfor20
First, when you say "total", are you including the tranny? I already have that.

I see you are near ATL. Where did you get the work done? I have some friends in ATL that I am thinking of using if I go that route.

That includes the 6spd tranny. I had it done at TRM as they help out our CC team, but I'd use Harrison Motorsport or Markert, since TRM isn't really in the shop work stuff anymore. I used the 6 spd DIY on e46f that has the shopping list excel spreadsheet. They were ecstatic when I had everything they needed. Only thing they said was that they'd rather I had provided a new clutch since the used ones tend to be a PITA to put on with all the little springs that need set or whatever. If you got more questions, shoot me a message. We've since gone 3.38 diff as well.


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[Tides]

Hey there,

I have a 2003 6 spd manual sedan, Sapphire Black Metallic on Alacantara that I am considering selling. The only thing it is missing would be the slicktop you're hoping to find, but it has very detailed maintenance records and is currently just under 84k miles, with a lot of recent maintenance such as cooling system and VANOS.

If you're still hunting for a zhp, feel free to pm me and I'd be happy to discuss mine in greater detail!