New Member Maryland

[Skelkar116]

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

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[fredo]

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.

[Vas]

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 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170716/edb632b6b3825888268e5a4d0ec0a731.jpg

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[BMWCurves]

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.

[ELCID86]

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.

[Skelkar116]

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.

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[Skelkar116]

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 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170716/edb632b6b3825888268e5a4d0ec0a731.jpg

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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.

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[Skelkar116]

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

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[Skelkar116]

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

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[johnrando]

Welcome!

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[san]

Welcome


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[Oli77]

Welcome and hope you find what you need.

[BMWM3186]

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 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170716/edb632b6b3825888268e5a4d0ec0a731.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Saw this on Facebook today, looks very well sorted.

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[Skelkar116]

Saw this on Facebook today, looks very well sorted.

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Thank you San and Oli.

Anyone have a link for the sale mentioned above?

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[Vas]

Thank you San and Oli.

Anyone have a link for the sale mentioned above?

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Here is the thread here on the forum
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?20449-2003-Sedan-ZHP

The seller listed the car on the zhpmafia facebook page.

[slater]

welcome, shiv! glad to have you aboard. as a fellow dad i will suggest you look for a sedan. :) the coupe doors are HUGE and even without kids needing ingress/egress from the back seat, they are a pain for parking. :)

the ZHP is a very versatile vehicle - they can do a surprising amount of things well. the sedan moreso. i love the grey as well - i hope you find a nice one!

:cheers

[Wisco]

Afternoon folks,

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.

-Shiv

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

This was me about 20 years ago when I too finally realized how much fun driving could be. For me it was a ride in a friends M3 coupe. Since then we've had 3 kids and bought a 2007 328i/e90 sedan (N52 straight six, Sport/Premium, 6MT, no iDrive). It's been a blast and is the "best 5-series" BMW ever built, as some internet pundits have said.

Anyway, the e90 is a great car and I'm still using it as a DD at 125K on the ODO... but a ZHP. You've found the right spot my friend. To me the ZHP hits all the right BMW buttons (chassis/suspension and steering) with enough oomph, affordable maintenance/insurance and the family-friendly feel. Our kids are in HS or college, but it didn't stop us from buying a ZHP as a fun car. Now I'm itching to get another.

[ZHPizza]

welcome, shiv! glad to have you aboard. as a fellow dad i will suggest you look for a sedan. :) the coupe doors are HUGE and even without kids needing ingress/egress from the back seat, they are a pain for parking. :)

the ZHP is a very versatile vehicle - they can do a surprising amount of things well. the sedan moreso. i love the grey as well - i hope you find a nice one!

:cheers

+1 for the sedan. The door size, the seating position, the extra doors -- all of it makes the car much more useful than the coupe. I can make my coupe work since I don't have kiddos, but it's still less convenient.

[Skelkar116]

Here is the thread here on the forum
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?20449-2003-Sedan-ZHP

The seller listed the car on the zhpmafia facebook page.
Thank you, Vas will look into it.

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[Skelkar116]

welcome, shiv! glad to have you aboard. as a fellow dad i will suggest you look for a sedan. :) the coupe doors are HUGE and even without kids needing ingress/egress from the back seat, they are a pain for parking. :)

the ZHP is a very versatile vehicle - they can do a surprising amount of things well. the sedan moreso. i love the grey as well - i hope you find a nice one!

:cheers
Thanks, slater. You make good points, I think sedan is the way to go. I have a 12 yr old who is 5'10, if he ever sat in the back of a coupe I wouldn't be able to enjoy the ride over his complaining ha ha!

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[Skelkar116]

This was me about 20 years ago when I too finally realized how much fun driving could be. For me it was a ride in a friends M3 coupe. Since then we've had 3 kids and bought a 2007 328i/e90 sedan (N52 straight six, Sport/Premium, 6MT, no iDrive). It's been a blast and is the "best 5-series" BMW ever built, as some internet pundits have said.

Anyway, the e90 is a great car and I'm still using it as a DD at 125K on the ODO... but a ZHP. You've found the right spot my friend. To me the ZHP hits all the right BMW buttons (chassis/suspension and steering) with enough oomph, affordable maintenance/insurance and the family-friendly feel. Our kids are in HS or college, but it didn't stop us from buying a ZHP as a fun car. Now I'm itching to get another.
Wisco, your words give me more assurance with your past! Thank you for that. E90 looks solid, I become more worried with the more modules and potential electrical issues or malfunctions.



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[Wisco]

Wisco, your words give me more assurance with your past! Thank you for that. E90 looks solid, I become more worried with the more modules and potential electrical issues or malfunctions.



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The e90 has some of the same issues as an e46 with respect to valve cover and other gaskets, different issues with respect to electric vs belt driven water pump, but in the end it is as you say a larger, heavier and more luxurious 3-series. I have never had an electric problem and it has never left me stranded. A great highway cruiser that can handle itself in the twisties. It's more refined instead of raw line a e46, but marks the first step away from the core message that BMW began with the 2002.

Anyway, from your name I'm guessing that we're both of Indian decent. Nice to see another Desi in the house!


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[Skelkar116]

The e90 has some of the same issues as an e46 with respect to valve cover and other gaskets, different issues with respect to electric vs belt driven water pump, but in the end it is as you say a larger, heavier and more luxurious 3-series. A great highway cruiser that can handle itself in the twisties. It's more refined instead of raw line a e46, but marks the first step away from the core message that BMW began with the 2002.

Anyway, from your name I'm guessing that we're both of Indian decent. Nice to see another Desi in the house!


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Good comparison.

5 series is what I had originally thought I wanted, more luxurious and space.

After some time, the sportiness and fun factor is what I want with the smooth ride ultimately being the zhp's strong points.

Figured we have a mini van for the space [emoji1]

Did not think to find another Indian on a bmw forum, more or less living is Wisconsin! Small world, it is. Where about in India are you or your family from?



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[danewilson77]

Shiv,

Welcome

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[Skelkar116]

Shiv,

Welcome

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Thank you sir.

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