With its swollen haunches and smarter back end, the refreshed Z3 of 2000 looked the business.
BMW Z3 2.2, £4995: The 146bhp 2.0-litre six survived the facelift but had been replaced within a year by the 168bhp 2.2. It was one of these, a 2002-reg Sport manual with 62,000 miles, that caught our eye. Finished in classic Estoril Blue with black leather and riding on bright BBS alloy wheels, it’s offered with the rare removable hard-top, although that does mean we’d need to find a safe place to store it. Still, ’tis a small detail.
What isn’t is the lack of information concerning the car’s number of previous owners as well as its service history. Cross that bridge etc. While we’re preparing to do that, we’ll recall a few checks pertinent to it and other Z3s. They include looking for problems with the camshaft position sensor on the Vanos variable valve timing system, and listening for a rattly dual-mass flywheel and for gentle tapping on start-up (which fresh oil should cure). Turning to the gearbox, we’ll feel for clutch drag and check the rear differential mount isn’t about to give way. While poking about there, we’ll check the fuel tank for damage.
On the test drive, we’ll listen out for rattly drop links and rear suspension top mounts and feel for rumbly front lower ball joints. Our find looks neat but tin worm can break out on the door bottoms. Inside, stray warning lights and a worn driver’s seat bolster will be on our radar.
All well and good but that service history is an issue. We want evidence of 6000-mile oil changes, of fresh plugs, transmission and diff oil at 18,000, and of fresh brake fluid every two years – or its yours.
Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, £12,299: Here’s a handsome load-lugger and a welcome change from all the porky SUVs rolling around. We found this 2017/67-reg SRi Nav 2.0 Turbo D with full Vauxhall service history. It’s done 50,000 miles but they were probably motorway ones – the best ones of all.
