Thanks- this is the car's 4th summer in gel coat.
Same as ever- white- probably Ford Polar or Arctic or whatever they call it this year with 2 stripes in red - probably good old Standard Triumph Signal Red vinyl.
Chris installed the headlights in mine so I can't say. There was a pic on here a little while ago of Z300S kit #7 being shipped. You may be able to see on that.
Are you going to:
A. Install a cluster of white LED lights for the front?
or
B. Install a cluster of red/amber LED lights and mount it on the back a la Boxster, Nikri and other pushme-pullyou designs?
A-Plan insurance
Originally Posted by ned
try 01635 874646 and ask for kit car dept Henry
good luck
Just wanted to get this info on my thread.
OBDII Bluetooth Scanner
I've just picked up one of
these for £4.30 and downloaded the OBD Car Doctor app from elm327.com onto my Android phone.
The free app is fairly basic- rpm, coolant temperature and not much more. The full functions only become available when paying for the Pro version. (~£14)
Not sure how much info is available on the Z3 as its OBD is not fully compliant but I would expect to see trouble and servicing codes and be able to switch them off. There is also a data logger function.
OBDII Bluetooth Scanner
Interesting range of functions:
Road speed
RPM
Intake Air Temperature
Engine Coolant Temperature
Fuel consumption
Diagnostic Codes (library of 18193) (reset them with ignition on and engine off)
% Engine Load
Short Term Fuel Trim Banks 1 & 2
Long Term Fuel Trim Banks 1 & 2
Ignition Timing on #1 cylinder
Airflow Rate through MAF in g/second
Oxygen Sensor voltage and % Banks 1 & 2
Battery Voltage
but no ECU info (probably the Z3 non-compliant bit).
So basically- a whole load more things to worry about !!!
More pre-paint help please
More pre-paint help please:
1. How to remove Z3 door handles? I've got the clips off of the front pins but how to access the rear fastening?
2. How to remove the outer door top rubber trim? I'm guessing that loosening/removing the front window runner and quarterlight should provide access. I've found 2 bolts holding those.
Thanks for that, Geoff. I'm covering a Boston Green car with Ford Frozen White so trying to avoid any obvious lines showing on the outside.
No need to remove that clip- just slide an inside catch forwards and then back having replaced the trim- see
here
This removes the door handle surround which is all that's required when painting. If you need to remove the handle and latch mechanism- removing the surround exposes the head of the front pin (clip comes off the back of that) and the rear is removed by rotating the bezel around the key cylinder. Then "just" unbolt the latch mechanism from the edge of the door. There's a YouTube video for that as well.
Like most things- dead easy when you know how.
Remove the frangible clip at the rear of the door. That releases a triangular lump of rubber which is connected to the top trim. Ease it all upwards along the door and there's another triangular lump of rubber at the front which somehow grips the door. Ease that out and you're done.
It does make it a little easier if you have the inner door card off and loosen the top bolt holding the window runner/quarter-light but not essential when removing. Might be different when replacing with a new item but I find that Swarfega (NOT the one with plastic granules in it) works wonders, or Fairy Liquid.
Well- here we are- sanded down and ready for primer...
Work progressed quicker than expected- here it is with doors, bootlid and wheels back on- just need the bonnet to be painted and stripes applied...
If only- I would like a 250 convertible but space not available here.
This is the Z300S's 4th summer so I thought it was about time to get it painted. No further gel coat issues showed themselves in the hot sunlight/temperatures this year so I'm hopeful that the finish will endure. Two-pack paint has been used.
At last !!!
Fettled just enough to get it home...
Stripes to follow.
Thanks Jag- also- just a small matter of the woodrim steering wheel, some cobra-style lowback seats (in the correct mid-brown colour), similar shade of alcantara wrap on the dashboard (door cards already done) and stainless wire wheels.
Never found them so went to MWS for the adaptors and spinners. WCA used Orsen.
Interior Trim
The aforementioned door cards...
...with which I am particularly pleased.
This morning at the striping studio...
and
and then I had to drive it home-
in the rain-
past the gravel pit!!!
Some finishing touches...
from festoon bulbs in a parking light-
to some LED marker lights-
Similar to the side repeaters on my Jago-
(please note the carefully crafted, brush-painted, ready-for-anything off-road finish).
OK Jag, the front indicators and bare headlamp fittings (no chrome bezel) mirror the original A6GCS Fantuzzi.
I've now fitted the "final" grille and the headlight covers:
Also- relying on your good taste and discretion I ordered some stainless door handle covers- they look rather good.
Thanks for that, Paul.
It has been a longish job- just over 4 years and not over yet- woodrim steering wheel, low back seats and stainless wire wheels yet.
The best decision I made was to get Chris and Dan to mount the new body panels for me. It meant that the car was off the road for 2 weeks and I could drive it thereafter. That has made so much difference and was such good value that I'd recommend that approach. Even driving around in a gelcoat with patches of primer made every journey such an event that it has always been hard to stop smiling broadly. I now feel that I can take the car anywhere and my problem now is to know when and how much to polish it. What a problem to have, eh?
Cold where you are?
The scene this am:
Is there any official (BMW) guidance on when not to lower the hood in low temperatures?
In my Alfa Spider days, word was not to even touch the rear screen when it was frosty and not to lower the hood (the rear screen also folds on those) when the temperature was below 10degC. The screens seemed particularly prone to cracking. Neither was there a zip-out replacement option. Someone had come up with a two-piece glass conversion- I've not seen similar for the Z3.