$900 doesn’t buy you a lot of car these days, especially since prices of used vehicles have pretty much exploded in 2021. Nevertheless, if you have the patience to search and know where to look, there are still some good deals to be made. This dusty 1999 BMW Z3 from Oklahoma City has certainly seen better days, but for $900 or a little over $1,000 after taxes, it’s still a pretty good deal.
Bought sight unseen, it has a smidge over 200,000 miles and could use some pampering both inside and out. However, not only is it a sweet little roadster that runs and drives, but it also hides a juicy secret under its hood. Without knowing what he actually bought, Randy from Auto Auction Rebuilds was surprised to see a Dinan upgrade for the 2.5-liter, inline-six engine. Unlike the car, the title is clean.
The small dent in the rear fender next to the fuel cap is not the end of the world as it can be fixed, while the matching Nexen tires for the 16-inch wheels have plenty of tread left in them. The alloys and brake rotors also look surprisingly good considering the Z3 appears to have been neglected for a while. The confusing 2.3 badge (despite the larger-displacement engine) is still there after 22 years, and so is the complete tool kit under the cargo floor.
Given the car’s age and the high number displayed on the odometer, it’s no wonder the interior shows visible signs of wear and tear. The steering column panel is in the trunk rather than where it’s supposed to be and the battery is unsurprisingly dead. It has its fair share of broken plastic bits, but with the car costing only $900, we can’t have high expectations from this Z3. After recharging the battery, Randy was happy to discover the power windows still worked, as did the air conditioning. That said, the airbag light that popped up was a bit worrying.
The headlights and fog lights could use a refresh, but at least they’re all fully functional. The engine and manual gearbox seem to be working smoothly as the car has no issues hitting over 60 mph in third gear. Not only that, but the steering wheel is straight. However, you can hear a weird noise whenever the car gets moving from a standing start, presumably coming from underneath the passenger side.
If you are smitten by this unloved blue Z3, it’s back on the auction block at IAAI.
[Source: Auto Action Rebuilds / YouTube]
Keyword: $900 BMW Z3 bought sight unseen runs and drives, has Dinan upgrade