So, the price of 10 year old BMW Z3s are coming down. the 1.9 engine cars can be had for 6K (I have a few Creigs list references).
I I am thinking "why not"? or is the answer still miata?
I know about the waterpump being plastic on the Z3, but that can be replaced. And ther reas shocks have some issues, but other than that, what's not to love?
I plan on making a move in the spring (maybe sooner)
I am sure I could have used the search button, but i didn't 
As someone with a Z3 M Coupe'. There are a couple of "deficiencies" with the Z3s, at least when compared to the Miata.
Weight. Okay, not a super heavy car, but definitely heavier than a Miata.
Along with that, parts are going to be more expensive and will wear faster.
The biggest issue is the rear end. The Z3 was a parts-bin car. It got an E30 rear suspension stuck back there, for the sake of space.
It's a relatively short-wheelbase car, with a semi-trailing arm suspension. That can make transitions in turns a bit tricky, and the back end really likes to step out with trailing-throttle oversteer.
That said, it still is not prone to snap-oversteer. So driving it can be a lot of fun. Especially with big meat on the back wheels. In a turn, you can lift the throttle a bit and put it back in, and the back end will just take a couple of steps out. It's almost like having rear-wheel steering. "I want the back end to step out 1 foot. Okay, another foot. One more. Good."
Because that back end is kind of crammed in there, working on the rear suspension sucks. You have to disassemble the trunk to get to the upper shock mounts. It's a pain. I've seen people, especially ones with adjustable shocks, just cut holes in the padding over the shock towers so they have have regular access to them.
The big killer though, is the rear subframe mounts. They simply are not stout enough. It's just a couple of welds and is really not built as strong as it should have been. There is a well documented problem with the subframe tearing out of the welds. It's well documented though, and can be checked by looking under the padding of the trunk. There are fixes, but they can get costly (I've heard up to $2000, but I've heard people say that's excessive). Although I've also heard of them being done for pretty cheap. If you do beef up the rear subframe mounts, it is supposed to make the car handle much tighter.
You might not have any problems though, especially with a lower power Z3. I haven't had it with mine, but I've also stopped tracking it, in favor of the Miata.
It is something to keep an eye out for, and to be sure to check on a pre-purchase inspection.
Also, the prices on the M Roadster car be pretty low. On par with the E36 M3. M Coupes are holding their value pretty high.
$6k for a 10-year-old 1.9 Z3 vs a much newer Miata just to get a roundel on the hood? I'd wait until the 2.8 cars come down before I'd go 1.9, or just go Miata, but that's just me, and I'm a BMW fanboi! (I'm driving what's in my avatar) That being said, the rear shock mounts and subframe mounts tend to tear through body but reinforcing plates are available.
The plastic impeller water pumps aren't a big deal. Any 10 year old BMW ought to have the latest BMW OEM pump put in anyway, which is a pretty reliable piece by now. On my old '99 328i I replaced my perfectly good 120k mile pump as maintenance with a mailorder non-OE piece, and had the impeller shear off the shaft within 20k miles. Pulled the old pump off the shelf, threw it back in and did another 30k miles before I sold the car this past summer without any issues.
Parts will be more than a Miata. Join BMWCCA and get discounts from the local dealer, or get them from the handful of dealers that discount online.
Yeah, I wouldn't pay $6k for a 1.9, either. At least go for a 2.5.
Remember that a 1.9 has less power than the Miata of the same year and about 400 lbs more weight. It's hard to make a case for that.
The Z3 is an E30 rear and a n E36 front, like was previously mentioned... It has a wonky rear handling issue but Ireland Engineering sells some really good solutions to that. I have never driven a 4cyl car but I drove a Z3 M roadster with the 3.2 litre in it and it will blow the doors off even a lot of the turbo Miata cars on a race track. I would not buy any less than that though... and I'd prefer the Coupe to the roadster for track work.
So... no. Buy a Miata and use the savings to make it better.
The Miata is a better track car. The Z3 is a better cruiser.
A Z3 M with reinforced rear suspension is fun track hoonage, but not the quickest way around a track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMU_hhsipE8
I can't find the vid of Clarkson driving one though. He describes the handling as: "Strong word this, but, it's perfection. It really is. If you're a hooligan... it's perfection."
hmm... holding out for 3.0i or bigger.
EricM wrote: hmm... holding out for 3.0i or bigger.
2.5, 2.8, or 3.0. All are good.
The best value will probably be for an M Roadster with an S52. The S52 is a very stout motor. The M will also get you a bunch of up-rated bits. If you take your time and aren't scared of mileage, you can find solid examples in the $10k-$12k range, with about 100k on the clock. 100k is nothing for the S52.
Also, those will be the most competitive in Auto-X. All Z3s run in B Stock, except the ones with the S54, which get bumped to A Stock (actually, I don't know about the 1.9, they might be in C Stock).
Edit: Actually the "2.3" might be good too. I'm not certain, but I suspect the "2.3" is really a 2.5L, just like in the 323i.
Salanis wrote: The Miata is a better track car. The Z3 is a better cruiser.
Taking umbridge at the broad brush here... unless by "cruising" you mean to the checker.
walterj wrote:Salanis wrote: The Miata is a better track car. The Z3 is a better cruiser.Taking umbridge at the broad brush here... unless by "cruising" you mean to the checker.
I didn't say the Miata was faster. I said better. It's cheaper, easier, and less hastle to operate.
That said, I do own both. And although I haven't taken specific times, I ran one track day with both cars (used the M Coupe when my girlfriend needed the Miata for a session) and was keeping pace with the same vehicles in both cars. And this was at Thunderhill, which has several long straits.
I am more comfortable in the Miata and push it harder because I don't care as much. It will out handle the M Coupe.
I could make the Miata faster than the M, for less money. In fact, now that I just got DOT-Rs for the Miata, it probably will be.
Wasn't somebody here working on developing a 1.9 in STS-2?
As I recall, last we heard the car was on a diet....
Salanis wrote: The Miata is a better track car. The Z3 is a better cruiser. A Z3 M with reinforced rear suspension is fun track hoonage, but not the quickest way around a track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMU_hhsipE8 I can't find the vid of Clarkson driving one though. He describes the handling as: "Strong word this, but, it's perfection. It really is. If you're a hooligan... it's perfection."
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/429030/bmw_m_coupe_on_top_gear/
Salanis wrote:walterj wrote:I could make the Miata faster than the M, for less money. In fact, now that I just got DOT-Rs for the Miata, it probably will be.Salanis wrote: The Miata is a better track car. The Z3 is a better cruiser.Taking umbridge at the broad brush here... unless by "cruising" you mean to the checker.
Your M is already faster than the Miata, you just have to drive it faster... and putting real race tires on either will take about 3-5 seconds off the lap times of both. As they sit on the street... the M is harder to drive fast but its a lot faster than you think. I am only being argumentative because your sig implies that is why you are here...
walterj wrote: Your M is already faster than the Miata, you just have to drive it faster... and putting real race tires on either will take about 3-5 seconds off the lap times of both. As they sit on the street... the M is harder to drive fast but its a lot faster than you think. I am only being argumentative because your sig implies that is why you are here...
Why else would I be here? 
But to have an argument, don't we have to disagree? I do agree. Stock against stock, with the same sort of tires, the M is the significantly more capable vehicle. It is harder for me to squeeze all the performance out of the M. It's also several times more expensive. I have more fun in the Miata because I am more comfortable pushing it to the edge of its performance abilities.
They're both great cars. If I could have only one car, it would be that M Coupe'. For a bachelor, it just does everything. I'm not prepared to push it past about 8/10s on the track, because I'm not prepared to ball it up.
I'd love to drive an M Coupe. I've not been able to convince Janel (she who needs an LS1 MGB) that it's a cool car, so I'll never be able to adopt one. But I want to drive one hard some time.
I think the original Z3 with the 1.9 was a pretty weak effort on BMW's part, but the car sure improved over the yeas.
My only big frustration with the M Coupe, is that the trunk springs are dead. So I need to hold the hatch up. I'm too busy pouring money into track days to replace them yet. I really should just man up and do it because they piss me off.
Once the excitement of having the Miata wears off, the M Coupe' will become the auto-x car.
My high point in the M is beating the pants off most people at the first Porsche club auto-x I went to. They had a turn that was a 270* pivot around a single pylon. I managed to take that turn about 1-2 seconds faster than everyone else. I could come in tight, let the back end get light with a bit of braking and pivot around (without drifting) and punch back out. Everyone with their engines hanging out back just couldn't pirouette around it, and had to take a wide, slow, arc.
Salanis wrote: My only big frustration with the M Coupe, is that the trunk springs are dead. So I need to hold the hatch up. I'm too busy pouring money into track days to replace them yet. I really should just man up and do it because they piss me off. Once the excitement of having the Miata wears off, the M Coupe' will become the auto-x car. My high point in the M is beating the pants off most people at the first Porsche club auto-x I went to. They had a turn that was a 270* pivot around a single pylon. I managed to take that turn about 1-2 seconds faster than everyone else. I could come in tight, let the back end get light with a bit of braking and pivot around (without drifting) and punch back out. Everyone with their engines hanging out back just couldn't pirouette around it, and had to take a wide, slow, arc.
If they are the same hatch struts as a 318ti I can point you to a cheaper alternative to the BMW part.
Are they the same as the hood strut? Those are less than $12 from Pelican.
Let's see, from RealOEM:
GAS PRESSURIZED SPRING 280N 2 Part # 51248399296 $33.20
It takes 2 of them. I guess not that expensive. I just need to actually do it. If I can get them cheaper, that would be great.
They do not appear to be the same part for the tailgate of either the ti or regular E36. Not the same as any hood springs either.
I've had my Z3 (2.3) and my Miata at the track. The Z3 has more overall grip - probably because it has bigger tires. It's also considerably faster even with the weight penalty. Quarter mile time for the Z3 (my best) is a 15.083. The best I could muster out of Lacy (1.8 Miata) was a 16.000.
That said: the Miata is more fun and the Z3 is more classy. Miata is sharper, the Z3 is prettier. The Miata is lighter, the Z3 is safer.
You choose. If it came down to it, I'd keep the Miata and sell the Z3 because the Miata is 100% fun and no compromises. That's all it is. Fun.
All I know about the Z3 is that my ex-girlfriend was going to get one while we were dating, and she was going to let me drive it since it was a stick shift.
When I showed a picture of it to my friends, they all said it looked like a penis on wheels. 
I dunno, I don't think they look that much like a Corvette.
The Miata is lighter, the Z3 is safer? Not necessarily true.
I am holding out for a Z3 M Coupe - liked them from day one...
I've always liked the old Z3 M cars, but I'd go with an S2000 or an FD RX-7. I wouldn't spring for a 1.9 Z3.
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