Well, after a month plus of shopping, I finally pulled the trigger and brought a car home today. The quest started with an SUV, back to my roots of building and offroading Jeeps, I thought. Oddly, I could not wrap my head around it. Fun as offroading is, I wanted something different. I also didn't want a $30K price tag... After test driving 2 Mustang GT convertibles, I was sure I liked the top-down life, but, ah, the quality wasn't what I was hoping for (these were older Mustangs, though, not the newer ones). Purely for fun about 2 weeks ago I showed my wife a picture of a Z4 roadster. She liked it. A quick test drive in one sold us - we wanted one. A bit more searching netted just the example for us - 2003, 3.0 engine, automatic trans (to deal with Seattle traffic) and 28,xxx original miles. We picked it up today, and I took the back roads the 60 miles home from the dealer. LOTS of fun, but look who I'm telling... After we dropped the Jetta back at the house, we ran into Seattle for some shopping in the Z4, then took a nice 40 mile top-down, heater-up ride into the country side. We likey VERY much! Super comfortable even down to 40 degrees top down. Given the Z4 is meant to be my daily commuter (as opposed to my 2009 Yamaha FJR 1300), I suspect it'll do just fine. It looks DAMN fine in the garage right now... So, naturally my first purchase this evening was a BMW CCA membership, then I signed in here. Next up, a wind blocker! Looking forward to learning and participating. duane
You sir have officially been grabbed by the BMW Gods and have been converted! Welcome to the Club, the Club that very much understands precisely what YOU have just went through. There are stories to be shared and fun times to be had, so may the good times roll!
Congrats on the new car - my first Z4 was a roadster. If you want to ramp up the fun a bit more - ditch the run-flat tires and add a can of tire sealant for emergencies.
Thanks for the welcome guys! It was cool today to see other BMWs and Z4s in particular. Got a couple waves from other Z4-isti, but maybe they were just pointing and laughing since we were top-down in 40 degrees... Right now I am on the ragged edge of potential drama - no tire sealant and NO run flats... just plain old 17" Potenzas... Might snag a jack and mini-spare. Tire sealant leaves an awful mess in the rim... and to double cover the base, I snagged a premium membership here, so have the roadside assistance coverage as a back up. I sense a new world of accessories and fun stuff ahead of me. Excuse me whilst I dive in and paddle around the farkle pool!
Welcome! Make sure you get in contact with your local BMWCCA Chapter to see what activities and events they have for you to join in on
Yep - all signed up on their forum, though I did muck up the BMWCCA membership sign in by placing the incorrect forum username info in. Not a big deal, but PITA as I have to know I have two different usernames now - one for here, one for the local forum. IIRC, there is a local lunch planned for tomorrow. Thanks for the welcome everyone - much appreciated. duane
Tops are for when it rains. With a windscreen and heated seats you're good to go no matter the temp (well, not if you're in Fargo). I only put my top up if its not raining when my wife makes me.
Although as a resident of New England I can not completely agree with the above statements... I do try to have the top down as much as I can. I have the misfortune of knowing a gentleman who's wife insists that top of their Z4 Roadster ALWAYS reman up! I can't fathom why they even own a Roadster if the top never goes down????????? Very Very Sad!
I had a Z4 2.5i before, then upgraded to the M Coupe. I found it's one of the universe's little ironies that while women are very excited to learn you have a convertible, at the first whisper of a breeze against their hair they're demanding the top be put up.
Welcome to the asylum! So glad to have you with us! It is NOT true that I moved to San Diego so that I could buy a roadster and never have the top up, but it IS true that the top is never up unless the rain is overwhelming. Thank God for heated seats and a pretty good heater! You will find the Puget Sound Chapter a pretty active bunch. I think you'll fit right in! I had a wind-baffle thingie when I bought the car, but I took it back; it was one of the mesh screens, and I couldn't see through it at a glance, so I considered it unsafe for lane changes. Listen, in this neck of the woods, you NEED a roadster to stay safe on the freeways! It's the first place I've lived where I m not the fastest driver on the freeway, and where if I'm only doing 80, I will be passed on both sides.
Glad to be of service! Satch - I hear you on the mesh wind blocker - road with one on a test drive, and it wasn't for me - hence the clean lexan one on order... ...and it's OK to admit you moved to SoCal to be back with the honeys... nothing wrong with that...
Welcome, to the BMW World.... ... as Morpheus said Go to or google "International Engine Of The Year" and read about BMW domination of engine excellence awards... and that's only the initial dive in, CCA will handle the rest! Happy roadstering!
