What would the hive do with a ‘98 Z3 2.8

I picked up this cheap Z3 from a guy in my warehouse complex.  It is white on black, 2.8 5 speed.  58k miles.  Body is straight and paint is good.  Motor runs great, no leaks, but has a cel from a clogged Oil separator.  Trans shifts great.  AC works great. Total impulse buy based on paint and mileage.  So far, so good.

The bad:

top. That needs replaced, no exterior holes and probably could get by with just replacing the rear zip out window.

seats, leather but needs total replacement.

I don't love it.

Part of me says dump it on FB and move on.  Another part says it's a great drivetrain that would be fun to swap into something else.  Another part says fix the cel, the top and seats and the trashed audio system and drive it.  I'm not going to fix the top and seats myself.  The quote I got was $2700 for new top and leather seats.

What says the hive?

V8 swap it, make a modern Shelby Cobra.

$2,700?  Get another quote!  If you don't like it, but it will certainly be easier to move with seat covers and a rear window that's seen some love.

The quote was for the full top, not just the window.

There is a guy on the BMW forum shoving an S85 out of an M5 into one.  Problem is, I don't love the platform enough to go through all that work.

Why buy something you don't like?

Already bought it.  It's a GRM thing.  Somebody offers you a cheap, clean low mileage car so you have to buy it.  Or a crappy, high mileage POS, you still have to buy it.

Then you figure out what to do with it.

Look for a trimmer that's more hungry for seat work than the guy you got the first quote from.  Look into DIY repair of the top.  Combine + detail & flip.  In theory should be a great little money maker without a ton of work?  I've never touched these things so grain of salt but it sounds perfect for a fix & flip.

Yeah, maybe wait a few weeks and prices will drop. Then wait a few more before you try to sell again.

Actually scratch that. Challenge car.

Or post pix and let someone here grab it from you as-is at a reasonable profit.

Rallycross it!?

I test drove one of these when they were new and thought it was a great fun car. Time hasn't been kind to the styling, I wonder how the driving experience had held up?

I've done the rear window replacement, and it's not that hard as long as it's warm out. (45+).

I also replaced the oil separator, which was a monumental pain in the ass, but only took a few hours.

I never really loved my Z3 either.

AngryCorvair said:

Or post pix and let someone here grab it from you as-is at a reasonable profit.

^^^ I'm just up the road, how much?

 $2500. 
 

maj75, I used to live on 35th Street!

Tried to pm you. Would you call or text me?

7zero6 2zero1 42one6

In reply to Hasbro : emailed you.  I live off 39th!

maj75 said:

Another part says it's a great drivetrain that would be fun to swap into something else.

I put this engine into my e30. The single vanos m52 in the Z3 (1997-1998) is aluminum and about 50 lbs lighter than the iron block e36 m52. 58k miles is really low as well. I searched high and low for this engine when I did my swap. I think I paid $1100 for my engine that had 83k on it back in 2016.

Wait, is 2500 a for sale price or how much you got it for?

For sale

These never caught on in autocross. Is the front end just too long?