Second car for coding... Z3 or Miata

[11Finger]

Hi guys, am looking at buying a 2nd hand car for coding and was thinking of getting a "fun" car... At first was looking at getting a Miata but upon browsing here I read that Z3's are selling for 600-700... Any opinions on both cars especially on the maintenance side? For the Z3 would I be limited to BMW casa which would be quite expensive?

[Mikemike07]

Tinatanggap ba sa casa mga grey imports? I think yun yung karamihan sa sulit.

[11Finger]

Tinatanggap ba sa casa mga grey imports? I think yun yung karamihan sa sulit.

Yup just realized that last night... so what would be the maintenance options for those and how would you know they are legit ? I also assume these are converted ?

[OTEP]

Check with your dealer. I drive a gray market toyota and as long as it is not a converted unit, toyota quezon avenue will accept them for service.

[viper888]

If you bought a 700k Z3 you probably woudnt service it in a BMW dealership in the first place
The place to go would be with euro specialists such as as Arc Automotive, Hahn Manila, European Motors Libis, and etc.
The BMWs from japan are not converted

I would rather get the Z3
Oddly it is probably easier to service (the Z3 shares parts with the E36 so many mechanics know how to fix it)
Make sure you get a manual tranny

[11Finger]

Thanks guys, am an absolute newbie when it comes to the grey market imports... btw, I saw some Z3's for sale at Mateen Tokyo for less than 600k... any feedback on them ?

[dr. d]

you lookin' for a coding car or a weekend car?
picture yourself in these cars, caught in standstill traffic, with tall buses to the left and to the right, in front and to the rear.....

[foresterx]

i'd stay away from the z3 unless you want expensive maintenance and love to worry about what will break down next and when. between your choices i'd go for the miata since it is a really reliable car that is if you can find one in pristine condition. fun factor again the miata wins on that segment unless you're getting the z3 m coupe. but honestly for the budget you have just add a bit more and get a brand new jazz or fiesta which is pretty fun to drive and worry free pa. don't get a sports car unless you can really afford one. ipon ka na lang muna wag mag madali kumuha ng sports car that way pag talagang kaya mo na you can enjoy it more, instead of worrying about the maintenance ang iisipin mo na lang which mod to get next.

[OTEP]

If its for a coding/Sunday/project car only, the Z3 is a nice car. Being built mostly out of e36 bits, parts are not as hard to find and the simplistic construction of this model is a good start.

My cousin has one and he can diy the maintenance. There are also kits that allow you to have aux in or bluetooth capability on the oem 1997 stereo so you dont have to hack the car up. It just plugs into the cd changer harness.

My other cousin has a miata. Its a fun car. Just not sure where she goes for parts but the local club helps a lot. Just avoid rhd to lhd converted models if you are not used to such models.

The z3s being sold here are orig lhd even if they come from japan (japan allows their usage there).

[lowslowbenz]

My other cousin has a miata. Its a fun car. Just not sure where she goes for parts but the local club helps a lot.

To the TS: Unless you're a girl, then there's your answer. Miata's look good with chicks behind the wheel.

Get the BM.