Good morning, Autopians! Get ready for more cheap car shenanigans. Today we’re looking at a couple of sports cars that have seen some things. But first, let’s see which ’80s wagon you picked:
Well then, fire up the Lindsey Buckingham, because it’s time to hit the Holiday Road! Honestly, I like them both; I’d probably favor the Peugeot just because it’s smaller and easier to park. In fact, it looks like those bars on the graph are just about representative of the cars’ respective lengths. Did you guys plan that?
Today, I’ve found us a couple of fun-to-drive stickshift sports cars for cheap. Why so cheap? Well, both are being sold in the state of California through lien sales. In case you’re not familiar with a lien sale, it’s what happens when someone owes money to someone for a car and can’t or won’t pay up. The possessor of the car (usually a towing company, but sometimes a mechanic) can sell the car to recoup some of their losses, after jumping through a few legal hoops. It’s not a big deal from a buyer’s standpoint; my wife and I bought a Nissan Pathfinder when we were in California from a mechanic who had a lien on it, and it went fine. The only issue is that it does brand the title, but on sub-$2,000 cars, who cares?
It also means that you have absolutely no way of knowing what the car’s history is. All you can do is assess it as-seen and hope for the best. But that’s what we do here every day anyway, so let’s dive in!
1996 BMW Z3 – $1,200
Engine/drivetrain: 1.9 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: San Jose, CA
Odometer reading: 150,000 miles (may be a guess)
Runs/drives? No one has any idea
BMW’s Z3 probably wouldn’t have existed without the success of the Mazda Miata. Introduced in 1995, the Z3 followed the same formula: a small lightweight 2-seater, with a four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels through a manual gearbox. Of course, being a BMW, the Z3 is quite a bit fancier than your average Miata. Fancy enough for James Bond himself, in fact, though I always thought he should have driven an MGF instead.
This Z3 is about as pure as they come, with the M44 four-cylinder and a five-speed stick. You could get a Z3 with an automatic, if you insisted, but why would you? Later Z3s were available with a more BMW-appropriate inline six, if you wanted more power. But power isn’t really the point of a little lightweight roadster like this; it’s more about the balance and the feel, and if BMW knows anything, it’s how to make a car feel good to drive.
Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how this Z3 feels to drive, because the seller has no keys to it. This isn’t uncommon, if the car was abandoned or repossessed or something, but I would have thought that the tow yard would have keys made. Maybe it’s just not worth it to them. They do seem to want to just dump this car and move on. But it sounds like the paperwork is on the up-and-up, at least.
This poor little BMW isn’t in terrible shape for twelve hundred bucks, though. The interior is half-disassembled, but it’s in reasonable condition. Outside, it’s dusty and faded, but straight. I believe the huge gap in the front is only there because the hood is ajar, but I can’t guarantee it. At least it’s a manual top on these, so there are no worries about a burned-out top motor.
2001 Ford Mustang GT – $1,795
Engine/drivetrain: 4.6 liter overhead cam V8, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Redwood City, CA
Odometer reading: 198,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep, but might need a clutch
If you’re looking for a dirt-cheap performance car to goof around with, you could do a lot worse than a fourth-generation Mustang. Too old to be valuable, but too new to be considered classics, the 1994-2004 Mustangs are down at the bottom of their depreciation curve, and astonishingly, still worth owning and driving. Even the V6 models have reasonable power, manual transmissions aren’t hard to find, and against all odds, these things are actually reliable and durable.
There’s no better example of the SN95/New Edge Mustang’s durability than this particular 2001 Mustang GT. With nearly 200,000 miles on its odometer, clearly abused, modified in who knows what questionable ways, and sitting in a tow yard for sale on lien papers, it still starts, runs, and drives. The modular 4.6 V8 in this car is also found in a zillion Crown Vics and pickup trucks, and except for some oil burning and fragile plastic intake manifolds, it’s a stout engine. This one puts out a healthy 260 horsepower through a five-speed manual. The seller says the clutch “might need some adjustment,” and this car does have an adjustable cable-operated clutch linkage, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the clutch itself is on the way out.
Really, though, it’s not in awful shape. The seat upholstery is trashed, and it needs a paint job if you want it to look pretty, but it’s an $1800 Mustang with a V8. Who cares if it’s a little banged-up? This isn’t a car you buy to impress anyone. It’s a car you buy to take to the dragstrip, or to an autocross or rallycross. It’s a car you hack up and modify as you want, because it’s already beat-up.
But – I’m going to make the joke before anyone else gets the chance to – whatever you do, don’t take it to a crowded Cars & Coffee.
Lien sales go against every rule you’re supposed to follow when shopping for a used car. You don’t get any of the car’s history, you often can’t test-drive it, and you know that no matter what happens you’re walking out of the DMV with a branded title. The cheap prices may or may not make up for it. If it matters, our gamble on the aforementioned Pathfinder paid off; we moved from California to Oregon in it and got three good years of service out of it after that. Which one of these are you more willing to gamble on?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I’m actually toying with the idea of buying a Z3 convertible-but it’s an M: I want that sweet straight 6. As this is a 4, I’ll vote for the pony and stay away from C&C events
Had a MZ3 for about 6-7 years. Of every car I’ve moved on from, that one I miss. Lots of little issues (solvable in the garage), some expensive parts but not horrific (I leaned on the radiator one day and broke a plastic nipple coming off the filler…cannot be repaired. Under $300 for a whole new radiator was a pleasant surprise). Exhaust for better sound, coilovers and a front strut tower brace for better handling, and some coco mats made it mine.
However beware the spot welds in the trunk. That rear diff is subject to too much torque in the M and the spot welds aren’t up to the task. Mine never failed luckily but they all probably will eventually. Back then kits existed to get a shop to make a double ear properly supported and welded up right. Was a $2500 investment 15 years ago, so inspect and offer accordingly. Lift the carpet and look from the top at all the spot welds. Mine had just started to get a hint of rust toward the end.
I appreciate the warning. Luckily, it belongs to my bil who has an MCoupe on which he already addressed the rearend spotwelds, so I’m aware of the issue. I just don’t know if I want to spend the $ he’s going to want for it. The kicker is that I know they’re not going down in value, so I’ll always hate myself if I don’t buy this one. Plus, the money is going to my nephew who graduates college next week, so it’s for a good cause, right?.
As a former SN95 owner, I’ll take the other car every time. The Mustang was not a good experience.
I always thought the Z3 looked like a thumb. I guess I’ll take the running Mustang.
It most frequently referred to as “The Clown Shoe” BMW.
That’s the coupe version, not the convertible.
Buy the Z3 and part it out if it doesn’t end up running and maybe part it out anyways even if it runs. I mean a running engine and tranny recoups most if not all of my purchase price and the cost of getting a key for it.
I’ll take that Mustang any day of the week, but I’m throwing that shifter into the nearest scrap yard.
Tough call, but will go with the Z3 mostly b/c I already have an SN95 that’s in near showroom condition (I’ve owned her since new).
While it’s true we don’t get too much of a sense of the BMW, the Mustang has evidence of mods, and with these cars, you never know what else has been attempted as well.
I’ll take the BMW. Even if it’s a non-runner, parting it out could help recoup some, if not all of the purchase price.
Tied up! I always vote for the Bond car.
For $1200, you could part out that Z3 to make at least double that. I’d say its worth it even if it won’t run.
The original Z3 has one of the same problems that the Miata does: Avoid if driver is over 6′ tall. Weird misstep from the Germans, the Z4 corrected the issue.
At 6’3″ I ran into problems with both. Z3 was too short in the torso area – my head hit the roof. I immediately figured out that before I started looking for good Z4s I better see if I fit in them. Headroom was fine, the problem with the Z4 was even with the seat all the way back there wasn’t enough leg room for me – plus the seat only would recline but so far with the seat all the way back. Yeah, I could fit in it, but I realized on any kind of long trip there was only one position I could put my legs in (I like to move them around a bit,) so I just went for the third option and got a e46 330ci Convertible.
Ah I’m sorry to hear that. I guess I’m just proportioned right for the Z4 despite being 6’6″ myself.
Ended up with a TT of all things anyway…
Was the Z3 made in Mexico? Because that would explain the Manuel transmission.
I’m not a big convertible fan, but the Z3 has always looked sharp to me! I’ll convince myself that most of the interior mess is completely related to the lack of a key, and that the interior trim is all in the trunk. (I will be disappointed, but I’ll make do.)
Lately I’ve been seeing new edge Mustangs get a bit of a redemption arc and to be honest I’m not here for it. I think they’re hideous and until you get up to the late model year Cobras they’re dogs as well. The Z3 is light and tossable in the classic roadster model…and while I wouldn’t necessarily say they’re gorgeous cars they’re not exactly ugly either…plus, as you mention, they’re ironic.
If you were a 90s kid like me the Z3 was pretty ubiquitous, especially due to the fact that it was a Bond car. I wouldn’t say it’s bedroom poster material necessarily but it’s not that far removed from it. I’d personally spend more money on a 6 cylinder one that’s in nicer shape, but for $1,200 this’ll do. Good luck finding a Miata for that price.
Both a terrible choices. If I was forced, I would take the Mustang as parts are easy to source and over a couple of weekends have college runner or the start of a project.
Mustang. That Z3 seems like a lot of headaches lie hidden, as is always the case with a BMW, and even though an edge Mustang is about as undesirable as they come, it is a GT and it does run, so it gets the nod.
Z3, but barely. Not hot for the SN95, and the combination of pine-tree air freshener and roached upholstery makes me as nervous as the branded title.
Looks like someone was changing out the BMW’s radio and either lost interest, messed it up, or was interrupted by the repo man before they got done. I think I could get that done.
For 1200 clams, I’d take a shot at it.
I can’t even look twice at a car with a passive aggressive seller like the BMW. Neither of these cars are good, but the Mousetang is running and is usually good bones for a Turbo LS if you want to go street racing,
The BMW seller states: “Se habla esponal[sic]”, and I was skeptical of how proficiently he could “habla” based on that statement, but he also mentions the “Manuel[sic] transmission”, so that’s pretty bueno in my book.
Make that a “cinco volocidad Manuel”.
I pick the Z3. Realistically, neither of these are good purchases even at these prices. Both should be scrapped. While both of these vehicles are garbage, I would consider buying a Z3 in good condition. I have no interest in buying a 2001 Mustang in any condition (no offense to Mustang fans; I just don’t like them).
Much as I love Mustangs, I’d go BMW here. The BMW hasn’t led a happy life, but I just get the feeling that a bunch of worse things have happened in/around that Mustang.
At least the back seat of that Mustang has never been used.
Mustang, please.
As others have said, it works and can be made into a decent hooning platform pretty easily.
With the Z3, I have a weird feeling that getting a new ignition cylinder, etc. would be a complicated and/or expensive PITA but could be wrong.
Also from the Z3 ad: “Se habla esponal”.
Z3 because I really want a cheap little roadster and I KNOW that I won’t fit a Miata (which probably means the Z3 won’t fit either, but at $1200 I’ll gamble). But I’d 100% take the Mustang at that price too. It runs, it drives, and there shouldn’t be any problem keeping it running and driving indefinitely
I know the Mustang runs and drives at the moment, but it has a million miles and looks like a vehicle that someone drove like they stole it (looking at the condition and that it is for sale at a towing yard, maybe this vehicle was/is stolen?). While I agree a Mustang can be [kept on the road indefinitely with a bit of effort, why start with this pathetic example when you can buy a much nicer one for $2,000 more?
I’ll take the Z3 and hope for the best. Yeah, it’s a gamble, but it will be more fun to drive and looks better than the mustang
Mustang. Parts are cheap and plentiful, both stock and upgrades to make it whatever you want. Known runner. More practical for daily life. Plus, as a bald guy, hardtop will almost always win out. Clutch replacement isn’t that big a deal and you can get one that’ll take your future mods.
I voted Z3 mostly because I’m not a fan of SN95. Fox body…please. Notchback if possible. I agree the front end is probably hood is popped, and the interior can be put back together easy enough from junkyards…or strip it more and make a fun autocross track day car out of it. Then title issues don’t matter either.
The BMW was tempting, but the interior pic was the deciding factor. Make mine the Mustang.
The Z3 is probably worth at least $1200 as a parts car, but for about $500 more, the Mustang has twice the cylinders and at LEAST is a known runner.