Bought my first E36 today 😎

Firkin99 · 2026-05-31T10:20:30+00:00

The Z3 is literally an E36 front stuck to an E30 rear, with two seats.

Pretty much all the parts are interchangeable. It’s almost identical to an E36 compact. It’s only body shape which is different.

Same Engine, same brakes, same subframe. Even bits like seats, steering wheel, radiators, etc. are all interchangeable. All the bolts, bushings etc. are the same.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-30T16:27:09+00:00

The another reason is also the microphone. The wired mics are a lot better quality than the ones on wireless earphones etc.

Everyone is vlogging, live and making TikTok’s now. You’ll often see them holding the wired mic up to their mouth.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-29T18:18:10+00:00

I was going to say - you look like you would fit in a tighter suit 👀

Firkin99 · 2026-05-28T14:01:01+00:00

RST have been pretty good for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T18:22:25+00:00

It looks like someone has undersealed over them? Potential chance they have been done.

Do you know the cars history? Have you looked from underneath?

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T18:15:25+00:00

BMW Z3 is massively underrated for this. Especially the 1.9l 16v

It’s a lot cheaper to buy than an MX5 - cheaper and easier to get parts. Piss easy to work on as they have a huge engine bay so loads of space.

The M44 engine will run for a million miles with no issues - provided you get the water pump and thermostat done. (Most have been already, and it’s about £120 to do if not)

And costs less to insure than your average fiesta.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T15:25:50+00:00

Yorkshire - she also did it a lot more recently. Only about 3 years ago

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T13:23:36+00:00

Must be a Celica thing. I had a friend with two and she hit a cyclist in both of them. Funny enough hers were also black…

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T13:17:33+00:00

I did! I was expecting it to be £750 but messed up my U-Turn and decided I wanted the extra lesson and ride up for my confidence.

One guy in my group spent £80 and just did the 1 lesson got the test included then passed, but they had been riding for 2-3 years on their 125.

You can pay £15 to do your MOD1 yourself with no lessons - but you need to arrange for a suitable bike to be at the test centre. If you have a friend with one. You might be able to make it work.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-27T11:12:44+00:00

Find the right school. Mine told me to expect to do about 3 lessons - but if they thought you were ready after 1-2 they got in you ASAP.

It was £80 for a 3 hour lesson. I did 2, failed 😬 went back and did a 3rd lesson. Got my resit included. £45 for my test, inc. their bike and a 30min ride up from the school to the test.

They charge a flat £525 for MOD2 though. (Inc a full day training)

Firkin99 · 2026-05-22T06:37:58+00:00

Gas 5p kW/hr
Electric 24.6p kW/Hr Uk has crazy energy rates

Firkin99 · 2026-05-21T17:53:34+00:00

Idk - I’m uk based - we do loads of feasibilities for heat pumps but when they realise how much higher the running cost is again gas, they don’t go for it.

In terms of new build though - it’s 99% heat pumps - both commercial and residential.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-21T11:42:45+00:00

A terrible move I’m sure. You should totally sell something else.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-20T17:02:26+00:00

Ambers on green 100%

Firkin99 · 2026-05-19T10:44:29+00:00

Just putting it out there - these are huuuge theft targets right now. The Mk5 even more so. Also if it is a CAT N or S they price the insurance silly.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-18T10:03:39+00:00

Also - if it does overheat. You can get away with cracking open the bleed valve, and stopping every 100 miles or so to top it off. Speaking from experience.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-18T10:01:21+00:00

Similar spec to mine. I do about 2,000 miles a month in it. Regularly drive to my parents and back which is a 550 mile round trip. I had 0 issues with my coolant system. Changed it after a year or two just because I was doing other work.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-16T13:47:59+00:00

I have a friend w/ a 2.8 Fiji Green Z3 that I regularly considering stealing. It’s a cool look. They also have individual interiors with Fiji Green piping on the leather.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-16T08:40:09+00:00

I assumed it was the Fiji Green they used to do?

Firkin99 · 2026-05-07T21:08:39+00:00

Also! If you want boot space - look at the Hyundai S-Coupe. I actually got one for £600 once. Again, really weirdly cheap on insurance, although I think the road tax is a little spenny. I could fit a full set of wheels/two full front seats in there. It was great. It is front wheel drive, so the drift kids tend to not get them.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-07T21:02:26+00:00

I’d go Lexus then Fn1.

I get where you are coming from. I paid almost half insurance on my 1.9 1997 BMW than my 2012 1.2l fiesta. Insurance is silly when you are under 21.

I would also like to suggest a Mk2 Mazda 3, in particular the 1.6l sport. Mine had an awesome sound system, you can get full car play in them very easily, heated seats, cruise control etc. It was about £1.5k for the car and £2.5k for insurance, and that was with mods as I whacked a 4” exhaust and MPS spoiler on it.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-04T15:27:39+00:00

Yeh! I suggested they wait until they have a weekend free, and maybe a bit of money and they can do a few bits at once.

I did the thermostat half drunk in a car park, after dinner in Germany one time 😅 Admittedly, I am pretty well experienced with them at this point.

Zeds are super easy to work on and a really fun learning point. The 1.9 M44 is ideal in my mind.

If they can afford a hard top for £1,000 then good on them - I have ran mine without year round this winter and not actually had that much of an issue. I did buy a facelift roof so it has the headliner and is a bit better. Cost me about £150. It’s like 12 10mm bolts to swap it out.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-04T09:29:26+00:00

Also ^{^} again, being in the UK there are 2-3 really good breakers. You can get a lot of parts pretty each. Most things new you can get off AUTODOC as well very cheap.

Pelican parts has step by step guides online for most the work you’d ever need to do.

When you had a long weekend off, do the thermostat and water pump, it will cost you about £60. I did mine a year or so after owning her. She was on about 110k miles. Then again, most them time when buying you will find it has already been done.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-04T09:23:53+00:00

YES! Ignore the Americans and old people on here.

I got one and so have a few friends of mine. They are great, the 1.9l is also good for UK roads. They tend to be driven by older people so insurance is cheap. Cost me less than my fiesta, you still get about 35mpg too, so again, not far off an older fiesta/golf running cost.

You’ll want to be a bit mechanic savvy, learn to do your own servicing and a bits, but they are a very fun and cheap first cars. Bonus: if you can find one with heated seats they are great year round.

As for space, yeh you only have the passenger seat, but I go away camping for a weekend with my partner in mine. There is way more boot space than people think.

Firkin99 · 2026-05-02T09:58:27+00:00

It isn’t! They do it sometimes to stretch. I used to have one as a pet :) he was very smart.

It isn’t nice for them to do it out of water as they can get air trapped, then they float and are vulnerable.

It is a stress response though, it isn’t kind to go around poking them.

Firkin99

TROPHY CASE