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I was always a fan of this gen Z4's appearance, inside and out. Looks like a blast to drive spiritedly.
While the larger BMWs these days appear to be great vehicles, personally I prefer the smaller models (Z/RWD 2-series) that spiritually are a bit more similar to their older models.
I was always a fan of this gen Z4's appearance, inside and out. Looks like a blast to drive spiritedly.
While the larger BMWs these days appear to be great vehicles, personally I prefer the smaller models (Z/RWD 2-series) that spiritually are a bit more similar to their older models.
Also always liked the smaller cars. Still have my 2013 135IS 6MT while 2 newer 4 series cars are now gone.
Light work day today its just to nice out. Recovered the Transmission Cover & added a pair of dual output marine USB ports. Stripped the console & will recover that. Still need to wire the dash then I can get back to the mechanical stuff.
Final mock up. Remaining 4 switches will go in as its installed in the car. Have to run some sensor leads & it will be good to go. Will stick the snake & Cobra script once its in the car.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 06-08-2020 at 12:52 PM.
Don’t mind the man behind the curtain or the spaghetti behind the facade. This part is done. Need to prep some wires from the old harness for power & ground connections. Will see if I screwed anything up. Was more work than I expected trying to mate the two different setups.
Two thoughts on the picture.
1. Was tired & did not want to go back downstairs
or
2. Looks shitty & did not want a closeup.
Finished wire prep for console stuff, transcover USB ports & installed a new Satellite antenna for GSP instruments. Moved bailout fire extinguisher to rear bulkhead from old position on the trans tunnel cover.
Grandson lent me his Bunny to help out with the work.
Next is install oil pan then the new clutch. Once the clutch & transmission are in will go back & finish the interior.
Got a PM question about the console wires. They are longer than necessary to just make the connections. I built the display items so I could remove two console to tunnel frame screws. Then slide the console back along the tunnel cover. Then remove 4 dashboard to under tray screws & drop the dash.
Old Dash
The electronics controlling the engine have some fused components in a box attached to the firewall behind the dash that can require service. The console wires get coiled, lightly secured with ZipTies & fill the dead space behind the Pioneer 4200.
Family stuff most of the week. This morning cleaned the preservative off the new flywheel & pressed in the locating dowels. Cleaned the preservative off the pressure plate & re-glued a few lose places on the dash where the FFR vinyl delaminated from its backing. Rough cut the trunk carpet. Did the sides years ago but never did the floor. Driving time got in the way.
FWIW. Was refilling the coolant & thought this might be worthwhile to post. A good swap to eliminate the FFR corrugated upper hose is an F-150 COYOTE upper hose. FORD F150 COYOTE top hose trimmed at the blue tape is an exact fit in the MK-IV.
With the FFR type overflow tank you can splice in the FFR fill port.
Anyone with a COYOTE & an expansion/fill tank like the MOROSO unit or a factory GT tank can eliminate the FFR top hose thingie with the fill section spliced in.
5 years later killing time waiting for a part I got around to finishing the trunk. Was moving boxes around & came across the material I had bought back when I was building the car.
Took a break from the COBRA & did something I said I absolutely would not do. Mod the Z4. Was checking for leaks etc when this horror hit my eye. A reasonably expensive car with portable baby highchair support braces. They had to go. Got two CNC cut solid bars from BMS the guys who do the JB4 tuner kits for BMW & other makes with turbos.
Portable Baby Highchair Braces. A hollow tube with squished ends.
Just lighting with a phone picture. Stock tubes were photoed on a sunny day & BMS bars just before a rain storm. As I tightened the last bolt it started to rain. Quality parts with an exact fit. Use the stock BMW fasteners & it took about 10 minutes to make the change. Four bolts out four bolts in. Had to use my star bolt sockets. The bolts go into the BMW cross piece which is threaded to receive them.
Aside from looking better, do you notice a difference while driving?
Have not driven it yet with the bars in, late in the day UPS delivery plus rain when I finished installing them. Will be going out today. Don't expect to "feel" anything different. BMW did a very good job engineering this car as you can tell from the video attached to my signature. The baby-chair tubes are most likely more than good enough for anything less than a track day special. My Z4 will get maybe one or two days a year at VIR with the BMW club. They usually do a beginning of the season & end of season event there.
Would rate the quickie project bars on mine as a cosmetic enhancement.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 07-30-2020 at 10:39 AM.
Pushed it a bit today. The front end is very solid & did not see or feel any discomfort on the part of the car. So at don't be stupid road speeds its six of one half dozen of the other. Not surprised as I was looking for a cosmetic fix.
Interesting note. Toyota is adding the baby chair bars to the Supra. Apparently it did not have the support bars in the first year model & the decided they need it. So now I can say my cosmetic mod is a high performance one.
No work on the car during the summer. Was at the beach doing real estate most of the time. We sold the ocean front which was a rental investment that we used for two weeks with the family each August. Bought a year round residence on the other side of the island with ocean & intracoastal waterway access. Will only be used by my family. Got back to Raleigh this weekend & put the flywheel in today. Hope to close the car up over the next two weeks.
Wife & I have been extremity lucky health & conditioning wise. Did better then I ever expected in life for which I am very grateful. Just not a sit on the porch in a rocker kind of person. Kids are self sufficient , one Corporate President, one Vice President (both work for competing top 5 multinationals) one black sheep University Professor, so I am not burning up their inheritance.
Nice FFR COBRA, got to love these little cars.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 08-26-2020 at 11:06 AM.
Trust me, I am slowly learning the way...
be smart and careful but not a miser, enjoy yourself...enjoy your life and love with your family.
Time is the commodity that can't be generated...so spend THAT wisely. Hence my revolving door
of toys and cars. If there's food on the table and bills are paid and some form of retirement set up...
go nuts within reason.
You're a testament to that being a decent way to tackle it...and I agree...when I have nothing to do, I
will find something to do. Couch surfing doesn't do it for me either. And I'm kidding, I never have nothing
to do. LOL
Trust me, I am slowly learning the way...
be smart and careful but not a miser, enjoy yourself...enjoy your life and love with your family.
Time is the commodity that can't be generated...so spend THAT wisely. Hence my revolving door
of toys and cars. If there's food on the table and bills are paid and some form of retirement set up...
go nuts within reason.
You're a testament to that being a decent way to tackle it...and I agree...when I have nothing to do, I
will find something to do. Couch surfing doesn't do it for me either. And I'm kidding, I never have nothing
to do. LOL
One of my favorite thoughts to live by was in a song by the Eagles
"We may lose and we may win But we will never be here again"
You only get one shot at living today so live each day the best you can.
Last edited by BEAR-AvHistory; 08-26-2020 at 05:13 PM.
05-31-2020 | 05:52 PM
Kids are self sufficient , one Corporate President, one Vice President (both work for competing top 5 multinationals) one black sheep University Professor, so I am not burning up their inheritance. 
Torn ACL no work for a while.