i've got the bug. a car nut's life dilemma inside.

[slater]

OK. i'm new here, and new to BMW ownership, but not new to driving unique and special cars, or subjecting my family to them...

here's the deal: i work from home and my wife homeschools our kids, ages 6 and 10. due to our lifestyle choices, we can and do travel quite a bit to see family, etc. i am able to work from wherever. so we can deal with one car, and honestly i would prefer to - it's simpler and i can focus my limited time for car energy on one vehicle.

we've had a low-mileage 2001.5 Audi A4 Avant 1.8T (5-speed, quattro, sport seats, KW V1s, APR tune, etc) for almost 18 months now and it has proven to be an incredible one-car, daily-driver vehicle. i love how it drives, but the engine is soulless. it's not even that slow (207hp/245tq on the APR tune). the wagon aspect makes traveling really nice (and easy). and hey, wagons are awesome.

i picked up my ZHP coupe last weekend. it's a coupe - my intent was never for it to stay long-term, just for me to enjoy and then sell later on (whenever - i got a good deal on it). however, the few days i've had with it has really opened my eyes to the ZHP's overall balanced nature, and that it really is the answer to what i want in a daily driver. if ONLY they made a touring...

so, here's my dilemma. sell both cars and buy a ZHP sedan? i actually prefer the sedan lines to the coupe. and get a roof storage box for traveling? with the winter we've had this year, i would most definitely install a quaife LSD for winter traction peace of mind with my wife driving it.

or, do i pick up a clean 325iT and transplant everything from the ZHP coupe into it? :blink

or or, just keep the A4 and the coupe and be happy? :)

ideally, i want one car.

peter

[cakM3]

Peter, if you have both cars paid off and you're really looking for one car, get the ZHP sedan and sell the other two cars. I wouldn't recommend transplanting a perfectly good ZHP coupe....sell it complete for another prospective owner to enjoy :thumbsup

I use my ZHP sedan for daily driving duties and love it! Having 4 doors is something I like for a daily commuter. Anyway, that's my input :) Also....there's something to be said about a lowered E46 sedan.....love how it looks...

[ELCID86]

Peter, if you have both cars paid off and you're really looking for one car, get the ZHP sedan and sell the other two cars. I wouldn't recommend transplanting a perfectly good ZHP coupe....sell it complete for another prospective owner to enjoy :thumbsup


+1

[JupiterBMW]

Agreed... Get into a sedan with a roof box (they really aren't that big and you'll need the extra storage). Great intro thread and look forward to more posts. Pics of the two current cars...?


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[328ioc]

Agreed... Get into a sedan with a roof box (they really aren't that big and you'll need the extra storage). Great intro thread and look forward to more posts. Pics of the two current cars...?


iPhone 5S. Tapatalk Pro. BOOM

Agreed as well but also try looking for something with cold weather package.

Because these will also have fold down rear seats....literally the only option I with my car had.

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[slater]

Peter, if you have both cars paid off and you're really looking for one car, get the ZHP sedan and sell the other two cars. I wouldn't recommend transplanting a perfectly good ZHP coupe....sell it complete for another prospective owner to enjoy :thumbsup

yes, both are paid off. transplanting would not exactly be my project of choice, but the Touring/Avant space issue is pretty big here. almost big enough to sway me to keep the A4 Avant - because i KNOW what my wife would say. :)

peter

[slater]

Agreed... Get into a sedan with a roof box (they really aren't that big and you'll need the extra storage). Great intro thread and look forward to more posts. Pics of the two current cars...?


iPhone 5S. Tapatalk Pro. BOOM

i've never had a roof box, i guess i need to do some research. i'm not much of a pic poster, plus they are all on another computer at the moment. i'll try to upload some soon. the ZHP is a bone-stock black/black/black coupe. the A4 is santorin blue (like orient blue) over dark gray/black cloth heated sport seats, lowered a tiny bit, 17x8 wheels, etc. nothing too stand-out-ish. i'm a very 'OEM+' kinda guy. i plan on keeping whatever ZHP i end up with very stock, just with small 'enhancements' like the DSSR, upgraded bushings, etc.

peter

[slater]

Agreed as well but also try looking for something with cold weather package.

Because these will also have fold down rear seats....literally the only option I with my car had.

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yes, whatever sedan i find would absolutely have the cold weather package (wife is always cold - heated seats are a must). didn't know that meant fold-down rear seats - BONUS!

peter

[328ioc]

Well I've got heated seats as a stand alone option but I don't think fold down seats were available as such.

So for those I believe you must get ZCW.



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[slater]

Well I've got heated seats as a stand alone option but I don't think fold down seats were available as such.

So for those I believe you must get ZCW.

my coupe has the premium package ('ZAW' here in canada, if i remember correctly) and has fold-down rear seats.

peter

[Oli77]

Sedan ZHP with a roof top is a good idea but wouldn't a wagon (non ZHP but a premium package) be better?

[bjbstewart]

OK, flame suit on:

While I own a ZHP and love it, I have also owned a non-ZHP 330i. It's almost as good :-)

Feel free to expand your search to a regular 325 or 330 sedan with the proper packages, you will be very happy with either of those choices as well...

[Avetiso]

OK, flame suit on:

While I own a ZHP and love it, I have also owned a non-ZHP 330i. It's almost as good :-)

Feel free to expand your search to a regular 325 or 330 sedan with the proper packages, you will be very happy with either of those choices as well...
There's no hate here for the regular 330i. :)

[328ioc]

my coupe has the premium package ('ZAW' here in canada, if i remember correctly) and has fold-down rear seats.

peter

I believe in the coupes fold downs were standard.

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[slater]

Sedan ZHP with a roof top is a good idea but wouldn't a wagon (non ZHP but a premium package) be better?

well, the ZHP package is very alluring. not just the engine but the 6-speed trans, seats, aero, exclusivity, etc.

peter

[ELCID86]

I (actually my now 21 yo son) had an 02 330Ci. He wanted seats in the back he could use and a 6th gear so we landed on his ZHP.


Thumbs, iPhone, Tapatalk.

[slater]

i went to look at a 100K-mile 2003 black/black/black ZHP sedan today, $9500. was overpriced - LF fender had been replaced and painted with what looked like spray paint (wasn't in the pics), badly repaired spot in LF door (again, not in pics), sunroof inop and half-tilted open on one side. cosmetically the rest was decent - some scratches here and there. interior was clean, engine bay clean, but all sorts of hesitation in the mid-range (DISA valve?). no mods.

really liked the 4-door aspect (easy ingress to the back seat for the kids - brought them along, of course!), trunk room is not too bad. i found thule makes an 18 cubic foot roof carrier, which would likely allow us to travel easily.

overall, it drove nicely but cemented my decision to sort out my coupe and then sell it and the audi and find a properly-sorted red or gray sedan. man, the sedans look like a million bucks to me. so well-proportioned!

also, one thing i found weird was it didn't have power lumbar - when was this introduced? my coupe ('05) has it. kind of a must for me.

peter

[alexandre]

For the price you paid for your coupe, I'd find a high mileage automatic 325iT with a blown tranny and transplant everything from your coupe in it. Then put the 325 stuff in the coupe and sell it for whatever it can fetch. Someone will replace the tranny and enjoy a decent 325ci. You'd have the best of both worlds!

Lumbar was part of the premium package, and not many ZHP's have it IIRC. My car doesn't.

[stephenkirsh]

My vote is to get a sedan. Transplanting is way too much work and the 3 series wagon is pretty small.

[slater]

For the price you paid for your coupe, I'd find a high mileage automatic 325iT with a blown tranny and transplant everything from your coupe in it. Then put the 325 stuff in the coupe and sell it for whatever it can fetch. Someone will replace the tranny and enjoy a decent 325ci. You'd have the best of both worlds!

Lumbar was part of the premium package, and not many ZHP's have it IIRC. My car doesn't.

yeah, my coupe has the premium package. :)

i actually found a black 2002 325iT 5-speed that has very light front end damage for $2800/obo. the gears started turning immediately! but then i started thinking about the sheer amount of work to do the swap... i mean, everything. i don't have the time. it WOULD rock though! a sedan with a roof carrier is going to have to be the solution...

peter

[slater]

My vote is to get a sedan. Transplanting is way too much work and the 3 series wagon is pretty small.

well, it's about the same size as our A4 Avant - which works. but yeah, the transplanting work is just too much for me at the moment. i'm in the middle of restoring/renovating a 200-year old house! (albeit slowly..... :) )

peter

[Bird-Dog]

I'm going to go against the consensus and say, keep 'em both. ZHP coupes are considerably more elusive than sedans. More importantly, the more you get to know the ZHP the more you will want to reserve its remaining lifespan for more enjoyable drives than boring road-trip highway miles with a windsail... er, I mean carrier box... on top.

[slater]

I'm going to go against the consensus and say, keep 'em both. ZHP coupes are considerably more elusive than sedans. More importantly, the more you get to know the ZHP the more you will want to reserve its remaining lifespan for more enjoyable drives than boring road-trip highway miles with a windsail... er, I mean carrier box... on top.

good points. i am all for preservation, but i am also full-on for vehicle use. cars are meant to be driven, and the ZHP is certainly all about driver enjoyment. i have two kids so a sedan is a must, plus i find the coupe doors way too big.

my ZHP needs some love and when it's fully sorted i intend on a long-distance shakedown with the family. we'll see how it does.

peter

[danewilson77]

... actually prefer the sedan lines to the coupe....

Impeccable taste.

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[stephenkirsh]

Impeccable taste.

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+2!

[Avetiso]

+2!
+3 even though I love both.

[gronsay]

yeah, my coupe has the premium package. :)

i actually found a black 2002 325iT 5-speed that has very light front end damage for $2800/obo. the gears started turning immediately! but then i started thinking about the sheer amount of work to do the swap... i mean, everything. i don't have the time. it WOULD rock though! a sedan with a roof carrier is going to have to be the solution...

peter

I am all for the ZHP wagon swap, it in fact does rock!.....mine is almost done and will be posting pics soon. The body lines on the touring are amazing and pull it off much better than any other wagon of its years. Yes, all of this is IMHO....the sedan would be my second choice and the coupe would be my alternate second if I could have two cars, one for the fam and one for me. Not gonna work with two kids. Whatever route you go Peter, you will please with an e46.

[danewilson77]

I am all for the ZHP wagon swap, it in fact does rock!.....mine is almost done and will be posting pics soon. The body lines on the touring are amazing and pull it off much better than any other wagon of its years. Yes, all of this is IMHO....the sedan would be my second choice and the coupe would be my alternate second if I could have two cars, one for the fam and one for me. Not gonna work with two kids. Whatever route you go Peter, you will please with an e46.

Agree. Touring is da snap, crackle, and pop.

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[gronsay]

I've also owned a B5 avant and its nice, but not nearly as fun to drive as the e46 touring...unless you are in the snow. By all means, I am not recommending keeping the avant, but if you do, throw a K04 in there to pep it up. :)

[slater]

I am all for the ZHP wagon swap, it in fact does rock!.....mine is almost done and will be posting pics soon. The body lines on the touring are amazing and pull it off much better than any other wagon of its years. Yes, all of this is IMHO....the sedan would be my second choice and the coupe would be my alternate second if I could have two cars, one for the fam and one for me. Not gonna work with two kids. Whatever route you go Peter, you will please with an e46.

i love wagons - and as much as the thought of building a ZHP Touring is exciting... the time it will take just isn't in the cards for me. i can refresh my coupe in a few days, a full-on car-to-car swap would be weeks. and my wife would kill me.

i did find a 2002 325iT 5-speed locally for cheap, too.

peter

[slater]

I've also owned a B5 avant and its nice, but not nearly as fun to drive as the e46 touring...unless you are in the snow. By all means, I am not recommending keeping the avant, but if you do, throw a K04 in there to pep it up. :)

yeah, in the snow it is a blast. i live in the sticks so every solo drive in the winter sees some opposite lock. :) honestly a K04 wouldn't help - it's the engine that really bugs me about the A4. it has no soul. the M54B30 just feels and sounds so right. i have a K03 Sport in the A4, along with an APR tune and the latest FSI coilpacks and plugs gapped to 0.033" and it runs and pulls very well, but it just isn't the same. and even the small turbo has too much lag for me. :)

peter

[slater]

Impeccable taste.

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ha! agreed!! :)

[tkundhi]

Peter, owning both the E46 touring and ZHP sedan, I can say the space difference is relatively minor if you get a sedan with the cold weather package (fold down rear seats). I seriously thought about converting our touring to a 330. But in the end I just wanted a low mileage car I didn't need to spend as much time with. So I bought a low mileage ZHP. A 325 > 330 swap should not be that difficult if you start with the right set of cars.

t.

[gronsay]

yeah, in the snow it is a blast. i live in the sticks so every solo drive in the winter sees some opposite lock. :) honestly a K04 wouldn't help - it's the engine that really bugs me about the A4. it has no soul. the M54B30 just feels and sounds so right. i have a K03 Sport in the A4, along with an APR tune and the latest FSI coilpacks and plugs gapped to 0.033" and it runs and pulls very well, but it just isn't the same. and even the small turbo has too much lag for me. :)

peter

I totally agree! Hence the e46 touring now as my daily and the kids love it

[gronsay]

Peter, owning both the E46 touring and ZHP sedan, I can say the space difference is relatively minor if you get a sedan with the cold weather package (fold down rear seats).



Where would the kids sit?

[gronsay]

i love wagons - and as much as the thought of building a ZHP Touring is exciting... the time it will take just isn't in the cards for me. i can refresh my coupe in a few days, a full-on car-to-car swap would be weeks. and my wife would kill me.

i did find a 2002 325iT 5-speed locally for cheap, too.

peter

I hear you, good luck with the decision...it's tough

[slater]

I totally agree! Hence the e46 touring now as my daily and the kids love it

so true, my son loves the sound. and my daughter likes it because "it's not an audi... all we have are audi's!" LOL!!

peter

[gronsay]

so true, my son loves the sound. and my daughter likes it because "it's not an audi... all we have are audi's!" LOL!!

peter

Haha...great stuff!


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[Ultralite]

Greetings from a fellow homeschooling family! I think you could get it all done with the sedan. We have 2 kids, slightly older than yours and we easily take trips in our 2012 MINI Clubman. Last year I got an entire weeks worth of beach clothes, chairs, and boogie boards in the Clubman and had nothing in the foot wells. I have the pictures to prove it. We did it without a roof box too.
So yeah, if you do the roof storage thing, you're good to go. I'm on the hunt for my first ZHP and been lurking for a long time. When I saw the homeschool reference and the packing/travel issue, I thought I might be able to help.

[danewilson77]

Good luck in finding your ZHP.

[slater]

Greetings from a fellow homeschooling family! I think you could get it all done with the sedan. We have 2 kids, slightly older than yours and we easily take trips in our 2012 MINI Clubman. Last year I got an entire weeks worth of beach clothes, chairs, and boogie boards in the Clubman and had nothing in the foot wells. I have the pictures to prove it. We did it without a roof box too.
So yeah, if you do the roof storage thing, you're good to go. I'm on the hunt for my first ZHP and been lurking for a long time. When I saw the homeschool reference and the packing/travel issue, I thought I might be able to help.

ha, pics to prove it! awesome.

i am a bit of a packing fiend - people are amazed at the amount of stuff i can cram into a car, while not bugging the kids (or my wife) too much. :) we are away for 3 weeks and i packed in clothes for the family, all homeschooling materials, food, ice skates, helmets, tool box (goes everywhere), and my mobile office into the back of our A4 Avant. AND with rearward visibility.

yeah, the more i think about it, with a roof box i think it will work out nicely! i found the sedan of my dreams, just gotta work on the logistics.

(and great to hear about another homeschooling family!)

peter

[Yass_ZHP]

I would Go for the ZHP sedan... but then again if I could keep both hehheheheh

Good luck on your search!