Another new Z8 owner

[DakotaGT]

Hi all,

I have been shopping around for the right Z8 for a couple of years now, and after a couple of close encounters on BaT, I finally scored a black/Crema-black one for what I feel was a great price:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-bmw-z8-47/

i have never even seen a Z8 in the flesh, much less sat in one or driven one, so you can imagine my anticipation, waiting for it to arrive from Dallas, TX!

Many thanks to Michael (2112) for the helpful knowledge along my journey.

Question: the headliner in my cars hardtop needs replacement. Is this something that I might be able to fix myself, or perhaps a local upholstery shop? My local BMW dealership (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) isn’t familiar with these. I’m pretty handy, but if there is a link to this, or if anybody has some tips/instructions, I am all ears!

Thank you.

Clint

dakota_gt on Instagram

[LarryG]

This is a very common problem. Fortunately BMW can supply a new headliner in black or crema. A skilled upholstery shop can install the new liner. BTW, I purchased a 2002 6000 mile silver/black Z8 6 weeks ago. You will love your car.
Great buy as well
You might want to install a factory radio and remove those control buttons in the console.

[Musta10000]

Congratulations and welcome to the board !!!

Well bought!!! I was watching the auction "live" and you really did well! hopefully you will enjoy the car and drive it as it is such a treat and enjoyment every time I get in (which is a lot...).

[DakotaGT]

This is a very common problem. Fortunately BMW can supply a new headliner in black or crema. A skilled upholstery shop can install the new liner. BTW, I purchased a 2002 6000 mile silver/black Z8 6 weeks ago. You will love your car.
Great buy as well
You might want to install a factory radio and remove those control buttons in the console.

Thank you so much! Yes, those items are on the “to do” list.

[DakotaGT]

Congratulations and welcome to the board !!!

Well bought!!! I was watching the auction "live" and you really did well! hopefully you will enjoy the car and drive it as it is such a treat and enjoyment every time I get in (which is a lot...).

Thank you! Yes, I was shocked that there weren’t any seriously competing bidders, and that the reserve wasn’t set higher. I had bid much higher prices on lesser cars in the last few months, only to stop short when the price was getting a bit out of hand.

[mk31755]

Enjoy every day you own her, or maybe I should say "they", just in case. I just bought my Z8 in July. I noticed that the cup holder insert is missing. I did not want to comment on Bring a Trailer. It is an easy part to source. congrats!

[beamon]

Great price on a really beautiful spec and low mile excellent condition and complete example. I love the two tone crema black interior. My hard top headliner was sagging and was replaced by an upholstery shop. However, the hardtop is never on the car lol.

I saw your posts on Ford GT forums...your 05/06 GT and mods look awesome. I've missed the boat on a GT but still on my list someday (hopefully)! Enjoy the rides!

[ron's rocket]

Welcome aboard... I watched that BAT auction, great buy, always like that two-tone "sport" interior vs crema.

[DakotaGT]

Enjoy every day you own her, or maybe I should say "they", just in case. I just bought my Z8 in July. I noticed that the cup holder insert is missing. I did not want to comment on Bring a Trailer. It is an easy part to source. congrats!

Thank you! I mentioned this to the seller, and he said he will send me one! I hadn’t noticed that, so... much appreciated.

[DakotaGT]

Great price on a really beautiful spec and low mile excellent condition and complete example. I love the two tone crema black interior. My hard top headliner was sagging and was replaced by an upholstery shop. However, the hardtop is never on the car lol.

I saw your posts on Ford GT forums...your 05/06 GT and mods look awesome. I've missed the boat on a GT but still on my list someday (hopefully)! Enjoy the rides!

Thank you! Good to know that a competent upholstery shop should be able to handle the job. I appreciate the comments on the GT, too. Hope you’re able to obtain one someday.. they are really tremendous cars.

- - - Updated - - -

Welcome aboard... I watched that BAT auction, great buy, always like that two-tone "sport" interior vs crema.

Thanks! Car is scheduled to arrive tomorrow! So excited.

[JOEA2]

My License Plate says it all "LUVMY Z8".

Joe

[2112]

Welcome Clint!

You ended up with a beautiful specimen!

[macfly]

Congratulations and welcome!

[dakota_gt]

Congratulations and welcome!

Thank you, everyone!

Andrew, I have sent you private emails, with no response; I have also tried to reset my password several times, without ever receiving the automated email to reset it. Finally, I ended up just creating a new, similar username (dakota_gt, instead of dakotagt), because I was getting very frustrated that I couldn't respond to anybody, and I couldn't use the features only available to forum members. Seems that something must be "buggy" with the Forum? I would prefer to use my original username, if you could help me out there!

- - - Updated - - -

Welcome Clint!

You ended up with a beautiful specimen!

Thank you, Michael! (I ended up having to create a new username to get back on here!)

- - - Updated - - -

My License Plate says it all "LUVMY Z8".

Joe

Looks great!

I wanted to go with "ZUKUNFT", but my kids teased me mercilessly that that was a stupid choice (I told them to look it up), and "GUTNTAG" was already taken, so I just ended up going with "Z EIGHT" for my plates.

[macfly]

The forum software is definitely headed towards a final collapse, it's getting more and more buggy and harder and harder to maintain, so enjoy it while it's here, because sadly it is not eternal.

Not sure where you've sent the emails, but I haven't seen any - I'll shoot you one over with a password reset, so you can activate the original log in.

[DakotaGT]

The forum software is definitely headed towards a final collapse, it's getting more and more buggy and harder and harder to maintain, so enjoy it while it's here, because sadly it is not eternal.

Not sure where you've sent the emails, but I haven't seen any - I'll shoot you one over with a password reset, so you can activate the original log in.

I believe I sent them to [email protected].

Thanks! That did the trick. Much appreciated- great forum you have created here! Invaluable, really, for a new Z8 owner.

[lanny]

Andrew,
If the software is definitely headed towards a final collapse, would this be a good time to figure out how to avoid this? Maybe we should pay an annual fee for this website which is a Z8 world of knowledge. We just can't let all the years of knowledge and solutions go away. Could you please figure out what our dues should be to keep all this info and site operating.

Lanny

[Charles]

Welcome Clint! This looks like it was a Dallas Car. Are you in Dallas?

Agree with Lanny, but maybe an annual fee is not the best way to encourage new members. I have #1 of 15 of one the Glicee prints of Z8's in their natural habitat (on the road) that Andrew sold to raise money for the site a few years back. It hangs above my desk at home. I don't believe the limited edition sold out. Andrew do you have them left to offer? Some of the new members especially might like tp purchase one. Maybe start a new thread?

[macfly]

Thanks guys, it's no so much a fee as an impossibility. I did look into it a few years ago, and there is basically no way of transferring all the info out of this software into anything else, and this software has long since been discontinued. It could last another 10 years, or even a 100, but there is simply no way to extract everything as it sits here.

The best option is hugely time and labor intensive, which is essentially building a new site, and copy over the important stuff one post/thread at a time. That's simply beyond me, I'm too busy in my life to oversee such a huge undertaking, so my only solution is to just keep our fingers crossed and deal with the bugginess.

[Norcal]

Can everything be exported to a raw database format of some sort and archived each year? Something that could be extracted or imported in the future by some techie?

[DakotaGT]

Welcome Clint! This looks like it was a Dallas Car. Are you in Dallas?
?

Thank you! Yes, this car came from Dallas. I live in South Dakota.

[macfly]

Can everything be exported to a raw database format of some sort and archived each year? Something that could be extracted or imported in the future by some techie?

I have no idea, and have found it very hard to find anyone with expertise in our now 20 year old forum architecture! It's even harder than keeping a Z8 running!

[2112]

I know that in my profession, we can hire IT techs to transfer data from one software to another newer, up to date platform.

Yes, costly. But if we were paying dues, which I have long thought we should, we could fill up a piggy bank and cover the cost.

This is not only the only Z8 site of importance, it rivals any site dedicated to a single exclusive model of automobile in quality of information dedicated to that model of car.

[Thackray]

To be able to access all the information presently in the existing website I would be happy to buy a thumb drive containing the entire website. For various reasons this website will cease to exist and the ability to search the information will be lost. I'm also open to dues, contributions etc but these do not solve the information access problem for present and future Z8 owners.
Phil Thackray

[macfly]

We're rolling the ball, more news as possible solutions appear.