Im toying with the idea of saying bye bye to my cossie.



for one of these...







i probably know will all all say, another one going to BMW.. he he, but my way in thinking is its not an M3 and will prob leave an M3 for dust.

Im very undecided. Or do i throw more money into the cossy and always wonder if the car will start when i want to go drive it.

 

Don't go it, you will regret it in the long run like alot of other people who have switched.

Keep the Cossie and inject more life into it.

 

There was one of these at the Ring with the registration UR 02 SLO. Suffice to say he got absolutely TOASTED by RWs E46 M3 - in fact by such an amount I would have had to take the number plate off if it was my car . Was white like the one above as well - LOOKED cool as mind you .

I have no idea as to the spec of your Escort to be able to make a judgement call. However, I wouldn't sell mine for one and would rather have an M3....

 

Tough decision, not seen the BM in the flesh but it looks in the pics. When ever I think of getting rid of mine, had it for 6 yrs I always end up thinking will I get bored of what ever I buy & whish I'd never sold it !!
I can't imagine not having an Ecos, even stare at others that I see while out in the Mondeo

If You've had the car for while I think it will be hard to part with it even though the BM prob makes more sense, but sine when has owning a Cossie made sense ???

 

Dint To Gear hate this car

 

Saw 1 today on the Autobahn. I don't wish to put you off but the girl in the Golf Cabrio was more interested Cossie than she was in the Beemer.

 

Sell it

 

Your lose a lot of money on a ZM4 look at the way ZM3 went

Looks nice mind but would rather lose a load of money on a E46 M3 coupe instead

 

I occasionally see a Z4 coupe around where I live and I think it looks the dogs danglies which is surprising since I don't really like the soft top. There's something a little Marcos-esque about them (especially the rear). I do have one little thing I hate about it though - the BMW combined badge/indicator on the front wing. It just seems so tacky.

Ultimately it depends on how it drives, my boss has a Z3M and whilst it's great in a straight line, it feels a little soft and too woolly in the corners for my liking. The Z4 is meant to handle better though......

 

Cheers for the replies you lot.

I pretty knew i would get a response like this though.
Its all good though. I know i will regret selling the cossie, cos i love it to bits. If i did sell it, i know it wouldnt be my last one.

MIKE RAINBIRD: spec of my car is completly standard... apart from wheels with a rebuild only 10k ago.

which is why im thinking i may be better off selling now rather than with more miles on it.

plus id like an easy option for some rear wheel drive fun

The Z4M coupe has the same engine as the e46 m3, it must of been the driver of the one that was at the ring... lol

I want mine in white, but im def not gonna buy brand new and will prob be waiting a while for one to come up.

I am also toying with the idea of just getting a Ł10k loan and having a 400 build and all the refineries to launch, stop and keep me in straight line done....


I have a few niggly little problems since ive owned the cossie for 3 years now, which is just getting me thinking, i want something a little more reliable, but i know i will miss the culture and shows of the RS scene.

 

The coupes dont quite have the power of a M3 due to the smaller engine bay.

Sure it messes with the exhaust manifold?

 

Thats very suprising, im a little shocked.

Im test driving one on sunday to see what they are actually like.

 

My std Cossie has been A1 reliable for the last 65,000 miles. I think they only play up when you don't use them regularly...

 

Mine has done just over 11k in 3 years... rest of the time its under its cover.

Im kinda hoping that i keep it, but i wouldnt mind if did get another car.
At the moment i think the Z4M Coupe is the only worthy contender to replace the cossie, especially on the looks factor, i know it will be 10 times faster than my cossie, but if i invested the extra money in my cossie, my cossie would be 5 times faster than the Z4M.

(If that makes sense).

Think i may have to wait until i test drive the Z4M on sunday.
The saleman prob wont let me get it sideways tho will he?

 

"I am also toying with the idea of just getting a Ł10k loan and having a 400 build and all the refineries to launch, stop and keep me in straight line done.... "

10K will be about half of your budget if you want to make it a good spec

Front diff Ł1300
Rear diff Ł750
Decent Box is Ł3500
Decent set of Front brakes Ł1400
Suspension- Ł1000+
Stainless Mongoose Exhaust Ł400
Rear beam Ł650
Clutch- Ł350+

Then you start on the engine, the coolers, the pipes, the turbo and the build of the actual engine....
Belive me, I'm doing the same thing...

then dont forget bits like mapping, teething troubles etc etc

BUT, you will have a fucking superb fastroad / occasional track/strip car

 

how much is a Z4M???

 

I was thinking have the build done and the rest after month by month kinda thing.

Wasnt planning on going quife diffs or changing the box.
Just clutch, brakes, rebuild of standard diffs with strethning plates and coilovers (Ł600)

 

Looking in the price range of Ł30k - Ł33k m8

 

what you use the car for? Have a look at some ultima GTR's if you are after a pure fun car , fucking mental things

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/103852.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/182110.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/176151.htm

It is what they used to develop the Mclaren F1, and has actually ended up being faster

Or check out www.ultimasports.co.uk

 

I use the car for you could say every day use, but not as often as everyday given the mileage ive done in the past 3 years.
Basically its my weekend and show / meet / cruising car.

That ultima is an animal i know. but no creature comforts.
Couldnt imaging picking my women up in that to go to the local pub or for a meal, we would both have back ache every time we went out.

Im quite happy with my cossie being standard becasue of the car it is, but i know in my mind to get it the way i want it (faster), it will cost alot of money and probably money that will end up throwing away cos it doesnt add much value to a car. If it was a case of just getting the build done, it wouldnt be a problem, but like above, its all the other bits that need doing.

So lets say Ł10k for build, maybe little bit less.
and to know the car going to handle the power another Ł10k for all the refineries.
which would probably take about 3 years to actually acheive.
and for the same money all in all, i could go for the Z4M and have fun that i desire, take it to the ring, still drive the car back and straight out for an exspensive meal with the women. (thats my way of thinking anyway at the moment)

does that make sense. lol

I knew this would be a hard desicion.

 

The trouble with tuning a cos is its a question of where do you stop, not where do you start However, being sensible and choosing parts for function rarther than form will go a long way to saving the ŁŁŁ.

If you are budgeting 10k, then think about where you want your car to excel. If you want a general all rounder, you will have to compromise the car somewhere.

The hard decsision is the engine, is 400BHP as much as you want? If it is, I would stick with a std engine to keep costs down, maybe just slightly low comp, nothing clever, maybe a BD10/BD14 inlet cam, std exhaust, and a Good T34.63. this will see 400bhp/ 400Lbs/ft if mapped correctly ( I would use MSD for this as they are the bollocks ). It will also drive really nicely and be reliable if built correctly. Also, if you want somthing a bit trick, get a marram shafted T34, and get ALS put on, top toy and not too much more expensive if you do it all in one go.

The BIGGEST investment, and IMHO needs doing as a priority is to get a decent gearbox in there, I am personally going for a "mullet" Bara motorsport box, as Quaife big tooths are a waste of time , and the fixit kits (IMHO) are going to be hard to get bits for in the future.

What is the point in having 400BHP if you are scared its going to throw the box to bits everytime you put your foot down? . So you are looking at Ł3500 ish for that depending on who you go to for it, but by the time you have mullered 3 or 4 std boxes( which you will do), it has paid for itself and the car hasn't pissed you off and got you stranded/ embarrased you by breaking infront of the birds )

Brakes- Ap 330mm 4 Pots are around Ł1200ish, and are easily one of the best upgrades you will make. People (including me ) buy 6 pots for about an extra Ł400ish , but they offer no real world performance advantage over the 4's, just look better

Suspension- Konis and poly bushing with decent springs is about Ł600- will be fine for 95% of what you want the car to do if its a road car
Can go coilovers, but staring to get into Ł1000's and will make the car a bit harsh for general use IMHO...

Front diff- Another weak point. I have bought a ford thickwall 909 (similar to a quaife thickwall casing) front diff, but kept the std open diff, as people complain that the ATB makes the car understeer. At the 400-440BHP I hope to achive, I might be over-engineering it a bit, but I want reliability, so have paid the money hopefully as an insurance policy.
A lot of people run a std diff and have no problems, or treat it as a wreck and replace item as they are so cheap ( normally about Ł50-80!) just a pain to keep swapping IMHO. You could run a steel sandwich plate that a few people seem to have had good results with, and at Ł40 it's got to be worth a go.

Rear beam and Adjustable TCA's are a good idea, I use Compbrake TCA's, they are really beefy and at around Ł150 not a bad price. Rear beams make a huge difference apparently, I have not changed mine yet, but Zoo Motorsport do a Ł550 road beam, or a strapped (stronger) item for Ł675, both of which I am considering. Also a lot of rally teams stick a 7.5" rear 2wd diff in for a bit of extra strength, works fine with std 4x4 running gear (according to Mike R ).

Then most of it is down to personal preferance, 500 coolers, underbonnet stuff etc etc.

I will post my proposed spec up a bit later if anyone wants me to, as I am almost ready to start my build now as well

 

Im not a fan of those at all to be honest. Id get an M3 instead its going to be an everyday car. If not, then id stick with the escos, as its something a bit more special for the weekends.

 

Also, if you are only using the car for occasional blasts, and don't mind sacraficing a bit of top end, dropping the gearing final drive from 3.6:1 to 3.9:1 (use XR 4x4 diffs - direct fit) gives a good increase in acceleration for the loss of a bit of top speed, which drops to about 157MPH I think?

 

well as much asd the bm is a looker,i'd plump for a stage 3 350-380bhp upgrade and do good suspension and brake set up on the escy.it will eat the zm4 more than likely any way and still be very good to run.

 

Cheers Wil much appreciated for that excellent advice, explained a few things more clearly.

Wouldnt be occasional blasts, would like all round performance.

S1rst M3 is not an option. 1. I personally dont rate them
2. They are too common now
& 3. A few mates already have M3's

NIL: I know full well, if the cossie was the power im thinking about it would eat the Z4 for breakfast. This is my problem.


Maybe after the advice, i could stregthen up my engine as its only just been built and get a good 350 ish maybe a bit more with a tweak here and there and just make sure the clutch, breaks, diffs, TCA's etc are all done too..

So lets say i go for 330-350 (from past knowledge that would set me in around Ł1000.

Then thats would leave Ł9k for the rest.
Clutch
Brakes
Adjustable TCA (which i wanted anyway)
Rear Beam
Maybe 909 diffs (dependent on budget left)
or just rebuilt and the stretghning plates.
BD Cams
500 intercooler / Rad

&

B&M quickshift after all that.
but ive prob missed a few things.

What do you guys reckon on that?

 

[quote="G1EN"]

Maybe after the advice, i could stregthen up my engine as its only just been built and get a good 350 ish maybe a bit more with a tweak here and there and just make sure the clutch, breaks, diffs, TCA's etc are all done too.. - Ok, speak to MSD ( my preferance, best tuner in the country for cossies IMHO) , should be able to go for greys or some 53Lbs siemans injectors, should get close or just over 400BHP and similar torque on a std engine, Stu will advise you on camshafts, probably just a 10 inlet

So lets say i go for 330-350 (from past knowledge that would set me in around Ł1000.- Should see 400ish BHP for that using the above spec, Inc live map and parts from MSD if everything is in good order

Then thats would leave Ł9k for the rest.
Clutch- AP 6 paddle with a side push hydrulic conversion- reyland does these- approx Ł700 and Mike R recons 15,000 miles ish clutch life and a nice pedal

Brakes- AP's- buy the best DON'T SKIMP!! I will PM you some details, or GGR do a 362mm 6 pot kit for Ł1526 that is all Genuine AP, I have these, road dust sealed as well, and give about 5-6mm clearence under Rondells

Adjustable TCA (which i wanted anyway)- Compbrake, about Ł150ish contact Nuts Rs off here..

Rear Beam- I'm looking at Zoo ones at the moment, (Ł550 road beam-Ł1000 WRC beam,depending on spec) but keeping my ear to the ground for any others soon to be released.

Maybe 909 diffs (dependent on budget left) - Rear should be fine at this power unless you are an animal, , Front could do with a steel plate Minimum, on Ebay or from Mike R, Ł40ish I think, or a new quaife thickwall casing is Ł750ish, off Ebay/ Mike R/ Bara motorsport + build up of diff into it

500 intercooler / Rad- Ian @ Racetek, will sort you a good price on AH Fabrications stuff, real good quality and better than most of the stuff you see in magazines

B&M quickshift after all that.- Don't bother, Mike R does a knucle for Ł35 ish that dosn't wreck syncro's for fun like the B&M
but ive prob missed a few things.

What do you guys reckon on that?[/quote="G1EN"]

Gearbox- Get a good one done to keep it reliable and worry free, yes its a lot of ŁŁŁ but well worth it IMHO- Speak to Marco about the MT75 kits

A decent breather system- Ian@racetek again

Also, is well worth getting a wasted spark driver, you already have closed loop, and if you fancy it, you prob have enough left in your budget for a marram shafted T34.63 ( Dan@FastFord is selling a nearly new one for Ł800 on here ) and an ALS conversion, which is a great toy and makes the car really pull out of corners - Also you already have the P8 needed, or stu might advise you to go level 8, as you could have launch control then as well - selling off your old turbo/ ecu etc should get you quite a bit of ŁŁŁ back for your upgrades

 

Hello G1EN,

i've owned an Escort Cossie & driven a Z4M for a few days. The Z4M is a nice car, looks great, fast but I would'nt sell an Escort Cossie for one. I found the interior quite cheap, Everyone I spoke to said the same, alot of money for a BMW with only 2 seats (Ł45K for the one I drove), I would go for an M3









Cheers

Kevbo

 

g1en,im with rwd wil on this,im running a 350bhp saff thats clocked a genuine 150k on the original engine(just with headgasket upreated)
if yours has ahsd a rebuild you wont have any probs,especially if you go to stu at msd

 

Cheers Kevbo... know what you mean about the interior, it is very bland, but so is the M3... for the amount the car is sold for, they could atleast put a nice bose or B&O system in there, even tho they are Audi option, but they are both german, so why not.

They just look the dogs danglies IMO...

I think it may have to be the 350 option on the cossie, but ill let you all know what i thought on the Z4 after sunday.


Massive thanks for all the replies, it has very nearly helped me.
I am swaying towards keeping the cossie, but will all be decided sunday i think.

 

Update time....

Well after sunday test driving the Z4M, i was very very impressed and the power is immense from what im used to.

I actually drove the hair dresser version (Convertible) and i was still grinning from ear to ear, so id be more than happy with the coupe, which im still going to test drive when the demo car at my local showroom is run in...

So my decision has come that the cossie will be going. Much to my dissapointment and some of yours im sure judging by the replies, but i know my cossy days arnt over for good, so not overly dissapointed.

My plan is to have thew Z4M Coupe for 2 maybe 3 maybe 4 years. But in the 3rd / 4th year i will be looking round for the minter escort cossy ive always wanted... so i will be back.

I may look for a cheapesh Fiesta RS turbo so i can still go to shows though.

 

Quite a small world... the white one you refered to Mike with that number plate is actually mate of a girl i used to see.
I told her that the plate looked shonky.... cos she showed me a pic of it.

 

 

im in similar thoughts as you glen,

I bought the e36 328i vert in the hope it would get the idea of selling the cossie for an e46 m3 out of my head, but im not sure it has.

Then, it might be different if I ever had any time for the cossie!

 

I know the one. Nice plate. Shit slow. Even I doored him!!!

 

A few mates know the guy who has that car and he has had a new exhaust system by H&S. Im not disputting the work H&S do as ive how good they are, but he has now lost that classic M sound, it now sounds like a saxo with a big bore on it.

The only thing planned for mine is lowered and possible a set of 19's and electronically UN-restricted.

 

Alright my fellow Escort cossie owners... he he

Well Ford Fair has come and gone for another year and by gosh am i glad i went as it made up mind to keep the cossie, yes KEEP my pride and joy.

realise how much id miss it, even tho i didnt have my car at Ford Fair...

I gave the car a bit of an overhaul on saturday and im lovin the look... the standard look.

heres how she stand now...







So all the people above telling me not to go through it, its all good.

Now my plan is to get it a genuine 330 and bareshell painted in the very near future in that order.

 

Good Choice Glen you would have been gutted cars mint

 

cheers fella... hopefully see each others soon. you going National Day?
If know anyone that wants some rondells (in white) but mint, let me know.

 

not sure about ND at the Mo but will let you know sure you will piss them wheels out mate what you looking for for them?

 

good choice matey.i really think the bm wouldve bored you.

now ive just looke dat your plate i do recognise it now.still dunno if i have spoke to you though