Description and history:
In the spring of this year I purchased a one-owner Arctic Silver 1998 M Roadster with two-tone blue/black interior and a blue soft top. The owner had the car optioned with the dealer installed factory alarm system and trunk mounted CD Changer. He also had the airbag switch option installed for the passenger seat and I have a thick folder of lawyer correspondence that shows how difficult it was to have this option installed in 1998 in Nebraska.  The airbag switch replaces the battery volt meter gauge, which is located in the center console and allows for the passenger airbag to be turned off and on using the ignition key.  Since new, the car received thousands of dollars in routine maintenance and service to ensure it was properly maintained.

The seller was a long time BMWCCA member, and had taken surprisingly good care of it since ordering the car from BMW of Lincoln in 1998. I had been looking for another restoration project and I didn’t mind something with relatively higher miles (106K) that needed a new clutch and some routine parts refreshing. After all, the M Roadster’s S52 engine is very reliable and I’ve serviced and restored my fair share to know what it takes to bring them back to near new condition. To my surprise, the condition of the paint, the original fabric top, the rear window and the two-tone interior are just as clean as the seller described them to be. Even the seat belt guides on the seats which are prone to breaking are still intact! The car mostly needed to have the mechanicals refreshed…but I ended up giving it a rather extensive restoration anyway.

Overall summary:

• It’s a time machine: It’s a very original example of an M Roadster (but better now that it’s been mechanically restored). It still has the original cassette radio head unit and 6-disc changer in the trunk and even the optional 6-cassette holder in the center console. The windows have not been tinted, and there is no aftermarket alarm or sound system. The only non-OEM part is the suspension, which I upgraded to Koni adjustable shocks and H&R springs to improve handling.
• It drives and handles like it’s new and certainly better than most car with half the mileage, thanks to all of the parts that have been replaced. I started driving it daily to break in the new clutch, brakes and suspension and I can’t stop driving it. It’s really fun.
• It has had one owner since new until earlier this year when I purchased the vehicle. It was garaged, covered, looked after and serviced preventatively and the condition shows.
• It’s turnkey and needs nothing. It has no leaks, issues and should be trouble free for years to come.
• The paint and body panels are almost all original and it has a clean Carfax with two small exceptions: one was a low speed bump requiring a repaint of the front bumper and one requiring the repaint of the side skirt that got scraped. Both of which are documented with receipts, were minor and professional repaired.
• It’s complete with every single piece of original paperwork, including the dealer delivery checklist, window sticker, sales brochure, accessory brochure, alarm instructions, the original booklet and even paperwork from the transport truck that delivered the car from the South Carolina factory.

Recent service performed in June 2016 (Just 300 miles ago):
Many of the common wear items and issues on these cars have been addressed, some preventatively, to ensure all of the car’s functions operate as they did when new, some even better. It’s back to being the fun and visceral driver’s car that was designed to be. 

Basic maintenance:
- Oil service: Mobil 1 Synthetic oil 5W30 (recommended), new Hengst oil filter, housing o-rings and drain nut crush ring.
- Power steering fluid service: Fluid flushed and replaced with Pentosin 11s (recommended)
- Transmission fluid service: Fluid flushed and replaced with BMW MTL gear oil (recommended)
- Differential fluid service: Fluid flushed and replaced with Redline 75W90 LS gear oil
- Brake fluid flushed, including clutch slave: Replaced fluid with Ate SL Dot 4 fluid
- New Air filter
- Replaced driver and passenger seat rail bushings with new urethane bushings to eliminate play
- Glove box checked, is free of sagging issue, but adjusted to eliminate noise

Service B & additional maintenance:
- Mass Airflow Sensor and throttle body serviced, tubes inspected for cracks/leaks
- Inspected sparkplugs and coil packs: Bosch 4+ Platinum plugs (recommended), recently replaced by previous owner
- Left and right motor mounts were replaced
- Inspected cooling system (recently serviced by previous owner, radiator and various hoses were replaced)
- The main drive and accessory belts were replaced
- Replaced the fuel filter
- Applied Redline fuel system cleaner as preventative maintenance

Brake System
- All four brake calipers were rebuilt with OEM Ate gaskets, cleaned and refinished
- Front and rear brake rotors were replaced with Zimmerman vented German rotors
- Front and rear brake pads were replaced
- Parking brakes were replaced recently by previous owner
- Brake fluid flush performed

Suspension System
- Replaced front and rear shocks with Koni Yellow adjustable shocks to improve ride and handling
- Replaced rear shock tower mounts with upgraded mounts0
- Replaced stock springs with H&R sport springs to improve handling
- Replaced front control arm bushings (L&R)
- Replaced front sway bar links
- Replaced steering tie rods to tighten handling
- Car received 4-wheel alignment

Clutch Service
- Replaced clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing
- Replaced clutch slave
- Replaced transmission shift rod seal (commonly leak at this age)
- Rebuilt entire shifter mechanism (shifter and rod) with new parts to tighten shift feel
- Degreased transmission
- Replaced transmission mounts
- Replaced flex disc (Guibo)
- Bled clutch slave

Differential Service
- Replaced output shaft seals (commonly leak at this age)
- Replaced differential fluid
- Inspected differential mount for cracked (none found)

Exterior/Interior Professionally Detailed
This car was treated to a 30+ hour professional detail to revitalize the car’s exterior and interior, as well as to protect it from the elements and from wear for years to come.
- Underside and wheel wells were pressure washed and steam cleaned, exhaust tips were polished, wheel well plastic treated, engine under-tray treated
- Engine bay was thoroughly detailed
- Paint received a multi-step treatment from detailer (clay bar, polished, sealed, waxed) and finished with two coats of wax 12 hours apart
- All plastics and rubber was treated
- Headlights, taillights and rear window were polished and sealed for protection
- Interior and trunk carpets were vacuumed and shampooed
- All interior leather was cleaned and treated multiple times with leather conditioner. The leather is soft and the seats very supportive.
- Soft top was washed and treated

Accessories:
This car comes with the BMW keyless entry alarm system, a new factory main key and a spare one, Z3 floor mats, BMW trunk mounted CD-changer, cassette storage system in center console, BMW M Mobility system, top-tonneu cover, BMW rear window blanket, BMW car cover and the complete tool kit in the trunk. As mentioned earlier, the car also comes complete with a variety of rare paperwork, including two rare original and collectible sales brochures.

Condition:
This car is in stunning overall condition, both cosmetically and mechanically, and is very rewarding to drive. The car’s exterior is in very good condition with a deep and rich silver metallic paint. There are only a few rock chips present on the front end of the hood, but they are not very noticeable. The front edges of the front bumper are free of scrapes or cracks. If viewed from underneath, some scrapes are visible, but only when the car is put on a lift. The staggered Roadstar Motorsport wheels are in very good condition with only some small scrapes visible on the corners. The headlights and taillights are very clear with no fogging. All of the doors, including the bonnet (hood) and trunk have had their mechanisms cleaned and lubricated. There is one rock chip in the windshield, which was repaired by the previous owner.

The interior is very clean and in great condition. The interior leather has been cleaned and conditioned and is soft to the touch. There is a little wear on the driver’s side bolster and the leather on the steering wheel, but nothing major. The shifter, doors and passenger seat are all in good condition. The carpets have been shampooed and vacuumed. The seat rails have been repaired on both seats to eliminate any rocking (common issue). All interior lights, including in the gauges, buttons and shifter, are fully functional. There is one small dot sized scratch on the very bottom of the center console.

The soft top is original and in good condition with little signs of wear, and the rear window is very clear and free of any damage or cracks. The soft top operates flawlessly. The rear differential mount and trunk floor are in great condition and were inspected recently prior to my purchase. The front tires are brand new BF-Goodrich sport tires and the rear tires have plenty of tread and are in good overall condition.

Mechanically, the engine starts right up and is very responsive. It idles strong and comes to operating temperature very quickly and delivers strong power through the rev band. The steering feel is tight and very responsive. The car has received a meticulous engine service, as explained in detail above. The clutch pedal is easy to operate and engages immediately, thanks to a comprehensive clutch and transmission service. The shifter is tight with very short throws as all of the components of the shifter linkage were replaced with new parts. The brake pedal is confidence inspiring and overall the brakes are very powerful, thanks in part to rebuilt calipers, new rotors, pads and a fresh two-step brake flush.

I also have a gallery  of detailed pictures available for interested buyers.

-Daniel N.