LSFBZ3

BMW Z3 / THE PROJECT

V8 POWER. HAND-BUILT DETAILS.

A Z3, reimagined.

Black BMW Z3 with bronze wheels parked outside, viewed from the front quarter.
LSFBZ3

A small roadster.
A much bigger idea.

Explore the build
FROM THE PROJECT ARCHIVE / BMW Z3

LS1 V8 power meets a custom carbon roof.
A project told through the work that went into it.

From the garage

01 / THE BUILD

Built around
an obsession.

A familiar shape.
An entirely different character.

LSFBZ3 brings an LS1 V8 into the compact BMW Z3 chassis. The archive follows both sides of the project: the hardware beneath the body and the hands-on process of making a roof of its own.

Wooden guides, foam, shaping, carbon layup, test fits. These photos keep the intermediate steps in view—the ones that usually disappear behind the finished surface.

02 / UNDER THE SKIN

Small chassis.
Big displacement.

Hardware recorded in the saved
July 2020 listing.

5.7L

Aluminum LS1 V8

390RWHP

Reported dyno result*

4.10:1

Reported final-drive ratio

LS V8 fitted into the BMW Z3 engine bay.
Engine & induction
243 cylinder heads, BTR pushrods, LS6 intake, rails and injectors.
Drivetrain
Spec Stage 1 clutch; modified CXRacing E36 swap mounts and headers.
Chassis & suspension
Randy Forbes subframe reinforcement, M3 differential cover and BC Racing coilovers.
Exhaust & brakes
3-inch exhaust with a Magnaflow muffler; PowerStop rotors and pads.

*Historical specifications transcribed from the listing screenshots in the project archive. The seller reported 390 RWHP with the earlier exhaust; no current dyno result is documented here. These figures describe that recorded configuration.

03 / MAKING THE ROOFLINE

A shape of its own.

From a rough form to a carbon shell.
The process is part of the story.

Wooden guides define a new roof profile over the Z3.
01 / DEFINE

Find the line.

A framework sets the proportions.

Shaped foam creates the curved custom roof form.
02 / SHAPE

Work the surface.

Foam turns the idea into a full-size form.

Freestanding carbon roof shell on workshop supports.
03 / FORM

Make it real.

The carbon shell takes on its own structure.

04 / THE PHOTO ARCHIVE

Every stage has a story.

A selection from the garage.
Select a photo for a closer look.

17 photographs

The black BMW Z3 outdoors with its custom roof fitted.
01 / The car

The starting silhouette

The LS engine installed in the Z3 engine bay.
02 / Powertrain

An American heart

The cockpit, bucket seats and roll structure.
03 / The car

Inside the Z3

Wooden guides establish the shape of the custom roof.
04 / Roof build

Finding the roofline

Expanding foam covers the roof form before shaping.
05 / Roof build

Building up the form

The shaped foam roof with marked cut lines.
06 / Roof build

Shaping the profile

A close look at the smoothed roof form.
07 / Roof build

Refining the surface

Chopped carbon fiber across the roof layup.
08 / Roof build

Carbon, up close

The carbon roof shell on the Z3 during fabrication.
09 / Roof build

Taking shape

The formed roof shell supported on workshop stands.
10 / Roof build

Off the car

The roof fitted to the Z3 during surface finishing.
11 / Roof build

Back on the body

The custom carbon roof with its window openings.
12 / Roof build

A roof of its own

A fabricated carbon intake component on the workbench.
13 / Powertrain

Details in carbon

A clutch assembly during drivetrain work.
14 / Powertrain

Under the surface

Rear three-quarter view of the Z3 with the custom roof.
15 / The car

Out of the workshop

The Z3 outside with the hood raised.
16 / Powertrain

Under the hood

Rear view of the roadster with its roof off.
17 / The car

Open-top days

05 / PROJECT NOTES

A few details.

Project & photo archive by .

What is LSFBZ3?

LSFBZ3 is Tim Burton’s BMW Z3 project, combining an LS1 V8 swap with custom carbon roof fabrication. This site documents the car and the workshop process through the project photo archive.

What engine and power figures are documented?

The saved July 2020 listing specifies a 5.7-liter aluminum LS1 V8 with 243 heads and an LS6 intake. Its seller reported 390 rear-wheel horsepower with an earlier exhaust configuration. That is a historical claim, not a current verified dyno result.

How was the custom roof made?

The photo archive shows wooden guides establishing the roofline, foam being built up and shaped, surface preparation, carbon layup, and the resulting shell being removed and test-fitted to the car.

  1. Define the roofline with a framework.
  2. Build and shape the foam form.
  3. Prepare the surface and lay up the carbon.
  4. Remove the shell and check the fit.