BMW Z3 Hard Top Questions = Your ideas & comments

FRANKIE

FRANKIE

Zorg Guru (V)
American Zeds
The M44 Massive
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Points
193
Location
Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, USA
Model of Z
Z3
I was thinking about getting a hard top for the car. They are difficult to come by. There was one on Craigslist. It comes with a cover and cart with wheels. He told me on the phone he would take $1200.00. Since it is in Florida, about 1250 miles away it would have to be shipped. And I would have to get it painted. I think he'd take a thousand for it.Let's see if I can get the hyperlink:http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/pts/4195120587.html
Who can tell me about what other hardware I need to attach it to the car. It seems that there is a kit that is almost impossible to find. Looking for help here. Frankie
 
FRANKIE said:
I was thinking about getting a hard top for the car. They are difficult to come by. There was one on Craigslist. It comes with a cover and cart with wheels. He told me on the phone he would take $1200.00. Since it is in Florida, about 1250 miles away it would have to be shipped. And I would have to get it painted. I think he'd take a thousand for it.Let's see if I can get the hyperlink:http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/pts/4195120587.html
Who can tell me about what other hardware I need to attach it to the car. It seems that there is a kit that is almost impossible to find. Looking for help here. Frankie
Click to expand...
Hey Frankie, I forgot there is a guy in Scotland who make a replacement fitting kit for the hardtop.Look on eBay UK. The Sellers id is gilnockiehouse he has listing at the moment eBay number 331096148729. He makes these himself and he might ship one out to you.
 
Hi Franke,

If you do decide to go for it consider painting it black as that colour goes with all Zeds and does look quite good. You could also consider getting it wrapped rather than painted if you can find someone to do it. With regard to the fitting kits I have heard mixed reports about the homemade ones so not sure about those but there are plenty of original fitting kits on German EBay so you could message the sellers and see if they will ship to the States for you.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-BMW...034731835?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item1c2e3b713b
 
I have heard of bad reports regarding the Ebay copy
Try and go the OEM route regarding the fixing kit
 
Whilst I appreciate the comment re " homemade " fitting brackets the ones I refer to are excellent and the man supplies,paints and fits hard tops. Check out his items and feedback before you write him off. If he won't post to the USA, he will post to the UK and I'm heading to Kissimmee in April. I'm sure I can then post to you up in New Jersey?
 
Aceman said:
Hi Franke,

If you do decide to go for it consider painting it black as that colour goes with all Zeds and does look quite good. You could also consider getting it wrapped rather than painted if you can find someone to do it. With regard to the fitting kits I have heard mixed reports about the homemade ones so not sure about those but there are plenty of original fitting kits on German EBay so you could message the sellers and see if they will ship to the States for you.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-BMW...034731835?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item1c2e3b713b
Click to expand...
What do you think about the price of the top?
 
Personally I think it would need to be in excellent condition at that price BUT if they are very hard to come by, beggars can't be choosers as we say over here. $1200 is roughly £800 so at our prices it is top end of the market in my opinion.
 
That looks like a BMW hardtop. They were made at a later date as there was no hardtop when the car was lunched. There are three options Wiesmann (that is what I have) Hamann (as rare as rocking horse s***) and then BMW. I prefer my hardtop as it has a larger rear window than the others. If I was you, I would not bother if your car did not come with one.
 
Aceman said:
Hi Franke,

If you do decide to go for it consider painting it black as that colour goes with all Zeds and does look quite good. You could also consider getting it wrapped rather than painted if you can find someone to do it. With regard to the fitting kits I have heard mixed reports about the homemade ones so not sure about those but there are plenty of original fitting kits on German EBay so you could message the sellers and see if they will ship to the States for you.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-BMW...034731835?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item1c2e3b713b
Click to expand...
I'm not familiar with 'wrapped'? Sounds like something one does to the wife--"Honey, if you keep talking about the way I drive, you're going to get wrapped!"
 
I like your style Frankie. However I have been looking into getting the door mirrors and outer door handles wrapped on my VW.
 
Hi Frankie,

It is a process that wraps the car body in a vinyl material kind of sticky back plastic as it was called years ago. You can get this wrap in hundreds of weird and wonderful colours and covers up minor blemishes at the same time, it is however not as easy as it looks to wrap such a big item as a hardtop and best done by a professional. Smaller items however are perfectly doable yourself and many on this forum have wrapped their centre consoles for example.

Here is a link to a YouTube video showing you the process;

View: http://youtu.be/mFq_mJ7nMdE
 
hard top said:
That looks like a BMW hardtop. They were made at a later date as there was no hardtop when the car was lunched. There are three options Wiesmann (that is what I have) Hamann (as rare as rocking horse s***) and then BMW. I prefer my hardtop as it has a larger rear window than the others. If I was you, I would not bother if your car did not come with one.
Click to expand...
So why do you say that. I thought you loved your hardtop in the winter. Isn't it worth it? You confuse me.
 
Aceman said:
Hi Frankie,

It is a process that wraps the car body in a vinyl material kind of sticky back plastic as it was called years ago. You can get this wrap in hundreds of weird and wonderful colours and covers up minor blemishes at the same time, it is however not as easy as it looks to wrap such a big item as a hardtop and best done by a professional. Smaller items however are perfectly doable yourself and many on this forum have wrapped their centre consoles for example.

Here is a link to a YouTube video showing you the process;

View: http://youtu.be/mFq_mJ7nMdE
Click to expand...
Thanks for taking the time to find that for me. First time in my life I've ever seen this or heard of it. Made me feel a bit sad when I saw it though. Perhaps I'm too old fashioned. All I could think of was the years of research, testing and perfecting painting, and someone wraps it with plastic. But I will take my lesson from, and defer to, our fellow forum member, Zedonist, whom I quote: "For me, although not my cup of tea, is exactly what evolution is all about, that we see somthing and say what if, and then do it because it can be done, we would all still be walking if some of us did not have this need to try something different. So keep going for me.........". He's a better man than I. Frankie
 
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Just trying to save you some money. Fitting kits are difficult to obtain and then you have to fit it on the car...all the hardtops have different fitting kits.
Its up to you but if my car had not come with the hardtop, I would not bother buying one. If you, like all the members on here, like to go topples the hardtop is a pain in the but as it takes two people to take it off. Mine only comes off when the boys at work do it. (Closet coupe driver)
 
hard top said:
Just trying to save you some money. Fitting kits are difficult to obtain and then you have to fit it on the car...all the hardtops have different fitting kits.
Its up to you but if my car had not come with the hardtop, I would not bother buying one. If you, like all the members on here, like to go topples the hardtop is a pain in the but as it takes two people to take it off. Mine only comes off when the boys at work do it. (Closet coupe driver)
Click to expand...
I can see your point. I might put off removing it, and it might be the middle of the summer before I got it off. I still haven't put it on the road yet so I don't know what its like driving. I didn't have any issues driving it back from Baltimore when I bought it. I'm probably jumping the gun here.
 
Also, if your soft-top is not dry before you put the hardtop on, your soft-top will rot. My car always spends a weekend in the workshop to dry out.
 
frankie,

i'm still in two minds about the hard top,if one came up at the right price in atlanta blue I would probably pull the trigger on it and buy....however...

I am pretty sure it would spend 99% of its time in the garage as I think buying a convertible is about having the freedom to go topless when the mood takes you..even in the british winter I have still had the hood down on several occasions,last time being today when I went out for a B road blast around the surrey and west sussex countryside...smile factor 10 captain!...:)

and driving down empty roads on the way back from london at gone midnight with a warm coat on, under clear skies is one of the most enjoyable driving experiences I have had..a hard top would just take the spontaneity out of it completely...provided your heating/aircon works well and the hood has no leaks I think it is almost superfluous for a Z3..thats what I have found, even in the really cold wet windy weather we are currently enduring in the UK.

my attraction to the idea is more to do with that "bloke thing" of having all the kit for your car, I have even considered buying another Z3 in atlanta with a hardtop and dismantling it so as I have spare body panels and various bits and selling all the parts I don't want or need on ebay to recover the initial spend...when you consider I have seen 2 Zs in atlanta blue recently with hardtops for under 2k...this means walking in the door and handing over £1500-1700 ...the engine,gearbox, wheels, door mirrors,seats,dash and suspension would get me that money back leaving me with a hardtop and a complete set of body panels bonnet etc,a hood and various other components for a minimal spend, when you consider a good hardtop with fitting kit would run me around £800 buying a donor car is the most sensible way to go and would "future proof" my little 1.9 against almost all possible mishaps..

maybe something to consider?
 
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