I like the colour combo. very nice,
g8jka - 2.8 Roadster Progress Journal
- Thread starter g8jka
- Start date
Yes, don't mind the drive really and it was only about £40 in fuel but I'll wait and see what he says. From what I have looked at I think I will be able to undo the fixings at the front and just pull it forward then redo the fittings that clamp the fabric. The top of the roof is not held down by anything and when it folds the seam is in line with the bar so it looks like it just needs pulling a little tighter.
Thanks, I think that is just the photo that makes it look like that, there is part of the frame there which pushes the hood out which is what can be seen in the photo.
I did have a bit of trouble getting the hardtop back on as the roof wouldn't sit fully down but it all seems to have settled back to normal now.
That looks great. If you hadn't pointed out the misalignment I would not have noticed it.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2016
- Points
- 231
- Model of Z
- Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
Thats smart! £300 has got to be a steal. I paid £740 for a black on on my 2.8 
A lot of people never want to go near the cheap ones as they say the quality must be inferior or they are not like OEM ones. I have now had a blue one at £325 (now £395) from the guy in Croydon and a red one at £300 from the guy in Swansea and you honestly cannot tell the difference between them and an OEM one. The window is stitched in yes, but you wouldn't tell from the outside and why is it such a problem? I don't know what the cost of a genuine screen is now, maybe £200 plus? but if I ever had the problem of needing to change the screen I would just go for a whole roof again. The guy at Jack Smiths will also replace a screen, but the whole roof still needs to come off to put a new one in so whilst it's off you may as well get a new one. I could have spent £700-£800 on a new roof, but that's probably half the value of the car, so I'm very happy to put a £300 roof on and you wouldn't even tell the difference. Even if I had a £20K ///M I would still not hesitate to have a cheaper roof fitted.
I understand some people live a long distance away from either Swansea or Croydon and maybe not like the drive / fuel costs but don't let this put you off. The guys charging double the price are still paying the same amount for the hoods, as most buy from BAS, yet they double the cost of the fitting fee and lead you into thinking the cheaper hoods are inferior quality and theirs are better.
I understand some people live a long distance away from either Swansea or Croydon and maybe not like the drive / fuel costs but don't let this put you off. The guys charging double the price are still paying the same amount for the hoods, as most buy from BAS, yet they double the cost of the fitting fee and lead you into thinking the cheaper hoods are inferior quality and theirs are better.
I bought a top off eBay for $170 and had a friend install it along with my new leather seat covers I bought off eBay for £50. The colour was what I wanted although not a mohair but the tops usually down so I guess it's not for the purists but it does keep the water out when it rains, has relief pockets and looks great!! Win win win!! JIM
So just before Christmas I made a 3 hour journey down to Jack Smith Trimmers in Swansea for a new roof. I used the guy in Croydon previously for a blue roof and since then his prices have gone up to just under £400 which was for a black or blue one. This time I wanted something different and decided to go for a red one. Most places want £700 plus for a red roof and I had heard good things about Jack Smith trimmers and he would be able to fit a new red roof for me. All of his reviews were decent although I hadn't seen too many for Z3 roofs so I thought I'd take a chance as he was less then half the price of any others at just £300. He makes them up himself and then fits whilst you wait. He can do a clear or green tinted window just like BMW fit from the factory albeit stitched in and not zipped in. The roofs are made from mohair and the quality is that of OEM and they also have the relief pockets on the rear. It took him around 4 hours to get the old one off and new one on and he cleaned up all the seals before refitting them.
Here's a few pics
There is a slight problem I have at the moment with the way it is fitted as the one side is slightly lower at the rear than the other. You can see this were there is a stitched seam across the rail at the rear (just above the window) where it is not perfectly straight across it where it should be. It is about 1-2cm's out and looks like it needs to be moved forward to sit spot on. He told me to leave it up for a few days to let it stretch and settle in to place but it hasn't really moved which I didn't expect it too but I am waiting for a reply so I might be making a trip back there to get it sorted.
You can see the way it sits slightly lower across the seam on the passenger side.
This is nothing to do with the quality, its just not been fitted 100% but I expect he will sort the problem out for me as he seemed a genuine and honest guy. The usual questions that will come are: Does it have a zipped in window, no. Does it have the relief pockets, yes. Does it still have the headlining fitted (facelift), yes. Will he do different colours, yes. He even said he could make a cream hood but doesn't recommend them due to them becoming discoloured.
Overall I am chuffed with the quality and the way in which the car now has a completely different appearance and I would definitely recommend him if anyone is after a new roof at a great price, despite my fitting issue, but this will be sorted soon I'm sure. For £300 you can't really go that wrong, unless you don't mind wasting an extra £300-£400 for an overpriced fitting fee.
Even got a run out over the Brecon Beacons on the way there and back.
I think you and I visit the same places.
That roof looks incredible
I think that shantybeaters old zed made my mind up to go with red.
Can't wait to see how it looks with my summer wheels back on.
Can't wait to see how it looks with my summer wheels back on.
Simon Blythe
Zorg Guru (I)
I think the LM's look just fine!!I think that shantybeaters old zed made my mind up to go with red.
Can't wait to see how it looks with my summer wheels back on.
Well I got bored and was looking for more things to do with the zed, so have a few things to fit over the next few months, some of which I had for Christmas and bought with Christmas and birthday money. In no particular order but some will be fitted first as they are easiest
New door handle gaskets
Replacement 2nd hand roof seals (front 2 on both sides)
Red Z3 decals to replace the blue ones on the ///M gills to match the roof
Red carbon fibre wrap to redo the satin brushed wrap in the interior, again to match the roof
Drilled and grooved MTEC front and rear discs, new pads and handbrake shoes/fittings (not got pads or fittings yet)
Braided brake hoses
Braided clutch hose
Paint calipers
New dashcam to be fitted
New 5" dash screen and front camera to be fitted in bumper
Accelerator cable
Both intake hoses
M54B30 inlet manifold and throttle body adaptor
Maybe a couple of other bits before the summer and I am also torn between having the lips polished on my LM reps or having the front bumper repainted.
New door handle gaskets
Replacement 2nd hand roof seals (front 2 on both sides)
Red Z3 decals to replace the blue ones on the ///M gills to match the roof
Red carbon fibre wrap to redo the satin brushed wrap in the interior, again to match the roof
Drilled and grooved MTEC front and rear discs, new pads and handbrake shoes/fittings (not got pads or fittings yet)
Braided brake hoses
Braided clutch hose
Paint calipers
New dashcam to be fitted
New 5" dash screen and front camera to be fitted in bumper
Accelerator cable
Both intake hoses
M54B30 inlet manifold and throttle body adaptor
Maybe a couple of other bits before the summer and I am also torn between having the lips polished on my LM reps or having the front bumper repainted.
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2015
- Points
- 191
You've got your self a list there which will keep you occupied for hours
Well I have been thinking about it, infact for the last few winters. They are lacquered so I will need to remove that by sanding it off then going all the way through the grits and finish off with metal polish. It will all need to be done by hand which I am capable of doing, its whether I can be bothered as I know its a long process and it gets a bit boring which is why I'm tempted to let someone else do it. Would be easy if they were genuine as I could split them but I can't and it will be hard getting upto the lip by the bolts.
Agree, doesn't sound fun getting laquer off..they look easy enough to keep polished once bare except around the bolts..
And with that list you won't have time to DIY the wheels anyway!!
I don't actually need to polish around the little bolts as that area is painted so there is a little rim where the paint meets the polished lip which would need to be polished upto. Once the lacquer is off then its pretty straight forward, its just getting them to that stage! Shouldn't take too long to do the jobs on the list, just got to find some motivation from somewhere been too busy fixing the fiances Mini