Hi, Rich, and welcome to the forum from Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. I checked out your link to the other forum and was very impressed with all that you've done to the car so far. Before I for forget, If you're going to replace the top, make sure the new replacement is the correct one for your car. Some replacements don't have the necessary pieces of rubber stitched into them. These pieces attach to the frame and make a tight seal along the rear bend of the windows. I recently replaced the top on my '96 Z3 and the top was missing these pieces. Some new tops include new tension wires that fit into channels sewn into the top.
I was in California in March a year ago to pick up a 2000 Z3 ///M. I had seen it on Craigslist. I paid a deposit on it but didn't want to pay the balance until I saw the car in person. My cousin, who lives near San Diego looked at the car first and then I had the car inspected by his mechanic before coming out there. One of the other forum members,
@miller1098 , flew over from Wales to help me drive the car back from California to New Jersey. He has a '99 Z3 ///M. Their ///Ms are over 300 horse power. Due to our standards, ours are about 240 hp. We had a great time driving it back. What an unbelievable car!!! Also, when you remove the old top, you can easily access the drainage holes on each side of the car and clean them out for good measure. Make sure to use good caulk tape between the bow and frame. Don't be worried if the top doesn't close completely on the first try. I had to place some weight on the opened front of the frame for 2 days before I could shut the top completely. Once closed, don't open it for at least a week.
I recently had my hood repainted as the clear coat had begun to peel.
I also have a 2002 325ci that I'm working on. Perhaps you can give me some advice. The car's steering seems a little tight and it 'wanders' to the left and right while on the highway. I was told that there's a universal link between the steering shaft and the rack. Do you know anything about this? Also, the top doesn't work. I haven't had the time to research the reason. I started to check the fuses which are in the glove box but I can't get it open. I can insert the key into the lock and it turns to the left and to the right. I thought if I unlocked it, I could try to pop it open. The problem is that I don't know which way to turn the key to unlock it. If I turn the key the wrong way and lock it and then try to force it open, I'll break the lock. Do you know which way the key is turned to unlock it? I want to try to access the drain hole for the top on the passenger side of the car. I believe there is a latch to disengage the back part of the top and lift it up. Do you know where this is?
Thanks for any help on these things. Most of the guys on this forum are from the UK. They are a great bunch of guys and aside from tech stuff, we have a great deal of fun on the forum. It is extremely friendly. They often go to meets or on cruises. I've been over there twice for different meets. I was always treated extremely well by all the members. They are very knowledgeable about the Z3 and Z4. Any questions you might have is welcome and there are many members who have the same model as you. Again, welcome to the forum. Frankie
) That's when I noticed the absense of a Anti Roll bar. I will remedy that soon enough with the appropriate rear braces.