Z3 Roll Bar installation

[Geoff Crispin]

Help required please.
I have purchased a second hand S/S XSPower roll bar for my 1998 Z3 but the diameter of the tube section that is inserted into the seat belt retraction cover is larger than the hole ? Is this standard ? it must be possible to enlarge it but will it fit into the metal base plate on the car ?
I have so far been unable to remove the caps on the 3 Torx screws that fix this cover to check.
If any one can offer any helpful advice it would be very much appreciated.
Also I need to replace the M gear leaver knob which looks very worn, does it just unscrew ?

I look forward to any advice that you chaps can give me as new to the forum and only had my red Z3 for a few weeks and wanting to put a few chrome bits on and have got it booked in to the respray shop to remove a couple of dents.

Regards

Geoff crispin

 

[Brian H]

Also I need to replace the M gear leaver knob which looks very worn, does it just unscrew ?

Just pull upwards, but be warned, it does require some force and when it does decide to move you stand a good chance of punching yourself in the face!

I have purchased a second hand S/S XSPower roll bar for my 1998 Z3 but the diameter of the tube section that is inserted into the seat belt retraction cover is larger than the hole ? Is this standard ? it must be possible to enlarge it but will it fit into the metal base plate on the car ?
I have so far been unable to remove the caps on the 3 Torx screws that fix this cover to check.
If any one can offer any helpful advice it would be very much appreciated.

Do you have a picture of your new bar please?

 

[hard top]

Do you have a picture of your new bar please?

I think he has this one?

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Hi Gents
Thanks for your reply, I have attached some shots of the bar, hope it helps.
Am I right in my thinking to un screw the 3 torx screws after removing the caps and slid cover up over seat belt ? to reveal the bar fixing ?
I look forward to hearing back from you.

Regards

Geoff

 

[hard top]

@t-tony should be able to help you out with that question as he has the same on his Z3.

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Hi Gents
Thanks for your reply, I have attached some shots of the bar, hope it helps.
Am I right in my thinking to un screw the 3 torx screws after removing the caps and slid cover up over seat belt ? to reveal the bar fixing ?
I look forward to hearing back from you.

Regards

Geoff

Hi Geoff, yes the socket is revealed when the cover is removed. I seem to remember that you may have to remove the cubby box to get at the inner torx screws, but I could be wrong. If the car had genuine BMW bars fitted originally, the covers have a removable panel to access the bar mounting screws. Non rollbar cars have no access cover, if yours are this type the holes may have been cut by a previous owner to fit a smaller diameter bar and that is why your new ones won't fit. The mounting points have quite a bit of slack so once you have enlarged the holes in the plastics your bars should fit. Hope this helps.

 

[t-tony]

When I fitted mine on my Z3 it took me nearly all day. I borrowed an emery drum from a mate who's a wood butcher to smooth the tube which the hoops slid into. I could get one side in easily but the other would not go in. I had to wait till my son came home in the evening and had him pull down on the tube while I pursuaded in in with a lump hammer and a block of wood wrapped in a towel. Never moved from that day to this, what you would call a tight fit!

Tony.

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Being new to this forum, what is the best way to contact Tony ?

 

[Geoff Crispin]

THANKS one and all for your input/info I will see what I can achieve later in the week and report back, but if the cubby box has to be removed how do get it back into position with the bar across it ?. My car only has the small round covers where the bar fits through but they are slightly smaller than the tube section that has to pass through. My worry is will it fit over/into the mounting base parts ?.
Originally I was after the original design bars complete with the smaller glove box and the 2 other plastic bits where the roll bar fits into which is what I thought I had purchased after advertising for it all a firm came back to me and said that they had the complete set in black which is what I wanted so I bought it but when I opened it it was this XSPower bar with most of the plastic parts (which I do not want/need except the top sections where the seat belt retractors are which I am still waiting for them to locate (think they got left on the car that was being dismantled with the seat belt, but I/we will over come in jewcourse. I wanted to get them fitted before it goes off the bodywork in a few days to have the dent on seal panel and a scrape on bonnet/wing sorted out and chrome side air vents fitted. When all this is done I will post a pic of my new pride and joy that keeps my old pride and joy (TR4) company in the garage.
Have a good day.

Geoff

 

[Eddie Zedder]

Some pics of your turret plastics would be helpful. I suspect that you will need the ones with the access cover to be able to fit the rollbar. I will take some pics of mine tomorrow.​

 

[t-tony]

Mine looks like this.

Hope this is of some help.

Tony.

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Hi Tony
Yes thanks, mine looks like your bar, BUT how do you get it all back fixed in place as some of the screws are inside the cubby box and the bar that joins the two hoops goes across the top or is the top box cove just held in place after fitting bar with only one screw ?.All the bits of help in the forum do not seem to cover a step by step ionstlation that I understand.
How did you fit yours.?

Regards

Geoff

 

[Brian H]

Hi Tony
Yes thanks, mine looks like your bar, BUT how do you get it all back fixed in place as some of the screws are inside the cubby box and the bar that joins the two hoops goes across the top or is the top box cove just held in place after fitting bar with only one screw ?.All the bits of help in the forum do not seem to cover a step by step ionstlation that I understand.
How did you fit yours.?

Regards

Geoff

Later zeds have access panels in the turrets to be able to get to the torx screws, if your car does not have this panel then you can drill two holes and use a generic blanking plug. Ideally you will need all the trim in place before fitting your bar.

The different turret mounts look like this.

Turrets without access panel

Turrets with access Panel

Images shamelessly nicked of the internet.

You can see on the top picture that the owner has drilled an access hole and blanked it off.

HTH

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Hi Brian
Thanks for the info.
My turret mounts have round blanking caps but hole is smaller that the tube of the bar, should not be too much trouble to enlarge it, the fixings that will be hidden with the cubby box lid on are the 2 screws on the inside of the turret.
It seems that over the years the bar and bars have been fitted in more than on way. I am working on a design idea that will enable me to still be able to have use of the cubby box ie, remove hinges and hold in place with magnetic catches (not to strong ones) and fit a knob/handle so as to be able to remove lid as and when required But first will have to see if the tube diameter is going to be a problem.

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

@Geoff Crispin where you based?

I have quite a lot if beige trims for sale if you're interested?

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Hi
Thanks for that, but my trim is black. I could use black plastic spray ? as I am fitting the hoops that are joined by a bar I would only require the outside turret trim parts with the hole in the top and access plate on the inside, if these are parts that you have what would you want for them ?

 

[Geoff Crispin]

Forgot to say I am in Somerset.

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

This was a car I had which had a similar hoop

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

Wasn't bolted on, just a very tight fit

 

[t-tony]

Just like mine Andy. It's nearly 6 years since I fitted it so I couldn't really remember exactly how it went. Thank you.

Tony.