Z3 96 Z3 Hardtop

I'm a newbie to all of this... I'm buying this car because I've always loved them, but I know nothing. The car is silver blue... Please tell me why I want the hardtop? I'm thinking of selling the top to offset the cost of the car. The rear vinyl should zip out of the soft top and replace for about $100, right? I live in Boise, but this will mostly be a summertime car.

..cuz the soft-top invariably leaks in the winter-time..plus the HT adds a completely different dimension to the experience..Z3+HT=COUPE!..If you like your Z3 and wish to keep it as long as possible, HT will help..prolongs like of Soft-top..Be sure and be sure of your z3's condition..Maintenance is essential...lots of posts here and elswhere with to-do lists...Once knew a Jeff Brown..and a Brett, and a Lee as well...common name perhaps?..Z3 Cheers in any case! Dk '97 2.8 bg R+, '98 2.8 aw C-conversion..plus some others..

..ps about the rear window..list price on rear window is more like $250..the copy on Ebay($105+) has mixed reviews(check it out!)..there'sa German aftermarket unit that is supposed to be "identical"..for about $165(Ebay again)..as far as replacenment..zips out oh yea, but replacement is a bit more that zipping a new unit back in(figure an hour or more to do it right)..from time to time an oe BMW unit comes up for sale on Ebay..I bought one for $125 shipped..but catch as catch can there..lucky to find good deals thes days...If your top is worn and leaky..cheaper to buy a new top with a new window, if going aftermarket($300-$400 for similar quality material as oe)...Z3Cheers! Dk

If you are selling the hard top, I might be interested.

I'm going to sell the hardtop and all the hardware. I'm not sure how it all comes off the car just yet, but I'm selling it. It's Atlanta Blue and in great condition.

I know it's kinda hopeless to ask this late, but do you still have it? My car is atlanta blue, and I have been looking all over!

I am truly sorry David, I did sell it to a young guy in Phoenix... He was gonna paint it, and I didn't like that idea very much. The finish was in such good shape the way it was... Very sorry my friend. I was really surprised at the demand for those hardtops. I'd just bought the car at the time, it'd been stored and covered with the top on it for about ten years.

(deep sigh of sadness)

Originally Posted by davidw5748

I know it's kinda hopeless to ask this late, but do you still have it? My car is atlanta blue, and I have been looking all over!

Every so often I think about selling my HT but then, winter comes and I change my mind. Let you know in the spring And you're just down the street too You'll have to paint to match.

Originally Posted by Jeff Brown

... I was really surprised at the demand for those hardtops. I'd just bought the car at the time, it'd been stored and covered with the top on it for about ten years.

I looked at a 2000 Z3 2.3 at a used car dealer last October. The soft top had made the seat and the floor wet, and then I read about water ruining the soft top's motor and the difficulty of replacing that. The car also had a hard top on a dolly. I read about the various lifts used to store and install that.
In the end, I was leery of an electric soft top or a hard top, and am satisfied with a manual soft-top 1997 Z3.

Yeah, I like that my top is manual - besides all of that, it's a lot faster than an electric too
Postal, define right down the road...I'd love to come take a look! I can buy one at a low price right now, but by August of next year I'll be able to buy one at the typical price...

[QUOTE=
Postal, define right down the road...I'd love to come take a look! I can buy one at a low price right now, but by August of next year I'll be able to buy one at the typical price...[/QUOTE]

I'm up in Fairfield, hour or so from you, depends how fast you drive

davidw5748, look a hardtop in Huntington Beach on ebay.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/300839014185...84.m1438.l2649

Postal - that's perfect! I even have a friend who lives in Suison (sic?) city who can help with the lifting and install and such (though he knows nothing about Z's or hardtops, it would still be good to have one more back in the mix)!
IgotBMW - Thanks! But 1) $1850 is way too much for a top that may or may not come with hardware and that I will have to repaint, and 2) I'm almost certain I've seen this top (with these exact photos and exact verbiage) for sale several times from several different locations...since the guy encourages email contact to make the sale, I tend to wonder if it's a con...