- Joined
- Apr 1, 2016
- Points
- 218
- Location
- Maybole , South Ayrshire
- Model of Z
- Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
See at the end of the day you have nothing to lose by trying that 1st
If you need any help give me a shout help out if possible.
Z3 Hood Repair Advice
- Thread starter Scooblitz
- Start date
If you need any help give me a shout help out if possible.
I do indeed have a roof available if you want to PM me.
Nearly new Jack Smith of Swansea obviously with a new window too.
Nearly new Jack Smith of Swansea obviously with a new window too.
First weekend off in a while and the weather forecast is 100% chance of precipitation and 45mph gusts here in Glasgow. Scotland in January. Made some enquiries about renting a garage or covered parking space to try and get some work done but it looks as though progress with the roof won't be made. However, sewing kit and Bonded Nylon thread which @Stevo7682 pointed me in the direction of arrived. I'll practice a bit of sewing instead me thinks.
Great thread as usual. For my 1997 Z, I had a spare top with a cracked window but the canvas was in great shape. For grins, I purchased a plastic screen from Germany and before I installed it, I sewed/reinforced the zipper as I can see it was deteriorating. Let me tell you, I have a much higher appreciation for tailors and seamstresses since undertaking that sewing job. The new smoked tinted screen zipped in with a little patience then swapped tops with the one on the car. I used thread that are used in Marine canvas coverings.
Not as nice or clean as a new top, but at just a little above $120, and about four hours of sewing and an hour for the top replacement, It'll do until the canvas gets a bit weathered. I usually run with the top down here in Sunny California...
Small pic of the back window in my Avatar... Cheers!
Rich
Not as nice or clean as a new top, but at just a little above $120, and about four hours of sewing and an hour for the top replacement, It'll do until the canvas gets a bit weathered. I usually run with the top down here in Sunny California...
Small pic of the back window in my Avatar... Cheers!
Rich
My Zed had a new roof fitted last year before I bought it. When I inspected the car, I went over the carpets and they seemed dry so thought all was ok. However, I stripped the car down to put in heat pads in the seats
( hopefully soon to be completed ), and while sorting out other minor issues ended up with the carpet out. Although the carpet was dry, the foam underneath was saturated !! But only on the passenger side.
I dried it out over about a week, but as I could not find any obvious leak, I am assuming the old roof must have leaked and that it why it was replaced.
Sorry I was reading page 1 of this thread.....conversation has moved on from what I was commenting on
( hopefully soon to be completed ), and while sorting out other minor issues ended up with the carpet out. Although the carpet was dry, the foam underneath was saturated !! But only on the passenger side.
I dried it out over about a week, but as I could not find any obvious leak, I am assuming the old roof must have leaked and that it why it was replaced.
Sorry I was reading page 1 of this thread.....conversation has moved on from what I was commenting on
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The zip on my hood on the Silver Z3 is knackered, the teeth are shot.
Got it booked in with Jack Smith in Swansea for March. Cost £300 for new canvas and stitched in window.
Good luck with the repair @Scooblitz hope the sewing holds it.
Got it booked in with Jack Smith in Swansea for March. Cost £300 for new canvas and stitched in window.
Good luck with the repair @Scooblitz hope the sewing holds it.
Hello @BlackBMWs . Big thumbs up on the avatar pic. Love the black style z's. Thinking of the tinted rear window for mine too. Sewing job permitting, of course.
Thank you! I have another Black tinted zip in for my 2000 Z, but the present one is intact and is due a polish with a product I use on my boat's plastic roll up windows. it works well on the boat, why not try it on the Z3. I find the marine products do well for auto use.
@Scooblitz I had a similar issue though not as extreme in length as yours but mine was all the way round the window. Softtops in Coventry stitched it all up and put in a new window 2+ years ago and no water ingress since.
£240 all in.
£240 all in.
After a break in the weather at the weekend, i gathered my thread and needle and set upon the hood. After 5 cups of windchilled coffee i ended up with not a bad result at all. I'll get pictures up shortly to show you the work but its really about the process. It'll be a picture of some stiching on a hood...
As @Stevo7682 advised, i used a wedge between the hood and windscreen to effect some slack in the window panel of the hood to allow me to sew in the Nylon thread. The rotten stiching on the side was about 15cm long and i used some pinning needles placed 4cm apart to offer up the hood to the window's zip fabric. Using a back stich method to try and match the style on the hood i managed to do a decent enough job and allign everything sufficently to allow for a window replacement, which is the main aim.
It really was a fiddly job but with patience, its more than doable for those needing to carry out the same work. If you have luck like myself, all the pilot holes were still intact on the hood allowing me to concentrate on passing the thread through. If you have a mechanics accommplace with you id have a man in back helping to look after the whereabouts of the thread in the car. Got caught on the seatbelt several times and little pillers in the car.
Even with the simple sew, the cars less misty inside and hopfeully less damp. Stage 2 is the window. Stage 3 is clean & re-dye. And dare i say it...the hood might be done.
£3.76 well spent for the time being.
As @Stevo7682 advised, i used a wedge between the hood and windscreen to effect some slack in the window panel of the hood to allow me to sew in the Nylon thread. The rotten stiching on the side was about 15cm long and i used some pinning needles placed 4cm apart to offer up the hood to the window's zip fabric. Using a back stich method to try and match the style on the hood i managed to do a decent enough job and allign everything sufficently to allow for a window replacement, which is the main aim.
It really was a fiddly job but with patience, its more than doable for those needing to carry out the same work. If you have luck like myself, all the pilot holes were still intact on the hood allowing me to concentrate on passing the thread through. If you have a mechanics accommplace with you id have a man in back helping to look after the whereabouts of the thread in the car. Got caught on the seatbelt several times and little pillers in the car.
Even with the simple sew, the cars less misty inside and hopfeully less damp. Stage 2 is the window. Stage 3 is clean & re-dye. And dare i say it...the hood might be done.
£3.76 well spent for the time being.
Nice one, good for you on the perseverance mate.
Tony.
Tony.
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2016
- Points
- 218
- Location
- Maybole , South Ayrshire
- Model of Z
- Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
Good stuff glad to hear your getting somewhere with it .
Happy i was able to offer some tips to help you on your way.
Dito with the thread
( caught up in the seatbelt mount a coulpe of times ) and i had the interior out .
But like you say if its just rotten stitching and the holes are intact its more just a matter of patience to re thread the same holes.
Have you checked out under the carpets yet.
If not for a quick check use the electrics lift a seat up a bit underneath you should be able to find the front / rear carpet join ( just overlap Velcro in places) get your hand between them and see how it feels underneath it will give you an idea how wet it might be .
Stephen .
Happy i was able to offer some tips to help you on your way.
Dito with the thread
( caught up in the seatbelt mount a coulpe of times ) and i had the interior out .But like you say if its just rotten stitching and the holes are intact its more just a matter of patience to re thread the same holes.
Have you checked out under the carpets yet.
If not for a quick check use the electrics lift a seat up a bit underneath you should be able to find the front / rear carpet join ( just overlap Velcro in places) get your hand between them and see how it feels underneath it will give you an idea how wet it might be .
Stephen .
Gave the Z her first wash this afternoon. Pretty pleased with the depth of the paint colour. Montreal Blue sure is a pretty colour to look at. To think i couldn't be swayed from only looking for one in Black. For a 20 year old car, shes in pleasing condition. Documentation with the car indicates it's lived 80k miles of its life on the south coast of England. I think its helped keep it as well as could be hoped. So thank you to Mr Taylor in Southhampton. Pics are from before use of a clay bar and 'superresin polish' off the shelf from authoglym. Not enough light left to take a picture unfortuntately. Thoughts on the Z4 wheels that came with the car?
Had a feel under the carpets too and as @Stevo7682 suggested, the foam underneath is pretty wet. Wet through I'd say. I wasn't sure as i couldn't quite peak in, but i think I felt a finger tip of pooled water possibly at the bottom too. Would this be possible or am just feeling run off from the foam it's self? Irrespective off that, the carpets have got to come out I think. Scottish weather and a leaky roof. I need to do the bushing repair on the drivers side so I think this has moved up a notch on the priority list.
So as the new screen goes. I missed a genuine bmw screen on ebay in immaculate condition unfortunately. So I think im going to try this seller on German Ebay. Feedback % is good, so I think I'm going to plump for this. There is a thicker "premium" screen on offer for an extra 20Euro, 120euro total + postage. Anyone used from these guys before I send off the pennies?
https://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-Z3-Cabr...del:Z3&hash=item3f9106e40e:g:xIMAAOSwstxVJVEk
Had a feel under the carpets too and as @Stevo7682 suggested, the foam underneath is pretty wet. Wet through I'd say. I wasn't sure as i couldn't quite peak in, but i think I felt a finger tip of pooled water possibly at the bottom too. Would this be possible or am just feeling run off from the foam it's self? Irrespective off that, the carpets have got to come out I think. Scottish weather and a leaky roof. I need to do the bushing repair on the drivers side so I think this has moved up a notch on the priority list.
So as the new screen goes. I missed a genuine bmw screen on ebay in immaculate condition unfortunately. So I think im going to try this seller on German Ebay. Feedback % is good, so I think I'm going to plump for this. There is a thicker "premium" screen on offer for an extra 20Euro, 120euro total + postage. Anyone used from these guys before I send off the pennies?
https://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-Z3-Cabr...del:Z3&hash=item3f9106e40e:g:xIMAAOSwstxVJVEk
Attachments
@Aceman bought his from this company .... https://zroadster.org/articles/bmw-z3-rear-screen-replacement.61/
It's also another option @hard top . I found that seller in my initial search and does look good. I don't know if i'd suffer the beading issue as the top will hardly be down up here.
I think I got mine from this company, but it looks like the price went up. perhaps a year and a half ago.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/BMW-Z3-Cabri...del:Z3&hash=item20e94b775b:g:QrsAAOSwQiRUlAna
Thats the one i've gone for. Ordered the tinted version at a bit of a risk not being 'OEM'. Although, i do hope its not too dark a tint. I looked at a few pictures of some replacement screens with the ADM and it looked just about right. Sent the order off a at the weekend and hopefully should be arriving some time next week.
I think i'll take my time before installing the window. With the seems being split previously, i think ill need to clean the hood up and ensure all the stiching is lined up perfectly so the zip teeth have the best chance of alligning.