A1GSS said:
Ditto on my old Z4R. The roof was as good as the day I bought it 5 years later.
Does the rain play on your mind ? Ragtops outside
- Thread starter mr wilks
- Start date
Ditto on my old Z4R. The roof was as good as the day I bought it 5 years later.
I've been waiting for a week to put my half-cover on - brand spanking new - but top hasn't been properly dry in the week or so I arrived back in the UK. As folk have said its been pouring it down today (Merseyside) and next few days look glum too. Previous owner said the car had always been garaged so fingers crossed; the hood motor plays on my mind. Of course it'll be UV that the problem soon; you can't win.
Lee Young said:
Interesting point,
I've been thinking of getting a half cover, particularly as winter is drawing near, but my Zed is a daily driver, so if I can't put a cover over a damp roof there's not really much point in getting one.
Will putting a cover over a damp roof really cause that much of a problem if it's removed daily during use?
Lee Young said:
it was awful wasnt it.
when its dry, hoover it, wash it treat it with your preferred system and ignore. repeat yearly. and its fine. its designed to get wet and keep the car dry inside.
i do check it for leaks tho just in case when the weather is like today. its going to get wet at some point, like the 12 hrs it was parked in the rain at work.
if kept clean then the long term is it will probably end up green in places like around the seals etc but then jut wash/treat it a bit more often.
for those who use a cover what do you do with a soaking wet cover? shove it in the boot..... or leave it on the drive?
My cover gets used every time I park outside the house and today - as Steph has the Zed for work - she will put the half cover on whilst parked there as well (rain due).
If the roof is wet I dry It with a microfiber cloth - even if it's raining you'll get it dry enough to put the cover on - dry half and place the folded cover over that part then dry the other half to unfold and complete the operation on the other half.
With the plastic cover I used to use, it had it's own zip up bag and it went in there, in the boot when wet. I now have a fabric half cover and if you fold it up from the rear to the top of the screen then from the screen to the back of the top of the roof then fold from the outsides in to the centre any wet sections are kept within the folds and it can then be safely placed in the boot. if it gets very wet I leave It over the patio table to dry OR again - I use a microfiber cloth to dry it.
All sounds a hassle but it really does only take a minute. I quite like the purposeful look of the zed quietly sat there under the cover ready to be released the next day. . . .
If the roof is wet I dry It with a microfiber cloth - even if it's raining you'll get it dry enough to put the cover on - dry half and place the folded cover over that part then dry the other half to unfold and complete the operation on the other half.
With the plastic cover I used to use, it had it's own zip up bag and it went in there, in the boot when wet. I now have a fabric half cover and if you fold it up from the rear to the top of the screen then from the screen to the back of the top of the roof then fold from the outsides in to the centre any wet sections are kept within the folds and it can then be safely placed in the boot. if it gets very wet I leave It over the patio table to dry OR again - I use a microfiber cloth to dry it.
All sounds a hassle but it really does only take a minute. I quite like the purposeful look of the zed quietly sat there under the cover ready to be released the next day. . . .
Paulwirral
Active member
Hmm , not many ex tvr owners on here then 
It seems like no matter how many times you tell them they don't need to baby the soft top they don't want to listen Gaza. :idunno: :scratchhead:
Mine is a daily drive and is kept outside. I do worry a little about it leaking but I keep all the drain holes and gullies clean and also protect the roof twice a year.
At the end of the day it is just a car and bmw designed it to live outside.
Although if I did have a garage I would store it inside.
At the end of the day it is just a car and bmw designed it to live outside.
Although if I did have a garage I would store it inside.
Cavey1638 said:
I bought a Buzz Top off ebay - send him a note saying tis for a Z4 rather than the Z3 that its advertised for.
I had a TVR 350i 'wedge' in the late 80's for a few years, roof was watertight (ish) but rain came in round the windows; combine that with terrible wipers and no ventilation (or aircon) and it was completely useless (or scary) in the rain...Paulwirral said:Hmm , not many ex tvr owners on here then
Paulwirral
Active member
A1GSS said:I had a TVR 350i 'wedge' in the late 80's for a few years, roof was watertight (ish) but rain came in round the windows; combine that with terrible wipers and no ventilation (or aircon) and it was completely useless (or scary) in the rain...Paulwirral said:Hmm , not many ex tvr owners on here then
I had an s2 then a Griffith 500 , I expected the s2 to leak but the Griffith was porsche money , but it only took a couple of hours to realise not porsche quality :roll: zs are fine left outside
mr wilks said:
If you've got a garage then of course keep it dry. But, all this hand-wringing over it being kept outside is crap. If anyone has got more than 5 years Z4 Roadster ownership, stored outdoors, under their belt, and begs to differ then so be it but 99% on here haven't.
The shoes analogy is daft. Leather shoes are not designed to get wet. That's why you need to treat them with chemicals to stop them getting knackered in a single downpour. A Z4 roof has been engineered to get wet, have snow lying on it, get baked by high temperature and withstand severe frost.
The irony is that sunlight probably does more damage to the car than rain. So are you all going to keep the car indoors during the summer to protect it?!!