E85 hardtops... Why?

S

skmattwell

Active member
 London
Have been flirting with the idea of getting a hardtop to fit during the winter but it's a lot of dosh. Are there any other benefits other than protecting the soft top from bad weather so I can convince myself I need one? Does it block out more noise for example? Or any other perks?

Also I've always been told that folding the soft roof for extended periods is damaging in itself, any truth to that?
 
I will be popping my hardtop on any day soon now the weather is turning. I tend to leave it on until better weather in the spring. I use the car almost daily and find it definitely makes the interior quieter, warmer and more pleasant through the winter. Also, due to the way it sits and seals on the car it completely prevents water from getting into the stored hood or hood motor if it is still in its original location. If you fancy removing it for those nice crisp, sunny days we 'sometimes' get (used to get ? :cry: )in winter then its an easy 5 minute job for two people. My hood is in excellent condition and I have no doubt this is because it isn't exposed to the worst of the winter weather for 5 or 6 months. I wouldn't be without mine. I also think it looks great ! :thumbsup: 20220320_163035.jpg
 
Never owned a hard top. My roof spent 12 years down though. The car lived in a warm dry, garage, when I wasn't driving it. No damage to the roof in all that period. :thumbsup:
 
I'd get one for the looks alone, although if the car is being used as a daily it would probably make the cabin a nicer place to be when the weather gets cold and wet. But I may not see things quite the same as E85 owners. :roll:

They aren't cheap, but I can't ever see prices dropping so you'd still get your money back.
 
It’s subjective but I think they look really good on the car and for me they would be the main reason.

They are quick to put on and off but are a two man job.

There was a mint condition one on eBay in sterling grey with all the covers and tool for £850 which I think is a good price. It’s not cheap but like Aeros, are rare.
 
Yes it is subjective, I personally wouldn't bother. I do take my roof down in winter as the heated seats and blowers create a great bubble of warmth in the cabin even with the roof off and on those sunny days its such a great blast. Even during heavy rain the last month or so not seen any leaks either. So for the money, can't see the benefit for me personally. And as someone said, subjectively, aesthetically I think they look awful, like a rushed afterthought. But I can imagine why someone might think the opposite and love it.
 
Not on a z4 but had a mk3 MR2 yra ago which I had a hard top for.
After a few years it tended to spend more time on than off. Warmer, quieter, more waterproof (not that the softop wasn't) but the main thing was it handled noticeably better with the hard top on. And I think it looked better (that bit more subjective, granted).
Don't know if the extra rigidity has quite the same effect in a z4, but it made the MR2 feel a totally different (better) drive.
 
Rich8 said:
Not on a z4 but had a mk3 MR2 yra ago which I had a hard top for.
After a few years it tended to spend more time on than off. Warmer, quieter, more waterproof (not that the softop wasn't) but the main thing was it handled noticeably better with the hard top on. And I think it looked better (that bit more subjective, granted).
Don't know if the extra rigidity has quite the same effect in a z4, but it made the MR2 feel a totally different (better) drive.
Click to expand...

The mk3 MR2 also looked far better than a Zed with a hard top.
 
My hardtop will be going on soon once we have a few dry days in a row for me to clean the softtop and dry it before putting it down until the spring. For me I find the noise of the hard top worse than the soft one but that's because no matter what I try I just cannot get it to fit close enough on the seal above the windscreen and I get wind blowing through the gap like a whistle.
 
Chapeau are you sure it’s fixed down properly at the front? My first hard top wasn’t secured down properly and it flew off at 60 MPH joining a dual carriageway :o :o :o
 
chapeau said:
For me I find the noise of the hard top worse than the soft one but that's because no matter what I try I just cannot get it to fit close enough on the seal above the windscreen and I get wind blowing through the gap like a whistle.
Click to expand...

I’ve had two hardtops. Both never whistled.
If you’ve secured and closed the gap at the bottom to 3mm? I can’t recall exactly. But if the gap at the bottom is right you shouldn’t get any noise. Much like a modern car cabin.

I would hazard that the hardtop has been damaged or warped very slightly due to storage? resulting in the gap. This is obviously assuming you’ve latched the front down as [ref]jock156[/ref] rightly pointed out.

How to test that theory? Swap and try another hardtop!
 
chapeau said:
I just cannot get it to fit close enough on the seal above the windscreen and I get wind blowing through the gap like a whistle.
Click to expand...

This is a known issue if i'm not mistaken, overtime the soft top warps the rubber seal such that it sits differently with the hardtop.
https://workshop-manuals.com/bmw/z_series_e85/z4_2.0i_n46_roadst/1_service_information/54__slide-tilt_sunroof_and_convertible_top_%28roadst%29/3_si__wind_noises_from_the_hardtop_e85/

I used the E36 rubber seal and wedged it in a certain way to silence the whistle. Huge improvement however, when it's dry, i need to play around with it to block out the wind noise completely
 
Thanks all. I'll have a go at the suggestions over the weekend when i put the lid back on (if the weather stays dry) :)
 
buzyg said:
pvr wrote: ↑Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:05 pm
coldel wrote: ↑Tue Nov 07, 2023 9:40 am
And as someone said, subjectively, aesthetically I think they look awful, like a rushed afterthought.
That was the E86
Click to expand...

Time you both went to Specsavers. :P :fuelfire:
 
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