E30 Zone

Peeps, i've decided not to buy another cab, but instead to get my other cab off my mate and use it myself as he's had the car all summer and paid nothing for it. Anyway, he's managed to fcuk up the power hood somehow. It still worls, but not like it's meant to. I think he's bent one of the rods or something. I really dont have the money to start chucking Ԛ£hundreds, possibly Ԛ£thousands at it, so i've decided to have it converted to a manual roof and save myself the trouble. I was just wondering if any of you know where i can get it done please?

Thanks Guys

Ben

ben , why dont you just remove the motors, and pull it up yourself... or second thoughts isnt there a handle on a leccy roof you can wind withinout using the motors?

Nar. You will need to have it converted properly cause the cabs with electric roofs dont have the hadle in the rear door cards like the manula roofed cars. I could disconect the roof easy enough. There is a lever in the boot that you pull and it disconects it, but that means your roof cover (The Tin Top) wont lock down. It will just flap around when you drive and can lift off if you go fast. I know cause it's happened to me before

Must be worth finding out exactly whats wrong with it before converting to manual.

It may be a Ԛ£50 job at the end of the day.

Cheers Bri

Then what happens the next time and the next time after that? I understand what you're saying Bri. I just think its better to have a manual and piece of mind. Everytime i operate it i'm scared of what else might go wrong and i could really do with just being able to fling it up and down as often as i like without any worries

could you not find a scrapped cabby and take out all the locks and cables and simply fit em into yours, you are obviously a good fabricator/mechanic judging by your car(s)!

my thoughts would be you would need the interior handle (which is same as normal door handle), the two cables, the two catches, the safety catch and a few nuts and bolts!

If you want i will have a look at mine and see how easy it will be in practice to remove the catches etc and can get some pictures for comparison with yours. let me know

mrlee

That would be excellent dude. I rang my local steelers to ask yesterday and the guy said he would have a look at what's needed and call me back in 30 minutes. I'm still waiting, so i'm guessing it will be like Ԛ£20 for parts and Ԛ£20k for labout knowing BMW

ben
ben here i have a guy who does fix the eletric hoods near us and he is bloody good give me a pm and i will pass on the details to you
Regards
Fowler

I quote from an american site

2. Convert to semi-manual by retaining the boot lid motors and
> raising and lowering the top manually by disconnecting the two raise
> and lower rods, or
> 3. Convert to full manual. You can do this for about $150 by getting
> the two lid catches, interior lid release, safety release, interior
> driver-side trim piece, and the lid release cables from a junkyard,
> and new lid shocks.
>

but if it still works get it repaired...the link rods are about Ԛ£50 but it might just realigning

there is a thread on here somewhere, but months ago, where someone had done all the research and costed it out

there's always more to it than you think, and the chances of finding 2nd hand bits are not good.

The interior release handle is just an interior drivers-side door handle, turned upside down, so that's easy.

But then there's the cables and the mechanism, and the clippy bits on the body and the lid - IIRC he said around 120 GBP for the bits?

I wont need a lid cause i already have one on the car. I've probably already got most of the bits needed and anyway. I know a certain Mr P who has a cab he's braking

I didn't mean you'd need a lid - just the clippy bits that are screwed onto the lid.

and here it is - they don't call me the Searchmiester for nothing
(they don't call you the Searchmiester.... at all)

http://www.e30zone.co.uk/modules.php?na ... l+electric

(is my power hood fcuked)

Cheers dude. You are indeed a superstar

I've just read the thread and h never came back to post the list of things needed

i will take some pictures later for you and post this afternoon, seems thats my lunch break screwed!!

mrlee

Ah a productive skive from morning office type duties!!!

bootyman looks to be easy mate!! rare i must say.

you will need.
1. two locks
2. two cables, they also have a slack adjuster inline with them (looks like a nut type thing!)
3. the interior handle
4. the interior trim (or modify your one)
5. if your cabby cover has the safety catch (its welded on mine) then the optional safety catch mechanism.
6. the two clips that hold the cables (look in the picture to the left of the handle and you will see two clips that secure the ends of the cables)
7. again optional but the gas struts that hold open the roof cover
8. the safety wire that prevents you from openeing the cabby cover when the boot is open (optional)
9. all the nuts and bolty bits
you will need to remove the trim from each side of your rear seat as the catches are bolted in from the inside.

cable to the far catch is routed under the carpeted bit in your roof space

i reckon with the bits it is a half hour job if yer handy with your spanners!!

good luck

mrlee

door handle bit. note the two clips that secure the two cables



the near side (your passenger side) lock, and at the top is the safety lock



the main catch bolted to the cover, and about an inch below my thumb is the welded safety catch (the pvc tape is to stop my base rattling the roof lid by the way!!!)



and finally the other catch and cable attachment

Ah a productive skive from morning office type duties!!!

bootyman looks to be easy mate!! rare i must say.

you will need.
1. two locks
2. two cables, they also have a slack adjuster inline with them (looks like a nut type thing!)
3. the interior handle
4. the interior trim (or modify your one)
5. if your cabby cover has the safety catch (its welded on mine) then the optional safety catch mechanism.
6. the two clips that hold the cables (look in the picture to the left of the handle and you will see two clips that secure the ends of the cables)
7. again optional but the gas struts that hold open the roof cover
8. the safety wire that prevents you from openeing the cabby cover when the boot is open (optional)
9. all the nuts and bolty bits
you will need to remove the trim from each side of your rear seat as the catches are bolted in from the inside.

cable to the far catch is routed under the carpeted bit in your roof space

i reckon with the bits it is a half hour job if yer handy with your spanners!!

good luck

mrlee

door handle bit. note the two clips that secure the two cables



the near side (your passenger side) lock, and at the top is the safety lock



the main catch bolted to the cover, and about an inch below my thumb is the welded safety catch (the pvc tape is to stop my base rattling the roof lid by the way!!!)



and finally the other catch and cable attachment

Ah a productive skive from morning office type duties!!!

bootyman looks to be easy mate!! rare i must say.

you will need.
1. two locks
2. two cables, they also have a slack adjuster inline with them (looks like a nut type thing!)
3. the interior handle
4. the interior trim (or modify your one)
5. if your cabby cover has the safety catch (its welded on mine) then the optional safety catch mechanism.
6. the two clips that hold the cables (look in the picture to the left of the handle and you will see two clips that secure the ends of the cables)
7. again optional but the gas struts that hold open the roof cover
8. the safety wire that prevents you from openeing the cabby cover when the boot is open (optional)
9. all the nuts and bolty bits
you will need to remove the trim from each side of your rear seat as the catches are bolted in from the inside.

cable to the far catch is routed under the carpeted bit in your roof space

i reckon with the bits it is a half hour job if yer handy with your spanners!!

good luck

mrlee

door handle bit. note the two clips that secure the two cables



the near side (your passenger side) lock, and at the top is the safety lock



the main catch bolted to the cover, and about an inch below my thumb is the welded safety catch (the pvc tape is to stop my base rattling the roof lid by the way!!!)



and finally the other catch and cable attachment

sorry for bonus triple post!!!!

computer (operator) error!!

Cheers Mrlee. I owe you one

Mr Lee! I'm impressed.

Do you dismantle your car and photograph it for every 'Zone question?

Can you show me your number 3 cylinder piston crank connection please?

that'll be a simple engine strip-down.....



Sorry Bootyman I thought I'd seen his list.... perhaps it was on another of his threads?

Must have been mate. Thanks for trying to find it anyway.

Ben

shouldn't one of the mods put it in the technical help bit ..it deserves to be there

sorry busy at the office today, but i am pulling the engine out of my 325 donor car next week and i will be stripping that, can do you a piccie of that!!

the zone helps me so i help back!!

mrlee