Thank you so much for creating and posting this high quality video. I finished my Z3 top replacement yesterday and i don't think i could have done it without this detailed content.
I found this video last week and after watching it twice , I decided to tackle this job on my '98 Z3. I already owned most of the tools but I did order the pneumatic stapler(wow, that thing is fun!) I bought my top, started the removal process on Friday afternoon, and am finished on Sunday morning! This video was extremely helpful. My old top was slightly different in some ways, as it was not the original. Also, the last top job on my car seems to have lost a few of the bow bolts and some smaller screws at the header. I found some that would work. Overall, A+++ for Maine Jason's video! Thanks, Jeff
Hey Jeff, thanks so much for taking the time to comment on your experience. I'm really happy the video was helpful and that you were able to complete your project - well done!
My man. I can't tell you how good this video is. I took the old ratty top off a few years ago and never got the new one back on since this car is not a daily driver, and so it sat. Every now and then I'd build up the motivation and some free time to try and get back at it but was always overwhelmed by the lack of detailed info out there and would invariably give up, since I've all but forgotten how everything came apart at this point. This video and tool list is exactly what I and the rest of the world has been missing this whole time. I'm buying the tools and parts I need today. Thank you for taking the time to make this video and for being so thorough in your explanation and lessons learned. This is a master class in DIY repair.
Gosh, I am so humbled by your very kind words. I am so appreciative of your taking the time to tell me your story, and I'm very happy that the video helped you get after your task. Take your time and don't get frustrated. You will be successful, I'm certain. Thank you again for the wonderful comments, and thanks for watching!
So absolutely by far the best, clearest, most detailed, informational, and entertaining video I’ve seen for replacing one of these! Thank you for the video as I’ve been wanting to replace my top the last year I’ve owned my 2000 2.3. By any chance during your research, did you come across anything detailing the interior “headliner” of the soft top? Mine has one and it does have quite the smooth and clean look inside that I would love to keep if possible. I’m doubtful I’ll be able to keep it though😂
Thanks so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it and I'm glad you are finding it helpful. As you probably saw, mine did not have a headliner but I believe Sierra Tops has them. Given my "accident" with the adhesive, I have considered it, but I don't know if it can go in after the fact. Good luck if you take on this project. Let me know how it goes, and thanks for watching!
mine has the headliner and i was able to keep it in place while doing the top, but it increased the level of difficulty a bit. It is riveted/screwed (mine had both) to the frame under the top at the front of the vehicle, so to replace it after the top was done would require removing the front trim piece and peeling back the top to expose that metal.
Its certainly scary trying to close the roof for the first time and it did make us start second guessing if it was on right (also ours was a very cheap ebay special) but after few days it was easier to open and now 6 months on its still taught but much easier to close. And as I said in the comments of your first video, remove the seats and style bars to make it easier to refit the hood. Granted it takes time to but beleive me your spine will thank you
Removing the seats would indeed have improved life when doing this project and that is great advice! Thanks again for taking the time to comment, and thanks for watching!
Just finished my install. Final result is perfection. But getting there was rough. There’s nothing particularly hard about any of it. There’s just a zillion steps and the only way out is thru once you get started. The butyl is the stickiest, messiest stuff in the world and takes hours to remove. The stapling is tedious. Much of the job is tedious. But not at all hard or difficult. This video series was my bible. Never once looked at the instructions I printed out. Due to weather and work, took me a week and a half from start to finish. My first 2 days were full and productive. Threw a cover over the car till I could give it a good 6 hours today to finish. Would I do it again? Yes. Here in the Chicago suburbs a professional install is $1100. I actually will be doing it again as my son’s ‘97 needs a new top. He’ll be doing most of the work tho. I’ll just coach. I did change the order of a few steps ever so slightly which didn’t affect anything. The only major thing I did differently from these videos is, I used fishing line to slice thru the old butyl and separate it from the car. Just wriggle the corners free until you can feed the fishing line between the rear bracket and rain rail and slice it along til you get to the middle of the back. Do the same for the other side. Really speeds things along. But speed is relative in this project. Whole ordeal from start to finish probably took 20 hours. Would go faster if you did it all the time and had a nice clean indoor shop with plenty of room. I’ve got a cramped driveway, July heat, and a bunch of random, not terribly well organized tools.
That's great, nice work!! Yes, persistence will get you there. I've heard mention of the fish line technique from others and it sounds like a winner. Now that you've done one, the second will be a piece of cake. 😉 Glad the videos were helpful to you. Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching!
OMG just the video I have been looking for. I've had a z3 without the top since before winter and haven't found a suitable video until now. The tool list in the description is super helpful too. Thank you so much!
I can't tell you how much it means to hear this. I really wanted this video to help and inspire - so your comment is very gratifying. Take your time and you'll get it done! Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Hi Jason, please help me, I am batteling over 6 months with the new soft roof (aftermarket) installation, all followed your steps, however the final end to fold and put the strip because the top is well away from the closing clamps and unable to close, I have already adjusted the maximum limit to the front locking mechanism but NO LUCK? God bless you>
Just to be sure I'm understanding where you are at: You are just at the point where you would glue and attach the flap to the very front of the top and install the metal retaining bow (at about 19:00 into the video)? There is no doubt that the top is very, VERY tight when first installed. If you look here: ru-vid.comUgkxnxwf3OT5UqP5H_3KqohEleFOq5yjWNLW?si=8NRZ8M5vEwF5LASI you can see what the gap looked like initially for me. I had to sit on the top to get it to lock in. Even better if you have someone to help. Another thing to check: Make sure the seams in the top are lining up and laying on top of the crossmember ribs. If they are not centered, the top may be askew and need adjusting. Also - check for an excessive amount of indentation where the rear tension straps connect. If the top is being severely pulled out of shape when trying to put it up, they may be too tight, mounted in the wrong place, or need some sort of adjustment. If all that looks good, you could try wetting the top so it will stretch a bit. It is canvas and will stretch under tension and a bit of moisture could help that along. I wouldn't saturate it, but just shower it with a sprayer like it was out in a soft rain. Note that after adjusting the closing camps, the top may not lock correctly once you do get it stretched enough to finally close. You'll most likely need to get them set back to there original position in order to get a water tight seal. I hope this helps and best of luck!
Just finished my installation and I honestly couldn't have done it without your videos your am absolute legend! the people that are saying the new version of the sierra auto tops soft top isn't installable DIY are wrong but it's definitely more of a pain because instead of plastic retainers that you can neatly tuck in you just get flaps of fabric which I just tucked in behind the brackets that the rubber seals go onto, the new top also didn't come with a replacement for the crimp clips that hold the tension cable so I had to reuse the old ones. to add to the challenge the aftermarket top that was already on the car had been installed by someone who didn't know what they were doing and broke the sealing frame, sticking the broken pieces back in with lots of horrible sticky adhesive and not wanting to source a new one I made a neoprene gasket to seal it off, overall a challenging and fun experience but I'm glad it's over
Thanks so much for telling us about your experience! It's too bad the new tops have changed... I wonder why they did that? Your extra tips and tricks will most certainly be invaluable to anyone doing this project! Great job persevering and getting the job done! It is a big project, for sure, but the reward for accomplishment is great indeed! Thank you for your great comment!
Job done here in Vancouver, Canada. Without your tutorial, I would never have tried. Thank you so much! My Z3 has a very deteriorated soft top but with this replacement it is like new again. Thank you so much! I was not easy, not at all but feasible. My only 2 cents, I used my old top to protect my new one when it was time to apply the glue. Otherwise, I followed every step as you taught!
Fantastic!! I’m very happy your install went well - great job! I’m also pleased to hear that the videos were helpful. It is excellent that you persevered and got the job done. Great tip about using the old top to mask off when applying the adhesive - thank you for that. Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching!
At 9:30 in the video, can you please explain the installation of the second strip of butyl ribbon tape? Are the two strips touching each other, or forming a channel for the water to go between?
You know, that is a very good question. As I recall, the two strips of tape are not touching and are parallel. I believe my thinking was that those side/end sections are a bit taller, so I'd just add some more to those areas. I honestly do not remember if I read that somewhere, or if it was just my reasoning. I CAN tell you that I have had absolutely zero leaks - so take that for what it's worth. I hope this answers your question.
Liked & subscribed! Great video, great production. I enjoyed your struggle and appreciate being convinced I need to save up and pay a professional to install a new top on my ‘99. 🤓👍🏻 Fortunately, I have a good place in town. But thanks to your educational project, I will be better able to ask informed questions. Cheers!
Yes. You can see around the 20:00 mark that the bottom of the plate roughly lines up with the edge of the the folded over fabric. The screws did, indeed, go through the canvas. Thank you for the question, and thanks for watching!
I just bought a 2001 Z3 that was a Texas car. The black top looks great except the window is hazy. How can I tell if it’s an original one? It has 83k miles and no rust or signs of leaking. The top has the interior lining also.
Great find! Getting one with no rust is a dream. As forvthe top, about the only thing that might give a clue is if the back window has the zipper. If so, it's most likely original - or at least an oem top. Thanks for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Replaced my z3 top two months ago, and I wish this video was out when I did it 😭, will actually be doing a valve cover gasket replacement soon with your recent vid, fingers crossed!
Thank you for this great tutorial ! I bought a Z3 that had its top removed by the previous owner and was never replaced This was a massive help and I was able to do it all by myself in one weekend, couldn’t have done it without this video !
I'm surprised you didn't take the seats out to work on the bolts for the bow. One of the best parts about a 2-seater being a convertible or a t-top/targa is just how easy the seats come out compared to a fixed roof car. And taking out the seats makes work on the interior of the car so much easier.
I thought about taking them out, but I was concerned I'd damage the wiring harnesses while flailing around in there - lol! At least having the seats in was a little easier on the knees. 😉 Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching!
I hear you. It is, indeed, a big project. I always have my eyes open for a decent hard top. If I could find one worth buying, I'd grab it. Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching!
It will certainly depend on one's comfort level with using tools and working with mechanical as well as fabric materials. It will also depend on if all the appropriate tools are available. I'd say an actual installer could do it in a half day. A competent diy'er could perhaps do it in a day, but I'd budget 2. I'd be curious to know how much time others took as well.
I'd say I'm a competent DIY guy, and I will have all appropriate tools on hand before starting. I also have 3 kids in elementary school, so I'll budget 3 months 😂😂😂
I didn't know you could climb onto a convertible top like that. Excellent work and video quality, I especially love the thorough instruction and the music!
Ha! I didn't either, but sometimes necessity dictates risk! I'm very glad you enjoyed the video - that makes all the effort worthwhile 😉 Again, thanks for watching!
There is a link to the exact rivets I used in the description - I got them from McMaster-Carr. I believe they were 1/8" diameter. Thank you for watching!
Great video, but I must admit it is giving me second thoughts about DYI on this one. I saved a lot so far by painting my car myself and performing a lot of repairs around the engine bay.
For sure it's a lot of work, and it gets a bit scary when you are in the middle of it. If you do take it on, like I mentioned more than once in the video, take your time and don't force anything. Best of luck to you and thanks for watching!
I guess I didn't add one, but there are three ways to find it now: 1. On my channel, 2. in the description, 3. at the end of the video. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, and thanks for watching!
@mainejason I replaced my soft top about a month before you made this video… wish I’d known it was coming!! Unfortunately, I didn’t think to check my sealing frame for cracks at the time and my new top looks great but my trunk is full of water with even the slightest rain. What do you think would happen if I were to remove the bow and “repair” the sealing frame/replace butyl tape with the rest of the top still installed? I’m considering ripping the sealing frame out entirely and replacing with thicker butyl. Living in VT, I’m pretty sure it’s going to keep on cracking.
Ohhhhh, that sucks! You should be able to lift out the bow with the top attached and either fold it back or suspend it somehow. The problem with not having the sealing frame in there is that the rubber sealing gasket attaches to the top of that. Maybe, if you could get the sealing frame out without breaking it into 25 pieces, you could replace the butyl tape behind it, high enough and thick enough to fill the gaps. But, that's a lot of work with no assurance!!! That sealing frame is definitely a weak spot in the engineering...especially since it is no longer available! Good luck to you! Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching!
@mainejason success! Thanks for the input. I was able to take just the rear bow & sealing frame back out without removing the top. The sealing frame came out in 5 pieces, as expected. After cleaning it up, “laminating” it with foil tape and re-installing with butyl tape, there are no leaks! I think it’ll be a little more resistant to cracks now too with the tape. Really appreciated being able to reference the video. I’m psyched! Thanks.
Hey, I'm really glad to hear the good news! Great idea with the foil tape - very resourceful. And best of all, no more water in the trunk! Thank you for the update, and well done!
@@mainejason I have the same problem. The previous owner got the top replaced, but it's leaking into the trunk. So will have to try to get to the sealing frame and have a look at its condition. Great to hear that you managed to access it without removing the top!
amazing video! I dont need a new top, but my sealing frame is cracked (common). I think I'd have to remove the butyl seal and pull the metal bow piece, then pull the sealing frame and repair it or make a mold and fabricate a new one. none of this will be good. Not sure this can even be done while the top is still completely attached to the rest of the aparatus. Thoughts? Also, what are the staples landing on? Did you say the bow is aluminum? Wish the sealing frame was!
Thank you much! If you are not getting any water in your trunk or having any other issues with leaking, I'd say leave it alone! Mine is cracked right in the center, but the butyl is doing its job so far. I gave some thought to fabricating a new sealing frame, but nothing reasonable came to mind. I read a post about using some 1/4" rubber ribbon to make a seal, but the issue would be attaching the top gasket to it. If you come up with a way of recreating that piece, you'd have yourself a lucrative business!! 😄 I believe the bow is aluminum. The staples drive into a notch in the bow that is filled with some sort of dense plastic. Easy to staple to, but holds them well. If you come up with a good solution for the discontinued sealing frame, let me know! BTW...great channel. I've checked out many of your videos and I just subscribed ( not sure why I didn't before! ) Thanks for watching!
@mainejason thanks I just subbed you as well. Had been meaning to check your top vids for a while, finally got to them today. I do get water in the trunk, I could do the job right with a new frame, but... I may try needle dispensed super glue into the cracks although it'll be done mostly blind. Try to put out a video on this Sunday. Thanks again!
Thanks for the sub! The superglue idea sounds interesting. If the crack is tight, that may work. I'll look for the video! I'm editing a Z3 video right now - should be out within a week.
Go with 10mm and make sure they are stainless steel so they don't rust. I don't know why I didn't have a link to the correct ones in the description, but it is there now. Good luck! Thanks for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Excellent! Take it slow and pay attention to the details and you'll do great. It took me way longer that it most likely will you as I was filming everything along with having to buy parts or tools I didn't know I needed. Took me a week, but I think you could certainly do it over a weekend. Good luck, and thanks for watching!
Liked & subscribed! Great video, great production. I enjoyed your struggle and appreciate being convinced I need to save up and pay a professional to install a new top on my ‘99. 🤓👍🏻 Fortunately, I have a good place in town. But thanks to your educational project, I will be better able to ask informed questions. Cheers!
Thank you for the like and sub! I'm glad you found the video helpful. If you have a place that can do this type of work, by all means use them! Far easier, that's for sure. Enjoy your Z, and thanks for watching!
It is the Arrow pneumatic staple gun with, I believe 10mm stainless steel staples. The links are in the description. I also made a short review video for it. Great little gun. The bow has a channel in it that has a kind of plastic substance embedded into it. That is what you staple into. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!
Very informative, thank you. I'm picking up my late father's z3 2.8 wide body and have been told the roof leaks badly " 1000 mile drive in the dead of winter " 😂 should be fun! Anyway this is the first job on the list
Wow! Hopefully you wont have to deal with any snow or ice. The Z3 may be the worst car ever to drive in those conditions - don’t ask my how I know 😜. I’m glad you found the video possibly useful. Best of luck, and thanks for watching!
Thank you so much posting this video. Very in depth and super helpful with a z3 I recently purchased and the issues I need to address with my leaking top. 10/10
Thanks so much for the kind comments. Congrats on your new purchase! Take your time with the top and you'll do great. Let me know how it goes. Thank you again for the comment, and thanks for watching!
Was thinking of doing it myself, but after the video and to see how many things I need to buy inorder to have a smooth go at it, feels like too much. I'm going to find a professional, but thanks for this video! I will surely recommend this video to whoever does it for me :D
It is most certainly a big undertaking. If you don't have most of the tools already, it can add up quickly. Thank you for the comment, the future recommendation, and thanks for watching!
I need to due same job. Great tips. I have been a mechanic. For 45 years although I worked for interior shop it was very helpful watchen your install. I hate haven other people work on my car so I will give it a go.
Excellent videos! My daughter and I are putting a new top on a 1996 Z3 she bought last week as a project car. Thankfully you made some mistakes we can avoid. We really appreciate your detailed videos. Wish us luck!
Thank you for this video. Gave me the confidence to replace my top. Mine is a 2002 with the headliner, replacing the headliner was not too complicated but requires moving over a few parts from the old headliner to the new one.
Excellent! Great job taking on a big project and seeing it through. I'm so glad to hear this video is helpful as that was indeed the intent. Thank you for the comments, and thanks for watching!
Goo gone for that overspray? It's petroleum-based so it could leave a grease spot, but some rubbing alcohol and a paper towel might be able to get it off. Spot test just in case
Thank you for the tip! I wish I still had the extra fabric from the window cut-out to test on but I will certainly keep it in mind. Thanks for watching!
Excellent! It really is nice to hear that these vids are helpful to you all! Great work getting your Z back into fighting shape!! Thank you for the kind words, and thanks for watching!
I liked your video. I have done convertible tops professionally for several years but never on a Z3. there are very few convertible top designs, but it helps having somebody around with experience on a job like this. We got it in just two days. Thanks again.
Thank you for the comment. I'm sure having done this work professionally, you could do it in your sleep! It's always an adventure doing something without much fore-knowledge, and resources on this topic were really lacking, which was why I made this video. For me, seeing someone else do it first is so much easier. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks again for the comment, and thanks for watching!
@@mainejason of course! Just completed mine on my 2002 with the headliner. I bought the $99 sail material too on eBay & it fits perfectly. It’s missing the plastics to send the screws in but still doable with the material flaps & a pic tool
@@mainejason Yeahhhh kinda! Has those little buttons similar to the ones in the storage compartment to secure it in it seems... Not too sure 🤔 Id like to preserve it but see no guides to
@@j6sph something like this? This may not fit your model, but it's the idea. www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=CH73-USA---Z3-BMW-Z3+1.9&diagId=54_0309
