Hood with glass window?

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Devon Z
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Hood with glass window?

Post by Devon Z »

There's a thread on Bimmerforums US about a company that is close to producing a replacement hood with a glass window for the Z3, they've done it for Alfa spiders. Their talking maybe £400/£500 which isn't bad but not saying if it's heated or not.
I'm sure some kind sole will post a link to the thead, but sounds good if it works and we can get them over here.
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Gazza
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Gazza »

It would have to be a small glass window, the problem is the size of the stowage area.
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Devon Z
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Devon Z »

Yes that's why it's a replacement hood, once they've got patent sorted they will post a video of one working.

I hardly look out back window anyway :lol:
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Southernboy »

Only time I look out the back is when I want to see if the cops are keeping up........ :D
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TitanTim
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by TitanTim »

Believe it when I see it, I thought the whole point its plastic is so it folds down the middle, how on earth can it be replace with something solid? Only way it work is if the hood is replaced with a new design like the original Z4s and unsure how that would work. The plastic screen is the only thing that spoils the Z3. Now I'm being spoilt with the Z4 you realise what a cruddy design it is and looks even worse when up :( One of the reasons why I'm thinking of a hardtop :)

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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Ferdinand »

Do you have a link for this...
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Ian_C »

Ferdinand wrote:Do you have a link for this...
Discussion thread here
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Badman gee
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Badman gee »

TitanTim wrote:Believe it when I see it, I thought the whole point its plastic is so it folds down the middle, how on earth can it be replace with something solid? Only way it work is if the hood is replaced with a new design like the original Z4s and unsure how that would work. The plastic screen is the only thing that spoils the Z3. Now I'm being spoilt with the Z4 you realise what a cruddy design it is and looks even worse when up :( One of the reasons why I'm thinking of a hardtop :)

Tim.
Thats why i have the hard top.

unless your soft top is new, its look can spoil the car.
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Robert T
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Robert T »

It all depends what you're comparing it to. A clean Z3 plastic window is perfectly adequate and provides considerably more rear visibility than many more modern cars on the road (and I don't just mean convertibles). I'm with Randy on this one (see his PH post) - I can live with the Z3's foibles as it is absolute luxury when compared to the tent poles and plastic sidescreens on the frog.

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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Gazza »

That's 40 years of technology for you Rob :wink:
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Mike Fishwick
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

I find that people who do not own a Z3 seem to get excited that we do not have a glass rear window, but if it is taken care of it will outlast the fabric hood, particularly if used with a roof blanket before folding. Mine has a piece of 75 mm diameter stiff foam pipe lagging fitted into a pocket, so that the centre of the window is not creased. The lagging is in two pieces, so that the banket can be folded in half for storage.

Even if this idea comes off, you cannot get away frm the basic dimension from the rear of the hood tothe storage bins/roll over bars, which will dictate that the glass window will have a very limited height from top to bottom.

Quite apart from rear vision, reversing into parking spaces will be a nightmare, as on a convertible SAAB etc - no thanks!
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Badman gee
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Badman gee »

Id like a glass rear window, but the issue will be the size.

I like having the large rear window.

:)
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Gazza »

Mike Fishwick wrote: Quite apart from rear vision, reversing into parking spaces will be a nightmare, as on a convertible SAAB etc - no thanks!

I had a 1997 Saab 900S, that was terrible for rear view.
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Large Window

Post by Mike Fishwick »

Yes - the large rear window is not only very useful, but it makes the car look nice too - a matter of form reflecting function, which is pretty unusual these days.

The Z3 is one of the few soft top cars which looks as good with the roof up as it does with the roof down. Try to imagine it with a window about the usual width, but half the height.
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Re: Large Window

Post by mfckeith »

Mike Fishwick wrote:Yes - the large rear window is not only very useful, but it makes the car look nice too - a matter of form reflecting function, which is pretty unusual these days.

The Z3 is one of the few soft top cars which looks as good with the roof up as it does with the roof down. Try to imagine it with a window about the usual width, but half the height.

iI agree 100% Mike (bet that was a shock) :lol:
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BladeRunner919
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by BladeRunner919 »

Mike Fishwick wrote: Mine has a piece of 75 mm diameter stiff foam pipe lagging fitted into a pocket, so that the centre of the window is not creased. The lagging is in two pieces, so that the banket can be folded in half for storage.
Do you just pop this into the window as it folds? I'd be interested to see a picture of the blanket, and one of it in use.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Vic-Z3 »

I also use an original BMW Z3 roof blanket in conjunction with a 1mtr piece of 15mm copper pipe lagging.
Never thought of stitching it into a pocket in two pieces so you can fold it up ............... 8-)

Must get hold of some dimensions on this one and give it a go ...... :)
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

The blanket lies over the roof and window, with the pocket sewn on so that it is half-way up the window, containing the two pieces of lagging. It works really well, the window beig curved to the the lagging, and not kinked at all.

I'll get some pics later today.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by PCSAM »

I just use an old hand towel rolled up and sewn together ......works a treat :D
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Frank.A »

Here's my version.

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If you look in the hood well with the hood down,you will see that the window does not fold across the center,but about 80mm from the top.At least mine does.The abrasion that occurs across the centre of the window is caused by one of the frame hoops and hood seams. :)
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

The rear roof seam gathers lots of debris, which then abrades the window - pity the UK market did not get the hood blanket which the US market recieved as standard.
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Robert T
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Robert T »

The BMW hood blanket was supplied with the hardtop in the UK.

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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Southernboy »

As Robin said..."Good thinking Batman...I guess a piece of flexible rubber hose would work too." :D
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Hood Blanket

Post by Mike Fishwick »

Well, supplying the blanket only with the hardtop was very useful for those who use the car with the roof down! For an expensive car (My 2.8 cost over £32,000 with a few extras) it was obvious penny-pinching.

Perhaps BMW (GB) imagined in their usual way that people drive everywhere with the roof up, and only put it down for posing at their destination, as per their lame excuse to Z4 owners who complain that they cannot lower the hood when the boot is full!
Last edited by Mike Fishwick on Wed 30 May, 2012 15:04, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

Here is my Mark 1 hood blanket, the Mark 2 version is going to cover the entire hood, to prevent fretting against adjacent layers when it is folded.

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The foam insulaltion is quite firm, and about 50 mm diameter, cut into four pieces so it folds into a compact lump. It makes a great camping pillow too!
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by ZedMatt »

Have never used a blanket, pipe insulation or even cleaned the rear screen :oops:

That's why it's only ever usable at night when drivers have headlights on :lol:
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

I regard BMW 'Toothpaste' and other abrasive cleaners as a last resort, to be used after the window is damaged, but for regular cleaning whatever you prefer for the paintwork - such as Meguiars NXT wax etc - is a good choice for the interior and exterior surfaces. It also adds a water-repellant coating to the plastic. IT's surprising how dirty the inside of the window gets, just from he air entering via the heater.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by hornel Z3M »

Going back to the glass issue, when i was shown around the B.A.S international factory in Cwmbran that make soft tops for most sports cars, the guy told me they had been working on a glass screen for the Z3 and found it impossible to make, although they do ones for Porche and other cars.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by ladders »

Has anyone made a glass window design hood since 2012?
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Southernboy »

The issue of a glass rear window is the folding system... The roof on the Z3 requires the window to fold...change the folding mechanism so that the window doesn't have to fold, and you will have resolved the glass problem. This will need a completely different system, and probably require the current well for the hood to be considered to accommodate the glass depth... I imagine the space behind the rear storage box is the main problem - just not enough space there... :wink:
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Mike Fishwick »

The inablity of glass to fold is the reasonthat soft-top cars with glass rear windows have windows which are not very high - with the proportions of a letter box slot! OK - it can be heated, but even after parking in the W Midlands during winter I find it clears easy after a blast of de-icer on the outside, and pointing the centre air vents at the inside, with the wind blocker down.

At least the Z3 rear window gives a decent area - subject tothe loasses imposed by the seat backs ,roll-over bars, and mesh wind blocker. I would not like to lose any more rear vision.
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Dino D »

I'd gladly have a glass rear window even it was letterbox size and get rid of the faff of plastic.

At 400-500 plus shipping plus customs plus fitting I'll have to put up with the faff.
A new OEM quality hood with new widow is only £350 fitted these days, a lot cheaper and just have to deal with the faff of polishes, blankets and pipes!
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by Del »

They are quite problematic on older soft-tops. As well as generally being quite small, according to the chap I spoke to at Croydon Soft Tops, they have to be made from special thinner glass and they are bonded to the soft top such that when this bond breaks down, the whole roof needs to be replaced - the cost of which is significantly more that a soft top with plastic window. He had a couple of convertible Audi A3s in his workshop which were not as old as a typical Z3. If you want a convertible with a hard glass back window, the best solution is probably to pick a car with a folding metal roof :D
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by littlefeller »

I fail to see the point in this, maybe its just me. I have had a split rear screen, and a leaky rear screen, yes its annoying but its a convertible, what did you all expect :lol: all soft tops will at some point need attention, but driving with the top down more than makes up for it. a lot of drivers at some point buy a soft top, drive it a couple of years then sell them as the novelty wears off and they get too lazy to even lower the roof, a small minority of these folk keep there's and live with the idea that it will one day leak, these few become z drivers, some of which kinda cheat and keep theres in a garage, personally if I had the luxury of a garage I would too :lol: look at it this way -- leaky roof?, its character :lol: 8-) a lot like homer logic (road signs are just a sugestion :lol: )
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Re: Hood with glass window?

Post by TitanTim »

Buy an E89 and all your woes solved :)

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