'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

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ARoosterinaRoadster
Joined: Thu 29 May, 2014 08:49
Posts: 349

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lancashire

'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by ARoosterinaRoadster »

Hi to you all. Despite reluctantly and very recently putting my Z3 + OEM hardtop up for sale I have just acquired a 'C' spanner.
It is actually 135mm total length and was probably designed for a slightly larger toothed nut than is on the Z3 hardtop - I have made it fit by closing the 'C' with a few judicious blows with a hammer - Perfik as David Jason would say.

Access to the toothed-nuts is clearly not possible with the hardtop on the car and the plastic cover in position but I think that with a short/stubby ratchet screwdriver and the hardtop being raised and supported on both sides at the front sufficient to reinstate the screws it can be sorted-out.
Happiness is a well kept Z3 and preferably running with the hood down - weather permitting.
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Robert T
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Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay and a £5.00

Post by Robert T »

You definitely can access the toothed nut with the hardtop on the car, as I have done it, and it is a monumental pain in the back, neck and arse on a car with rollhoops fitted. But, and here is where I think you have the problem, you need to remove the cover first to get at it and I think you might well need to have the roof off the car to do that.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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ARoosterinaRoadster
Joined: Thu 29 May, 2014 08:49
Posts: 349

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lancashire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay and a £5.00

Post by ARoosterinaRoadster »

Robert T wrote:You definitely can access the toothed nut with the hardtop on the car, as I have done it, and it is a monumental pain in the back, neck and arse on a car with rollhoops fitted. But, and here is where I think you have the problem, you need to remove the cover first to get at it and I think you might well need to have the roof off the car to do that.

Cheers R.
Hi Robert. Yes,I am aware of what you have said/pointed out,it is clearly the only way to make any necessary adjustment as and if required but perhaps I should have gone further by saying that to position/adjust it and not have to remove the hardtop from the car then the only resolve was to not refit the plastic cover which then leaves it looking most unsightly.
Happiness is a well kept Z3 and preferably running with the hood down - weather permitting.
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Robert T
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Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by Robert T »

Adjusting the hardtop should be pretty much a one time operation. Remove covers, fit hardtop, adjust, remove, refit covers and then put the hardtop back on the car. From then on you should only need the Torx tool for the front and the rear clamps operate by hand. It won't magically go out of adjustment when it is not on the car. The only real problem with it is needing two people to lift it, as those spikes can make a nasty mess of your boot lid!

Cheers R.

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Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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ARoosterinaRoadster
Joined: Thu 29 May, 2014 08:49
Posts: 349

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lancashire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by ARoosterinaRoadster »

Robert T wrote:Adjusting the hardtop should be pretty much a one time operation. Remove covers, fit hardtop, adjust, remove, refit covers and then put the hardtop back on the car. From then on you should only need the Torx tool for the front and the rear clamps operate by hand. It won't magically go out of adjustment when it is not on the car. The only real problem with it is needing two people to lift it, as those spikes can make a nasty mess of your boot lid!

Cheers R.

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Hi again Robert. When I purchased the hardtop in mid 2014 off Kevin he fitted it for me and I actually drove home with it on but just before last years MoT I discovered a rather strange knocking noise (NS rear spring broken) that did not clear after the springs being replaced.
The nose was only quite faint until on rougher ground and when going over the smaller/lower speed humps and very definitely coming from the region of the back edge of the hardtop. One side was more difficult to lock-down than the other so I figured that it must be a tiny adjustment needed to the toothed nut on that side.

I will tackle it when the weather is more stable and I can get an extra pair of hands - probably one of my brothers.
Happiness is a well kept Z3 and preferably running with the hood down - weather permitting.
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Robert T
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Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
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  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by Robert T »

Knocking noise could be rear top mounts - can also make a noise like chipmunks - unless of course the noise goes away when you remove the hardtop. :wink:

The hardtop does make a little bit of noise - you get some creaks and groans when the road changes camber dramatically or when going over a speed bump. You can also get some rattling noises when going over rough roads. There are some rubber stops on the rear of the hardtop and if these get worn or deformed, they can allow the top to move around a bit.

Adjusting the hardtop is a fiddly and time consuming job, but it can be adjusted to get a very good fit and have it so it doesn't move around too much under normal driving.

Cheers R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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ARoosterinaRoadster
Joined: Thu 29 May, 2014 08:49
Posts: 349

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lancashire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by ARoosterinaRoadster »

Robert T wrote:Knocking noise could be rear top mounts - can also make a noise like chipmunks - unless of course the noise goes away when you remove the hardtop. :wink:

The hardtop does make a little bit of noise - you get some creaks and groans when the road changes camber dramatically or when going over a speed bump. You can also get some rattling noises when going over rough roads. There are some rubber stops on the rear of the hardtop and if these get worn or deformed, they can allow the top to move around a bit.

Adjusting the hardtop is a fiddly and time consuming job, but it can be adjusted to get a very good fit and have it so it doesn't move around too much under normal driving.

Cheers R.
Hi again Robert. The Z3 is due an MoT and a brake fluid change - it is being carried out next week by a BMW Specialist in Preston,next Wednesday - I will get it evaluated.
The rubber stops/blocks are in 1st class condition and both have very crisp angular edges.
What upset me was the rub mark around the rear panel that the top comes into contact with - I am beginning to think that it might have been very very fine grit that had been pushed under the rubber seal possibly during hand-wash/pressure rinsing of the car during Winter usage.
Happiness is a well kept Z3 and preferably running with the hood down - weather permitting.
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Robert T
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Joined: Mon 12 Jun, 2006 10:35
Posts: 10170

  Z3 roadster 1.9
Location: Cheshire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by Robert T »

It is normal to get a black mark off the rubber where it touches the bodywork, but this cleans off with a bit of elbow grease. It could be grit as you say or it could be sitting too close to the bodywork on that side.

Cheers R.

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Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc
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ARoosterinaRoadster
Joined: Thu 29 May, 2014 08:49
Posts: 349

  Z3 roadster 2.0
Location: Lancashire

Re: 'C' spanner now realised - courtesy of E'bay & £5.00.

Post by ARoosterinaRoadster »

Robert T wrote:It is normal to get a black mark off the rubber where it touches the bodywork, but this cleans off with a bit of elbow grease. It could be grit as you say or it could be sitting too close to the bodywork on that side.

Cheers R.

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
Hi again Robert. The scuff is all around the back edge and roughly from block to block. It is definitely not off of the rubber and will not completely buff out - even with Fare'cla G3 Paste Compound.
Happiness is a well kept Z3 and preferably running with the hood down - weather permitting.
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