Questions about Cali top

[2002mcs]

I am on the hunt for a 97 to 99 sport with 5 speed. I am also trying to decide if the California top is a must have option. I have not seen one in person, so I hope that some of you Cali owners can answer some questions that I have:

1) Is it a good design, ie weather tight and quiet when closed?
2) How is the underside finished? Fully lined?
3) What material is the top constructed of: vinyl or a dense weave fabric?
4) Can you run it through a car wash with no ill effect?

Thanks for the help and if anyone has a no excuses car that they want to sell, I am located in the midwest and will travel anywhere for the right car.

PS: silver, red or black only.

[1996 328ti]

I had a California Roof on my 98. I really miss it.
It is well insulated. A bit noisey when open but what would you expect from a big hol ein the roof. The California Roof was better in 98 and 99 because it used a popup windscreen.

I never went through the car wash but I would see no problem not to.
Having the roof made cleaning the car that much faster since I did not have to wax it.

If I found another 98 California Rood I'd buy it.
If you plan on doing any track events, some clubs consider it as a convertible and some don't.

[96cali]

I have a '96 cali roofed ti and it is THE reason I bought the car. Plenty of other more powerful hatches out there, but this feature sets it apart IMO. Anyone who drives one in nice weather will be impressed- most of what you get with a convertible with the security and function of a hatch.

As far as durability we had a rain/hail storm here this past summer that felt like the second coming. I was really scared to walk out to my car with the soft top and all. It was fine like the rest of the car. I have also driven it thru more than a few touchless car washes and it does fine there also. Actually it's a good test to see if the top seals leak when you go to buy. Just tell the owner you'd like to buy them a car wash.:biggrin:

Cross winds are noisier than head winds with the top open. Inside is fully lined woven stretchy cloth. Outside is woven material. Seals are known to leak in the corners but the fix is easy. More prone to poor tracking etc than a regular roof but mine has been bulletproof for 3 years.

Where are you? I'm in Cleveland OH.