 » Site Navigation | | | | » Recent Threads | | | |  |  |  | |  01-22-2013, 08:10 AM | #16 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Maria, CA Posts: 277 |
California top is out, lexan sheet (3'x4'x1/4") was cut to fit, made a steel reinforcement bar to go across to hold "the bubble" at high speeds (placed B-pillar to B-pillar) and bolted it in place by using every other factory hole and for the time being I have a functional, but not waterproof, clear lexan roof. Next opportunity I will be sealing it with window sealer and paint the parameter of it black so you can't see down and see the metal lip/spacers. All in all less than $100 for materials at HomeDepo and a days time. In my opinion it has turned out much better than I could have hoped for. As an added bonus, it is much lighter than the folding top, quieter at highway speeds, and all around more exciting to look at/out of. __________________
-1996 318TI ACTIVE PACKAGE (ALPINE WEISS): 75-0MPH IN 3 ROLLS AND AN END TO END FLIP.Mods: Complete M3 Body Kit, Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors, Carbon Fiber GTR Hood, Carbon Fiber Hatch, Carbon Fiber Sunroof Panel, Blacked Out Ambers and Taillights, 17' TSW Nagaro Rims, European Front License Plate, Sripped Out Interior, NRG Deep Dish Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Ball, Pioneer Avic N2 Stereo (Navigation/Bluetooth/CD), Cosmo Racing Cold Air Intake, Passenger Airbag Delete, Rear Wiper Delete, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Projector Fog Lights, manual windows -1996 318TI CALIFORNIA EDITION (SCHWARZ ZWEI): BACK IN BLACK!Current Mods: European Front License Plate, Rear Wiper Delete, Bosch Miata Battery, Blacked Out Ambers, 17" Contours (non-staggered), Kenwood Stereo (Bluetooth/USB/CD), City Lights, Corner Running Light Delete, Rear Taillight Mod (//M style brake light), Passport 9500xi Radar Detector (Hardwired), Laguna Seca Decal, Stripped Out Interior, Debaffled Airbox, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Fog Light Delete, M3 front bumper w/ lip, Sparco Hood Pins, Sparco Trunk Springs, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob, Rokkor Coilovers, Magnaflow Muffler (11225)
Whats Coming Next: NRG Steering wheel, Corbeau Forza Seats and Sliders (X2), NRG Race Style Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, UUC Clutch Stop,, M3 Side Moldings, Manual Window regulators |  |  | | 01-22-2013, 01:59 PM | #17 | | Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 47 |
TTIWWOP!!! | | | | | 01-22-2013, 06:52 PM | #18 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Maria, CA Posts: 277 |
I will be putting pictures in my vehicle section under the California, not active. The pictures I have are of the 1/8" lexan we used first but later realized it was too thin. __________________
-1996 318TI ACTIVE PACKAGE (ALPINE WEISS): 75-0MPH IN 3 ROLLS AND AN END TO END FLIP.Mods: Complete M3 Body Kit, Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors, Carbon Fiber GTR Hood, Carbon Fiber Hatch, Carbon Fiber Sunroof Panel, Blacked Out Ambers and Taillights, 17' TSW Nagaro Rims, European Front License Plate, Sripped Out Interior, NRG Deep Dish Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Ball, Pioneer Avic N2 Stereo (Navigation/Bluetooth/CD), Cosmo Racing Cold Air Intake, Passenger Airbag Delete, Rear Wiper Delete, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Projector Fog Lights, manual windows -1996 318TI CALIFORNIA EDITION (SCHWARZ ZWEI): BACK IN BLACK!Current Mods: European Front License Plate, Rear Wiper Delete, Bosch Miata Battery, Blacked Out Ambers, 17" Contours (non-staggered), Kenwood Stereo (Bluetooth/USB/CD), City Lights, Corner Running Light Delete, Rear Taillight Mod (//M style brake light), Passport 9500xi Radar Detector (Hardwired), Laguna Seca Decal, Stripped Out Interior, Debaffled Airbox, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Fog Light Delete, M3 front bumper w/ lip, Sparco Hood Pins, Sparco Trunk Springs, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob, Rokkor Coilovers, Magnaflow Muffler (11225)
Whats Coming Next: NRG Steering wheel, Corbeau Forza Seats and Sliders (X2), NRG Race Style Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, UUC Clutch Stop,, M3 Side Moldings, Manual Window regulators | | | | | 01-22-2013, 07:34 PM | #19 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Maria, CA Posts: 277 | 
__________________
-1996 318TI ACTIVE PACKAGE (ALPINE WEISS): 75-0MPH IN 3 ROLLS AND AN END TO END FLIP.Mods: Complete M3 Body Kit, Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors, Carbon Fiber GTR Hood, Carbon Fiber Hatch, Carbon Fiber Sunroof Panel, Blacked Out Ambers and Taillights, 17' TSW Nagaro Rims, European Front License Plate, Sripped Out Interior, NRG Deep Dish Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Ball, Pioneer Avic N2 Stereo (Navigation/Bluetooth/CD), Cosmo Racing Cold Air Intake, Passenger Airbag Delete, Rear Wiper Delete, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Projector Fog Lights, manual windows -1996 318TI CALIFORNIA EDITION (SCHWARZ ZWEI): BACK IN BLACK!Current Mods: European Front License Plate, Rear Wiper Delete, Bosch Miata Battery, Blacked Out Ambers, 17" Contours (non-staggered), Kenwood Stereo (Bluetooth/USB/CD), City Lights, Corner Running Light Delete, Rear Taillight Mod (//M style brake light), Passport 9500xi Radar Detector (Hardwired), Laguna Seca Decal, Stripped Out Interior, Debaffled Airbox, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Fog Light Delete, M3 front bumper w/ lip, Sparco Hood Pins, Sparco Trunk Springs, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob, Rokkor Coilovers, Magnaflow Muffler (11225)
Whats Coming Next: NRG Steering wheel, Corbeau Forza Seats and Sliders (X2), NRG Race Style Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, UUC Clutch Stop,, M3 Side Moldings, Manual Window regulators | | | | | 01-23-2013, 12:49 AM | #20 | | Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 47 |
A little wavy, but you can see how it will be cool if you can refine the mounting to get it to stay smooth. Keep going...
cheers,
dug | | | | | 02-19-2013, 12:22 AM | #21 | | Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: AZ Posts: 2 |
I joined this forum just to see this thread... am looking at a tI california on Craigslist right now and would love to do this same kind of thing. Can you maybe e-mail me the pictures? When I go to view the link it says insufficient privileges
My email is same as my username, @gmail.com (bimmerbreaker at gmail.com)
Would really love to see how yours turned out to see if its something I would want to pursue on mine. | | | | | 02-19-2013, 01:06 AM | #22 | | Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 1,364 |
Quote: Originally Posted by pcalahane  So the top is almost off and it's time for me to make a decision. My cr is currently black, but it definately could use a respray. So originally I was thinking changing the color of the whole car to white, but then I thought of something I feel is a cool concept but maybe stupid if executed. I am thinking of respraying the car black again and powder coating my contours, kidney grill chrome rings and side mirrors Kawasaki racing green. The part I am not sure about is if I paint the roof green too would it be too much? I have to reprint the top before I put in the lexan so this decision needs to happen within the next couple days. Anyone want to put in their $0.02? | I think that the green would be a little too much, just my 2 cents. The power mechanism has always scared me away from California tops. If the top could be modified to close manually I would love one. Has any one done this? | | | | | 02-19-2013, 08:28 AM | #23 | | Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Santa Maria, CA Posts: 277 |
I almost made the top a manual opener. All you have to do is open up the motor, pull out the main gear that goes to the top and weld a straight bar to it. From there take a piece of sheet metal, trace the mount holes of the unit on it, cut/drill out the plate. Then use the plate to hold the gear in the hole. From there it should be easy. I was going to do it until I just said screw it and sold the top. Lexan is working well for me. __________________
-1996 318TI ACTIVE PACKAGE (ALPINE WEISS): 75-0MPH IN 3 ROLLS AND AN END TO END FLIP.Mods: Complete M3 Body Kit, Carbon Fiber Side Mirrors, Carbon Fiber GTR Hood, Carbon Fiber Hatch, Carbon Fiber Sunroof Panel, Blacked Out Ambers and Taillights, 17' TSW Nagaro Rims, European Front License Plate, Sripped Out Interior, NRG Deep Dish Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Ball, Pioneer Avic N2 Stereo (Navigation/Bluetooth/CD), Cosmo Racing Cold Air Intake, Passenger Airbag Delete, Rear Wiper Delete, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Projector Fog Lights, manual windows -1996 318TI CALIFORNIA EDITION (SCHWARZ ZWEI): BACK IN BLACK!Current Mods: European Front License Plate, Rear Wiper Delete, Bosch Miata Battery, Blacked Out Ambers, 17" Contours (non-staggered), Kenwood Stereo (Bluetooth/USB/CD), City Lights, Corner Running Light Delete, Rear Taillight Mod (//M style brake light), Passport 9500xi Radar Detector (Hardwired), Laguna Seca Decal, Stripped Out Interior, Debaffled Airbox, Blacked Out Kidney Grills, Fog Light Delete, M3 front bumper w/ lip, Sparco Hood Pins, Sparco Trunk Springs, NRG Carbon Fiber Shift Knob, Rokkor Coilovers, Magnaflow Muffler (11225)
Whats Coming Next: NRG Steering wheel, Corbeau Forza Seats and Sliders (X2), NRG Race Style Steering Wheel with MOMO Hub, UUC Clutch Stop,, M3 Side Moldings, Manual Window regulators | | | | | 02-19-2013, 05:36 PM | #24 | | Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: AZ Posts: 2 |
Can someone please email me some pictures of this? I put my email two posts up, would really like to see how this looks... didnt think asking for an email was too much to ask, if someone on the bmw forums I frequented asked for pics emailed because they couldnt see them I would be happy to help out  | | | | | |
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