BMW Z3 - Rear Windshield - glass?

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I do not believe that any year of the Z3 comes with a glass window. I think you have to get the Z4 to get a glass window.

I don't think that any Z3 with softtop had a glass rear windshield. They all had plastic one. But you could get a hardtop with one.

Where can one buy a hardtop? Only from dealerships I guess?

Any idea on the cost? Does it also require installation of any sort of hardtop kit on the car?

Thanks for the replies!

M> > What year of the BMW Z3 (softtop) comes with a glass rear whindshield? > >

If I recall correctly there are a few adjustment to make so that a new hardtop fits tightly onto onto the frame. And there is the paint that need to match your car. I don't have one on my car so I don't know all the details.

You may get more answers Z3 board at:

I'm not sure on the Z3, I have a 1996 528iC - I bought the used hardtop on an EBay auction (matter of finding a non-clashing color close enough to drive and pick it up, shipping costs are high on something that size). Got a white one on a silver car, then had it painted a year or so later. The front attached just like the soft top, I had to buy a kit from the BMW dealer for the back - it was about $200 if I remember correctly. It has the special sockets that are needed for the back of the hardtop to attach, and the electrical connections to supply power to the rear window defroster and the dome lights. I think that the Z3 hardtops are made in a similar manner (just a different size, my 328 seats 4).

The hardtop is very nice to have for winter driving, the rear window is much larger than the window of the soft top (btw - my soft top has a plastic window, BMW transitioned to a glas window in either 1999 or 2000, I don't remember which) The glass window on soft tops are smaller than the plastic window on soft tops. The whole frame assembly and motors had to be redesigned, so just swapping out soft tops did not work out at all. I do place soft thin towelling over the plastic rear window before putting the top down for extended periods, otherwise the plastic gets a large white opaque line horizontally in the middle where it folds (I have already replaced the plastic window once).

Jim

You can buy a new soft window on eBay for something in the range of about $275.

I haven't seen one, but I would guess that one might find a hardtop on eBay too.

They do, not very expensive either. One of my "Favorite Searches" is "bmw hardtop" and I see them pop up occasionally. Unfortunately for me, every Z4 hardtop that's posted seems to be in California and belong to someone that won't ship. epbrown

-- "Everybody wants a normal life and a cool car; most people will settle for the car." Chris Titus