how many of u guys have auto tops i was just wondering because my top is a manual and its a 1998...i thought it had an auto top but i was a noob...o well i dont mind the manual top im gonna practice untill i can get it down in under 12 seconds...lol...j/k but it only took me 30 min, a thread, and reading the owners manual to figure it out:shifty ....

I have an auto top on my 96 328i, but I'm pretty sure that it was standard on the 328i...

I have an auto top on my 96 328i, but I'm pretty sure that it was standard on the 328i...

I thought so to, untill at the beginning of March, on a BMW meet, this guy with a 1996 328i vert had a fully manual roof. Yeah I was suprised.

But could be that on US spec cars, this is not possible.

Graywolf...while an auto top is nice, I'm beginning to more and more prefer a manual one as it's: much quicker and so less that can go wrong on it.

Auto with part manual... I have to push my top forwards some so the tunnel cover can lift with out hitting the top

Mines fully auto but I wish it was manual. Less things to go wrong on a manual. On my power top I have to stop it midway and help it down sometimes...

yea when i found out it was manual i was like wtf...but then after reading around an using it, i realy like it.

Auto with part manual... I have to push my top forwards some so the tunnel cover can lift with out hitting the top

I have that issue sometimes, real pain in the a***

fully auto here

i'm full auto here too. one button and done

Auto, and I hate it. I miss the full manual top in my Z3. Lightweight, idiot-proof and little to no breakage possible.

love my manual top, my buddy had the same year bmw with a fully automatic top and it was always broke, he learned to hate bmw's

im pretty sure that for US cars, the manual top was only available on the 318 and 323 since those were the "affordable" models. 325s had the semi-auto top and 328s had either the semi-auto or fully auto top, depending on the model year. i could be wrong though.

i have the fully auto top in my car. if its kept in good condition, its great. i just replaced the storage lid shocks in mine, and stitched up a few torn pieces that are involved in the folding process, and the thing works perfectly now. of course, there are the problematic ones out there, but i think that theyre just like anything else - take care of it & keep it nice and it will be fine.love my manual top, my buddy had the same year bmw with a fully automatic top and it was always broke, he learned to hate bmw's
T?

Manual here!!

It's not hard to maintain a semi-automatic top for me. Any issues I've had I've looked up online and taken care of myself.

I didn't know they came in manual.

Full auto with remote down. No problems yet.

Remote?

Full manual on a 98 323. I like it because it has less to break but the full auto is pretty slick. Mine also took me about 45 minutes of off and on work to figure out how to lower it. The longest time spent looking for the cover release handle in the rear seat. I had no manual and no experience. I had picked the car up in LA at a body shop and neglected to ask the people there how to do it.

Auto, and I hate it. I miss the full manual top in my Z3. Lightweight, idiot-proof and little to no breakage possible.

Heheh... not to mention that in the Z3 you could just reach back and grab it without leaving the driver seat! My first convertible was a 99 Z3 with a manual top. I could close that thing in 2 seconds flat. No exaggeration. I miss that!

semi-auto

Remote?

Aftermarket alarm ;)

Aftermarket alarm with a remote that controls the top.:cool

Aftermarket alarm with a remote that controls the top.:cool
thats awsome!....man alot of people seem to have auto tops o well im just glad im finaly about to be top less all the windows down and sun roof open just isnt the same ive wanted a vert since i was like 10...hope fully my 323 is ready soon:buttrock

Its awesome. I have had it for 2 years and not a problem :alright

Semi-auto top, but it doesn't work. I get this loud awful grinding noise any time I press the button. I made a post about it but no one replied...

I currently have a manual top. The e36 has been out of production for 8 yrs. Some of our verts are approaching a decade in age and older. Like anything with age comes repairs. You'll be glad you have a manual in the end. I've had both. Yes, I loved the auto top right up until it stopped at the worst possible time. That said, nothing is cooler than putting up your top while waiting for a light change.

:D I feel so ghetto getting out to raise the top. lol.

Semi-auto top, but it doesn't work. I get this loud awful grinding noise any time I press the button. I made a post about it but no one replied...

You posted late last night. Of course you didn't get replies yet. There are some now :redspot

Auto top here on my 97 328. Semi-auto that is - I haven't zip tied the tension straps yet so I get to "help" the rear bow go vertical so the lid will clear . . . .

Auto top here on my 97 328. Semi-auto that is - I haven't zip tied the tension straps yet so I get to "help" the rear bow go vertical so the lid will clear . . . .

Keep in mind, as I found out, it's not the rear bow itself that's the problem, but the bow in front of it.

I checked my control rod (from the motor) that lifts the rear bow. When it's lifted, the stop at the end of the metal framebeam is against the stop, so it physically can't lift more vertical.
It's beam 4/5 or 5 that doesn't come forward enough, blocking the window bow to retract enough.