Just picked up BMW part number 54 31 8 211 902 - repair kit for an E36 manual top. The kit consists of the long, black plastic parts that keep the inner liner just behind the rear windows from flapping and six round steel circular eyelets. The BMW parts manager at the dealership did not have any diagrams of the manual top mechanism or instructions on how to install these parts.

Also, on the left side, the rectangular beige plastic 'slider' next has come off, but the piece is undamaged. Don't know believe that this is related to the above issue, or if it became loose when my 15 year old son (or one of his buddies) went over the side of the car to exit the back seat.

How do you snap this part back in without damaging it? I purchased the metal spring (BMW Part number 51 438 163 692) and plastic pushrod (BMW part number 51 43 8 205 810) that connect to this plastic slider.

Craig from Omaha
BMW CCA member #4264
'98 323iC (Alpine Weiss, manual shift & manual top)
'71 2002 (Atlantik - bought this Bimmer new)

I have a diy video in a thread "stickied at the top" its called "dog ear video"
and that plastic piece snaps back in, be easy though!

Hi Millertimebmw03,

Thanks for the come-back. I'm new to this forum so I didn't find the link to your "dog ear video." When did you post your original thread?

While I've been part of the 2002 scene since the early 1970's, I'm relatively new to the E36. I bought my '98 in Fort Myer's, FL just before Easter of 2006. We owned an E30 ('89 325i coupé, 5-speed) for 9½ years so I am much more familiar with that range of three series.

Craig from Omaha

Hi Millertimebmw03,

Found your video on U-Tube, so I'm sure that Christine and I can fix the dog ears on our '98 323iC. You have a power top; ours is a manual top, but both are engineered the same way. Going back to the other part of my question, is there a trick to snap the little plastic slider piece back in place.

Finally one other convertible top question - the headliner up front is affixed with a velcro-like fastener. Ours has come loose. Does the velcro need to be replaced, or is there another way to fix this?

You mentioned snow in your video, and I see that you are from New Hampshire. Do you store your convertible in the winter? We garaged ours last winter, and drove the E30 with snow tires. Since we sold the E30 in May, it looks like we will pick up a cheep FWD winter beater + teen car so that we can keep our Florida convertible pristine.

Craig - BMW CCA member #4264 (since 1974)