My rear window just cracked. I've seen a website that has a replacement plastic windows for a couple hundred bucks. The window needs to be sewn. Has anyone done this? I could really use a new top but it would exceed the value of the car.
Steven, I imagine you've seen this site. There is a link to a Yahoo forum that might have some info: http://e30ic.com/
This was the exact situation I was in a couple of years ago. Took my car to a couple of experienced installers and learned that the 20 year old fabric was too weak to withstand the stress of removal and manipulation in a sewing machine. Ultimately I dropped $1k on a new top (using yet a different installer). If it is a single crack, clear ShooGoo really does a good job of sealing the crack and holding the pieces together. I drove a couple of years like that while I went through the 5 phases of grief before accepting that I needed a new roof. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCoaBN6iOu0)
For now I'm using Racer's Tape. The top isn't folding down well either. Luckily it's a manual top. It's a shame, I have H&R Sport Springs and Bilsteins going into the car next week. Also changing the timing belt. AC doesn't work. Radio doesn't work when it's very cold. Leaking oil. I hope this doesn't turn into a money pit. I hate this car.
I love my ti. I'd do anything for her. Hate the E30. It just gets me from home to work and back. After replacing the suspension and timing belt, nothing else better go wrong. Oh, it's also rusting like a tin can.
Not true. Once fixed up, all they require is inexpensive routine maintenance and the occasional replacement of a worn part or two. Another of the many merits of the E30: they are biodegradable.
My headliner in my E36 is secured with staples. The window regulators are too small to support the window. My water pump failed after 240,000 miles. There is my love/hate relationship.
Money Pit I couldn't agree more. "Money Pit" status is a feature, not a bug. It's like the old saying about a boat: It's a hole in the water that you pour money into. Candidly, using a 20-25 year old car as a daily driver is a tenuous decision at best. It is feasible, but the E30 will entail a lot more ongoing maintenance than, say, a 3-5 year old car. These cars are well beyond their designed service life of 10-15 years. The mere fact that they even remain serviceable is a tribute to their engineering and construction. I daily-drive my own E30 (aptly named "Project Money Pit") and it has been quite reliable. However, I find myself doing a LOT more maintenance and refurbishing work than a newer car, like my E46 that only required gas and once-a-year oil change and windshield wipers. I enjoy the work, so it's a hobby. If I didn't enjoy it....
