Protecting Z4 soft top from heavy snow

[anilkakumani]

Hi All,

I am driving 2007 Z4 and unfortunately out new appartment's covered parking slots are over booked. I have to park my car out of garage and I am scared if snow accumulation on soft top can damage the car. Can someone suggest the best way to keep my Z4 top safe from snow pile up

Thanks,
Anil

[Our03z4]

Originally Posted by anilkakumani

Hi All,

I am driving 2007 Z4 and unfortunately out new appartment's covered parking slots are over booked. I have to park my car out of garage and I am scared if snow accumulation on soft top can damage the car. Can someone suggest the best way to keep my Z4 top safe from snow pile up

Thanks,
Anil

You should be okay. Mine gets snowed on often in the winter with no issues. Most of the time I use a BMW car cover to keep the moisture from being an issue. Park close to a building where the accumulation will be less, just stay away from drift areas.

[3GFX]

Clean it off before you go to bed and first thing in the morning if you're truly worried.

[Forbes]

It took me 7 years to find a hard top in my locale on craigslist. Bought it immediately, but maybe too late. The freeze/thaw in the cloth fibers can kill.

[Efthreeoh]

It won't hurt it. My wife's Z3 has been covered in 3 feet of snow without issue.

[Huz-Z]

As a Canadian who has seen plenty of long, cold, snowy winters, I hear ya. At a minimum, I would want to remove snow accumulation from the roof of the car regularly so you don't get a heavy mess of ice and snow pressing down on the roof frame as winter wears on. Some sort of cover to protect the canvas from all that water sounds like a good idea too. I would be careful about how you might cover the car - you don't want to trap moisture under a sealed car cover and cause corrosion elsewhere.

Any other thoughts guys? Post #2 above may be the trick - you can get the E85 Z4 cover with breathable material at a decent price if you can find a used one in good shape. Perhaps treat the car's roof to restore its water proofing each year prior to winter hibernation, cover, remove winter snow as it falls, and enjoy the car again in the spring.

[Hawkeye]

My solution was to buy a coupe

I would think a hardtop (if you can afford one) would be the best alternative. At minimum otherwise cleaning off snow cover from the top so it is not just sitting there would help. The fibers should be ok from leftover moisture. I would be hesitant to use a car cover for this application myself, although I have no experience in doing so.

[CTHuskyinMA]

I think the OEM cover is a good solution (found on eBay for a decent price.) The paint surface stays dry, even after the snow melts or during pouring rain, plus it does breathe as advertised. I do get out there and remove the snow as soon as possible, which I will be doing again today as we are in another blizzard.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by CTHuskyinMA

I think the OEM cover is a good solution (found on eBay for a decent price.) The paint surface stays dry, even after the snow melts or during pouring rain, plus it does breathe as advertised. I do get out there and remove the snow as soon as possible, which I will be doing again today as we are in another blizzard.

A couple of feet of snow never hurt anything... right?

[StickMon]

My solution was to leave Chicago and move to SoCal.
Presently 90° and sunny.
Just like yesterday ... and tomorrow.

[Twixboy]

Originally Posted by CTHuskyinMA

I think the OEM cover is a good solution (found on eBay for a decent price.) The paint surface stays dry, even after the snow melts or during pouring rain, plus it does breathe as advertised. I do get out there and remove the snow as soon as possible, which I will be doing again today as we are in another blizzard.

Doesn't that car cover leave scratches on the paint after rustling around in the wind all winter?

[3GFX]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

Doesn't that car cover leave scratches on the paint after rustling around in the wind all winter?

If you've got a clean car underneath, a clean cover on top it's less likely. There are some heavier and multiple material covers that reduce the likelyhood of those scratches.

[CTHuskyinMA]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

Doesn't that car cover leave scratches on the paint after rustling around in the wind all winter?

That has not been my experience so far. The fit is pretty snug, so no rustling around in the wind. Also, there are grommets at the bottom of the door locations so you can run a bungee or cable with lock under the car to keep it even tighter. Also, the layer of material that contacts the car is soft, almost felt like.