Fresh top installed - non OEM

[norcal_cyclist]

So against my better judgment I decided to try out an aftermarket top and headliner. My top and liner were cut when I got the car. A factory top and headliner were pushing the $2k mark. I figured since I was a shop owner I could do a service to my customers if it came out ok. I like giving people options.. and I don't mind being a guinea pig.

The top and liner was purchased from www.autotopsdirect.com. The top was $549 and the liner was $275 I had Fine Line Upholstery in Rancho Cordova perform the work. We refer a lot of customers to them and they've always done a great job.

Results - the top is perfect in every way. It is very snug and looks OEM.. there are some issues with the weather stripping which I'll deal with at my shop next week. However the fit and finish of the material is OEM quality. They said the headliner seemed a bit short and they had a very hard time pulling it properly. It also looks OEM and looks great.

I'll update this thread in a few weeks once I've had a chance to take a better look at it and run the top up and down a few times.

[3point0]

looks great from the pictures, will be interesting to see how this holds up, as I'm sure many of us are starting to think about the inevitable roof replacement

[nemex12]

my car looks perfect except for the top so this is starting to give me ideas

[ANUSTART]

Excellent post. I had concerns about quality, but this really looks solid. It's great to have options when needed. The price is quite reaonable.

[norcal_cyclist]

Thanks guys.. unfortunately you have to wait a few weeks before using it. It's killing me! But I drove it to Tracy today, about 3hrs round trip. The top is really quiet after I adjusted the window seals around a little. Overall I'm very happy.. if you're ready to order PM me and I'll see if I can get a better deal than what I paid.

[norcal_cyclist]

A small update... though I am patiently waiting for the top to "set". I had the Z in the shop today to adjust the 3 window seals on the top itself. After getting them lined up I noticed that the drivers window would drop too far when the door was opened. This is due to a loose regulator, the window will "relax" further down than it is supposed to. We will be installing a new drivers side regulator and afterwards the top should be kosher. I'll post very close up views of the top and all the pertinent angles.

The top itself and the liner are OEM in appearance and fit, so far I am surprisingly happy!

[v8z4]

Good to know! I used an aftermarket headliner in my Z4 roadster since it was 1/3 the cost of factory. It came out decent enough (can't really tell that it's not OEM), though it was a pain to install.

[rkstar9]

what rims are on the picture?