Welcome!! great to have another convertible owner on the board. As you have seen, the board groups the discussion areas by model, and the 'verts fall in their respective model area discussion. There have not been lots of convertible specific discussions to warrant a separate area. IMHO, that's a good thing - that means their are few people with problems/issues.
A few tips that I have figured out based on owning 2 BMW convertibles:
- Maintenance is minimal. Once every two or three years, condition the top with BMW's kit. It renews the water repellent.
- Don't keep the top down for more than a few hours if the fabric is wet, to prevent mildew. I've never had an issue, but why push it?
- The E46 has clips in the rear seat to fasten the rear seat belts down. They will flutter and chatter in the wind above 40 mph or so if not secured.
- Get the windscreen. It clips in behind the front seats, easy to install and remove. With it you can drive 75 mph and carry on a conversation at normal voice level, hear the radio, etc. The women like it because it greatly reduces "convertible hair".
- You should avoid high pressure car washes. You may get some leakage. My convertibles have always been hand washed. One time I went through a brushless wash because the car was covered with a thick layer of pollen. Some water leaked in between the front and rear windows. The manual also says to avoid high pressure car washes.
- Consider getting the hardtop. It looks great, and will extend the life of the fabric top by shielding it in the winter. Here's a picture of my 330 in the Euro Delivery showroom with the hardtop.
