Off to view an 04 plate convertible tomorrow. I haven't had a soft top since my old j reg astra and they were far simpler back then. Is it as simple as if it opens and closes then it works and I keep my fingers crossed that it never breaks or is there anything I should be checking?

Wecome, Jamie. Yes, thats about the length of it. Check it goes down smoothly, comes back up the same, no funny noises and obviously just have a look around the material itself to check all sound. They don't generally play up.

Thanks Jeffthro. It will be my first BMW and I worry that there could be expensive repairs if I buy a lemon. I saw a nice one recently but it had a tiny slit in the material. Only a few mm long and the dealer said he would patch it from the inside but I wasn't convinced it was the car for me. Head keeps telling me to buy a tin top but I really do like the look if the vert.

Spot on Jamie. "I wasn't convinced it was the car for me." Your head is in the right place. You'll equally get that good feeling when you do find the car for you.

I'm old and ugly enough to have rushed in and messed up a couple of times in the dim and distant past, now I just go look, consider, walk away and go back in a few days if I'm still feeling good. If its gone in the meantime, there will be another one along soon.