E46 couple question...windows in door frame

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kpb - 21 Oct 2007 01:11 GMT

I got a ride in an E46 and noticed something funny about the windows.

The windows are kind of "stand alone"...they are not "in the frame" of
the door like on my old Japanese car. When you close the door with
the window up, the top most part of the door IS the window...ie
there's no metal frame in which the window is enclosed.

I'm not sure why BMW does this. I would think it maybe makes it look
sleeker...but you have to be careful to close the door from the actual
door and not the window. In my Japanese car you can grab the top
corner of the door, right at roof level and it's metal. In the BMW it
is the window itself.

Do they do this on sedans as well?

I'm just curious. Sorry to belabor the point.

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Choam Nomsky - 21 Oct 2007 01:25 GMT

Which BMW are you talking about???
My e46 has doorframes - was it a "Ci" cabriolet??

>I got a ride in an E46 and noticed something funny about the windows.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> I'm just curious. Sorry to belabor the point.

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Pete - 22 Oct 2007 19:33 GMT

> Which BMW are you talking about???
> My e46 has doorframes - was it a "Ci" cabriolet??

He's talking about e46 coupe.

Pete

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kpb - 22 Oct 2007 20:58 GMT

> > Which BMW are you talking about???
> > My e46 has doorframes - was it a "Ci" cabriolet??
>
> He's talking about e46 coupe.
>
> Pete

Right, E46 coupe. I titled the thread COUPLE question it should have
been COUPE question.

I was wondering if they did that with sedans as well.

I think coupes are a little lower to the ground too. I think a sedan
would be better for me, although the coupes have a more captivating
look, IMO.

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Pete - 21 Oct 2007 05:17 GMT

> Do they do this on sedans as well?

It's just on the coupes, IIRC.

> but you have to be careful to close the door from the actual

door and not the window.

The bigger problem is that those rubber seals above the door have a tendency
to come off. Or did BMW finally come up with a fix for that?

Cheers,
Pete

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nopcbs - 21 Oct 2007 23:06 GMT

They do this with coupes. It is style over substance and, yeah, it leads to
trouble with the rubber seals. They also have the window lower a bit before
closing and this adds to wear of the (already short-lived) window winder
mechanism. Sedans have proper framed windows, and also the under-designed
winder mechanisms.

BMW is a very strange company design/engineering wise.

Some things they do extremely well and intelligently (like the in-line six
gas engines and their diesels) and some things they do really, really
ineptly and almost criminally stupidly (sun-roofs, window mechanisms, water
pumps, E36/E46 rear shock supports).

It's like once in a while the adults leave the kids in charge of
design/engineering.

GRL

>I got a ride in an E46 and noticed something funny about the windows.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> I'm just curious. Sorry to belabor the point.

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Jerry - 28 Oct 2007 01:59 GMT

I have the convertible/cabrio, and it doesn't have a frame either.

No real issues with my 2001 - and I don't think anyone expects a door frame
on a convertible! I think it's the same body as the coupe, with the frame
stiffening... So maybe it's easier to manufacture if they limit the door
types to 2 instead of 3 for the sedan, coupe, and convertible...

> They do this with coupes. It is style over substance and, yeah, it leads
> to trouble with the rubber seals. They also have the window lower a bit
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>>
>> I'm just curious. Sorry to belabor the point.

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Tom K. - 28 Oct 2007 17:01 GMT

>I have the convertible/cabrio, and it doesn't have a frame either.
>
> No real issues with my 2001 - and I don't think anyone expects a door
> frame on a convertible!

Not since the rather strange looking late l940's Kaiser & Frazer models.

Tom K.

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