BMW Repair: convertible top problems, everyday driver, removable hardtop

Question
I've got a 1996 318i convertible and the top no longer works.  BMW have told me that the computer control box is bad but when they tested w/ a new one the top still didn't work.  The car has been completely water logged and alot of the wiring and other electrical components have been damaged.  They are telling me that it will be over $2k dollars to fix it (but can't give me a price because they still haven't located the EXACT problem) which is basically half the value of the car so I have declined the repair.  My question is, is there any way to set up the car to open and close the roof manually?  They told me "no" because the cover for the area where the top is stored has to be opened/closed/latched using the motor.  Do you concur?  Is there any way I can work around this?

Answer
Almost declined to answer as out of my area of expertise....but then had a thought....

I'm not surprised by the estimates.  Wiring problems, especially on waterlogged cars, are very time consuming to diagnose.

Likely they are right on the manual top.


Ever considered a removable hardtop?  Might not be practical for everyday driver, but if it's a second car, could work as an alternative.