Jason Carter Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I think they look good on a 986 Boxster, but to get a black one seems hard in great condition. The question is, is it worth it. £3,500 brand new is laughable. . . £500 upwards on ebay if your lucky and being the right colour is another thing. Then there is the money for the adaptions, and needing two people to lift it on and off. My Black 3.2 S is a 2000 model. The hood isn't bad but the back plastic window needs some serious cleaning. I am thinking of having the top replaced with the smaller heated glass back window top around £1000 fitted. Just the area I live in an area where some to*ser might slitting it, hence the hardtop, or am I paranoid. Any advice would be welcome as no body else I know would have no idea with these cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Stick with the soft top 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carter Posted December 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 33 minutes ago, Truth said: Stick with the soft top 😉 It does make the straight exhaust pipes with mufflers and sports cats better to hear I suppose Thanks for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I bought one a few years back, absolutely love it, changes the appearance of the car, makes the cabin cosier, warmer quieter, , I had my HT roof lining and pillars lined in Boxster red alcantara with Bentley stitch, makes the interior Zing, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GmanB Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Personally I don't have a hardtop as I'd hate to miss those sunny winter days with the roof down. Yesterday (down south) was a prime example. Each to their own, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdie Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I bought one when I had my first 986 in 2001. Used it a couple of times in the three years I owned the car. Don’t bother is my advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinewood Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 If it's a daily, then maybe worth investing in one, but surely the beauty of a convertible is to put the roof down whenever possible. If I were in your shoes, put that money into a new roof and enjoy. If your area has undesirables then buy a half cover to protect the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I agree about the beauty of a soft top. Is being able to put it down on those rare occasions, you still can, it only takes a couple of mins to remove, which I do if the weather looks good for a weekend drive out somewhere. But for everyday use the hardtop is excellent through the winter. Ive got a red soft top so don’t really want it exposed to the amount of mud and cr*p on the roads out here in the country in the winter months so the other added benefit is it keeps my new red soft top protected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Araf Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 I had a hard top for my first 986. Coming out from work on a February afternoon to brilliant sunshine and not being able to put the roof down meant the hard top was soon for sale and funding a glass rear screen upgrade. £1k for a new roof is rather expensive, I think. I thought they were around the £650 mark for a good BAS hood including fitting? Your alternative is to find a later facelift 4-bow hood and mechanism which can be bolted straight into your car as long as it's post 2000 IIRC as the microswitches for the operation moved around this time (If you have electric front boot opener it should be fine. If the front boot latch is mechanical it's not so straightforward). Someone on here had fitted the later roof to a really early car so a search might throw up details of what they had to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 You could try renovating the rear plastic window for a minimal cost Dr Wack A1 cabrio window polish (it is alleged to be the same formula Porsche sold when they did sell a plastic window cleaner, available on Amazon) has gone a good job on mine which is the same vintage as yours. Reduces the clouding and discolouration and also reduces the scattered light from following headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Ive got the glass soft top from BAS, it’s well worth the money and if you can only get one option ie hardtop or soft top upgrade I’d spend the money on the soft top, I have both and love both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carter Posted December 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 Thank you for all your quality comments. I really appreciate them. Looks like from the comments that I will clean the plastic rear screen on it at the moment then up date it to the glass heated screen soft top when money allows. I would like a lead on these BAS Hoods, and do they fit to the 2000 frame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevemag Posted December 15, 2019 Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 My car Artic silver ,came with a hard top. Like new Used once (the day I drove the car home from purchase, 18months ago) Hanging on the wall ever since. So not really worth having Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Carter Posted December 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2019 1 minute ago, stevemag said: My car Artic silver ,came with a hard top. Like new Used once (the day I drove the car home from purchase, 18months ago) Hanging on the wall ever since. So not really worth having Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edc Posted December 16, 2019 Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 If you daily the car or had to park it outside I could partly understand the desire for a hardtop. But if you did have to park outside where would you store the hardtop. I bought my first Boxster at the beginning of March in 2012 and though the hardtop was a great idea. Took it off with the help of my now ex and left it on the garage floor for a few weeks. I then bought a wheeled stand with soft cover. The hardtop was never put back on for real use and I sold it with the stand to a chap from Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 I had heard that aftermarket soft tops were thicker and therefore warmer. Also I hear something about “the liner” that does or doesn’t get transferred. Worth clarifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 11 hours ago, Menoporsche said: I had heard that aftermarket soft tops were thicker and therefore warmer. Also I hear something about “the liner” that does or doesn’t get transferred. Worth clarifying. Maybe complete rubbish, but I recall reading possibly on here or somewhere that the original hood was upgraded in the model year with the launch of the S to include a liner or a better liner before the glass window was then introduced later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon61 Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 19 minutes ago, ½cwt said: Maybe complete rubbish, but I recall reading possibly on here or somewhere that the original hood was upgraded in the model year with the launch of the S to include a liner or a better liner before the glass window was then introduced later. The MY2001 brochure mentions a fabric rooflining which wasn't in the MY1998 brochure. I can't remember the exact details, but I seem to remember on my 98 2.5, all the roof bars were exposed on the interior and you could touch the main roof material, whereas on my 01 S, at least some of the bars were hidden behind the extra fabric layer. (It was a change to both models, not just the S, and I suspect it came in at the same time as a number of other fairly minor changes like the assymmetric engine vents, interior orientation lighting etc.) It helped tidy up the interior, and they claim it helps the wind and road noise, although frankly I suspect that effect is minimal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulQ Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 I guess it all depends on how much you like having the roof down. Im thinking of ditching the roof when my rear screen gives up the ghost and fitting one permanently, but would probably miss not being able to put the roof down when it's nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinewood Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 58 minutes ago, PaulQ said: I guess it all depends on how much you like having the roof down. Im thinking of ditching the roof when my rear screen gives up the ghost and fitting one permanently, but would probably miss not being able to put the roof down when it's nice Effectively a Cayman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaz Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 Hi I’ve been reading the Boxster books in light of buying a facelift 986 and can pass on some of what they say about roof liners for what it’s worth. The S had a lined roof when it came out and that change was added to the base model when the dials were updated in (I think) 2002. Definitely before the facelift 986.2 in 2004 My old MY2000 2.7 did not have a lined roof; my current facelift car does. I’d say that the road noise is more muted, but the roof shape is different of course (glass screen and fourth bar) and the engine note is different (now original, later, exhaust versus Dansk sports box on the previous car). The current car is not as quiet Inside as the old car with hardtop fitted. I certainly notice all these differences, but am not sure I’ll keep the hardtop with the newer roof. One question for anyone with a glass window and a hardtop. How does the newer shape roof cope with being permanently folded for the months when the hardtop is on? I’ve noticed different wear-points on the new shape roof compared to the old one with the plastic screen. cheers Chaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted December 18, 2019 Report Share Posted December 18, 2019 6 hours ago, Chaz said: Hi I’ve been reading the Boxster books in light of buying a facelift 986 and can pass on some of what they say about roof liners for what it’s worth. The S had a lined roof when it came out and that change was added to the base model when the dials were updated in (I think) 2002. Definitely before the facelift 986.2 in 2004 My old MY2000 2.7 did not have a lined roof; my current facelift car does. I’d say that the road noise is more muted, but the roof shape is different of course (glass screen and fourth bar) and the engine note is different (now original, later, exhaust versus Dansk sports box on the previous car). The current car is not as quiet Inside as the old car with hardtop fitted. I certainly notice all these differences, but am not sure I’ll keep the hardtop with the newer roof. One question for anyone with a glass window and a hardtop. How does the newer shape roof cope with being permanently folded for the months when the hardtop is on? I’ve noticed different wear-points on the new shape roof compared to the old one with the plastic screen. cheers Chaz The only thing Ive noticed when stored for long periods is the three round pads that sit on the roof when folded show up when erected, but my roof is red and you probably wouldn’t notice it so much on a darker roof, Ive tried inserting bubble wrap this year along that fold to see if it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the baron Posted December 18, 2019 Report Share Posted December 18, 2019 21 hours ago, Menoporsche said: I had heard that aftermarket soft tops were thicker and therefore warmer. Also I hear something about “the liner” that does or doesn’t get transferred. Worth clarifying. Mine is an early 1997 so my original soft top with plastic window had no liner neither does my new BAS glass windowed soft top, I presume later models that came with a liner can be transferred across, the new roof certainly doesn’t come with one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulQ Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 On 12/17/2019 at 9:08 PM, Pinewood said: Effectively a Cayman I guess so Ones justs come up on here too in guards, but it's miles away and I think postage might be a pita..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
map Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 32 minutes ago, PaulQ said: I guess so Ones justs come up on here too in guards, but it's miles away and I think postage might be a pita..... Where are you based? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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