Top up or down when garaged? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Florida 986 Guy · 11-02-2007, 07:42 PM

I recently purchased a 2000 Boxster. I am lucky enough to have a garage. Are there any issues with keeping my top down when garaged? Wearing spots? Folds? Window issues? Humidity? Thanks in advance.

wanna986 · 11-02-2007, 07:45 PM

Probably all of the above. I don't do it, but then again, those with a hard-top would have had to deal with this.
Let's see who else chimes in...

blinkwatt · 11-02-2007, 07:49 PM

Dude my top NEVER comes up(unless I'm washing it) & I have yet to have any issues with it. If you plan on keeping it down for a long long time I would recommend putting a felt blanket in between the plastic when you chop it. To make sure the joints don't dry up or go bad on the top I shoot WD-40 on any joint that I can find related to the top,wait for it dry and apply lithium grease as far as I can in the same joints. Hasn't let me down so far.

rick3000 · 11-02-2007, 08:53 PM

This completely is dependent on you. My garage always has stuff going on in it, so before I got a hardtop I left it up because it kept dust, etc. out of the leather interior. It is easier to clean the top and body, than the interior. With the hardtop, I placed a piece of fleece between the vinyl window to keep it from rubbing. I would recommend you do the same if you leave your top down all the time. It is whatever you want to do. I leave the top up to keep stuff from getting in the car, but if that is not an issue, then put a piece of fleece on the window as you lower the top, and don't worry about it.

efahl · 11-03-2007, 05:28 AM

I always put it up to keep the crap out of the interior.

The top also get five 1.5" circular marks right over the center from the rubber feet on the clamshell when you leave it down all the time.

Chills · 11-03-2007, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by efahl

I always put it up to keep the crap out of the interior.

The top also get five 1.5" circular marks right over the center from the rubber feet on the clamshell when you leave it down all the time.

Mine gets those circles too, and my top is 5 months old. I leave my top up if I'm not going to be driving it for more than a week.

Plus it keeps the interior cleaner.

rick3000 · 11-03-2007, 05:53 AM

The circles are just from the heat of the engine, and should usually disappear in a few days.

Bambino Don · 11-03-2007, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chills

Mine gets those circles too, and my top is 5 months old. I leave my top up if I'm not going to be driving it for more than a week.

Plus it keeps the interior cleaner.

So funny i have those marks aswell , i wondered what they were from and now i know,

70Sixter · 11-03-2007, 06:28 AM

Mine is always garaged with top up and stretched tight.

Whatever you do, make sure the top is completely dry before putting it down. My hardtop goes on for 3-4 months a year with no disasters. I make sure it is clean and RaggTopped.

In the garage it also helps rubber gaskets if you leave windows cracked a bit. Doors ajar too, but make certain interior lights are out or battery will not be happy.

Chills · 11-03-2007, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bambino Don

So funny i have those marks aswell , i wondered what they were from and now i know,

lol, yeah I didn't know what they were from until I saw it on the board. If you leave the top up for a couple of days they go away.

jwilson95 · 11-03-2007, 07:26 AM

I have the top down while driving whenever possible. That is why I bought a Boxster vs. a 911 coupe in the first place.

As far as the top up/down in the garage, it is mostly dependent on when I think I'll be driving the car again. If it is the weekend, I usually leave it down.

The wife always complains about dust/spiders, etc. so lately I have been putting it up most of the time and now that it is getting colder, it is up all the time.

The only thing I worry about with the constant up and down is the wear and tear on the top motors, joints, cables, etc. and how costly it will be to repair, so every tiem I can "save" a up/down operation, then I do it.

Personal preference rules the day!

OldBlevins · 11-03-2007, 10:21 AM

I left mine down for a couple of days in cool weather once, and it needed a little help stretching out to make the hook connection when I put it back up. Probably not a big deal, but I do tend to put it up now when I put it away.

One thing I would suggest is when you do put it down, halfway through the process, get out of the car and give the rear plastic window the old "karate chop" to make it sure it folds up nice and smoothly.

boxstershorts · 11-04-2007, 06:45 AM

Two things:

Material outgassing, aging, drying out: This happens are a different rate depending on humidity, temperature etc. Materials shrink when this happens although hardly noticeable over the course of a few weeks. Better to shrink with top up than down.

Flow: Materials tend to relax to relieve stress over time. If in compression, in tension, in bending, they will permanently deform and lose their elasticity in local areas. This will permanently deform your top. Better for it to happen when the top is up than down.

I recommend to store your car with top up (fully stretched) for the top to last longer.

Franco · 11-04-2007, 08:49 AM

Hi, Top Up and i second what Boxstershorts said

zackwatt · 11-04-2007, 08:56 AM

Up, keep out the dust and varmints.

Perfectlap · 11-04-2007, 09:30 AM

up always. rinse it with high pressure (avoid the weather strips), never wash it with car wash soap and don't lower it if the temps fall below 60 without warming up the cockpit first.

mightysquirrel · 11-04-2007, 10:55 AM

Saving up and down wear is absurd. The top mechanicals are really good in these cars. So good that in the new boxster you can run the operation while to car is moving up to 30mph.

Any good top installer will tell you the best thing you can do for a top is keep it under tension. There are a variety of materials in the top that all respond to the environment differently and if you leave it down your top will deform in time.

The only time you should leave the top down is when you're driving or when you have the hard top on for winter. This will also keep dust and debris from building up in every crack and crevice in the interior when the car is not in use.

I don't care how clean you garage is, there's dust, just like in your house. Keep the top up.

M

djomlas · 11-04-2007, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mightysquirrel

Saving up and down wear is absurd. The top mechanicals are really good in these cars. So good that in the new boxster you can run the operation while to car is moving up to 30mph.

M

there is a whole forum on renntech about the top, and top problems, so saying that its really good is kinda weird, as most of us have had some problems with them.

Topless · 11-05-2007, 06:03 AM

When the weather is nice I may leave the top down in the garage for a week or two and just pull a car cover over it to keep the dust out. In two years of doing this I have not noticed any problems. I am not a clean fanatic though.

jtimblin · 11-08-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Florida 986 Guy

I recently purchased a 2000 Boxster. I am lucky enough to have a garage. Are there any issues with keeping my top down when garaged? Wearing spots? Folds? Window issues? Humidity? Thanks in advance.

It's easier on the top to keep it up, and less likely to damage your plastic back window. I replaced my plastic rear window this spring after leaving it down too long and developing a weak spot.