If your canvas top is good don't change it! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

mikes_box · 04-04-2011, 12:32 PM

Sasha, It took 1.5 hours. I timed it as I was curious as to how long it would take. It was the removal of the canvas top off the frame. Most if not all shops will not sew a window on with the top still on the frame.

Jake D · 04-04-2011, 12:42 PM

Looks good, but like you said, its hard to tell that its tinted. I found one shop that said if I bring him the canvas he can sew one in for $155 factory green vinyl and $180 for smoked or charcoal. Going to run by his shop to see some samples in the next couple of days. Probably going to be the route I go. He said he had not had problems with leaks and I have heard good things about his work.

I love my car and have no idea what I would do if I were to sell it, but I don't have the $ to do some of the upgrades I want to reduce the chances of a major problem (ims, water pump, etc.) so I can seriously been considering selling it off. I know that having a new top might help me sell it, but I don't really want to spend $650 to replace it just to turn around and sell the thing.

I have the 101 Boxster Projects book. Is that what you used to take the canvas off or did you find something better on here?

I just bought a beater truck the other week so I can now park my car and not drive it daily. I see a new window being sewn in very soon.

Thanks Mike.

mikes_box · 04-04-2011, 01:10 PM

Jake, I haven't seen the instructions in that book. If it has step by step instructions with photos you should be fine.

jcb986 · 04-04-2011, 01:29 PM

If the top is about 10 years old, then the canvas and stitching has reached it's life span and will start to deteriorate which means you will need a new top eventually. It's a good temporary fix for now, so start putting funds away for a new GAAH top.

mikes_box · 04-08-2011, 10:50 AM

Jake, here is a picture of the car in sunlight... Here you can see the tint...

schoir · 04-08-2011, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake D

.....
I have the 101 Boxster Projects book. Is that what you used to take the canvas off or did you find something better on here?
....

Here's another DIY for replacing the top: http://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/replacingthetop-adiy

Regards, Maurice.

urban_legend · 04-11-2011, 05:35 PM

a note on the marine vinyl (strataglass) - looks great in the smoked tint. That is what I used but they recommend a special cleaning and treatment compound. I picked up a small sample from a marine / sailboat shop.

It is thinner - but may be less prone to cracking because it is not as stiff.
(Although, I wouldn't test this.)

WhipE350 · 04-11-2011, 06:13 PM

Mike, that looks nice smoked...can you show us some close up pics of the stitching? The reason I ask is I have seen some that didn't look so good but it sounds like you might have got some really nice stitching done.

Jake D · 04-12-2011, 10:27 AM

Thats looks real nice. I actually just took mine off Sunday and dropped my top off at a shop to have tinted sewn in yesterday.. I had to stop myself from getting the charcoal vinyl as I thought it might be too dark. Any idea on what % his windows are?

I know I posted the other day about being broke and was gonna sell my beater truck for some maintenance parts, but I figured with a cracked rear window my chances of selling the car would be slim to none, plus it was slightly leaking even after silicone.

I dropped off my bumperettes to a buddy whos gonna spray them for free and then we're gonna go through and buff the whole car out.. Might even rip the exhaust off and powdercoat it black while I'm at it (own all the stuff to do it for free).

Thanks Mike for the pics. Funny how similar mine looks to that one and it's gonna look even more close to that once I get my top back on.

mikes_box · 04-12-2011, 10:46 PM

Jake-I'm sure it wasn't too bad when you took the top of right. Not too bad to due as long as you take your time and follow the instructions. When putting the top back on my suggestion to you is to put the top back on in same order all the way to fastening it all up in front. The last thing you want to do is to lock the back window and canvas in to the frame. What we did was do everything in reverse and finish it up then when we put the top back on we noticed that the rear window was totally off--there were waves on the window and we thought that it was sewn on incorrectly. After a few minutes of thinking we took the back part apart--the rubber and locking piece of plastic with the top all the way closed then we started at the far end and pulled on the canvas to make it nice and tight and make sure that the window was really stretched then we pushed in the looking piece of plastic. We did that in steps making sure there was no waves. Jake you could always sell your boxster S and buy my buddies as he is thinking of selling his car and moving into a 996. Same year and color as yours but it is highly optioned with a new clutch, ln bearing, h20 pump and everything else already fixed which was on your wish list...

Whip-- I'll get some close up of the stitching. It was done nice and tight. The guy he went to does tops and interiors all the time. Which I was brave in the past with my other boxster to have had the window replaced rather than just putting clear tape over it during the rain. The top plastic is thinner than the OEM. I believe the OEM plastic is 40 gauge and the smoked one is 30 gauge.