Explain glass top problem
 

Does changing to a glass top in a 986 limit service access and, if so, why?

There are two ways to get a glass top. First, you could replace the whole top and frame with one from an 03/04 car. The other and less expensive way is to use the aftermarket glass tops that fits on the older (97-02) frames.

The aftermarket top limits access to the engine a bit because it can't fold up like the plastic top does. That said, it's not horrible and it's possible to work around it.

I replaced my plastic window top with an aftermarket glass top. The plastic window top would fold up and stay up to allow fairly easy access to the engine cover. The glass top (being glass) won't fold in the same place so it kind of wants to hang down instead of fold up.

I found it easiest to just push it back up against the roll hoops as best I could and proceed to access the engine. Most aftermarket top manufacturers also provide a length of material to use as a tie back to hold the top back against the roll hoops but I found it to take more time to use that than really needed.

At the end of the day, its a teeny bit more work to get to the engine with the glass top but nothing that should stop anyone from getting one.

Just helped a guy change out the MAF on his 2001 Boxster yesterday. He had just recently installed a new top with glass. I was expecting a huge hassle with getting access, but the strap (really just nylon webbing with velcro to make a loop, made access almost as good a top with a plastic window!

have a glass soft top also. takes a little more effort (less than a minute) to get the covers off, but that's about it. personally prefer the glass soft tops over plastic. the plastic soft top on my Miata is getting replaced soon also.

I have had the glass top for over a year now. I changed the MAF and also installed the air intake without any issues. Yes it's a little less access, but its not bad at all. Even with a little less access you'll get used to the diffrence quickly. The only other thing you will notice is just taking an extra step of tying the glass in order to keep it up so you can acces the engine whereas previously you didn't have to do that. Although doing it by yourself for the first time may be awkward at first because you will have to try and hold up the glass while strapping it as tight as you can to give youself as much access as possible. However, once you do it the first time, its easy the second time.