Rear Window slashed
 

Hey guys so the plastic rear window on my 2001 boxster was slashed last night, before I file an insurance claim does anyone know if I can just get the plastic replaced or will I need a whole new top (maybe with a glass rear window)?

thanks!

Preston

thepress83, sorry to hear about your vandalism. That really sucks.

There was a thread about a month ago regarding the rear window replacement. Some people say it can be done, but the installation needs to be done really well to protect against leaking. So, if you go this route, you'll need to find a really-really good shop.

I don't think you can just retrofit a glass window into your existing top.

If your insurance company will cover the replacement cost of the top (because the window can't successfully be replaced) that would be the time to upgrade your top to one with the glass window (GAHH Tops). There have been some excellent threads the past few days on this subject too.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot for the info. I have been reading about the GAHH tops and that is what I would like to get. My deductible is $750 so I think it would almost be worth my while to get it done privately rather than go through the hassle of insurance.

Cheers!

Yes a good tech can do a superb job on the replacment.

$300-500.

Good luck

:cheers:

Of course, if your insurance company will pay you $300 - 500 bucks, you can then take that cash and buy the $645.00 GAHH glass top replacement and have it installed for another $300...

This wasn't a good thing to happen, but it might just help you defray the cost of upgrading to a new glass top!

Do you have to cover a large deductible on this before your insurance will pay?

$300 install on a Porsche? good luck.
'That's what it cost for my little Miata.

That is what I pay.

:cheers:

Search threads here and you'll find upholstry shops did it for that amount for forum members. My mechanic quoted me 4 hours at $90 an hour, which is a little more, but he's not an upholstry shop expert!

It's my understanding that it will depend on the condition of your top, specifically the stitching around the plastic window. Your insurance adjuster will probably make the call. When my back window ripped, I was given a check to replace the whole top. Even after the deductible, I was left with over $2k.

Mine has been replaced it looks fine, not as perfect as I would have required but it does not leak. For a prefect replacement, consider a boat canvass shop, they work with glass (their term for clear plastic) and canvass all the time and have challenges in boat contours seldom seen in vehicle applications. Better yet, go for the new true glass rear replacement and get the new top, I'm going to if I keep my car long enough.

FYI: It was $2300 to replace the top on my '02 with an new OEM Porsche top at a dealer in St. Louis. I think the top was something like $1700 and it was 9 hours of labor.

Nine hours of labor for the dealer...now that's a nice profit center!

Yea, seriously. The main problem was that it took them 3 weeks to actually do nine hours of labor. I guess it takes 2 weeks and 6 days to order the top.

I'm going in to have my insurance company check out the damage next week they haven't said yet if they'll pay for a whole new OEM top, although I hope they do of course :) I did get some good news the deductible for vandalism is $500 and not $750 so that helps a bit and I purchased insurance to cover the first $250 of my deductible so if I'm lucky I could get a brand new top for $250.00

Cheers!

nice. I guess I should have added that my insurance company (State Farm) paid for this with no questions asked. They didn’t even send an adjuster or anything. SF said sure when I called to make the claim and said I wanted a dealer to do it, then they made the appointment for me to bring the car in and the dealer was able to direct bill State Farm for the work. All I had to pay at the dealer was the deductible.


PS: Now that I'm thinking about it, I caint remember if the top was $1700 + labor or $2300 + labor. The invoice is someplace around here, but I filled it the other day and came seem to find it (I know I know nice filling system right )