Hardtop
 

Are there different types of hard tops some say they have the long ears,please explain

The very first hardtops had removable panels on the side for connecting up the Porsche roof rack, called RTS for Roof Transport System.

This went away quickly, as Porsche had a better idea for the RTS attachment.

Some refer to the covers for the mounting points as "ears." These early model hardtops are pretty rare.

Either version fits all 986

Here are the two different tops. The silver car is an earlier top with ears (1997-1998). The blue car is a later top (1999-2004) with no ears. Either early or late top will mount on either early or late 986. In fact, the silver top (from a 1997) is mounted on a 2002 S. The blue car is a 1999.