Hardtop quandary, yes quandary

[JBauer]

Originally Posted by BRAN

They are not included.
You need spin-locks = best to get new OEM
You need hinges/screws = best to get new OEM
You need special glue for the sealings = What to get? Well, I used Teroson

Decklid hinges and screws?

Thanks

[PaulE]

This morning on my way to work I saw a nice looking Seal Gray Cayman from the side a few lanes over from me in bumper to bumper stopped traffic. Then I noticed it had 986 side vents and the front bumper and side marker light also looked like 986 parts. Then I had my Homer Simpson D'Oh moment, and realized it was a Boxster with a Zeintop. It looked very nice from the distance I saw it from. I was exiting and didn't get to look at it closely though.

[ymkmkrz]

Originally Posted by PaulE

That second top is interesting. The first picture of the second top shows the center 3rd brake light which I interpret to mean the rear trunk can still be opened. But it also looks like that car is a 987. Then the last picture of that second top shows the back edge of the top covering the third brake light and the front edge of the rear trunk deck, and they've added a rear spoiler with an integrated 3rd brake light. And that car is a 986. So I'd want to be sure the rear trunk is still functional on a 986 with that second top.

As for whether installing any hard top is a one or two person job, I am of the opinion that it is always a 2 person job. That is the way I always install and remove my factory hard top. We do it by hand, as opposed to a hoist, but I would still be leery of doing it solo even with a hoist because I would hate to miss the spinlocks and have the pointy ends ding or scratch my car!

I have had a pulley hoist system for years and never even come close to dropping the top. The pulley and rope make the weight pretty easy to handle. Once up i do add a safety Chain at the ceiling to the pulley so that if rope did break or someone unraveled it, the top would only drop an inch. I can have my hardtop off or on in less than 3 Minutes, unless I have to hook up the defroster, which I rarely do. There is no easy way to plug that thing in. The only other thing I did to the hoist system was to tape up the rings used to connect the straps attached to the top of the roof. Ita a no brainer but i didnt think about it until I scratched the top.



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[That986]

Originally Posted by boxxster

Probably not the answer you're looking for but for what you want to use the top for (winter) I would recommend just getting a used OEM hardtop. Color wouldn't even have to match (black or grey would probably look ok on your red car, for instance).

Reason I say this is because not only would you save yourself a ton of time and money, but I would be leery of running an aftermarket top in the winter. Who knows how well its going to hold up to snow and ice? Is it going to fit and seal like OEM? In any case, I'd feel much better winter driving my car with a relatively cheap used top than one I just spent a ton of money on by the time its painted.

Got to agree, those others turn a good looking car into something foul.

If you're only driving on cold days then in all honesty the soft top will do you just fine. I drive mine all year round in the UK and I know it doesn't get as cold here but i've never been cold or yearned for a hard top.