Age old question. Put away with tip, up or down
 

I just got a new roof installed.

I agree that a top with plastic window should be stored with the top closed to keep the plastic from warping.

My new top has a glass window.

If I park the car over night or during the day in a covered garage, I think storing it for longer periods of time is OK because it is pretty safe all tucked away.

It also brings up the question..

Is it better to keep the roof stretched or leave it open and let the fabric rest.

I believe if it is constantly stretched, it will lose elasticity over time and sag.

I've not seen a saggy top from being left up too much? But I've seen lots with marks and scuffs in the bend areas that only seem to appear when you have the top down a lot. I store mine up.

For the first couple weeks I would leave it up to get it stretched out properly.

I have an OEM '03 glass window top on my Boxster. My top stays down at least 90 per cent of the time. If I park it outside for more than 10 minutes I cover the car. If I park it in the garage and know it won't be driven for a couple days I cover it. I have different covers for inside and outside. If I am traveling and it is going to be parked for a couple weeks then the top goes up. The top does have some wear lines behind the side windows and rear windows. That's OK. No sagging or other issues with leaving it down so much (that I know of).

If not being driven for more then a day I put the top up. Stretching has never been a problem but creases from the top being down does happen. Plus leaving the top down all the time invites critters and dirt into your interior. In the end the top is something that will just wear from use but if taken care of will easily last over a decade.

Tops that are stored down for long get little round circle imprints from the bottom of the clam shell.

2003 Boxster in Ireland. Top up 99% of the time and always stored up. No sagging at all.


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A badge of honor I wear with pride.

So true!!!

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1504817221.jpg

My 2001 top is still in good condition. Always down in the winter since I use a hardtop in the winter.

When I got my hardtop about 4 years ago, after having it on for the first winter, I got those circles and also some wear/rub marks in the fabric that I never had before. Now at least I know what caused the circle marks!

Crank up the stops for the clamshell to avoid circles?

I never knew whar caused those circles. I thought it was aliens!

What about the circles in the middle?

The adjustment shown in the picture and its twin on the other side does not cause the circles, it prevents them.

https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/mikesporscheboxsterwebpages/clamshell-adjustment

Ahhh ... good info! Previous owner of my 01 had just put a glass window top on it. I've been wondering why those circles have been showing up on it. Now I know.

Like most, if I am not driving it the next day, I put the top up. If it's outside for more than a few minutes I put the top up. Any thoughts on wear on motor or gears putting it up and down frequently?

So I can try to raise the rear of my clamshell to see if it can go up a bit to prevent the circles, but leave the clamshell still sit flush with the rest of the body? My clamshell sits nicely on the rest of the body now and I don't want to mess that up.

And oh, those dirty rings? How to remove them?

Flush
 

If you want the clamshell to fit smoothly with the rest of the body, you're going to get those crop circles on the cloth top. I don't take my Box out unless I can have the top down, so I don't worry about it. Once a year I scrub the top and treat it with 303 Fabric Guard. The circles disappear. I wash the rest of the car as needed during the season, and take the wheels off once a year to scrub them inside and out while detailing the brake calipers.

Perfect advice all the way around.

Neither one of my tops have rings and the clamshells look flush to me.