another hardtop option

[Outkasted]

So I have been looking for a hardtop i like more than OEM. D Morris is France has one i love but almost $5K to get one here. Found this on ebay today and wondering if anyone has seen this in person?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/156026254995?hash=item2453e3b693:g:I0wAAOSw3V1lshS d

[Outkasted]

Seller sent me this when I asked about installation and hardware. No affiliation just passing info.

https://youtu.be/wEI6Mq6pprs?si=KW58Pkoca9p0txmj

[KevinH1990]

I didn't watch the entire video, but I have a few comments based on the part I did watch and my ownership of an OEM hard top.

I like the appearance of the eBay hard top. The OEM hard top looks odd from the side. The eBay hard top seems to enhance the looks of a Boxster.

My reservations about owning the eBay hard top are related to the build quality and materials. The OEM hard top is aluminum. The eBay hard top is fiberglass. I think aluminum is the superior material for this application. The OEM top has a glass rear window with a defroster. The eBay hardtop has a polycarbonate window with no defroster. I recommend that you research the long-term durability of polycarbonate before making a purchase. I found this video interesting.
It appears that with proper treatment, polycarbonate can be a good product on a vehicle, but you need to know exactly how the material is manufactured. https://youtu.be/LmCmsYHNmbQ If you are comfortable with polycarbonate, you need to consider whether you can do without a defroster.

The OEM hard top fits well on the Boxster. You should be able to find some threads in which owners discuss fitment issues with the OEM hard top. The OEM hard top is adjustable, and I think most owners are able to resolve the problems they encounter with squeaks and rattles. The eBay hard top may fit fine and not have squeaks and rattles. But I would want to hear from people who actually owned one to confirm that. Designing and building a hard top that fits precisely on a Boxster is probably more difficult than it looks.

The OEM hard top has a headliner, and the interior fit and finish is consistent with the other materials in the car. The top in the video appears to be unfinished. I guess you could glue some headliner material to it, but I think it would be challenging to match the quality of the OEM top.

The OEM hard top has good weather stripping, and I don't think the peel and stick material on the eBay top will be as airtight as the OEM product. I would expect wind noise with the eBay top.

The mounting system for the eBay top seems to make it a more or less permanent installation. If you are happy with having it in place 100 percent of the time, that may not matter to you. I like being able to take my hard top on and off in about 15 minutes when the seasons change. I need a helper to avoid scratching the paint, but it is not a difficult job.

Overall, the eBay hard top looks great, but I think you need to explore whether there will be issues with fit, finish and wind noise before buying one.

Good luck.

[Outkasted]

Thanks for your well thought out response. I have the same concerns about the top. I have decided to stick with my OEM top because of the quality and durability. I am still looking for something that makes it better looking from the side view. I removed my convertible top because I didn’t use it ever. Guess I just need to get used to the oem hardtop look. I also posted this to see if anyone else had seen it that maybe lived near the seller.

[KevinH1990]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

I also posted this to see if anyone else had seen it that maybe lived near the seller.

It would be great if someone (other than the seller) had experience with the top. I would be reluctant to spend that much money on something that I had not seen in person or had good reviews from an independent reviewer.

I didn't realize you already had an OEM hard top. I must have missed that. Other than the somewhat odd appearance, it sounds like you agree the OEM top is a well-crafted component.

[Outkasted]

It is well crafted, I just wish they made it a bit sleeker/stylish.

[Deserion]

The D Morris hardtop for the aircooled 911s make them look almost like coupes. This one… not their best effort for styling, IMO.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

It is well crafted, I just wish they made it a bit sleeker/stylish.

Have you considered selling your 986... taking the ~$3K you considered spending on the eBay top... and simply buying a more sleeker/stylish car?

[Outkasted]

Starter986, I have way to much time and energy into my Boxster to do that right now, Maybe down the road. Plus I was only referring to the hardtop not the whole car.

[KevinH1990]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

It is well crafted, I just wish they made it a bit sleeker/stylish.

I agree that Porsche could have put more work into the design. From this angle it looks pretty good.



From the side, it looks like it is truncated.

I haven't considered an aftermarket hard top because I use mine for less than 4 months per year and I expect that the fit and finish of an aftermarket product would not be up to the same level as the OEM product.

I think the car looks best with the speedster humps installed.


I understand your comment about having too much invested in your Boxster to part with it. The 986's are not without flaws, but after you have worked on it and driven it for a while, it grows on you.

[The Radium King]

it appears to just be a z-top (zeintop) that has been modified to work without the hatch. if you look closely the fiberglass is rough where the buttresses were removed. also no interior shots so probably not finished yet - pics are of a prototype. 'd suggest.

ps, don't give any time to the morons who say just buy a new car. when i got my z-top there were a thousand fools who said "why don't you just get a cayman". basic math fails most people these days.

[Outkasted]

LOL, that is a good point on the basic math part. Kevin, the front quarter view is good like you said. The side view is the part that is lacking. I think I will just get used to the oem top until I find another solution that is quality or fork out the 5k for the D morris option.

[MasterDesigner]

I have a 911 style hardtop in my 99 like the one on ebay, but I'm not un-biassed as my dad designed it before passing, he invested a few years in designing it and producing the first molds, his vision was eliminating the non-porsche slant shape of the original convertible top and original hardtop.
Basically he designed in the computer and created a sliced frame with a cnc machine then hand shaped the buck until he was happy with the shape. he wanted to keep the original trunk but still achieve the look of the general shape of a 911 and other porches iconic side shape and rear side windows, he did not like the shape of the cayman look alike rear side windows.

The fiberglass is hand-laid 3-5 layers and it is unfinished in the inside (mine is still like that but I will uphoslter the inside soon when I get some time to get to it but I have seen how they do it and is a simple task as they glue a headliner made of foam and vinyl or alcantara-like material.

It is very quiet with no wind noise and no water issues, it really changes the driving experience as it feels like a coupe, at the beginning it had some noises from the seals squeaking over ramps and bumps but I solved that by applying some silicon lubricant on the seals and adjusting the latch a little.

I can remove it in 3 minutes by un-latching it and removing two bolts, the rear window and side windows are lexan with a uv coating so they are crystal clear and wont yellow or degrade and the entire top is only about 40 lbs, the only problem with polycarbonate is you have to wash it very wet as it will scratch easy if you wipe it when dry.

In my car the side windows use the get stuck on the top when opening the doors due to stretched cables as the windows were not dropping enough to drop the glass to clear, with this hardtop the issue went away as they seal nicely regardless.

The fiberglass is good insulator and thick enough that is very quiet and the ac and heat do a great job, I guess it will be even better once I install the headliner.

I had to get it sanded prepped and painted to match the car, the finish is good but still needs work as any top would I guess

I like it a lot as it changed the entire feel and look of the car but again there is sentimental attachment to it.

The people producing it do a good job and they said they can do a discount to members of the forum if interested, they have been selling these mostly to buyers in Europe they are close by to me in South Texas

any other questions please ask.

[Outkasted]

Can you post a few pics of your top?

[MasterDesigner]

Originally Posted by Outkasted

Can you post a few pics of your top?

Sure, will take some

[BRAN]

Design wise, this would be my all-time favourite hardtop...
https://986forum.com/forums/boxster-racing-forum/44139-new-boxster-hard-top-prototype.html

[MasterDesigner]

[78F350]

Nice top.

Along with the race car top by Eric523, this thread reminded me of the top stelan was developing.
https://986forum.com/forums/boxster-general-discussions/60747-stelan-986-targa-project-rendering.html

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

it appears to just be a z-top (zeintop) that has been modified to work without the hatch. if you look closely the fiberglass is rough where the buttresses were removed. also no interior shots so probably not finished yet - pics are of a prototype. 'd suggest.

ps, don't give any time to the morons who say just buy a new car. when i got my z-top there were a thousand fools who said "why don't you just get a cayman". basic math fails most people these days.

I believe I've seen a couple of those "couldn't afford a Cayman" cars on the road.

[Outkasted]

Master designer are you the eBay seller? Your pics look a lot like the ones on eBay and your description of how it comes off is the basically the same as the seller sent me.