Boxster 986 facelift soft top on non facelift

[Horsebalalaika]

Hi,

I own a 2000 Boxster and I just upgraded from the pre-facelift soft top to a glass facelift, and I have an issue.

The soft top does not fully fold in when converting the car, I tried adjusting everything from the cables to align the 2 sides, to the mounting arms, and the left side is still not fully closing (about 1-2cm short).

As a test I've removed the carpet that covers the engine access and the soft top closed correctly, so it looks like the glass makes the top a bit thicker, just enough that it doesn't have enough space to fold completely in.

Did anyone else encounter this issue after making the upgrade? Maybe I'm missing something, I don't want to end up removing the carpet so the top closes fully. I've seen a lot of posts about upgrading the soft top to glass, but nobody seemed to mention this.

Thanks!

[KevinH1990]

I made the same swap several years ago. When the top is open, my clamshell cover did seem to sit a bit high on the driver's side. I haven't looked at it closely lately, but it seems like over time the top has settled a bit.

I will probably drive with the top down tomorrow. I will take a photo and post it.

[Horsebalalaika]

Thanks a bunch! I forgot to mention that I put some soundproofing foam over the engine latch thingy. The old top closed correctly with it though, and I don't think it's thick enough to make a difference but I thought I'd mention it. I did that because the previous owner put on an exhaust that drones to hell and back and I don't have the money to change it now, to try and reduce some of the noise.

[Jgkram]

I replaced my top a couple of years ago with the glass panel and it was definitely more “full” under the clamshell but it still closed. Even now the motor seems to work a little harder to close but it will. Could be the added soundproofing or a possible adjustment is causing your issue.

[KevinH1990]

I have attached some photos of the metal tonneau cover/clamshell. There is a small gap when the top is open. It seems more pronounced on the driver's side than on the passenger side.

I'm wondering whether a cable or some other component needs adjustment. I'm reluctant to start making changes without a clear understanding of the source of the misalignment. I would like the clamshell to close properly, but I don't want to make the situation worse.

Clamshell with top closed:



Driver's Side with top open:





Passenger Side"

[Horsebalalaika]

Thank you for the suggestion Jgkram, sadly removing the soundproofing didn't fix this, driver side still doesn't close fully. Kevin, I tried adjusting the top 2-3 times now and I am starting to think maybe the facelift Boxster has a thinner foam/ carpet bottom that sits on top of the engine access. I will research to see if the product code differs and get back if I find anything. I don't think any sort of adjustment would fix it.