why a hard top in the winter? - Page 2 - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Thumper · 03-07-2007, 01:55 PM

They weigh around 80+ lbs.

When I bought my '01 (used), the salesman had the hardtop brought out at the last minute because the used car manager at the dealership had been storing it in his office and was glad to be rid of it. I had cut the deal thinking that it didn't come with a hardtop.

I drove around for the first couple of months with the hardtop on and actually enjoyed driving my boxster more with it on, than without it. But then came spring time and I took it off and for some reason have never put it back on. It doesn't get that cold here in Dallas, so I've never got around to putting it back on, 'cause if I do, I may leave it on for a while.

I like the looks of it, but it is a bit of a hassle taking it on and off without some assistance. I can pick it up and hang it on the wall by myself, but it's a precarious endeavor to say the least.

KevinH1990 · 03-07-2007, 02:36 PM

The hard top isn't a necessity, but it has its practical benefits as others have already noted.

If you can find a used one at a good price it will be like having two different cars - a roadster in the summer and a coupe in the winter - for less that $1000. If you find you aren't using it, the resale market for hard tops is pretty strong.

Personally, I like the look with the hard top on.

ddb · 03-07-2007, 02:52 PM

Perfectlap and DavidJ,

I didn't know you guys had hardtops. Any pics?

As a relatively new hardtop owner, I love it! It really does change the character of the car, and can be reversed very quickly which is great.

ddb

David_J · 03-07-2007, 04:52 PM

Here you go.

-David

Paul · 03-07-2007, 05:49 PM

Two reasons for me:

You can't scrape ice off of a plastic window. The defogger in the hardtop window works great.

I have no issue driving my car through a touchless car wash in the middle of the winter when I have the hardtop installed.

jci-joe · 03-07-2007, 06:44 PM

Here is a pic of the wall storage unit that came with mine. It makes summer storage much easier and does not take up garage space. I loved having the hardtop on during the winter as it makes me feel like a new car here in the spring.

djomlas · 03-07-2007, 08:18 PM

as all said, its nice to have a BIG rear heated window, its MUCH quiter inside the cabin, when driving in winter and parking the car, it doesnt get cold inside as fast as it would if you had the ragtop on, and put simply, car looks sexy as hell w a hardtop, bo be honest the cloth one looks ugly, but does what it should.
so i plan on either having a hardtop on, or no top at all...well at least most of the time couse i know ther will be those tandom rains, color, or whatever..

kelly1005 · 03-07-2007, 08:59 PM

I wouldn't buy the boxster without the hard top mostly just because I like the look of them either top down, or with the hard top on. Don't like the look of the soft top up but that's just me. I also like the extra sound reduction with the hard top, and if I lived in snow country and actually drove the boxster, I would want to be able to scrape windows and not have to worry about the plastic or caring for the top fabric during the cold months.

Another reason to have a hard top is that people like cutting soft tops to take a peek inside your ride. I've had two tops cut open, one on a miata, one on a wrangler, but nothing stolen (because I don't leave anything of value in the car). What was even lamer was that the damn jeep wasn't even locked at the time, the 'tard just cut it open anyway.

1JB · 03-08-2007, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chills

But you didn't mention anything specific for the winter.

And if a Boxster owner wants to save on wear and tear on the canvas and have a better ride, why not buy a Cayman?

I'm assuming you don't mean buy a Cayman for winter driving and a Boxster for summer driving but a Cayman instead of a Boxster.

I didn't buy a Cayman because I wanted a convertible so buying a Cayman instead of a Boxster wasn't an option to save wear and tear on the rag top. The hard top is however an option on the Boxster to save substantial wear and tear on the rag top from snow, salt and grit in the winter. Compare any ragtop driven throughout the winter with one that had a hard top and you will notice a substantial difference in wear. You also get a lot more crud in all of the spaces between the rag top and the body that you don't get with the hard top on in the winter.

Outside of the the Cayman forums there are a lot of people who don't think the Cayman provides a "better" ride than the Boxster for the very reason that the Cayman is more rigid. Throw in the trunk thump and change in air pressure created when the Cayman goes over bumps and the Cayman can be unsettling for some. I never really noticed that much difference between the handling and feel of the Cayman and Boxster but have been disparaged as a complete idiot with no sense of how a car handles for expressing that opinion. Maybe there is a difference though because many of those who claim to want the additional rigidity of the Cayman also opt for PASM to overcome the harshness of the ride. Particularly if they add 19" rims.

In short, I think you'll find an awful lot of people who think the Boxster provides a better ride because it is less rigid than the Cayman. Throw in the added benefits of a roadster in the summer and a hardtop in winter thereby extending the life of the ragtop and many people conclude that the Cayman offers less, not more.

Chills · 03-08-2007, 05:47 AM

1JB, that is what I was looking for. Now I completely understand why someone would want a hardtop for the winter. Very good explanation.

And yes, I meant a Cayman instead of a Boxster all together. My first thought is if people like hardtops so much, why did they buy a convertible? Your post explains it well.

I didn't know soft tops took so much abuse during the winter. That would be the primary reason for me to get a hard top for the next winter. My Box isn't my daily driver, but I do like to take it out as often as I can.

Thanks. Now I will start saving my pennies. I don't care for the look of the OEM hard top and I'd like to get the one from ZEINTEC. Too bad it costs so damn much. lol

1JB · 03-08-2007, 06:20 AM

Chills - I like the Zeintec top as well but don't know if they have any fit issues. I'd lean toward the Porsche top. When you see it in person it looks pretty retro but I think you either like it or really hate it.

Chills · 03-08-2007, 06:25 AM

From the pictures I've seen I'm not really into the Porsche top, but I haven't seen one in person so my mind isn't made up yet. I might end up liking the look and buying an OEM one... it sure would save me a bunch of cash.

Has anyone used that hardtop hoist you can find on eBay? It looks like a good way to remove the top and keep it out of the way.

bringer666 · 03-08-2007, 11:40 AM

For people who live in climates where it gets very cold in the winter and you will be driving for months without ever a thought of putting the top down, then I can see a hardtop being a good idea. For me in British Columbia, however, the winter never really gets that bad and there are many times between November and April when it's reasonably warm (50-60°F) and sunny. I just couldn't bear the thought of having a hard top on my car on one of those days and not be able to drop the top. Also, since Halle sleeps in a nice garage every night and I don't take her out when there is actually any snow on the ground (or in the air), I don't think her convertible top gets any more wear than in the summer time.

As for aesthetics, each to his own. I think the convertible top looks pretty good especially compared to other drop tops.

RandallNeighbour · 03-08-2007, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

...saves the expensive soft top from aditional wear...

I don't know if this has been mentioned or not, but I bought a boxster that had a hard top on it long-term. It was a Utah car and probably had a hard top on it at least 4-5 months a year for three or four years straight.

What happend to my soft top was that the cables that run along the sides of the top by the windows stretched and all the elastic inside that pulls the top and window back as it retracts stretched as well.

Because of this, I have to stop raising the top and insure the sides of the top are in the plastic frame (not riding partially outside it), and I have to do a double chop, one for the window and one for the fold above the window.

It's a real pain in the butt. Anyone using a top long-term on their boxster will probably have similar problems and from what I have found, the best solution is to have the top replaced... even if the window is in pristine condition like mine is!

cfos · 03-08-2007, 12:58 PM

Have any 987 owners had issues with the hardtop as Randall has described? Obviously, we don't chop since it is a glass window, so... were there general upgrades in the pieces/parts of the 987 ragtop that make it more conduce to being in the down position with a hardtop on top? Or would people say there is no difference?

KevinH1990 · 03-08-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chills

Has anyone used that hardtop hoist you can find on eBay? It looks like a good way to remove the top and keep it out of the way.

I have an EZ-Top Hoist. It is a little pricey, but I paid only $610 for my hard top, so I felt like I could splurge a little on the hoist. It makes installation and removal a one-person job. It also keeps the hard top away from careless spouses and children.

I have a one car garage that my wife has claimed. If I had a spacious garage and someone to help me install and remove the top, I would have bought a wall rack and saved a few dollars.

vouvoune · 03-08-2007, 06:29 PM

KEVIN1990, where did you find such a good deal on the hardtop? I am looking for the exact same one as yours actually

so I would love a few tips!!!

KevinH1990 · 03-08-2007, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vouvoune

KEVIN1990, where did you find such a good deal on the hardtop? I am looking for the exact same one as yours actually

so I would love a few tips!!!

I bought it on eBay. The seller lived in South Carolina (about 300 miles away) and wouldn't ship it. The listing ended on July third (not exactly prime hard top weather) and the seller wanted it picked up by July 10th because he was moving.

I think I was lucky that I was looking at the right time and no one else could meet the tight pick up schedule. Also, I doubt too may people living in South Carolina and parts south were in the market.

I also bought hard tops for the two Miatas I owned. I checked eBay, Craigslist and the local paper. If I saw someone selling a car with a hard top, I would make an offer on the hard top alone. I had a few rejections, but eventually found willing sellers.

Before I had found the eBay top, I had located 4 other Arctic Silver hard tops that were possible deals. One was in California, but my college room mate lived nearby and was willing to crate it and ship it. Another was in DC (about 100 miles away from me), but it was damaged. The third was in Philadelphia (my brother was going to hold that one for me until I could get it.) The final one was in Virginia Beach, but it had started life red and had been repainted.

So, the tops are out there. Good luck finding one.

ehD · 03-08-2007, 10:47 PM

if 987's have glass window soft tops.. can these be installed on 986's?

KevinH1990 · 03-09-2007, 08:09 AM

The shape of the windows is different on a 987, so that is at least one point where it won't fit.

Search for threads on GAHH tops and Robbins. They make aftermarket glass window tops for the 986, and there have been quite a few healthy discussions about aftermarket tops.

Starting in 2003, the 986 also had a glass rear window. You could probably retrofit that top, but I believe you would also need the frame and some other components. It might be economically feasible if you could get what you need from a wrecked car.