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

Chills · 03-07-2007, 10:27 AM

Since I'm new to the whole convertible thing I was wondering why I see so many comments about having a hard top in the winter. Why? Is it because of the snow loads? Is it because of the insulation? Is it to keep the road salt off of the canvas? I don't have a hard top and I don't see why someone would buy one for the winter.

I live in a Chicago suburb and as most of you know we got a good amount of snow this year, but I've never had a problem with too much snow on my top. It can't be because of the cold outside because I've driven in -4 degree weather and the car feels fine on the inside when the heat is on. As for the road salt, well I don't drive it when there's salt out there, so I don't know about this.

So why is it deemed necessary to have a hard top for the winter?

(BTW, djomlas's picture thread got me thinking about this. He made a comment about there being snow on the ground so he'll keep his hard top on.)

Perfectlap · 03-07-2007, 10:33 AM

well its well worth the money. Siginificantly quieter, saves the expensive soft top from aditional wear, improves the ride and performance with more rigidity
and you can sell the top for equal to what you paid for it most of the time. Its like driving a completely different car in my opinion.
Its a win win.

Chills · 03-07-2007, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

well its well worth the money. Siginificantly quieter, saves the expensive soft top from aditional wear, improves the ride and performance with more rigidity
and you can sell the top for equal to what you paid for it most of the time. Its like driving a completely different car in my opinion.
Its a win win.

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?

FrayAdjacent · 03-07-2007, 10:54 AM

I don't think the hardtop being used has much to do with 'load' from the elements... the soft top is pretty sturdy, and can probably take some good weight.

I'd think it's more for insulation, improved rear visibility due to the larger window (this could be good since you'll more than likely have the top up anyway during the long winter months of inclement weather), and it also saves the top from wear from the elements.

The functional reasons are probably not all that great, but I'm sure it's a nice thing to have. I might try to find a hard top sometime, since my car is my daily driver.... although it's kinda harder to justify down here, as we do get some nice weather over the winter months.

Chills · 03-07-2007, 11:01 AM

The larger rear window I guess I can understand, but is that so imporatant to require a hard top in the winter?

I'm wanting djomlas to see this so he can chime in on why it is important to have his hard top on during the winter.

super66 · 03-07-2007, 11:15 AM

it really is just not that important.....this is my third convertible and I have never had a hardtop for any of them...my brother doesn't have one on his roadster, I think they are pretty pointless.....

as to improved ride performance and rigidity.....I don't know if that's a benefit in the winter....I think you said it best, the cabin warms up just fine....

I wonder the same thing when people say get snow tires and a hardtop when someone says they are thinking about driving it in the winter, snow tires yes....hardtop, save the money....

Chills · 03-07-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by super66

it really is just not that important.....this is my third convertible and I have never had a hardtop for any of them...my brother doesn't have one on his roadster, I think they are pretty pointless.....

as to improved ride performance and rigidity.....I don't know if that's a benefit in the winter....I think you said it best, the cabin warms up just fine....

I wonder the same thing when people say get snow tires and a hardtop when someone says they are thinking about driving it in the winter, snow tires yes....hardtop, save the money....

EXACTLY!!!! The snow tires I can see, but why is a hardtop so necessary?

986 Girl · 03-07-2007, 11:32 AM

I store mine in the winter, but I always just assumed that extreme cold could take a toll on the plastic window, even if you aren't putting it up and down. I could be wrong though?

Chills · 03-07-2007, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986 Girl

I store mine in the winter, but I always just assumed that extreme cold could take a toll on the plastic window, even if you aren't putting it up and down. I could be wrong though?

The only problem I've had with my plastic windown was when my dumb-ass put it down when it was about 30 degrees in my garage. That caused a small tear on the edge (there's a thread about it). Other than that my window held up great in the winter.

Hmmm.... still puzzled over this.

BTW, 986 Girl, I would store my Box in the winter too if I lived in Rochester. You have had massive amounts of snow this year. Every morning I send alerts to passengers flying out of Rochester Airport due to deicing I think to myself, "glad I don't live there."

986 Girl · 03-07-2007, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chills

BTW, 986 Girl, I would store my Box in the winter too if I lived in Rochester. You have had massive amounts of snow this year. Every morning I send alerts to passengers flying out of Rochester Airport due to deicing I think to myself, "glad I don't live there."

This is my first real winter ever... for some god awful reason I moved here from Southern California... but I plan to move back there at the end of this summer, if all goes as planned, then I don't have to worry about this anymore!

Grizzly · 03-07-2007, 11:47 AM

My hardtop is still hanging on the wall. I didn't put it on this winter.

However, if it's cold and there's no possibility that you're going to be putting the top down anytime soon, why not install the hardtop? It's quieter, warmer and offers better visibility. Your stereo sounds better and there's no possibility that you'll crack your rear window by putting the top down at 30 degrees.

porsche986spyder · 03-07-2007, 12:22 PM

I think the hardtop is more for looks than anything else. The softtop seems to still keep the interior warm enough for me. As for the coment about the rear plastic window cracking in the winter, I would have to agree. It does tend to get harder when it's cold and more elastic and soft when it heats up in the summer making it more flexable and less likely to crimp in on itself when you lower the top. I would also preffer a hard top if I was racing and my car flipped over. I don't trust any kind of role bar to save my head from being crushed. I think it's also a good deterant for thieves. I plastic window is allot easier to cut and get into from the rear than a glass hard top would be. So there are pros and cons for having one as an option. I know if my car wasn't always in a garage I would want a hard top on it, while outside all day. To many of my past cars have been broken into.

CJ_Boxster · 03-07-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986 Girl

This is my first real winter ever... for some god awful reason I moved here from Southern California... but I plan to move back there at the end of this summer, if all goes as planned, then I don't have to worry about this anymore!

well atleast when you decide to move back, you have something look forward too like the light skin and freckles fading away into a yellowish bronzeish tan.

Perfectlap · 03-07-2007, 12:36 PM

this is my second roadster, I skipped hardtops in the begining since I only drive on the weekends. Once I got one I kicked myself for not doing it sooner. Drive a car with the hardtop and you will see right away that the car is better in all driving aspects with a proper roof on it.
Its not so much the weather but the fact that since you won't really be lowering the top for months and months, there is no point in compromising the structure of the car. No matter how well designed a roadster is, the abscence of a roof comes at a cost. Cowl shake and turbulence over rough roads, less rigidity in cornering, more noise, aerodynamics etc..
For a mere $1500 your car essentially becomes a true sports coupe in a five minutes, ideal when top down driving isn't in the cards for a big chunk of the year.

The flurry of retractable hard tops like in the VW EOS, Miata and BMW 3 series tries to bring together the best of both worlds but the extra weight seems to affect most of them. Its really not perfected in any roadster yet.

philpots · 03-07-2007, 12:38 PM

When I order my new box I will get a hard top ... not for the winter which we do get here in Ont but purely from an aesthetic POV.

Before the Cayman was released, the early spy photos of the hardtop box was that of a notchback, not a hatchback as the Cayman turned out to be.

Hardtop is the only way to turn my box to notchback Cayman.

Bottom line - you either like the looks of it or you don't.

David_J · 03-07-2007, 01:08 PM

Some track events won't allow a car without a hardtop to participate. That is one of the reasons I got mine. I also like the looks of the hardtop. For those of us that have a pre-2003, having a glass back window with defroster is a plus. We get lots of rain during the winter time and I have used my rear defroster on a number of occasions. I just pulled mine off the other day when it was nice out. Now it's raining and I have the soft top up. The hardtop does not squeek like the soft top does. Since we will have rain for the next week or so, the hardtop is going back on. It's lightweight and only takes a minute to put on.

-David

tholyoak · 03-07-2007, 01:38 PM

The hardtop isn't a necessity, but if your car is a daily driver like mine, the hardtop is certainly nice in the winter. The main reason, a rear defroster.

The hardtop is nice for the previously mentioned sound deadening and keeping the salt stains off of the fabric but I think the rear defrost is the real reason for me. With 3.6L and over 325 hp you like to see who you just passed, even in the winter

Todd

porsche986spyder · 03-07-2007, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_J

Some track events won't allow a car without a hardtop to participate. That is one of the reasons I got mine. I also like the looks of the hardtop. For those of us that have a pre-2003, having a glass back window with defroster is a plus. We get lots of rain during the winter time and I have used my rear defroster on a number of occasions. I just pulled mine off the other day when it was nice out. Now it's raining and I have the soft top up. The hardtop does not squeek like the soft top does. Since we will have rain for the next week or so, the hardtop is going back on. It's lightweight and only takes a minute to put on.

-David

Just wondering, how much do they weigh anyway? Can one person do it without any help if he is carefull?

husker boxster · 03-07-2007, 01:49 PM

Pardon my ignorance, but I have never seen a Box with a HT in person. I'm assuming the cloth top is lowered so the HT can be put in place. For us poor souls who have plastic rear windows, doesn't the cold cause problems with a folded window? At the least I would think it puts a nasty curve / crease in the window and at worse cracks it? I'm sure this isn't an issue with those of you who live in warm weather all year long or only take your cars out in nice weather. But for those of us who live in the cold and drive our Boxsters everyday, sitting in the cold while we are making our livings can't be good for the rear window.

What say ye?

David_J · 03-07-2007, 01:50 PM

They weigh about 50 lbs. Taking them off by yourself it not horrible, but can be done. I have done it several times. Getting it back on is a little easier with 2 people as you are laying it down, instead of pulling it off. You just have to be a little more careful when putting it back on not to drop it or scratch your car. I just ask my wife for a minute of her time and it's back on in no time. I've considered the hoists that they sell, but have not yet needed it.

-David