You can spray the plexi with ice water if it starts to melt or overheat when your cutting. Keeping it cool helps keep the blade clear of melted acrylic. I found higher speed worked better (i was using a dremel). I left the wax paper on last time (helps stop scratches while your sliding it around to cut it.) I also tape the edge where I'm cutting.

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Oh the paint and body... I do not like body work; But I enjoy a good sharp paint and body car. But I DO NOT LIKE TO DO IT. Oh well do it mostly right and I should only have to do it once every 10 years or so.

Still got some wet sanding to do but for the most part pretty good.


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Wait...what...Z-ART Top?
JB...
JBeeeeeeeeeeee...look!


Did you get the full package, nuts, windows, seals, etc...?

Second hand top ;)

Dude who sold it to me didn't have the hatch struts though. :(


I'm about 100% certain I'm going to keep the stock rear deck lid and make some louvers for the engine cover.

Louvers?? Obviously not yet fitted. And I'll only be able to use them when I don't have the rear hatch on the car.



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Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. The louvers should give the Boxster a pretty aggressive look. :cheers:

the Z-TOP needs a ZWEITE ENTWICKLUNG in the first place :D
I could think of two versions:
a.) Hatch window needs to be cut (not a good idea) and its frame permanently attached to the top. Rear deck lid with small window needs to be separated...rain water still needs to be adressed :confused:
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b.) Keep the window size, attach it permanently to the top and build new hinges for the rear deck lid, that would slightly move it around the window, when opened. Rain water still needs to be adressed :confused:
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plan b would be interesting although the window would reach into the accessible trunk space.

haha.. I understand the confusion.

I'm not using the supplied hatch when I use the louvers. I might use the hatch sometimes.

The factory stock rear trunk lid fits with the top in place. That's what I'm gonna use when I don't want the rear hatch.

I do plan on making a flat bar "hatch" to support the louvers that will bolt to the existing hinge that the Z-top uses.


Rain water. I'm making a bulkhead that separates me from the engine and the rear of the car. That will permanently make this car a coupe; one step shy of just glassing the top to the body. So the only rainwater is gonna be that which hits the engine. Using the supplied hatch will eliminate this all together and using louvers will mitigate it.

Yeah, Louvers kinda mess up the lines, but it does show off the engine.

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The hatch looks smoother. Probably gonna be a 50/50 split. sometimes on sometimes not.

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Oh man the wire fish. I was not looking forward to this. Fortunately, someone left a wire in the tube; so I just had to pull it through. :D

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ALSO, in a double whammy post. I had to replace the lights; the old ones burned out. I just used some LED stick on lights. Actually came out pretty perfect.

Here we go... The rear bulkhead is getting mocked up right nice.

I think I'm gonna use some of that angle iron with holes in it to make the face detachable for service. But time will tell which is the best way to do it.

Fortunately cause the hood that came with the car was trash I've got tons of spare steel to make this thing out of. and its PURE steel from Finland.

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Paint is coming out pretty good, but its like fighting me every step of the way. I've had more problems with this paint job than all the other paint jobs I've ever done before collectively.


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Last bit of fab; I swear. :D

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^^^ I recycled the trash hood the car came with.

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^^^ Its just tacked up; I need to figure a better solution to NOT burning the carpet with slag. I need a fire blanket.

I guess that about does it for the welding... Now to get a little creative with the seam sealer.

Thanks for the tips on cutting the plexi. I didn't use ice water in a bottle. I froze some alcohol and put it in a spray bottle. That kept the blade cool I suppose. It cut nice and easy.


NOW just need to finish setting the plexi in its place with some u-bolts??? and this bulkhead will be done (mostly).

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So, finally done with the painting. Just a wee bit of polishing to do now. And maybe finally I'll get my block back from the machine shop.

Anyways here are some groady before pics. Trust me it looked worse in person. :D


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And here are the after images. Strait off the gun; haven't polished yet.


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Now it's official. I'm 100% sealed off from the back part of the car. Got weather stripping, welded in bolts, and all kinds of sealant. :D

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Dooooood...... so wicked cool! Loving the progress!

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I put some carpet up. Cut it to size and gave it a good washing. Now I just to glue it in place; oh boy contact cement time. :D

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Since all yall folks been talking about the rear aluminium transmission cover and how its structurally relevant. I figured I'll sub in this piece of square tubing since I can't use my trans cover. I think I'm gonna beef it up a wee bit by making some attachment points on the front of the subframes. Making the final shape a "K".


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:D the machine shop is on my engine now :D :D


I got my heads back. Lapping in some ole valves :D



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Holds alcohol head pressure... good enough for me. :D

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Good job! It`s interesting that the valves are not symetrically distributed.