Just Got a Hardtop - Need Adjustment Help - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

rick3000 · 07-06-2007, 08:43 AM

Hi,
I just got a hardtop on Wednesday. It was by freak chance the it is same color as my car. It looks great and has the unique ears. I will post pictures when we get back from our trip to pick up the top in Southern California. I need some help though. We are leaving to drive back on saturday and the hardtop has some adjustment problems.

It fits very well with no squeaks or anything. The only problem is that the passenger side doesn't not come up to the door enough to great an air tight seal around the door, so you get a lot of wind noise. The hardtop sits about an inch behind the door.
The only other problem is that the plastic trim on the drivers side is not glued or kept up by anything up so the visor keeps it from drooping.

I do not know if anything is broken, but if anything is broken I don't mind because at $900 the hardtop was a steal and I can spend a little to fix it.
Thanks in advance for the help!

- Rick

zackwatt · 07-06-2007, 10:08 AM

I've heard that the hardtops will "mold" over time to the first car they are on, much like a shoe. So with this theory, your top is "broken in". I'm not sure what you can do. Sry for the pointless reply.

KevinH1990 · 07-06-2007, 10:32 AM

Here's the advice I received on RennTech:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10070&hl=hard+top+adjustment

I had a very difficult time getting my hard top to fit on the car when I picked it up. Now, it fits nice and snug. I think it does mold to the car with time.

You might want to take the top off the car and then put it on with you and a helper pressing on the both sides of the rear while simultaneously turning the spin locks.

Good luck.

rick3000 · 07-06-2007, 07:19 PM

Thanks, there was some good info in that link I will be adjusting it for the trip home tomorrow so hopefully we can get a decent fit for now. Also, I heard that there is a plastic cap that fits on the clamp. I am not sure whether this hardtop has that perhaps someone could post a pic and the part number.

djomlas · 07-06-2007, 07:53 PM

i had a little problem with mine as well, passinger side.
turned out that the spinlock was not tuning all the way as you turn the lever, so in reality it wasnt locked in at all. now its fine with minor adjustment

rick3000 · 07-09-2007, 08:50 AM

I got the hardtop fit the best I could. There are no squeaks but I have a few questions.

On the passenger side the rubber seal does not fit up against the window. Can I adjust this?
There is also quiet a lot of wind noise, could it be due to the ears on the top and/or a poor window seal?

I will posting some pictures soon, I am not sure about a few things. For instance the windshield clamp has tape or something around it, and the trim on the drivers side is drooping.

Lastly, for winter uses does anyone have tips on folding the soft top for 6+ months.

KevinH1990 · 07-09-2007, 02:49 PM

For storing the hard top during winter, the instructions are in the owners manual. If you don't have a manual here's the procedure:

1. Make sure the top is clean and dry.
2. Place a piece of fleece over the window. (Porsche actually makes a "window felt" for this purpose, but a piece of fleece from a fabric shop works just as well.)
3. Open the top.
4. Install hard top.

The procedure for adjusting the window seal is in the RennTech link I posted earlier.

You can purchase a cover for the windshield header lock. I'll take a picture of mine and post it later. It's only about $8, so it is a worthwhile purchase.

fatmike · 02-26-2008, 08:44 AM

I'm seeking some help from forum members on how to adjust my hardtop.

I followed the instructions in the link (earlier in this thread), but I didn't make my top any better. I had my neighbor pushing, while I tightened those 5 bolts. There still seems to be too big of a gap between my top and the car in the rear. Also, there is a gap in the front.

Overall the hardtop just constantly rattles/thumps as you drive.

Has anyone adjusted their hardtop successfully? Any hints beyond what's in the attached link?

Thanks!

rick3000 · 02-26-2008, 12:02 PM

If you bought the hardtop used, it can take a while to, "settle," to your car. It took my top about two weeks. I would recommend having someone push both forward and down on the top, as you tighten the bolts, every few days for a while. That is what I did and my top now fits very well.
If could be more specific as to how large the gaps are and on which side they are on, we might be able to help you out more.

ddb · 02-26-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatmike

Has anyone adjusted their hardtop successfully?

I was able to get my top to fit nicely by having a couple of friends place force on it (after loosening all of the fasteners) while I locked it in position with a ratchet.

I think it is important to note that my top wasn't original to my car, but the fit was decent the first time I locked it down. I just had to do a minor fine tuning.

If my memory serves me correctly I think I've read in the past something about the tabs on the hardtop that align with the slots in the windshield header being broken or missing causing alignment problems. Be sure you have two tabs, one on each side of the center latch.

My top does squeak and rattle a bit, but does block out a lot of road noise. I've never attempted to eliminate the squeaks and rattles because they aren't that annoying to me.

Good luck,

ddb

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=17377&hl=hardtop+gap

rick3000 · 02-26-2008, 02:34 PM

^ Good Point! There are two tabs, one on each side, with a plastic cap on the end. If the caps come off (which is common) the top won't fit tightly. If that is the case, look here:

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=16366

and it will be the cheapest part you ever buy for your Boxster. I think there about $2 each from Sunset Imports.

I also get a few squeaks on bad roads, but on road trips and the freeway the hardtop drastically reduces wind noise.

fatmike · 02-26-2008, 06:26 PM

Thanks for the feedback. After I loosened all 10 of the bolts (5 per side), I had my neighbor pushing with all of his (considerable) weight while I tightened the 5 bolts on each side.

I also latched the front while we did this. I assume that is helpful. I had the pins in the spinlocks, but not turned tight. The plastic caps that Rick3000 mentioned are intact.

That said, I still have too big of a gap in the rear. I attached a picture of my car (BLACK) and DDB's car (WHITE). You can clearly see the difference in the size of the gap and the way the Hardtop sits on the car.

I'll keep working on it. Maybe let it sit for a week or two; then try it again.

Also, how "tight" should the levers be when you tighten them down into the spinlocks? Should take "some effort" or is it more like "wow, you really gotta push 'em down"?

rick3000 · 02-26-2008, 07:00 PM

You could try tightening the bolts with the levers latched, but I am not sure if that would do much.
Also, the levers should take some force, but it shouldn't be a lot. If you can't lock them comfortable then there is something wrong. Also, just a general rule, when the allen wrench your using to tighten the bolts can just barely fit between the body and top it is properly spaced.

(Yah! Post 800!

)

ddb · 02-27-2008, 02:14 PM

Mike,

I agree with what Rick said above. I'm not sure how much it will help, but I would definitely have the levers locked down while having someone press down (when tightening the 10 bolts).

Letting the top settle on your car may help as you and Rick have suggested.

It is hard to see in the picture, but is the gap equal from side to side? I'm just grasping, but wonder if the spinlocks are installed correctly. I know they are side specific. It does take a little effort to lock the side levers in place, but the force needed in your description doesn't sound normal to me.

Keep us informed of your progress.

ddb

fatmike · 02-28-2008, 09:52 AM

Thanks for the help. I made a second attempt to adjust it & I think it made a difference.

I also added some tape around the tabs in the front (where the hardtop inserts into the frame above the visors). I sprayed a small amount of silicon lubricant in that area, in the spinlocks and in the front center lock mechanism.

Overall, its much much quieter now. There is no more thumping and rattling -- but definitely still a little too much wind noise at speed on the highway. But I can work to adjust that out.

I'm 90% of the way there.

I'm just going to drive it like it is from here. I'll probably take the top off for the season within a few weeks anyway.

rick3000 · 02-28-2008, 09:57 AM

Glad to hear you got it adjusted!

90% is pretty good, the other 10% like we said will take time, as the top adjusts/molds.