Here's the guide I followed when installing my hard top:
http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10440
The article tells you how to install spin locks. These are the devices you need to secure the top to the car.
Tops from 97-2004 models are interchangeable. I have been told that tops from the 97 models are prone to squeaks, but I have no personal experience with that.
My top is from a 98 and it has "ears" at the point where the top curves around to meet the back of the door windows. They are plastic covers that hide the attachment points for the optional roof rack. The ears look a little goofy, but they don't affect the fit or function of the top. Here are some pictures of the top on my car.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/IMG_1342.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/IMG_1341.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n161/KevinH1990/IMG_1340.jpg
I think a good paint job would cost between $200 and $500 depending on labor costs in your area and quality of the job. Your painter may ask to remove some of the trim which will need to be replaced. If you go that route, it will increase your cost. (I don't know how vital it is for the trim to be removed. I was lucky enough to find a top in the color I needed.) Ask to see some of your painter's finished work and talk to friends and neighbors to obtain references. There was a post on this board a few weeks ago describing a poorly painted top.
That is interesting that you could find a top that has never been installed or painted. I thought the tops came painted from the factory, but I could be wrong. There was a company that made fiberglass hard tops based on the Boxster OEM top. OEM tops are made of aluminum, so it is easy to tell the difference.
Good luck.
__________________
2000 Arctic Silver/Black, Hard Top, On Board Computer
PNP Rear Speakers, HAES 6-Channel Amp, Avic Z140BH,
Painted Bumperettes, 2004 (OEM) Top, Homelink integrated in dash with Targa switch, 997 Shifter, Carrera Gauge Cluster with silver gauge faces, heated 12-way driver & 8-way passenger seats, Litronics, silver console
Last edited by KevinH1990; 11-07-2009 at 02:08 PM.
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