What do you think...

[Mark_T]

Whether you do the top yourself or not should depend on your own assessment of your mechanical aptitude. If your only tools are a shoe heel and a butter knife then leave it to the pro's. However, if you've been comfortable with doing water pumps, brakes, plugs, etc., then the job, while not easy, shouldn't be overly challenging. Have a friend around for the parts where an extra set of hands are needed. Allow two days, even though you should only need one. Print out Mike Focke's tutorial as it is the best one out there. It wouldn't hurt to have the Pelican guide and maybe the Bentley book handy, but Mike's guide is really all you need and it's better than those other two put together. I'm sure you can find a use for the $800 you'll save.

Bala's advice about the rivets is right on. Order a new pair of sliders and some extra rivets ahead of time. You will likely need them and you don't want to put the job on hold with it all apart while you wait for the parts you need to come in.

[MileHighBoxster]

For me it depends on what your time is worth more than your abilities. I am extremely busy and demand near perfection. It's worth it to me to have someone do it who is a professional and knows what they are doing - and having it done right the first time - more than whether I can do it myself. I've also seen what seems to be about 50% of DIY'ers have wind and/or water leaks from tops that aren't perfectly installed. If you're going for the less expensive top, pay an installer. Unless, of course, you have a lot more time than I do.