" Permanent " soft top removal

[RMD]

since my 2000 Boxster S is now and in the future a weekend / sunny day car for point A to point A driving , I am planning to unbolt the entire top and frame and storing it until I sell the car in the future ...will the " open pit " it leaves behind be entirely concealed by the optional factory Speedster humps ?
I assume these humps and their spin lock fastening sytem do not require the soft top or its frame to " sit on " ...correct ?

TIA

[BoxsterSteve]

Originally Posted by RMD

since my 2000 Boxster S is now and in the future a weekend / sunny day car for point A to point A driving , I am planning to unbolt the entire top and frame and storing it until I sell the car in the future ...will the " open pit " it leaves behind be entirely concealed by the optional factory Speedster humps ?
I assume these humps and their spin lock fastening sytem do not require the soft top or its frame to " sit on " ...correct ?

TIA

Speedster humps hide the roof completely.
You won't see where your top used to be. They Velcro to the bottom tube of the roll bar as well as slotting onto the clamshell and using the spin locksmith the outside corners.

[RMD]

thanks for the info

I have decided to do something else instead :

1) undo the six bolts and 4 screws and simply lift out the entire canvas and frame cartridge , not affecting its pre-adjusted alignment at all for its eventual reinstallation when eventually selling the car

2) custom fabricate a flat lightweight panel that would slot into the clamshell edge at the rear like the OEM humps and attach via four equally spaced velco belts through the roll hoop crossbar in the front , covered with the same black German canvas material as the oem soft top ...basically something that is the dimensions/ location / stealthy look of the exposed part of the stowed OEM canvas top.

Should be very inexpensive AND more importantly for me, wont invite thieves when parked , as there is no market for it, as opposed to the unpreventable -from-being -easily -stolen and resold speedster humps which can be spotted a mile away by the same guys who steal and resell the three windblock screens all the time by slashing the vinyl rear window.

[crooster]

I can't quite follow the motivation for doing this. If you are just leaving the roof down all the time, the wear and tear should be pretty minimal. And at least then you do have the roof if caught out in a sudden rain, or when you want to lock the car up outside.

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by crooster

I can't quite follow the motivation for doing this. If you are just leaving the roof down all the time, the wear and tear should be pretty minimal. And at least then you do have the roof if caught out in a sudden rain, or when you want to lock the car up outside.

+1. Why ? Just leave the top down!

[healthservices]

Originally Posted by crooster

I can't quite follow the motivation for doing this. If you are just leaving the roof down all the time, the wear and tear should be pretty minimal. And at least then you do have the roof if caught out in a sudden rain, or when you want to lock the car up outside.

Lighter weight, Sometimes its just easier to remove weight to get a better horsepower to weight figure.

Too bad you don't live down south I have a project set of humps that were bolted to a autocross car. I've been debating on selling

[Joe B]

Originally Posted by healthservices

Lighter weight, Sometimes its just easier to remove weight to get a better horsepower to weight figure.

Too bad you don't live down south I have a project set of humps that were bolted to a autocross car. I've been debating on selling

I'm aware it would make the car lighter, but how much lighter than removing the top, then adding back the weight of the speed humps? Is he going to remove the spare tire? At any rate he's not going to race the car. Seems like a lot of work for questionable benefit. Oh well, whatever blows your hair back .

[flaps10]

Removing weight can have amazing results. Back in college when I was hopping up a VW bug I stripped off bumpers, running boards and all the seats but mine. The car accelerated better, cornered better and stopped better. Those last two results never come when you just boost horsepower.

Incidentally it is something Porsche exploits from time to time

With airplane design there is a saying "Sweat the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves".

I've pondered something similar, but more extensive to my car. The A/C system is hideously heavy and the condensers block airflow to the radiator (they certainly don't help, other than possibly serving as expensive stone guards).

Toss the A/C system for probably 40+ pounds, then remove: Old sound insulation, the top, the stereo and speakers.

Install lightweight exhaust, wheels and tires, smaller battery, lightweight seats.

Basically RS the crap out of it. You could call it, oh I don't know: A sports car. If I want civilized I'll climb in the Touareg.

[RMD]

Originally Posted by crooster

I can't quite follow the motivation for doing this. If you are just leaving the roof down all the time, the wear and tear should be pretty minimal. And at least then you do have the roof if caught out in a sudden rain, or when you want to lock the car up outside.

The car , a 2000 Boxster S has never seen rain or the threat of it in 16 years and 25,000 total miles and I have not driven the car once with the top up in years .....I dont live in an area that gets pop up thunder storms out of nowhere like you have .

I have already lightened the car by 109 lbs and this would take off another easy 50 lbs...plus since I weigh only 120 lbs ...the drive will feel even nimbler

In worst case scenario, I have a severe weather car cover but have never unwrapped it.

I have not driven it anywhere except to stop for lunch in a remote scenic destination where my eye is on it , for years, so it has never been locked with the top put up..just windows up and the red clip in place to activate motion...but the interior is stripped of any items in door pockets or console , has front console delete , no speakers or radio, no screens or rear shelf, etc...so there is nothing to even " grab and run " ! It hasnt even been driven at night so the xenon bulbs are like new , lol.

Will remove AC soon...another 40 lbs, as I have only turned that on once a year the past 15 years to keep the compressor from seizing up ...no need for it here where I live when avg summer temp is 75-80 and no humidity and zero commute style stop and go driving ... It is mostly used to zip winding coastal roads between my home and the Pacific Coast minutes away

I have 5 cars ...this is just an OCD " cleverness " project to please no one but myself , as this is the last new " analog " sports car I will ever be able to buy ... It has e -throttle and ABS ..that's it ...the rest is up to me .

The car looks newer than new per the same sales guy who sold it to me way back when . I have much newer " heavy " digital sports cars full of computer chips managing scores of " driving hero " solenoids etc in the garage that come and go.

[aczyzewski]

I yanked the sun visors. No weight gain, but a nod to the early, spirited speedsters.

[mikefocke]

Why add the Humps weight if you are lightening the car? Won't the Clamshell cover the gap made by the top removal?

[RMD]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

Won't the Clamshell cover the gap made by the top removal?

Uhh..per my follow up post above , I am ditching the plan to use theft prone humps for a simple flat custom made cover .

You must have a special one -off " superextended " clamshell as mine is like the usual soft top -exposing one like in this stock pic , where the gap - actually more like a deep well -would be sans the soft top .

http://rennlist.com/forums/attachments/vehicle-marketplace/708668d1362437435-2000-porsche-boxster-s-6sp-74k-triple-row-ims-replacement-img_0929.jpg

[ilikeching]

Originally Posted by RMD

.

Will remove AC soon...another 40 lbs, as I have only turned that on once a year the past 15 years to keep the compressor from seizing up ...no need for it here where I live when avg summer temp is 75-80 and no humidity and zero commute style stop and go driving ... It is mostly used to zip winding coastal roads between my home and the Pacific Coast minutes away

Can you do a full writeup about removal, pics or vid, interested, I don't need AC too.....

[amitmishra4]

Interesting project - I couldn't get away with it living on the East Coast, not where I am at least, but if I did, I would get something like this - http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/58061-clear-engine-cover-made.html

Good luck!

[healthservices]

Surprisingly the engine gets dirty fast. Really fast

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Rob175]

Hey...here's another idea....STOP EATING and lose weight....and while you're at it remove the passenger seat too, since anyone sitting next to the driver will also add weight.

Sorry but this whole thread is laughable. Not sure why removing weight is such an obsession with the original poster.

[ilikeching]

Originally Posted by Rob175

Hey...here's another idea....STOP EATING and lose weight....and while you're at it remove the passenger seat too, since anyone sitting next to the driver will also add weight.

Sorry but this whole thread is laughable. Not sure why removing weight is such an obsession with the original poster.

Each car owner can do what ever they want with their vehicle, it's their car, and some
may share same interest here about styling, color, engine etc etc..... if all Boxster here are OEM, boooring....
I'm here for the interest of the car, reading and learning and get some tips.

[itsnotanova]

Originally Posted by ilikeching

Each car owner can do what ever they want with their vehicle, it's their car, and some
may share same interest here about styling, color, engine etc etc..... if all Boxster here are OEM, boooring....
I'm here for the interest of the car, reading and learning and get some tips.

I agree 100%!
If I lived in a climate where it didn't rain, I too would consider loosing the top. I'm personally thinking about stripping all the trunk carpeting, foam on the interior carpeting and removing the top transmissions/motor on mine. Free horsepower!

[fusionist]

I have a 66 Triumph Spitfire that is stripped down like this without any top or side windows, and it totally changes how the car feels in your mind.

It's no longer a convertible, it's a open track car, or even a go cart. I say go for it… and enjoy!