Never seen this hardtop before
 

There was some WRL racing going on at COTA this weekend and I was there delivering parts when I spotted this hardtop. I can't remember ever seeing one like it before. They were busy replacing a transmission and didn't really have a good answer to how or where they got it. One guy thought it was from Europe and the other thought it was made from a 996 and 986 hardtop. It looked like it was built for the street and one guy pointed out how they had to modify the roof to get the rollcage to fit. Anyone seen one before?
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps8qa1bf1c.jpg

It's British, I've never seen a picture of one in the wild before:
Porsche Boxster Hardtop : Porsche 986 - Prosche 987

Love it!


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there's also this guy who is similar ...

Hardtop 986 - D. Moris Styling

Even better!

Nice, better lines than the factory top. I like the rear slope much better and it's not the full hatchback conversion of the Z-top. Cool stuff.

Looks pretty similar to this top...

Porsche Boxster Hardtop Construction : Porsche 986 - Prosche 987

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/...psxrlbve4y.jpg

Posting those links jogged my memory. I remember seeing those tops now. I like the D.Moris better but wish it had a smaller rear window like the one made in England. I like the lines better than the factory hardtop too. Wish we could get something similar over here. I also love the ducktail on the D.Moris

That D.Moris hard top is absolutely beautiful. I'd happily buy one of those.

In fact, I've just sent them an email.

nice, cost?
 

OH MY> Nice.... any ideas cost?
thx, matt

3D-printing revolution just started...the following one in carbon and I would be happy :D
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1422738787.jpg

Ive often wondered if a 996 hardtop could be made to fit, wonder how long it is? seeing the 996 has the extra lift up panel like a boxster the roof may fit and make that lift up panel adapt to the hardtop, swap the door windows and make some lexan ones to fit in the rear quarter window space, or if the roof is too long then make it incorporate a shorter trunk lid, just a thought

Last I heard those UK tops went for around $3k USD plus shipping from the UK. I think it's obvious why there are so few of them around.

A 996 top would be way too long, and they don't have the height/arch to clear the roll bar. Converting one would be more trouble than making one from scratch.

the roof height is actually much higher on a 996, I did a photochop with scale drawings and it is mighty close in length, if I could get one cheap I would certainly give it a go, they are steel arent they? nothing a grinder and a mig wouldnt fix haha

The hardtops are aluminum.
I would really recommend looking at a 986 and 996 hardtop side by side before you attempt to modify one. But if you do decide to go that route, please make sure to post pictures.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...psng02las1.jpg
986 and 996 hard tops

I've read of a few folks that made cayman-style hardtops for their boxsters and used the 996 hardtop as the base. one for sure was posted on this forum (I think the guy got blasted and left the forum pretty quick - said he used expanding foam to complete the mold and a bunch of folks that know nothing about working w fiberglass got on him for using - gasp - expanding foam on a Porsche). I think the fact that the 996 top is longer is a good thing as it extends further back and does a better job of covering the tonneau portion.

plonk it on a boxster shell woody if you have time, they look to be about 3 inches longer than the space the boxster has which would mean the trunk wouldnt open, also the base of the 996 hardtop would be a few inches higher than the boxster trunk,
so if you dropped the doors with the glass onto the boxster then plonked the roof on it ,
just be good to actually see it, I dont have any chance of even seeing a 996 hardtop where I live haha

I did a quick photo showing the distance from the bottom of the hardtop to the trunk on my Boxster. About 7 1/2 inches. Hope this is helpful.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1455570641.jpg

here's that custom top that used a 996 roof as a base ...

http://986forum.com/forums/boxsters-sale-wanted/50071-one-kind-porsche-%2420-000-a-2.html

Wow, that old thread was rough, car was nice, attitude wasn't, anyway, in terms of a hardtop this my
Tall order wishes:

Has to replace the covertible top not fit over to have low sexy lines
Has to be a targa so I get open top driving when I want
Should not have that ugly side window that tries to resemble a cayman one
Has to have an engine access hatch
Has to retain de OEM trunk lid and stop light
Has to be light and not to hard to install

Hopefuly soon.

Gee you dont want much haha only joking, we all want something different it seems,
my thoughts were if I was able to use parts of my old roof frame as it is beyond use as a soft top as some of the cross bars melted with the small fire (which wrote the car off)
form the shape with foam and fibreglass it up, then of course all the rest to finish to paint, some of the foam maybe left to shape the inner roof lining and give it strength,
I would want to use a window like the 911 side rear as the shape is more flowing, also the rear window, looking at other cars to see if something would fit the bill, maybe a small euro or jap hatchback could be a donor (ford fiesta early 2000?)
I would be wanting to remove as much of the roof mech as possibe and free up that rear space under the new hatch

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...pstys06a0r.jpg
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...psh8n204sv.jpg
Lot of work to make one of those work

Thanks Woody! A picture is worth a thousand words and its clear that a 996 top would be a helluva lot of work to make fit on Boxster.

No problem I was curious for myself too. That top was a little beat up but you can still get an idea of the amount work it would take.

I don't see modifying a 996 top ever being worth the trouble. That said, it could be interesting if you were building a Spec 986, you could just bend and weld until it fit.

I'm not an expert in spec rules yet but I'm almost positive that wouldn't be legal in spec. The pic of the car that started this thread is in World Racing League. They have different rules and are open to a lot more modifications than Spec. Spec mostly only allows modifications to suspension and safety. Otherwise spec has to stay with what came from the factory from 1997-99.

as my dad said, "speak of the devil and in he walks" ...

http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-parts-sale-wanted/60538-cayman-style-hard-top.html

Hi everyone, I am new here... dont have a 986 yet but I am it the market for one hopefully this summer! Been looking around for various hard top styles for the last week or so non stop.

Just a summary of the 986 hardtops available

Porsche Oem
Zeintop/Zart - have seen a few years back and glad they are back in business!
D Morris and the English one - they are great finds on this thread and look great with the shortened style.
The custom 911 style one - I think from a forum member here, however, side windows will not work with it, more track oriented
Custom - I heard some owners fiberglassed a 911 and oem 986 one for custom design?

I also came across this one on youtube and found their site, they are based in japan called Porco Rosso - you can youtube it as well.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/PorcoRossobyINDEX/photos/?tab=album&album_id=229548870500916

Hope this helps in expanding the hardtop knowledge base! Did I miss any? Please let me know!

The perfect top for a Boxster
 

Here's one that you missed, but it's really focused for racing rather than a street car.
http://986forum.com/forums/boxster-racing-forum/44139-new-boxster-hard-top-prototype.html

Wow I love the spoiler design on the "turbo" kit for the 986.

i found that one on the internet, quite a while ago...
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1486219797.jpg
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1486219813.jpg

so not wanting to let this go haha I picked up a mint 996 hardtop for next to nothing with no back window, after plonking it on it seems the windshield frame on the boxster is completely different to the 996, the locating lugs are nearly an inch different and the roof itself is nearly an inch narrower overall than the boxster windshield frame, I always thought they were the same as the 996 vert,
I chopped some of the rear of the hardtop off so it sits lower and it lines up better but the roof lower edge is now 2 inches lower than the boxster trunk, looks pretty neat but, I will get a pic next week.
Cheers Russ...

Because they don't have the same windows. And the 996 Drop top has 4 Windows while the Boxster has 2. You can install 996/Cayman Windows on the 986, but you'll still have a hole open behind them where the 3rd and 4th quarter windows go. And you'll never be able to use the drop top anymore without the windows being down.

yes I understand the side windows, thats pretty obvious, what I am saying is the front screen and frame is wider by a good amount on the boxster, just thought it was weird,
I thought the whole A pillar and windscreen frame were the same
Cheers Russ...